UM getting big early returns on personnel choices. And Canes quick hits
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday, as the fifth-ranked Canes move past the euphoria of the 27-24 win against Notre Dame and prepare for Saturday’s home game against Bethune Cookman:
▪ One of the many challenges of the transfer portal: deciding which one-year veteran stopgaps should take a spot on your roster, and then deciding which of them to play over guys already on your team.
No team is going to hit on every decision. But if Sunday’s opener was any indication, UM appears to be doing a smart job of navigating that at multiple positions and selecting the right transfers, from quarterback Carson Beck (a very strong debut) to Keionte Scott (outstanding in his debut as a slot corner) to cornerback Xavier Lucas to running back ChaMar Brown, among others.
At receiver, the decision to go with heavy doses of veteran portal additions Keelan Marion (via BYU) and CJ Daniels (via LSU) over the younger boundary receivers was thoroughly validated, particularly with Jojo Trader (who played eight snaps) still limited somewhat by an August injury.
Daniels had the one-handed TD catch, and Marion drew a key pass interference call on UM’s game-winning drive. Signing three veteran receivers out of the portal (even with six young receivers on the roster) was necessary, and Daniels and Marion are better than perhaps the perception before they arrived.
On the flip side, also justified was the decision to use a freshman, Malachi Toney, in the slot over transfer Tony Johnson, who caught 108 passes in three years at FAU and one at Cincinnati but played just two snaps on offense on Sunday.
The Canes signed Johnson because they felt they needed more veteran depth in the slot. But they were smart enough to recognize Toney’s unique gifts and not give the job to the more experienced player.
Defensively, giving third-year linebacker Raul Aguirre a chance to play significant snaps (23) over former North Carolina State starter Kamal Bonner and former Louisville starter Jaylin Aldeman — neither of whom played at all on defense — also paid off. Aguirre tied for the team lead with six tackles and Pro Football Focus rated him Miami’s 10th best player on defense.
“Popo… he’s a grinder, a physical dude, a lot of energy,” Mario Cristobal said of Aguirre. “He had some great plays.”
The decision to bring in Brown as a No. 3 running back, instead of relying on Chris Wheatley-Humphrey or impressive freshman Gerard Pringle, was prudent.
Here’s the broader point: When a team signs stopgap portal players simply to fill one-year needs, you don’t want them stopping the progress of recruits who have the potential to be as good or better.
You also want every player to enter camp with the same chance to earn playing time. UM seems to be adhering to that philosophy.
“We like to develop our rooms top to bottom,” Cristobal told Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. on his TV and radio show. “It doesn’t matter where they came from, [what year they’re in]. You approach them all the same way. That type of attitude has helped us.”
That earn-it-on-the-field approach also was clear at safety, where freshman Bryce Fitzgerald — a May arrival — received a third-down package while veteran Markeith Williams didn’t play at all on defense.
It was clear on the offensive line, where Samson Okunlola’s progress prompted UM to create 31 offensive snaps for him, some as a sixth offensive lineman but the majority at left guard.
“Credit to him for working his tail off and keeping your mouth shut,” Cristobal said. “When you are a high-profile guy, people expect it to happen all of a sudden… Nobody knows when somebody is going to pop, when it will hit on all cylinders. Samson is playing some great football for us.”
▪ Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson remains one of Beck’s biggest advocates against national narratives: “He does have an elite skill set,” Dawson said. “People forget he’s 24-3 and won an SEC championship. You wouldn’t know it listening to people. He’s a guy motivated by that, and he should be.”
▪ One underrated factor on Sunday was how well the receivers blocked. “That was the best display of effort and blocking for maybe my coaching career, for a long time,” Dawson said.
▪ Though Jordan Lyle started the game ahead of Mark Fletcher Jr. and Brown, Lyle ended up with the fewest carries (five) after leaving with a minor leg injury, but Cristobal said he’s OK.
“It doesn’t matter who starts the game,” Dawson said. “Ultimately all three will play and we’ll go with the guy that has the hot hand. … I think it will be a different person every week, which is great.”
Brown averaged only 3.6 yards per carry, but he averaged a very strong 3.1 after contact, which was a better indication of how well he played.
▪ Even without the acrobatic one-handed TD catch on Sunday, Daniels already had won over the coaching staff with his consistency in practice and scrimmages through August. UM loved Daniels’ tape in four years at Liberty and one year at LSU and tried to land him when he entered the portal before the 2024 season.
“Watching him at Liberty — could play inside, outside, had length,” Cristobal said. “His impact on that receiver room [as a leader] cannot be overstated.”
Daniels has the receivers meet before they meet with coaches, to make sure the young players know their assignments, nuances of the opponent and more.
▪ Cristobal loved how the defensive linemen played Sunday: “If you want to win football games you have to have people that can rush the passer in the fourth quarter. [Akheem] Mesidor got himself to 265, 270, [Rueben] Bain 275. Worked relentlessly.
“The [defensive tackles] played well. David Blay, Armondo Blount played with great energy. Ahmad Moten was disruptive. Those guys, their best football is ahead of them, the scheme fits them, they are allowed to play fast and free. The quarterback draws are the ones that hit us. Other than that they squeezed the air out of those gaps, made the run game more difficult.”
▪ More than a dozen recruits witnessed the win in person.
“Having people there, the gameday environment was awesome,” Cristobal said. “People need to see that, see Miami against a top-5, top-10 opponent, be able to close it out, get it done. Those things are very valuable.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 9:53 AM.
