How Hurricanes roster stands, by position, for 2026. More additions to come
A step back might be expected for a Hurricanes team losing two projected first-round edge rushers (Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor); a quarterback (Carson Beck) who won 13 games; three key offensive line starters, including likely top-10 pick Francis Mauigoa; two important members of their secondary (Keionte Scott, Jakobe Thomas), two key receivers (CJ Daniels, Keelan Marion), one starting linebacker (Wesley Bissainthe) and a starting tight end (Alex Bauman).
But in this NIL/transfer portal era, UM’s approach is to reload, not rebuild. And while next year’s roster construction remains a work in progress, the talent — on paper — looks plenty good enough to compete to win the Atlantic Coast Conference, if not more.
Where the roster stands by position, with the understanding that more players will be added in the transfer portal:
▪ Quarterback: What do you do when you lose the ACC’s most accomplished quarterback? In UM’s case, you pursue the ACC leader in touchdown passes and passing yards.
Even though Duke is suing Darian Mensah to try to keep him from enrolling at Miami or elsewhere, there is no historical precedent — during the brief NIL era — for a court ruling that a player cannot transfer. On Jan. 29, a Durham, North Carolina, judge will make an initial ruling on whether Mensah can transfer; he is prevented from doing so at this point.
His attorney, Darren Heitner, said he’s “optimistic” Mensah will be able to transfer.
Per a UM source, Mensah would like to sign with the Canes after a fabulous season with the Blue Devils that featured 34 touchdown passes (second in the nation behind Fernando Mendoza), just six interceptions and 3,973 passing yards (second in the country). But there’s no binding agreement with UM because there legally cannot be yet; so it’s possible — albeit not especially likely — that another school could swoop in.
Luke Nickel is expected back, but Emory Williams entered the portal and joined East Carolina. As of midday Friday, Judd Anderson remained on the team. (UM players have until Saturday night to enter the portal.) Four-star Orlando Jones High freshman quarterback Dereon Coleman already is enrolled and can participate in spring practice.
Beck moves onto the NFL; he’s a projected mid-round pick.
▪ Running back: All of UM’s top four players at the position have eligibility remaining. As of midday Friday, all were set to return: Mark Fletcher Jr, announced previously that he will return next season, Gerard Pringle Jr. (who entered the portal and then pulled out 24 hours later), CharMar Brown and Jordan Lyle.
The question is whether Lyle will enter the portal in the next 24 hours after not getting a carry in the final six games. After starting the opener and sustaining an ankle injury in the game, he finished the season with just 35 rushing attempts for 108 yards (3.1 per carry).
The Canes added one freshman back, West Boca High’s Javian Mallory, who averaged an absurd 9.5 yards per rush last season. Chris Wheatley-Humphrey also will compete for a role; he averaged 4.9 yards per carry (22 for 108) this season.
By the way, who would have ever thought that Lyle and Wheatley-Humphrey would finish with identical rushing yardage, and that Lyle would have the lower average of the two?
▪ Wide receiver: UM is considered the favorite to land Duke transfer Cooper Barkate, who ranked among the ACC leaders with 72 catches for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns. The Canes already have snagged West Virginia’s Cam Vaughn and South Carolina’s Vandrevius Jacobs to replace CJ Daniels and Keelan Marion.
Jacobs had 32 catches for 548 yards with four touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore this past season. Vaughn had nearly identical stats — 35 for 541 and four TDs. Each has another two seasons of eligibility.
But they will need to earn playing time in a loaded room led by Malachi Toney, and featuring Joshua Moore, Daylyn Upshaw and four-star prospects Somourian Wingo, Milan Parris and Vance Spafford and three-star prospect Tyran Evans.
So if Barkate signs, UM would have three skilled newcomers, three outstanding sophomores-to-be and four freshmen, two of whom (Wingo and Parris) are rated top 10 receivers nationally in the 2026 class, and another (Spafford) that Mario Cristobal calls the best slot receiver nationally in this class.
Four receivers entered the transfer portal the past two weeks: Jojo Trader, Ny Carr (Wake Forest), Ray Ray Joseph (East Carolina) and Chance Robinson (NC State). Senior Tony Johnson also departs.
▪ Tight end: Alex Bauman, who beat out Elija Lofton for the starting job this past season, is a senior and will move on.
The hope is that UM can build on the momentum that Lofton began to build the final three games of the regular season, when he caught three touchdown passes to change the narrative after a disappointing first nine weeks. An injury sidelined him for the national championship game.
Brock Schott transferred to Indiana, but fellow freshman Luka Gilbert (who played too many games to redshirt) is returning, and we hear coaches think he can be a big-time player.
Already arrived on campus are freshmen Israel Briggs and Gavin Mueller, a pair of four-star prospects who can both “stretch the field,” according to Cristobal.
A veteran figures to be added to the room. Jackson Carver, who missed the season with a major injury, also remains on the roster, as does Jack Nickel, who played just two snaps on offense this season.
