Oh boy, Mario Cristobal has truly dug himself and the Miami Hurricanes into a (deep) hole.
Since taking over the program in 2022, Cristobal has relied entirely on transfer quarterbacks to lead his offense, virtually abandoning the idea of recruiting out of high school.
It worked when Cristobal brought in Cam Ward from Washington State and Carson Beck from Georgia, but now, the Canes are scrambling to find their next go-to guy in the backfield.
Eying Sam Leavitt, Dylan Raiola, and Ty Simpson didn't pan out, and now those three quarterbacks are either heading to different collegiate programs or to the 2026 NFL Draft, and have been crossed off Miami's wishlist.
Miami QB room in shambles without elite transfer
So, with the genuinely viable quarterbacks off the board, Cristobal might have to rely on something he hasn't done in nearly three years: looking inward. The Miami quarterback room is filled with players. It just isn't filled with experienced players.
While the Hurricanes will have an extended transfer portal window after playing in the National Championship, zero quarterbacks have announced their intent to leave so far. Here is a ranking of the six quarterbacks who could return to Miami next season:
Vinny Gonzalez committed to the Miami Hurricanes less than a year ago, following in the footsteps of his father, Joaquin Gonzalez, who was an All-American for the Canes in the early 2000s.
The younger Gonzalez is entirely untested at the collegiate level, having played zero snaps for Miami during his true-freshman season.
Another untested quarterback for the Canes is Riply Luna, who was a two-star quarterback coming out of high school in 2023. His additional years with the program are the only thing giving him a leg up on Gonzalez.
Just like Luna, Joe Borchers is a redshirt sophomore who has yet to play a snap at quarterback for the Hurricanes. His "veteran" status in the locker room is the one thing keeping him and Luna from the bottom of this ranking.
While Judd Anderson earned zero stats this season, he was a true freshman who was a three-star prospect just a year ago. If he continues to study under the likes of offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, he certainly isn't the worst choice in the Miami QB room.
Luke Nickel was yet another true freshman on Miami's depth chart this season. He had just one pass attempt in 2025, which fell incomplete, but as a former four-star prospect, he had a lot of promise when he entered the program, and that could translate to success for the Canes in the future.
Other than Beck, backup quarterback Emory Williams was the only one in the QB room to earn any measurable stats this season.
With 13 completions on 19 attempts (68.4 percent), Williams earned 156 passing yards, alongside 19 rushing yards on four carries in 2025. He would undeniably be the most viable option for Miami's starting quarterback next season if Cristobal fails to bring anyone in from the portal.