Mario Cristobal and staff will be working hard over the next few days to put together the roster for the 2026 Miami Hurricanes. That's going to include some work in the transfer portal and some evaluations of which underclassmen are ready to take a step forward. Depending on what happens in the efforts to acquire talent from the portal, these three players could be asked to take a major leap in 2026:
1. Luke Nickel, quarterback
In case you've been living under a rock, Miami is having some real issues getting a quarterback from the transfer portal. And depending on what might happen over the next few weeks, the Hurricanes might be handing over the keys to a young prospect on the roster. Nickel will be a redshirt freshman, and he's a former four-star prospect from the Atlanta suburbs that will have an opportunity to compete for snaps if nothing else. The quarterback situation is fluid and anything could happen, so Nickel needs to be ready.
2. Joshua Moore, wide receiver
Moore got some snaps as a freshman this season, catching 17 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. He even got on the field and recorded a catch for one yard in the CFP Championship Game. Now it's time to take a step forward and become the guy on the other side of Malachi Toney. Miami did acquire Vandrevius Jacobs (32 catches, 548 yards, four touchdowns) out of the portal from South Carolina, so there is some very good competition, but if Moore can level up as a sophomore, it would give the Hurricanes some much-needed high-end depth in the passing game.
3. Herbert Scroggins III, defensive lineman
Miami is losing a lot on the front seven, both from seniors that have run out of eligibility and top-end juniors like Rueben Bain Jr expected to declare for the NFL Draft. Scroggins, a blue-chip prospect from the 2025 recruiting class, was able to preserve his redshirt this season and will enter the spring with every chance to turn heads and heavilycontribute to what Mario Cristobal hopes is a young, active group of pass rushers.