The 5 transfer portal additions that helped Miami reach championship contention

The Miami Hurricanes want to build rosters through high school recruiting and have done an excellent job of that over many years. But that doesn't mean that the transfer portal has been utilized effectively this decade. In 2025, the Hurricanes had a strong mixture of key transfers and home-grown talent to make the College Football Playoff 12-team bracket. 

From 2020-2025, 71 transfers have come into Coral Gables via the portal and many proved to be major contributors that earned postseason honors. Here are the top 5 transfer portal additions for Miami since 2020:

This was a no-brainer. I mean who else could possibly be No. 1 on this list? Ward set records at Miami for passing yards (4,313) and led the FBS with 39 touchdown passes in 2024. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the Davey O'Brien Award. In 2025, Ward became the third Miami Hurricane to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft, joining Vinny Testaverde and Russell Maryland.

READ MORE: Cam Ward says he wishes he could have played with Miami star Malachi Toney

Mesidor was always good. He was a two-time All Big 12 performer with the Mountaineers, but he got even better as a Hurricane and capped off a long college career with an All-American season in 2025. He was selected in the first round (22nd overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mesidor had 138 tackles, 38 TFLs and 25 sacks in four years at Miami.

READ MORE: Akheem Mesidor set 2 Miami milestones as 22nd pick in NFL Draft by the Chargers

Scott immediately settled in as the Hurricanes starting nickelback and was good at everything. He had 64 tackles, 13 TFLs, five sacks and two interceptions in 13 games. Scott had a pick-six against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and was named Defensive MVP of the game. He was an All-ACC second-team performer and a fourth-round draft pick (116th overall) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Thomas made the most of his one year at Miami by recording 76 tackles and five interceptions in 16 games. He had a pick-six in a 41-7 win over N.C. State and added an interception in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State. For his efforts, Thomas was named to the All-ACC second team and was drafted in the third round (98th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. 

This proved to be a double win for Cristobal, who brought in Mauigoa from UCLA and signed his younger brother, five-star offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, who was an All-American and eventual top-10 NFL Draft pick in 2026. The elder Mauigoa was pretty good too. He had 178 tackles and 9.5 sacks in two seasons with Miami, earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2023. 

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