Miami football and Manny Diaz own the NCAA Transfer portal

In less than four weeks since taking over as the Miami Football Coach, Manny Diaz has added an infusion of talent for the Hurricanes through the NCAA Transfer portal.

No other college football program has taken advantage of the NCAA Transfer portal as much as Diaz and the Miami Football program has. In an article published on Friday, Sports Illustrated’s Laken Litman declared “Manny Diaz and Miami have quietly compiled the best haul of a different talent source: transfers.”

The article is titled “The Transfer Portal’s Most Interesting Non-Quarterback Storylines.” Just this month the Miami football program has added safety Bubba Bolden from USC, Graduate Transfer wide receiver K.J. Osborn from Buffalo, quarterback Tate Martell and UCLA Graduate defensive tackle Chigozie Nnoruka.

Bolden, Martell and Osborn would propel Miami’s recruiting class into the top ten from their current ranking of 33rd. Transfers do not count as part of a recruiting class.

The Hurricanes also added former Auburn running back Asa Martin and Butler Graduate left tackle Tommy Kennedy last month before Mark Richt announced his retirement.

Kennedy was unranked entering college in 2016 signing with an FCS program. Martin was the Alabama High School Player of the Year in 2017 and would certainly boost the Hurricanes recruiting class further into the top ten.

Litman discussed what she labeled as the Hurricanes Haul. She also discusses the Miami football program trying to lure former UCLA  defensive end/linebacker Jaelan Phillips and Virginia Tech defensive end Trevon Hill to Coral Gables.

If Hill and Phillips were added with the Hurricanes previous six transfers Miami would have the nation’s second-best recruiting class behind Alabama. No one has upgraded the talent on their roster through transfers since December like the Miami football team has.

Litman is high on what Diaz and the Miami football program have been able to do with the transfers that they have added and the potential of Hill and Phillips matriculating at the U also.

"“Diaz is clearly doing everything he can to bring the program back to a competitive level quickly after Richt’s tenure took a sharp downward turn.”"

Miami has also lost a few players to the transfer portal. It seems like these are players that Diaz did not see a future for with what he has dubbed “The New Miami.” The New Miami even has an unofficial, official hashtag on social media of #TNM. Many of the current players on the Miami football team and recruits are using TNM.

Rising Senior Offensive lineman Hayden Mahoney, Redshirt Freshman wide receiver Marquez Ezzard and Rising Redshirt Senior wide receiver Lawrence Cager have all put their names into the NCAA Transfer portal.

Christy Chirinos of the Sun Sentinel posted tweets of Mahoney and Ezzard’s departures from the Miami football program. They are pretty similar general press releases from the Miami Athletic Department. Both state it was a mutual decision for Mahoney and Ezzard to pursue opportunities at another school.

Mahoney’s departure was announced last week, with Ezzard’s transfer announced on Wednesday. The press release regarding Mahoney’s departure Tweeted out by Chirinos is below.

There are less than two weeks remaining until National Signing Day. There have been some rumblings that the Hurricanes could flip a few unsigned players. The biggest of those names is Cardinal Gibbons’ Khris Bogle. Getting Bogle to come to Miami after committing to Alabama earlier this month would be a huge coup for Diaz and his staff.

The Miami football program is also likely to continue to be active in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Hill and Phillips are the biggest names the Hurricanes are recruiting. There are several other big names in the transfer portal that Miami might pursue. Litman mentions three five-star transfers who are looking for new schools.