▪ Offensive line: Miami lost four starters: tackles Francis Mauigoa and Markel Bell to the NFL and senior guard Anez Cooper and senior center James Brockermeyer.
Matthew McCoy and Samson Okunlola, who split left guard this season, are both in line to be starters next season. McCoy also is an option at tackle.
Ryan Rodriguez has a very good chance to earn another year of eligibility and would compete with SJ Olafatuli at center; offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told me the starting position will be filled internally for the first time in four years.
Offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the five-star jewel of UM’s 2026 class, figures to start immediately.
More tackle help is being sought in the portal. UM lost out on Colorado’s five-star Jordan Seaton, who instead opted for LSU on Friday night. The Canes did add former Georgia tackle Jamal Meriweather earlier in the day Friday, but he hasn’t broken through in three years in Athens and played only 56 snaps this past season.
Tommy Kinsler and Deryk Plazz entered the transfer portal, leaving little depth beyond Juan Minaya, incoming freshmen and freshmen who redshirted.
Besides Cantwell, UM signed five other offensive lineman. All six of them are enrolled and have been practicing with the team.
After I left the group interview with Mirabal during championship game media day to speak with the defensive backs coaches, Mirabal told Inside the U’s Gaby Urrutia and David Lake that the linemen who were freshmen this season have impressed him:
“Jaden Wilkerson, Max Buchanan, SJ, Demetrius Campbell, they’re all moving at a different speed. Now, they know how. Everything moves fast; they’re moving fast. It’s been great. I know we lose a bunch up front, but there’s a bunch of guys behind them that are ready to roll.”
▪ Defensive line: With Bain and Mesidor moving onto the NFL, UM solidified its group by adding Missouri’s Damon Wilson, who was third in the SEC with nine sacks. ESPN’s Louis Riddick predicted Wilson will be a top 10 pick in 2027 draft.
Nebraska end/tackle Keona Davis, who visited last weekend, also remains in play.
UM will be in good shape at the edge position with Wilson, emerging Marquise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount, Hayden Lowe (a top class of 2025 recruit who missed this season with an injury), Booker Pickett, Herbert Scroggins, Cole McConathy and two incoming freshmen (Asharri Charles and DeAnthony Lafayette).
Senior David Blay Jr., a key component of a very good three-man defensive tackle rotation, is out of eligibility.
Junior Ahmad Moten has another year of eligibility remaining, and is expected to return. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid said he was the “best player on the field” during the first quarter and a half of Monday’s championship game loss to Indiana.
Moten and Justin Scott are the likely 2026 starters, and Ohio State transfer Jarquez Carter (who redshirted as a freshman this season) has a good chance to win a rotation job. Blount also will get some time at tackle.
UM added four interior players in their freshman class, led by Keyshawn Stancil. Cristobal calls Stancil “a disruptive, explosive defensive tackle who’s as good as anyone we’ve recruited here or anyone in the country this year.”
▪ Linebacker: While Wesley Bissainthe is out of eligibility, starter Mohammed Toure is expected to bypass the NFL and return to UM, per on3.com.
Chase Smith (who had a strong senior season) and Jaylin Alderman are out of eligibility.
Beyond Toure, there are good linebackers on the roster — former NC State starter Kamal Bonner, Raul Aguirre, Cam Pruitt, Kellen Wiley Jr. — but one more veteran could be added. Bonner played only 48 defensive snaps but flashed with the Wolfpack; he transferred to UM shortly before Toure did.
UM signed three freshman linebackers, including key late addition Karsten Bursch, a four-star prospect from Kentucky and a former Louisville commitment. All of UM’s 30 freshmen are enrolled and available for spring practice except Bursch.
▪Safety: Jakobe Thomas, one of the season’s pleasant surprises, is out of eligibility.
But a Zechariah Poyser/Bryce Fitzgerald starting tandem next season could be one of the nation’s best, and the Canes are bullish on Dylan Day.
Four-star prospects Cortez Redding and James Dunnigan Jr. are the natural safeties in UM’s 2026 class.
▪ Cornerback: Only Keionte Scott — one of UM’s top five defensive players this season — is out of college eligibility. And UM found a solid successor in Omar Thornton, who excelled as a nickel corner for Boston College the past two seasons.
If everyone sticks around, the quartet of OJ Frederique, Damari Brown, Xavier Lucas and Ethan O’Connor will be very good, with Chris Ewald, Ja’Boree Antoine and the four incoming freshmen ready to step in if any of the top four veterans surprisingly take a higher financial offer from another school.
UM’s strong 2026 cornerback class includes four-star prospects Jaelan Waters, Camdin Portis, Brody Jennings and Jontavious Wyman.
▪ Kicker: With Carter Davis and Bert Auburn out of eligibility, UM signed Northwestern’s Jack Olsen (19 of 21 on field goals last season) and FSU’s Jake Weinberg (only five of his 61 kickoffs were returned). Here’s more about Olsen and Weinberg.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 3:06 PM.
