So, U is back.
But can Miami football stay at or near the top of the mountain? Is this a one-time magical trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship or is it sustainable?
Miami’s calling card in the playoffs has been a physical offensive line and a ruthless pass rush led by edge rushers Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor.
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While there’s no denying the elite individual talent — offensive tackle Francis Moygoya, Bane and Mesido are all likely first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft — Miami coach Mario Cristobal is absolutely building the team in that capacity.
Miami football blueprint in the trenches
Not surprisingly, Cristobal, the first assistant coach hired by Miami in 2021, is offensive line coach Alex Mirabal. The two were high school teammates in Columbus, Miami, and Mirabal was on Cristobal’s staff at Florida International University and Oregon State.
The two have a clear understanding and vision for Miami’s offensive line. A tall, violent attacker who can push people away from the goal. In the Fiesta Bowl win over Mississippi State, it wasn’t because the defense opened up big holes, it was because it kept pushing defenders back.
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In an era where teams are looking to immediately upgrade their position groups through the transfer portal, three of the Hurricanes’ five starting forwards have spent their entire careers in Miami. Starting guards Arneez Cooper and Matthew McCoy are three-star recruits selected and developed by Miami’s coaching staff.
Miami’s four starting forwards in 2024 are all homegrown talent, with Indiana transfer Zach Carpenter the lone addition. This year, James Brockmeier (TCU) is the only starter brought in from the transfer portal.
October 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal works with offensive lineman James Brockermeyer (52) before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
win the line of scrimmage
There’s absolutely no way to understate how much first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hesserman means to the Hurricanes and the playoffs.
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Miami also found some solid starters in the transfer portal, including defensive backs Keonte Scott and Jacob Thomas and linebacker Mohamed Toure.
But some key players, notably Bane and Messido, stayed with the program for at least three seasons. The same can be said for second-team ACC defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr., a late bloomer out of high school and a member of Cristobal’s first signing class at Miami.
The Chargers will be crucial to Miami’s success, especially against Texas A&M and Ohio State.
What will Miami’s line look like in 2026?
December 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) rushes the line during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Miami’s roster will look much different when next season begins.
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All three offensive linemen are seniors. That doesn’t include consensus All-American Maui Goya, who has started every game the past three seasons and could be the first offensive lineman selected in the NFL draft. McCoy is the only starting offensive lineman expected to return.
While Miami could add in the portal, its second unit is almost exclusively players signed and developed out of high school: tackles Deyrc Plazz (Mandarin) and Tommy Kinsler (Trinity Catholic) and interior linemen Samson Okunlola and Max Buchanon (Seminole).
Defensively, the two are very similar — both what Miami is losing and what is already in the program.
Moten is the only starter expected to return on the defensive line. But the Hurricanes have a group of highly-rated recruits who have been biding their time, including Armondo Blount (Miami Central), Marquis Lightfoot, Justin Scott, Herbert Scroggins III, Booker Pickett (Wharton) and Artavis Jones (Brontstown).
September 6, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Justin Scott (5) tackles Bethune-Cookman Wildcats running back Juan Rodriguez (20) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
How has Miami’s offensive and defensive line recruiting been lately?
Have you seen the video of Cristobal celebrating in the hallway during the ACC spring meetings in May? He’s on the phone with Jackson Cantwell, the nation’s top-ranked offensive lineman in the 2026 class who just signed with the Hurricanes.
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Cantwell, who recently became the first offensive lineman to be named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, will likely be a starter from day one on campus.
He is one of six offensive linemen signed by the Hurricanes in the 2026 class. The roster includes four-star tackle Ben Condon and four-star guard Joel Irvin (Fort Myers).
Defensively, Miami signed seven forwards in 2026. That’s more than any other position group in the class. The forwards include four-star tackle Keshawn Stancil (transfer from Clemson), four-star edge Ashley Charles (Venice), four-star edge Jordan Campbell (Miami Northwestern) and four-star edge De’Anthony Lafayette (Lake Nona).
Miami is targeting many of the top offensive linemen in the 2027 class, including St. Thomas Aquinas five-star tackle Mark Matthews and Penn State five-star tackle Maxwell Hiller.
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The Hurricanes currently have four commitments in the 2027 class. Two of those four — Cardinal Gibbons four-star edge rusher Demarcus DeRoche and Palm Beach Central three-star offensive tackle Zaquon Linton — are forwards.
This article originally appeared in The Palm Beach Post: Miami Hurricanes regain elite status with recruiting trenches
