Coach Mario Cristobal has turned the Miami Hurricanes program into a thriving program, especially, in the last two seasons. Under Cristobal's direction, the Hurricanes have turned into a physical team. Not many thought that the former Hurricane alum would have the Canes competing for a national championship in the program's first appearance in the CFP tournament.
Now, with the program's recent success, Cristobal is faced with the task of trying to sustain the success he has been able to establish. In the upcoming season, there will be new challenges the Canes will encounter.
For starters, the program is now viewed as one that is on the brink of becoming a perennial winner, but the program will lose incumbent starters and contributors, who will be playing at the next level.
This scenario poses a challenge for Cristobal and his coaching staff because the new additions are unproven. There is not any question that coach Cristobal's resilient personality has influenced the program's stellar play. Can Cristobal mold and shape the talented newcomers in the same way that benefitted the departing star players?
It is definitely possible, but it also depends upon how rapid the new and inexperienced players can learn the system and concepts that his other coaching peers on the staff are to teach in the offseason.
College football today has a professional element due to the players having the opportunity to transfer and achieve monetary gain. When one considers the college football transfer portal, it reminds me of the NFL's free agency period, which allows players to sign with various teams of their choosing. Cristobal has been able to get the most out of his transfers, which commenced with former quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Carson Beck.
Now, with the arrival of Duke transfer, Darian Mensah, the Miami Hurricanes have a chance to continue the program's recent tradition of successfully acquiring good quarterbacks, who transferred from other programs and greatly contributed to the Hurricanes success.
Offensively, the Canes may lose up to four starters on the offensive line.
By coach Cristobal being a former lineman himself, he will have the challenge of molding and teaching a new group to play with the same intensity and physical style that helped form and shape the Miami Hurricanes identity.
The task to compile almost a completely revamped offensive line to play the same caliber of football of 2025 in 2026, will be difficult to achieve. If Cristobal does achieve solid play from an inexperienced offensive line, this will definitely become one of Cristobal's greatest coaching accomplishments.