The Miami Hurricanes are getting ready for the 2024-25 football season and have significantly reloaded via another top-five recruiting class and an elite portal haul. The Canes’ transformation continues under head coach Mario Cristobal, who has gone all in on winning big this year while establishing a winning culture in Miami. With Miami’s portal shopping set, the final tally between the fall and spring window totaled 14 players who will now be added to the Canes’ roster. In the past, Cristobal and the Cane brass used the portal to bring in supplemental players, but this past fall and spring, the additions via the portal are a significant upgrade in talent and production from years before. Let’s break down Miami’s haul:
Tier-One: The Difference Makers
QB – Cameron Ward
Ward was arguably the top quarterback in the transfer portal. After flirting with the NFL, Ward decided to commit to Miami. The Canes are adding a quarterback who has passed for 13,874 career yards and has accounted for 135 total touchdowns with a career passer rating of 144.4. A concern with Ward is his turnovers, but to be fair, he was playing behind some horrid offensive lines and was still producing at an insane rate. The Canes are expected to sport one of the best offensive lines in the ACC, and Ward’s efficiency and production could catapult him to the first round if he produces at the same rate he did at Incarnate Word and WSU. Ward is a significant upgrade from TVD, who struggled in his last year at Miami and at one point had 11 interceptions in a five-game stretch.
RB – Damien Martinez
The Canes added the top RB and top overall player in the Spring Transfer Portal window. Martinez had a tremendous sophomore season for the Beavers with 194 carries, 1,185 yards, 9 TDs, and 6.1 yards per carry. To put these numbers into perspective, Miami has not had a running back rush for over 1,000 yards since 2016. The last running back to do so was Mark Walton, who rushed for 1,117 yards in his sophomore season. Martinez is a shifty runner who specializes in gaining positive yards. Last year alone, he forced 57 missed tackles and was ranked eleventh in the nation in yards after contact. When Fletcher returns, the combination of Fletcher and Martinez will be a nightmare for opposing linebackers and safeties in the ACC.
WR – Sam Brown Jr.
Miami landed one of the top transfer wide receivers in Houston’s Sam Brown Jr. Brown was very productive in Houston, amassing 62 catches for 815 yards along with three touchdowns in 2023. Brown finished fifth in receptions per game (5.2), eighth in receiving yards per game (67.9), and tenth in total receiving yards (815). His ability to force missed tackles after the catch, ranking second in the conference with 20 missed tackles, shows his ability to extend plays. He is a very versatile player that you can line up in different areas, as he had 624 snaps as an X wide receiver and 70 snaps in the slot. He will compete for a starting spot at Miami.
DT – Simeon Barrow Jr.
The Canes’ pursuit of Barrow Jr. was a rollercoaster. Initially, most pundits had him going to LSU, but after hitting the portal, Barrow left LSU without committing and eventually committed to the Canes. Barrow was seen as a top-three transfer DT in the Spring Transfer Portal, an SEC-caliber guy with proven production at Michigan State. However, things took a turn for the worse as it was reported that Missouri was still communicating with Barrow because of an error that showed Barrow was still in the transfer portal. After days of drama with Barrow’s status up in the air, it was confirmed that Simeon Barrow was, in fact, going to stay with the Canes. Some fans have been worried about Barrow’s production and if teammates will respect him after the initial high drama snafu. Let us remember that this is the NIL era, and Miami recently experienced a prolonged recruitment of Cam Ward that ended up with a video of Ward declaring for the NFL, only to rescind his commitment and commit to the Canes weeks later. If Barrow destroys Florida in game one, no one will remember this “controversy.”
With that being said, what are the Canes getting in Barrow?
The Canes are getting a guy who started 30 out of 34 games for his career with the Spartans, totaling 110 tackles with 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. For context, Leonard Taylor, who played 25 games for the University of Miami, recorded 65 tackles, four sacks, while Branson Deen, who had 37 total games in college, had 91 tackles, and eight sacks. That means that Barrow had superior stats to a fifth-year senior in Deen, who played two more games than him at the college level and almost doubled Leonard Taylor’s production in total tackles while doubling his sacks.
