Miami ascended from ninth to seventh in the latest "College Football Top 25 Rankings After the End of the 2026 Recruiting Cycle" published by David Kenyon of Bleacher Report on Thursday. The additions of quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate from Duke were the main reasons for Miami's ascension.
Kenyon stated, "Few programs are as bold—or cunning, perhaps—in this transfer-heavy era as the Mario Cristobal-led Miami Hurricanes." It was initially reported that Duke was going to file a lawsuit against Mensah for violating his NIL contract, but the case was ultimately settled out of court.
Miami is fourth in the 247Sports composite rankings of the best 2026 transfer classes. Seven of the 12 transfers Miami signed in the 2026 class are rated as four-stars by 247Sports. Edge rusher Damon Wilson II is another expected impact transfer for Miami in 2026.
The expectation from Keynon is "Mensah has locked in Miami, the national runner-up in 2025, as a title contender again." Kenyon also stated Barkate should not be overlooked after he had 72 receptions for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns as the top receiver for Mensah at Duke in 2025.
Does the move to Miami by Darian Mensah set him up best for the league? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/u9bcAqZht8
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) February 3, 2026
Rebuilding the wide receiver corps
Pair Barkate and fellow transfer WRs Vandrevius Jacobs and Cam Vaughn with Malachi Toney provides Miami with a deep group of receivers for Mensah in 2026. Kenyon began his analysis of Miami by labelling them under "who's up."
"As long as a new-look blocking unit eventually holds up well, the Canes are absolutely loaded all over the skill positions on offense."David Kenyon, Bleacher Report.
Left guard Matthew McCoy is the only returning starter for Miami on the offensive line. Former five-star prospect Samson Okunlola is expected to be the starting left tackle in his redshirt junior season. Ryan Rodriguez is the projected center with an open competition at right guard and true freshman Jackson Cantwell at right tackle.
Miami will not have the experience its 2025 OL had, but with a pair of five stars as anchors at tackles, the Hurricanes should continue to dominate the line of scrimmage. The Hurricanes have the highest average transfer class among programs with at least 10 additions. Mario Cristobal has once again assembled a good mixed roster.