4 forgotten Miami players that need to make an impact before its too late

The Miami Hurricanes are loaded with blue-chip prospects, potential All-Americans and Heisman contenders on both sides of the ball. There are highly-touted freshmen and promising veterans looking to take the next step toward the NFL.

But there are also some veterans that are stuck deep on the roster and trying to carve out a role this season. Time, however, is running out on their chances to make an impact with the Hurricanes. Here are four Miami players that are still on the roster and are working to get a bigger role on the field. 

The redshirt junior was a part-time starter last year and an All-ACC honorable mention performer, but Brown has had injuries at the worst time. The former four-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale missed nearly all the 2024 season with a foot injury and then, after gaining traction as a starter in 2025, Brown suffered another foot injury that kept him out of the College Football Playoff. 

Brown is officially on the two-deep roster, backing up OJ Frederique and fighting off some young guns in the secondary like true freshman Camdin Portis. He's going to have to put together a strong start to the season to keep his spot.

There was a belief that Wheatley-Humphrey would be moving on from the Hurricanes after spending most of his second year in the program on special teams. But word around training camp is that the redshirt sophomore from Broward County committed himself to the weight room and wants to find his spot in that deep group of running backs. 

Right now, he's probably going to have another role on special teams, but he'll be fighting with true freshman Javian Mallory and others for situational carries. 

Miami could definitely use another pass rusher to step up and Pickett is on the list of players that has a clear opportunity in front of him. The redshirt sophomore from Tampa was one of the top edge prospects in the class of 2024, but the Hurricanes are still waiting for him to take the next step. Pickett appeared in 15 games last season, mostly on special teams, but he also recorded a sack. Miami hopes there's more of where that came from in 2026.

Whereas Wheatley-Humphrey is battling for a role in a deep room of running backs, Pruitt has a clear pathway to more playing time with the Hurricanes' thinnest position group. Mo Toure and Chase Smith are going to be Miami's starting linebackers, but Pruitt, a former four-star prospect from Theodore, Alabama, could be the next one up.

Pruitt, now a junior, did most of his work on special teams last season, but he showed flashes of being something more as a freshman, and now he's looking to regain that form in a pivotal season. 

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