30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Can Ethan O’Connor make mark in secondary?
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 31 with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 28 player on our list, Ethan O’Connor.
What to know
Position: Defensive back
Hometown: Irvine, California
Year: Redshirt sophomore
How he got to Miami: 2025 transfer (Washington State)
Key stats: 32 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass breakups in 2024
In summary: O’Connor will be part of a revamped secondary that features six players, including four cornerbacks, who joined the team via the transfer portal. He figures to serve as part of the outside cornerback rotation with OJ Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown. Even if he isn’t starting, his ballhawking skills will be beneficial to the Hurricanes. Consider this: UM hasn’t had a cornerback with at least four interceptions in a season, the amount O’Connor had as a redshirt freshman, since Mike Jackson in 2017.
What they’re saying
“I want to get better in coverage. No one’s just a perfect player. There’s always stuff you can get better at. I feel like the small things for me is going to be the biggest thing. I worked a lot on my press technique this whole summer. So I plan to showcase that this fall.” - Ethan O’Connor
“Spring was more of a learning experience for me. I had just transferred, so it was kind of just getting the feel of how Miami culture and football really works. Now, I feel like I’m prepared to just go in with my head down and ready to work instead of trying to figure out what’s going on.” - Ethan O’Connor
“Special athlete, long, explosive, has got a tremendous future, great man-to-man ability, willing tackler. Sticks his face in there. Loves to have fun during practice.” - Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal’s evaluation of O’Connor during spring practices
The rest of the rankings so far
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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