Miami Hurricanes’ 2025 Roster Revamp: National Experts Weigh In on Portal Strategy

The Miami Hurricanes have added a lot of portal talent in the first and second windows. And by “a lot,” we mean the most Mario Cristobal has taken as a head coach – there are 18 new portal additions, and we think around 10-12 of them will wind up starting.

Headlining the first portal window takes? QB Carson Beck, C James Brockermeyer, DT David Blay, CB Xavier Lucas and S Zechariah Poyser. All are poised to start.

And the second window’s seen Miami pick up seven more players, continuing to elevate the roster. All of those will be starting or competing to start aside from probably RB CharMar Brown, who will be working with Mark Fletcher and Jordan Lyle. The other second portal pickups: WR/KR Keelan Marion, WR Tony Johnson, LB Kamal Bonner, nickel/PR Keionte Scott, S Jakobe Thomas and PK Bert Auburn.

So how is all viewed from a national perspective? For that we turn to Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman in the On3 Andy & Ari show. Staples says Miami is “loading up with a few different types of guys” in the most recent transfer window.

Miami LOADS UP in the spring transfer portal —should that excite or concern? | Will the CFP fix the seeding for this year? https://t.co/rnOrSwboZ4

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) May 7, 2025

Indeed. Staples and Wasserman spoke to Cristobal going so transfer portal heavy in Year 4, pointing out how the entire secondary is transfers other than OJ Frederique.

So did Miami bring in too many portal guys?

“When you’re transfer portal heavy you’re reliant on replacing bigtime players that were carrying your team year over year and you don’t know who is going to be in,” Wasserman said. “I feel a lot of these Miami pickups at some spots are crucial and necessary, but at other spots luxury. This is not overly reliant (on the portal).”

Wasserman says prior to Miami adding the most recent transfers that he wasn’t high on UM hitting double-digit wins, but that now he’s “inching toward the 10-win situation. … Miami could be a 10-2 playoff team potentially this year.”

He adds “I’m not really as high on Miami as a year ago at this time (when UM was in his top 10). Part of that is Carson Beck – I think he’s a good quarterback, I don’t think he’s a great one. And they lost a great one (Cam Ward).”

He says upgrading the overall talent helps the team, so really adding plenty of transfers isn’t an issue.

“They have pieces, and if Carson Beck is healthy and an above average quarterback you are probably sitting with one of the top four quarterbacks in your conference,” Wasserman said. “I like this blend of young, homegrown talent coming up through the high school ranks and blending it in with (transfers). I’m willing to think Miami might not fall off this year the way I thought it could.

“Miami’s in position to be an above average to pretty good football team this year.”

Some thoughts on players in the recent haul:

*”Scott was a really good nickel for Auburn in 2023, wanted to play boundary corner last year and did not play well, wound up getting benched,” Staples said. “The assumption is he’ll play nickel at Miami and should be fairly productive there. He was an All-SEC nickel when he was playing nickel at Auburn.”

*Bonner at NC State played really well last year and Staples says “they didn’t want to lose him, had plans for him.”

*Thomas “was probably going to start at safety for Tennessee coming out of the spring,” per Staples.

*Regarding Brown? “Brown was really good at North Dakota State and a true free agent type,” Staples says. “I don’t know if he’s starting quality – Miami still has Mark Fletcher, they have some good players already.”

*Of Auburn, who had two strong years at Texas before struggling last year, Staples said, “Kickers have their ups and downs,” and Wasserman said, “He hit some pretty big kicks, didn’t he?” Wasserman, by the way, says he thinks Auburn will be “fine.”

*Staples also mentioned first portal add Poyser, saying “A lot of SEC schools wanted him.”

A final takeaway from Staples?

“These are really good players other teams didn’t want to lose,” Staples said.