The Miami Hurricanes started training camp on Tuesday to kick off the fifth year under Mario Cristobal. There will be new starters on both sides of the ball and some positions to be won, but this group is as talented as any in the country.
There is little time to ease into camp as Cristobal wants a prepared group when the season starts on September 4 at Stanford.
Here is the Hurricanes' projected 2-deep depth chart for 2026:
Quarterback
Darian Mensah (R-Jr)
Luke Nickel (R-Fr)
Mensah is the clear starter after transferring from Duke, where he led the Power 4 in passing yards and won an ACC championship with the Blue Devils. Nickel should solidify the backup job early in camp if he hasn't already.
Running back
Mark Fletcher (Sr)
Char'Mar Brown (R-Jr)
Girard Pringle (So)
Jordan Lyle (Jr)
Fletcher is the undisputed starter, but the competition behind him is fierce. Brown probably gets the early nod because of the trust he has from the staff. After that, there's going to be a fierce competition between Pringle and Lyle, one that fans should watch closely.
Wide Receiver (outside)
Cooper Barkate (Sr)
Daylyn Upshaw (R-Fr)
Vandrevius Jacobs (R-Jr)
Joshua Moore (So)
Somourian Wingo (Fr)
Barkate, a 1,000-yard receiver with Duke last season, is a solid bet to start at the Z position. The competition for the X will be between Upshaw, Moore and Jacobs, a transfer from South Carolina. Keep an eye on Wingo, a true freshman who had an excellent spring.
Slot Receiver
Malachi Toney (So)
Cam Vaughn (R-Jr)
Toney is one of the top playmakers in the country and will be one of the core players in the Hurricanes offense. Vaughn, a transfer from West Virginia, brings plenty of production and experience. He should find plenty of opportunities in this offense.
Tight End
Elija Lofton (Jr)
Gavin Mueller (Fr)
Lofton dropped 20 pounds in the offseason and the Hurricanes staff is waiting for him to take his game to the next level. The injury to Luka Gilbert changes everything else. Mueller feels like a safe bet to get the first crack as the primary backup, but nothing is certain.
READ MORE: Miami will be without TE Luka Gilbert all season: what it means for the depth chart
Offensive Line (left side)
Samson Okunlola (R-Jr)
Jackson Cantwell (Fr)
Johnathan Cline (R-Jr)
Juan Minaya (R-So)
Okunlola started the first day of camp at left tackle and Cantwell was right next to him at guard. Both players are versatile and talented enough to play at either position, so it'll just come down to where Alex Mirabal thinks they would best fit.
Offensive Line (right side)
Max Buchanan (So)
Matthew McCoy (Sr)
Jamal Meriweather (R-Jr)
McCoy is a good bet to be the starting right tackle. We'll see if Meriweather, a transfer from Georgia, can push Buchanan at guard. That is a position battle that should bear watching at the first scrimmage.
Center
Ryan Rodriguez (Sr)
Seuseu Alofairuli (So)
Rodirguez is the leader of the offensive line and will be key to the group's cohesion with some of the new faces being worked in.
Defensive end/EDGE
Damon Wilson II (Sr)
Marquise Lightfoot (Jr)
Armondo Blount (Jr)
Herbert Scroggins (So)
Booker Pickett (R-So)
Wilson was one of the top players available in the portal and the Missouri transfer will hold down one side of the edge. The dismissal of Hayden Lowe is a blow to the overall depth chart, but Lightfoot and Blount will play plenty of snaps on the other side. Scroggins could be in line for a big role if he has a good camp.
READ MORE: Hayden Lowe and Miami parting ways is a deflating 5-star setback for Mario Cristobal
Defensive tackle
Ahmad Moten (Sr)
Justin Scott (Jr)
Keona Davis (Jr)
Jarquez Carter (So)
Moten had a great campaign in 2025 and his ability to handle the middle of the line allowed Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor to get in the backfield often. Scott will have to hold off Davis, a transfer from Nebraska that started 12 games last season.
Linebacker
Mohamed Toure (Sr)
Chase Smith (Sr)
Cam Pruitt (Jr)
Kamal Bonner (R-Jr)
This is where the experience lies. Toure is in his eighth year of college football and Smith is in his sixth. Both Pruitt and Bonner have played plenty of snaps as well, with Bonner holding a starting role earlier in his career at NC State.
Cornerback
OJ Frederique (Jr)
Omar Thornton (Jr)
Ethan O'Connor (R-Jr)
Xavier Lucas (Jr)
Damari Brown (R-Jr)
Isaiah Taylor (Gr)
Frederique has been one of the great recruiting surprises and is now firmly established as a starter. Thornton, a transfer from Boston College, will also have a starting role at nickel. The battle between O'Connor, Lucas and Brown should be good with all three players having plenty of starting experience.
Safety
Bryce Fitzgerald (So)
Zechariah Poyser (R-Jr)
JJ Dunnigan (Fr)
Fitzgerald is going to be one of the top defensive backs in the country and Poyser provides plenty of experience in a supporting role. Dunnigan was the talk of the secondary in the spring and bears watching.
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