It started on a tarmac.
Mario Cristobal had just taken over at Miami in 2022, and as he sat on a recruiting flight, he asked the pilot to wait. The Hurricanes were on the verge of something that hadn’t happened in decades, finishing an NFL Draft without a single player selected. Finally, deep in the seventh round, one name was called. Just one. It was defensive lineman Jonathan Ford who was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 234th pick in the draft.
For Cristobal, that moment said everything. Miami, the program that once flooded the league with first-rounders, was now barely keeping its draft streak alive. “I remember watching film and saying we’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said later. “Miami did not have the talent and Miami did not recruit to the level that Miami is supposed to recruit.”
That scene became a metaphor for where the program stood, idling on the runway, waiting for clearance to take off again. Fast forward to the 2025 season, Cristobal has Miami flying higher than it has in nearly two decades as the Miami Hurricanes are 5-0 vanquishing the toughest part of their schedule with ease and looking like the best team in the nation. After their big win over Florida State in a game where Miami crushed the Noles for three quarters making them look closer to the 2-10 team they were last year than the team that beat Bama in week one, before eventually sending in reserves and stepping off the gas in the fourth quarter, national analyst Josh Pate had this to say about Miami:
Standing field level, because I hadn’t seen Miami in person this year in a game. They’re, they’re a different team than anyone. I have seen Ohio State and Texas in person this year. I’ve seen Bama in person. I’ve seen Georgia in person. I’ve seen Michigan in person. There is no team that looks like Miami. There is no team that big and that fast and that physical and that aggressive as Miami. Nowhere, I don’t know if they’ll win their conference. I don’t know if they will win the national championship. I don’t know what they would win. I just know they won yesterday and I know they have what I would affectionately refer to as creatures all over the place.
Creatures. Miami is full of monsters and right now they look like the best team in the nation. Pate is not a lonely voice in his opinion of Miami. Right now J.D Pickell from ON3, The Ruffino & Joe Show, and PFF College are all among a growing national chorus of voices that view Miami as the most complete team in the nation.
But how was Cristobal able to accomplish this? Of course, we cannot downplay the fact that Miami has finally opened up their checkbook and decided to pay for a premier coach and a premier staff, something that was missing for the last 25 years. Or that with the advent of NIL, Miami is now one of the most competitive programs in terms of offering some of the best NIL opportunities in the country. Yet this is not the only factor as there are various programs with big time NIL that are nowhere near Miami as we speak. These are the factors that I believe outside of the constant that is NIL that has turned Miami into a Category Five Hurricane:
Elite Recruiting:
Miami used to be a recruiting powerhouse in the 80s and 90s. But after 2001, recruiting became a big-time enterprise and especially when Nick Saban wen to Alabama, the amount of resources that were allocated to recruiting skyrocketed compared to the decade of the 80s and 90s. Miami was stuck in time as much of the SEC, Big Ten, even USC and Texas were lapping the field with Miami in terms of recruiting. Miami had some talented players like Cristobal said, but not nearly enough. Below I want to show how much Miami has changed in terms of landing players that under the last 25 years would have never even looked at Miami but because of the advent of NIL and Mario’s relentless recruiting are now Miami Hurricanes:
Rueben Bain Jr.- Picked Miami over Bama. This was a one-on-one battle with Nick Saban that came down to the wire. The best high school player in the nation with the most sacks eventually chose Miami over Alabama. These were the type of generational talents on the line of scrimmage that Miami was consistently losing in their backyards to Bama/ UGA/ OSU.
Francis Mauigoa- Picked Miami over Tennessee. Again, this kid would never have looked Miami’s way pre Mari Cristobal. Mauigoa was part of Mario’s first full class and was the gem of the class with Rueben Bain Jr.
Samson Okunlola- Picked Miami over Florida and Michigan State. A five-star offensive lineman that picked Miami in a high-profile recruitment that came down to the wire. Okunola has battled injuries the past couple of years but now is starting to play like the five-star talent he is. He is battling for a starting position this year and has not only added key depth to the offensive line, but in some games has been the best offensive linemen outright.
