Miami opened spring practice Tuesday and by mid-April half the fan base is ready to crown someone the next great Cane.
But this year, that might be appropriate since Miami is coming off a run to the CFP championship game and brought in the No. 4 transfer portal class in the country. So, if you are looking for the three transfers who are worth obsessing over, start here.
Former Duke QB Darian Mensah
No transfer on the roster matters more than the quarterback, and Darian Mensah is the No. 1 player to watch as the Hurricanes try to make another playoff push.
At Duke last season, he threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions, numbers that earned him second-team All-ACC honors. He is showing up to Coral Gables with expectations that he can keep Miami's offense rolling right away.
And that is why spring matters so much for him. Everybody wants to see if Miami will still look like a playoff offense with a new guy running it. We'll get a little bit closer to an answer to that over the next month.
Former Missouri EDGE Damon Wilson II
Damon Wilson is the guy who can lead Miami's front. He is a former blue-chip edge rusher who comes to Miami after a productive season at Missouri, and he is the top transfer to watch on defense.
Wilson started all 13 games in 2025 and finished with 23 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and a team-high nine sacks, plus an interception. He earned second-team All-SEC honors, and his nine sacks ranked fourth in the SEC.
Wilson has some big shoes to fill and Miami fans will look at his play in the spring to see if he can recreate some of the production lost with Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor going to the NFL.
Former Duke WR Cooper Barkate
Miami added WR Cooper Barkate from Duke, which means he comes with built-in chemistry with Mensah. He projects to be the WR who will benefit the most from defenses focusing in on Malachi Toney. And he also projects as the guy who can give Toney some opportunities against favorable coverages from time to time.
Barkate started all 14 games last season and caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns.
Also something to note: New quarterbacks almost always lean on a familiar face when things get tough. While Toney should be the obvious safety net for Mensah, Barkate will be absolutely crucial in times of need.
Honorable mentions
- S Omar Thornton: 247Sports ranked him the No. 5 safety in the portal when he committed.
- WR Vandrevius Jacobs: He arrives to Miami after stops at Florida State and South Carolina. In 2025 he had 32 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns for the Gamecocks.
- DL Jarquez Carter: He is going to be one of the other names to watch on the DL for a team trying to stay playoff-level good up front. He was formerly at Ohio State, so the expectations are high for him in that regard as well.