Barrow projects as an immediate starter and an upgrade over both of their starting tackles last year, and possibly the best DT the Canes have had since Gerald Willis III. Barrow is particularly strong in run defense, where he effectively uses his size and strength to disrupt running lanes. He demonstrates good leverage and the ability to shed blocks, making him a persistent threat in the tackle box. His PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade was 72.2 overall and a solid 72.3 PFF against the run. For context, Leonard Taylor’s PFF was 74.8 with a run defense score of 64.4 PFF. Likewise, Branson Deen’s total PFF was 68.3, while his run defense scored at 66.6 PFF. One of Miami’s weaknesses in these past five to six years has been their run defense, and Barrow provides immediate relief in that department for the Canes as he scores significantly higher than last year’s starting unit. His durability and his ability to stay on the field are also a plus, as he played in 469 defensive snaps last season compared to Taylor’s 340 snaps and Deen’s 334 snaps, respectively.
S – Misahel Powell
The Canes landed a starting safety with championship experience in Washington’s Misahel Powell. Powell had 38 tackles and 3 INTs with 2.5 TFL while starting all 15 games for the Washington Huskies. Powell is a versatile DB who can play both slot CB and safety. Powell has ALL-ACC potential and was a significant contributor on the runner-up Huskies in the National title game.
DE – Elijah Alston
One of the top grabs in the portal, Alston is a difference maker at the defensive end position. Alston had 45 total tackles, 6 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 INT, and a TD in 2023. The Marshall standout played under Coach Guidry in 2021 and 2022 and produced some of the best PFF numbers at his position this season:
Defense Grade: 91.0
Run Defense Grade: 69.2
Pass Rush Grade: 90.5
Expect Alston to alter the game any time he plays. He is good enough to start in a stacked Canes DE room, but even if he doesn’t, he will get a ton of snaps and wreak havoc along the line of scrimmage.
DE – Tyler Baron
One of the biggest flexes by the Canes this offseason was adding the best DE in the Spring Transfer Portal window. Baron accumulated 105 pressures, ranking third nationally among Power 5 players. His career stats include 13.5 sacks, 101 tackles, and 27 tackles for loss. He is good enough to come into the best defensive end room in the ACC and start across from Bain. How good is Baron? OL Amarius Mims, who played for the Georgia Bulldogs and was the 18th overall pick in the draft, stated that the hardest guy he had to block in college was Tyler Baron.
Tier-Two: P5-Level Starter
DT – CJ Clark
Clark stands at 6’3, 305 lbs, a true nose tackle that can stop the run. Clark is larger than Branson Deen and produced 73 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks during his career with the Wolfpack. In his last two years at NC State, Clark produced 29 pressures for the Wolfpack.
DT – Marley Cook
Cook hails from Middle Tennessee and chose Miami over Ohio State. Cook was graded as a top-5 pass rusher at his position during the 2022 season. He has produced 44 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks during his last two seasons with the Blue Raiders, in addition to 93 career pressures. Over two seasons, Cook produced strong PFF numbers:
83.5 PFF Grade
8.0 Sacks
67 QB Pressures
86.4 Pass Rush Grade
C – Zach Carpenter
Miami landed the top center in the portal to replace Matt Lee, who declared for the NFL draft. The 6’5, 295-lb center played for Indiana and picked the Canes over North Carolina and Maryland. I do not expect Carpenter to replace Matt Lee’s production, but he provides solid play at C and will be a serviceable center at best, with a chance of being a good center for the Canes.
