Hurricanes likely won’t turn to portal for quarterback next year, Cristobal says

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The Hurricanes have made a habit of plucking a quarterback out of the transfer portal each offseason.

But Miami coach Mario Cristobal said he does not expect that to be the case after this season.

“We finally feel our quarterback room and its supporting cast is ready to roll,” Cristobal told WQAM at the start of the ACC Football Kickoff. “So at this time next year, we don’t have to go to the portal. We’re good with our high school recruits, the way they’re developing and what’s coming in. Throughout the last three years, we’ve had to go and pluck certain parts for our team out of the portal because we weren’t quite there.”

The Hurricanes have added blue-chip quarterbacks in their last two high school recruiting classes. Sophomore Luke Nickel was a four-star prospect and the No. 19 quarterback in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. This year, Miami signed four-star signal-caller Dereon Coleman. Coleman was the No. 20 quarterback in the class.

The Hurricanes also have a star quarterback in the 2027 class. Israel Abrams, an Illinois native, is a five-star prospect and is listed as the No. 3 quarterback in the class. Recruiting rankings can change, but if Abrams’ ranking stays the same (or improves), he will be Miami’s top-ranked quarterback signee since Kyle Wright in 2003, according to 247Sports’ rankings.

The transfer route has worked well for the Hurricanes the last two seasons. Miami added former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward before the 2024 season, and he put up one of the best seasons in program history. Ward set single-season UM records in passing yards (4,313) and touchdown passes (39).

Miami improved from 7-6 to 10-2 with Ward at the helm and narrowly missed a College Football Playoff berth. Ward was a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the Tennessee Titans took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

After Ward left, the Hurricanes signed former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to fill his role. Beck did not put up the same gaudy numbers as Ward, but he did throw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns (the second-most yards and touchdowns by a UM quarterback in a single season).

Beck’s squad did get into the playoffs, and it won three straight games en route to the program’s first national title game since the 2002 season.

Miami turned to the portal again to replace Beck, signing Duke’s Darian Mensah. Mensah threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He was second in the nation in passing yards and tied for second in touchdown passes. Mensah was a second-team All-ACC selection and had the second-best passing grade in the conference (85), according to Pro Football Focus.

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