If you needed another reminder that things are looking great for the future of Miami football, leave it to 247Sports to do that for you. This week, it came out with its final rankings for the 2026 class, which led to some pretty good news for Miami signees Frederic Sainteus and Isaac Chukwurah.
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Not long ago, the two defensive lineman were 3-star recruits, but that all changed, as they were bumped up to a 4-star status, respectively. At first, both playmakers were considered a bit under-the-radar when they signed, but that's no longer the case thanks to this recent update:
Our staff evaluations are elite
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Miami football got some great news in the final 247Sports rankings for 2026
For the 2026 haul, Miami signed 30 new high school players. Of those 30, offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell is the lone 5-star signee per the 247Sports Composite, but there are 22 players who are 4-star talents, plus seven 3-star players.
The Canes have also added 12 transfers, highlighted of course by quarterback Darian Mensah. The Canes went all-in for 5-star QB Sam Leavitt, but he ended up signing with LSU and Lane Kiffin instead. Despite that, Cristobal made quite the move by bringing in Mensah over from ACC rival Duke.
As for Sainteus and Chukwurah, you know they've got to be pretty dang excited at the fact that they were able to get this bump. Yes, stars don't matter when someone takes the field, but if anything, it will give the two linemen extra motivation to play at a high level once they put the pads on in Coral Gables.
Miami had a dream run in the 2025 College Football Playoff, stunning Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss on its way to the CFP title game. Despite the loss to Indiana in the final matchup, it took nothing away from what Cristobal was able to get done with this team. And with so many exciting new additions ready to make an impact in 2026, it should be another year to remember for The U.