National Runner-Ups Gear up for Spring Football

Spring is officially here in Coral Gables as Mario Cristobal, coming off his most successful season (13-3) as head coach of his alma mater, will look to continue to make “progress,” a word he has used heavily throughout his tenure as the leader of the University of Miami football team.  

Cristobal boasts a (35-19) winning record at Miami, and last season marked the first time the program won 13 games with victories over Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss in its first College Football Playoff appearance.

The Hurricanes fell short of their ultimate goal, losing to Indiana in the national championship game, but one thing is certain: they will be in the national title discussion ahead of the 2026 season.  

Spring practice kicks off Tuesday, March 23rd, and here are the storylines to watch.

New QB1, but who is QB2?

For two years in a row, Miami landed arguably the best transfer-portal quarterback.  Cam Ward completed one of the best seasons as a Hurricanes QB, positioning himself to be selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Carson Beck led Miami to its first national championship game since the 2002 season.  

For the 2026 season, insert Darian Mensah.  The former Duke quarterback draws comparisons to Ward for his ability to extend plays and to Beck for his ability to manage the game.  

We may see more deep shots from Mensah than both Ward and Beck, as the former Blue Devil attempted 86 long balls compared to 75 from Ward and 63 from Beck.  

The 6-foot-3 signal-caller from California threw for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions last season, leading Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962.  

Mensah’s yards total finished second to North Texas’ Drew Mestermaker, and his TD passes finished second to Heisman trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza. 

Mensah will be the starting QB for the Miami Hurricanes for the 2026 season, barring some catastrophic injury, but who will be his backup?

Last year’s backup, Emory Williams, has moved on and signed with East Carolina, which spurs the remaining QBs on the roster to fiercely compete for QB2.  

Third-year quarterback Judd Anderson and true sophomore Luke Nickel are set to compete this spring for the backup role.  Anderson has the size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) and athletic advantage, but Nickel (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) seems to be a more polished product despite being an underclassman.  

True freshman Dereon Coleman (6-foot, 165 pounds) will also push the aforementioned signal-callers, but the four-star-rated QB has much to learn from his two predecessors with college years under their belts.  

Is there a Malachi Toney in this class?

A significant reason why Miami put together its most successful season in over 20 years was because of the play of true freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney.  The freshman All-American and All-ACC First Team selection led the nation with 109 receptions, setting a Miami single-season program record.  His 1,211 receiving yards are also the best in a single season in UM history.

But who could be the next Toney?

The wide receiving corps does take a depth chart hit with CJ Daniels, Keelan Marion, and Tony Johnson hoping to have their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Ny Carr (Wake Forest), Ray Ray Joseph (East Carolina), Chance Robinson (NC State), and Jo Jo Trader (NC State),  transferring from the program.

Miami added Duke’s Cooper Barkate and South Carolina’s Vandrevius Jacobs as transfer wide receivers and returned freshman Joshua Moore, along with Toney, for another season.

What’s most intriguing is the freshman wide receiver class that can make an immediate impact. 

Four-stars Milan Parris, Somourian Wingo, and Vance Spafford all have a chance to make a splash this spring.  Parris (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) is your typical outside receiver who likes to get vertical, while Spafford (5-foot-10, 185) is a speedy slot receiver who gets open more often than not.  Wingo (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) is an all-around talent who can do it all, excels at snatching the ball away from defenders, and can take it the distance with any touch.  

Trenches Reload

Cristobal has always placed a high emphasis on the offensive and defensive lines, and several members of the 2025 squad are departing to pursue their pro dreams.  Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor, and David Blay depart on the defensive side of the football, while James Brockermeyer, Anez Cooper, Markel Bell, and Francis Mauigoa all graduate from the school's offensive line program under coach Alex Mirabal.  

Matt McCoy, Samson Okunlola, and Ryan Rodriguez were part-time starters on the offensive line in 2025 and are set to step into leadership roles in 2026, but the other two spots will feature unproven players looking to prove themselves.  

SJ Alofaituli, Max Buchanan, Demetrius Campbell, Juan Minaya, and Jaden Wilkerson all return with intentions to break through as starters, and true freshmen Jackson Cantwell (expected to start), Ben Congdon, and Joel Ervin could see early playing time as well.  

On defense, Armondo Blount, Marquise Lightfoot, Ahmad Moten, and Justin Scott all return after solid 2025 campaigns, and the addition of Damon Wilson from the transfer portal has many believing that the D-Line will not see a drop-off in production.  

Who’s next up at linebacker/DB?

Productive linebacker Mohamed Toure returns for an eighth season and will be the obvious leader of the entire defensive unit going into this season.  Losing Wesley Bissainthe to the NFL Draft and Raul “PoPo” Aguirre to NC State via the transfer portal will present plenty of opportunity for young defenders and veterans to step up.

Redshirt senior Chase Smith has a chance to significantly raise his stock, while Cam Pruitt, Kellen Wiley Jr., and Kamal Bonner will be in the mix for playing time.  

The secondary may see the most competition as Xavier Lucas, Damari Brown, Ethan O’Connor, and OJ Frederique will all battle for starting roles at cornerback, while Boston College transfer Omar Thornton, Florida State transfer Conrad Hussey, and returners Zechariah Poyser, Dylan Day, and Bryce Fitzgerald are the favorites for safety and nickel.

Miami’s spring game is scheduled for April 18th