Just a day ago, the Miami Hurricanes had to scratch Ty Simpson off their list of possible transfer portal targets, as he officially signed the paperwork to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now, with most top-tier talents having already announced their latest commitments, the Canes are as close to panic mode as possible. Today's announcement certainly didn't help.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, former USC Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet announced that he had committed to the LSU Tigers, just like former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (yet another target of Miami's QB search).
Miami running out of quarterback options
Every hour of every day, it seems as though the Canes are having to pivot their search for Carson Beck's replacement, the quarterback undeniably heading to the NFL Draft after the National Championship game on Monday.
BREAKING: USC transfer QB Husan Longstreet has signed with LSU, @PeteNakos reports🐯https://t.co/MCSfKyeAex pic.twitter.com/10wDNdZSzM
— On3 (@On3) January 14, 2026
With Longstreet's commitment, the pool of candidates for Beck's successor grew even smaller, with just a few elite quarterbacks remaining in the portal.
Yesterday, I wrote about the top QBs who had yet to commit, and Longstreet stood atop the list as the guy that Miami should have prioritized. Now that he's heading to Baton Rouge, that list has to adjust as well.
Top 5 QB candidates Mario Cristobal should target
- Walker Eget, San Jose State Spartans
- Eli Holstein, Pitt Panthers
- Jake Merklinger, Tennessee Volunteers
- Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia Mountaineers
- Austin Novosad, Oregon Ducks
Now, there isn't a complete void of talent remaining in the portal, so it isn't the end of the world that the Canes missed out on Longstreet. However, the qualifications of the quarterbacks are undeniably growing less impressive.
What could very easily end up happening is that Cristobal and his staff have to look internally for the Hurricanes' next QB1, something the Miami football team hasn't done since 2023.