Mark Fletcher- Flipped from Ohio State. Miami landed a monster with Mark Fletcher. A Powerful back that punishes defenses, he has been an integral part of Miami’s run game.
Jordan Lyle- Flipped from Ohio State. Lyle was slated to be the starting running back in only his second year here at Miami. He was able to play and get his sea legs against Florida State this past weekend, but the truth is that Miami doesn’t have anyone with his skillset on the roster. Lyle is a tremendous back that has elite speed and can turn any carry into a 90 yard touchdown. These are the type of elite playmakers that Miami consistently missed on.
Damari Brown- Picked Miami over Bama. Nick Saban wanted Brown bad, and was at the very top of Saban’s board. Miami was able to keep a local talent home and Brown has been nothing but lockdown this year. He has an overall PFF score of 73.8 with a coverage grade of 79.4. What that means in terms of actual game play is that he has only been targeted five times in five games allowing only two receptions for 52 yards and zero touchdowns on the year. He has the makings of a future All- American defensive back.
Justin Scott- Flipped from Ohio State. A five-star beast that is already making his impact felt as a sophomore. This was another high profile battle that Miami won with an out of state kid from Chicago which is usually Notre Dame/ OSU territory.
Marquise Lightfoot- Picked Miami over Ohio State– Ohio State was trending but the Canes managed to land the coveted edge from Chicago. Lightfoot is already making plays as a Hurricane and is expected to start next year taking over for one of Bain/ Meridor.
Hayden Lowe- Flipped From USC– A physical specimen and another out of state stud from California that was flipped from USC. A monster that looks to be the heir apparent to Rueben Bain Jr. and was dominating camp before an injury ended his season. His first year as a redshirt freshman has the potential to be spooky.
Wesley Bissainthe- Flipped from Florida State– A starter for Miami, Bissainthe had a monster game for Miami with 8 tackles and recovered two crucial onside kicks that sealed the game for Miami.
Malachi Toney- Picked Miami over Bama– Toney reclassified and decommited from Miami. Alabama made a hard push, but eventually Toney committed back to the Canes and is now clearly playing like the best freshman in college football.
Raul “Popo” Aguirre- Picked Miami over Bama– Another player that chose the Canes over Saban and is starting to make significant contributions for the Canes
Armondo Blount- Flipped from Florida State– Another five-star caliber talent that reclassified and flipped from Florida State, Blount just had his best game against the Noles with five pressures, two tackles and an impressive 73.5 PFF tackling grade.
Elija Lofton- Picked Miami over Texas– One of the most impressive players in camp and another out of state recruit, Lofton was battling injuries earlier in the season. I expect him to be a major player in the offense as he finds his sea legs.
Brock Schott- Picked Miami over Ohio State/ Notre Dame– Another out of state stud that had offers from everybody and chose Miami. Schott has already gotten some action this year and looks to be a promising force of nature.
Bryce Fitzgerald- Picked Miami over LSU/Florida/ Florida State– Will most likely join Malachi Toney as a Freshman All American, Fitzgerald has three interceptions in five games and is a game changer any time he steps on the field. Type of kid that would go to LSU to make plays is now doing so at Miami.
Joshua Moore- Flipped from Florida– Moore is a true freshman and had a two-touchdown game against then #18 ranked USF. He is extremely talented and has a great rapport with Carson beck. Expect to hear more of Moore as he continues to adjust to the college game.
Cam Pruitt- Picked Miami over Bama- Another player Miami landed over Bama and is in line to be a future starter. Pruitt has insane range and speed that has allowed him to switch from linebacker to safety.
Elite Development/ Transfer Portal/ JUCO
Some of the players that committed to Miami were under the radar players that many didn’t pay attention to but the staff saw traits and worked with them to develop them into big time contributors.
Others have come through the transfer portal and have been instant stars or have developed over time.
Matthew McCoy- Picked Miami over Florida– Mario came in late 2022 at a time where the Canes didn’t have a single offensive lineman committed. Mario was able to land McCoy and he is now starting.
Anez Cooper- Picked Miami over Auburn- Auburn made a late push to land the Alabama product, but Miami was able to survive the onslaught. He is now a starter and a bully who sets the tone for Miami’s physical style of play.
