ESPN recruiting analyst Craig Haubert listed the Miami Hurricanes among "12 teams that improved their 2026 CFP chances with their roster moves," pointing to Miami's ability to reload in the same areas that powered its run to the national title game last season.
Haubert separated his list into two groups: The "loaded up for another playoff run" group and the "primed to make a CFP breakthrough" group. The returners who improved their chances included Georgia, Indiana, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas Tech. The second section featured LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, UNLV and USC.
Miami went 2-1 last season against the teams on the list with wins against Notre Dame and Ohio State, and a loss to Indiana in the national title game. For the regular season in 2026, Miami will play one team mentioned (Notre Dame).
Miami is built for another run in the CFP
Haubert noted the Hurricanes' title-game run was fueled by dominant line play, strong recruiting and steady quarterback play from QB Carson Beck. The pitch for 2026 is that Miami can run that blueprint back, even with major pieces leaving.
"Miami's run to the national title game was fueled in part by dominant line play and top-tier recruiting and steady quarterback play from Carson Beck, who came via the portal. The Hurricanes reloaded at those key areas to run that blueprint back in 2026."Craig Haubert
The headliner on the high school side is five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell. Cantwell was the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300 and the top offensive tackle in the cycle when he committed to Mario Cristobal and Miami's staff.
Miami also landed Duke transfer Darian Mensah after a very public detour. Duke and Mensah reached a settlement that cleared the way for him to enroll at Miami, and he is expected to lead the Hurricanes next season. Mensah threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025 while earning second-team All-ACC honors.
He is also not coming alone as wide receiver Cooper Barkate is joining Mensah at Miami after a big 2025 season at Duke.
On defense, Miami has to replace a ton of production, with Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor leaving to go to the NFL. The Hurricanes' answer in the portal is former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson II, who was one of the top overall players available. He was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2025 and was ranked as the No. 9 player in ESPN's transfer portal rankings.