CB – Dyoni Hill
The Canes needed DB help this offseason and addressed their cornerback depth by bringing in Marshall transfer Dyoni Hill. Hill’s addition reunites him with cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, under whose systems he has previously thrived. The implications of acquiring Hill are significant. He provides the team with the flexibility to shift Powell, who has predominantly played nickel at Washington, to a starting safety role alongside either Jaden Harris or Richard. Daryl Porter Jr. and Damari Brown are projected to be Miami’s starting outside corners, indicating a reshuffled and potent lineup.
LB – Jaylin Alderman
The Canes added a starting-level linebacker to the roster with the addition of Louisville transfer Jaylin Alderman. Alderman stands at 6’1”, 230 lbs, and is a physical specimen. A durable player who started every game for the Cardinals last year, Alderman had 62 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, with 47 of those tackles coming against ACC opponents. Outside of Francisco Mauigoa, who played 697 snaps, no other linebacker played at least 500 snaps for Miami. In contrast, Alderman played 606 snaps for the Cardinals this past season, which would have been the second most for the Canes in the 2023 season.
Another plus that Alderman brings is his versatility. Ever since high school, Alderman has played multiple positions, serving both as a wide receiver on offense and as an outside linebacker on defense. In college, he has shown the capability to play both weak-side and middle linebacker. This gives Miami a strong middle linebacker option if Kiko Mauigoa were to go down with an injury. Alderman is a very high-IQ player, productive in part because he is always in the right place to make a play. In 2021, he demonstrated his anticipation and athletic ability when he returned an interception for a touchdown against UCF.
With Alderman’s familiarity with linebacker coach Derek Nicholson, who recruited him out of high school when he was linebackers coach at Louisville, I expect he will transition seamlessly to the Canes’ defensive scheme and immediately compete for and take over a starting outside linebacker role.
Tier Three: Developmental
QB – Reese Poffanbarger
Miami added Reese Poffanbarger via the transfer portal. The Albany transfer posted impressive stats at the FCS level:
3,608 Yards (Led FCS)
36 Passing TDs (Led FCS)
68.4% Adjusted Completion Percentage
Miami was blown away by his leadership qualities and work ethic. He will provide solid competition and depth for Cam Ward and will have an opportunity to get acclimated to P5-level football.
S – Isaiah Taylor
Isaiah Taylor, the talented safety formerly with Arizona and son of Jason Taylor, has recently committed to the Miami Hurricanes. During his tenure at Arizona, he showcased his skills with an impressive 56 total tackles. In the 2022 season alone, he recorded 40 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass breakups. Standing at 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 200 pounds, Taylor brings both physical presence and experience to the Hurricanes, with two years of eligibility remaining to provide depth and competition to the Canes’ secondary. Miami was able to get him in as a preferred walk-on.
From the above group, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if nine or more players become starters, with 12 of the 14 players playing a significant role this season. The Canes are loaded and have upgraded the roster with elite and Power-5 starting-caliber players that have proven production. The question is, what can we expect from the Canes this year?
Prediction:
Miami has a very favorable schedule, and on paper, they look like the best team in the ACC. They can easily run the table or even go 11-1. Despite this, I am taking a conservative approach this year. The Canes haven’t won 10 games since 2017, and it seems every year we Canes fans get ahead of ourselves. Miami still needs to play the games; they will need to face adversity and overcome it. I like the way Miami is trending, but I still see some growing pains in the regular season. I do expect them to be better than last year and have significantly fewer turnovers. I do not know which games we will drop, but I suspect we will drop two games. However, we will hit the ten-win mark in the regular season, bring in a top-three recruiting class, and play for and win the ACC championship.
Recruiting Rank: Top three class in 2025
Regular Season Wins: 10
Notable Wins: Miami beats both in state rivals Florida and Florida State
ACC Championship: Beats Clemson and wins ACC Championship
Playoffs: Secures a playoff spot
Final ACC Total: 11-2 season, including the win over Clemson in the ACC championship and securing one of the 12 playoff spots as the ACC Champions.
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