O.J Frederique- Flipped from West Virginia– A three star prospect, Frederique had a dominant freshman season that ended in freshman All-American honors.
Markel Bell- Picked Miami over Auburn/Ole Miss– A monster OT that towered at 6’9 and 340lbs. Bell committed to the Canes as JUCO that had all the physical gifts but needed development. Mirabal has turned Bell into a beast as he has taken a huge jump from year one to year two ( jumped from 61.0 to 71.3 PFF year to year).
Keionte Scott- Transferred from Houston- This was an A+ eval by the staff. Scott initially had transferred to Houston after a down year in Auburn where he battled injuries before he transferred again to Miami. He is playing like a star for the Canes this year with an elite 83.6 PFF grade including an insane 91.8 run grade this year.
Jakobe Thomas-Picked Miami over Florida State– Another A+ under the radar addition, Thomas is one of the best transfers that Mario Cristobal has brought to the Canes. He has been so dominant that he will be in the conversation for All Conference honors.
Carson Beck- Transferred from Georgia– Kirby Smaet begged Beck to stay. Beck looked at Miami’s success with Cam Ward and that Wall that Mirabal built, and chose Miami. This was a huge steal for Mario and Beck is now a top 3 Heisman candidate.
Zechariah Poyser-Picked Miami over Georgia-The former Jacksonville State standout, he was highly coveted by Georgia. He chose Miami and is a star for the Canes who made huge plays for the Canes against Florida State.
Ethan O’Connor- Picked Miami over Georgia– He was a top two corner in the portal and has been very productive for Miami and just had his best game against Florida State.
Xavier Lucas- Transferred from Wisconsin– Another corner who is havng a good year for Miami and has help upgrade the corner back room.
CharMar Brown- Picked Miami over Nebraska– Another home run evaluation by the staff. Brown has been starter level good for Miami and the Canes when fully healthy have a three headed monster at running back.
David Blay Jr.- Picked Miami over Penn State/Oklahoma– A very solid addition to the defensive line, Blay has been one of the most consistent players for the Canes and has a 68.0 run defense grade so far on the year.
Ahmad Moten Sr.-Picked Miami over Oklahoma– Moten was offered by Venables who wanted him bad at Oklahoma and eventually chose the Canes where he became a developmental success story. He came in and rode the bench and last year was a key contributor. This year he is the most consistent defensive tackle for Miami with an elite 79.6 PFF grade and a 75.5 run-defense grade. Moten has been a force and proof of the development happening at Miami.
Carter Davis- Transferred to Miami from FAU- Davis had a tough year in 2024 going 2/7 for the Owls . This year he has been clutch a perfect 4/4 including one over 50+ yards.
Honorable Mention
Cam Ward- Picked Miami over Florida State– I know. Cam ward is not here this year. But Ward helped Miami win 10 games last year for the first time since 2017. Ward led the Canes to the top offense in the nation and broke the passing yards and touchdown single season record for the Canes. He got all the honors and awards available outside of the Heisman and he was the number one overall pick. I don’t think Carson Beck or others come here if it wasn’t for the excitement that Ward generated. He set the tone for this season.
Total tally of contributing players taken from either Georgia or Bama: 8
Total tally of contributing players taken from Ohio State: 5
Total tally of other SEC schools:5
Total tally of contributing players from Florida/ Florida State: 8
26 big time contributing players. This is the difference in the Mario era. Miami is not only landing big time players that were going to Bama/ Georgia/ OSU or other SEC schools. They are also consistently beating Florida and Florida State for in state talent . Add their evaluations in the portal and their development of less highly touted players and the Canes have the most complete team in the nation. Mario built a monster like no other in College Football. They are bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else. The ACC Championship is there for the taking. An automatic playoff spot with a home game in the National Championship storybook season is there. The question is, will that monster stay focused and disciplined all season long, or will they drink the rat poison? If Miami stays healthy and locked in mentally the monster Mario created will be raising the National Championship in Miami.
Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our NIL athletes and partnered brands
