Mario Cristobal is 20th in the CBS Sports "Ranking the top 25 Power Four college football coaches entering the 2025 season." Cristobal moved up 15 spots from 35th after leading Miami to a 10-3 season and former quarterback Cam Ward was selected as the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Cristobal continued to show he is an elite recruiter. Miami signed the 13th-best 2025 class and signed the third-best transfer class. Adding quarterback Carson Beck from Georgia and five four-star defensive backs in the transfer portal are significant for Miami entering the 2025 season.
Miami also signed three experienced wide receivers after losing the top six pass catchers from 2024. Running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and Jordan Lyle give Beck an experienced and talented tandem to take pressure off of him in 2024. Miami should have one of the best defensive lines nationally, led by Rueben Bain.
Cristobal is often a polarizing coach who recruits elite talent but has often made decisions that are questioned and loses a game or two during the season his teams were favored to win. Losses at Georgia Tech and Syracuse last season prevented Miami from earning a College Football Playoff berth.
"20 Miami (Fla.)Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports
Mario Cristobal: I'm always interested to see the wide range of opinions on Cristobal, but they weren't as far-ranging this year considering the Hurricanes went 10-3 and helped develop the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Cam Ward...Cristobal remains an elite recruiter, which is far more important than many wish to admit, but his teams are yet to break through to the ranks of the elite...2024 rank: 35 (+15), High: 11, Low: 33"
The only ACC head coach ranked ahead of Cristobal is Dabo Swinney of Clemson. Swinney led Clemson to the ACC Championship and a College Football Playoff berth in 2024 and has won national championships in 2016 and 2018.
The wide range in the rankings, with Cristobal being ranked as high as 11th and low as 33rd, shows how polarizing he is as a head coach. Miami has improved each season under Cristobal. The Hurricanes were 5-7 during Cristobal's first season in 2023, improved to 7-6 in 2024 and 10-3 in 2024.
Miami likely needs to earn berths in the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff for Cristobal to rise in the 2026 rankings. Miami should have a top 15 roster in 2025 after ranking 14th per the 247Sports team talent composite in 2024.