Miami transfer Cam Vaughn ready to ‘make an impact’ in revamped receiver room
Cam Vaughn had already been through this process before. Just a year ago, the wide receiver was in the transfer portal looking for a new college football home after spending his first two seasons at Jacksonville State. He landed at West Virginia.
One season later, Vaughn was in the portal again — this time with a much better perspective about what he was looking for in a school and a team.
“Just picking what’s going to be best for you in the future,” Vaughn told the Miami Herald. “Who’s going to be the school that you get to the next level with? You’re starting over, coming in and doing what you’ve got to do with a clean slate, fresh start, ready to go.”
Vaughn’s latest fresh start will come with the Miami Hurricanes, who he committed to on Jan. 11 following an official visit and where he enrolled shortly afterward. He has already been on campus in Coral Gables for a few weeks and said the transition has been smooth as he joins a team that reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season and is looking to make another deep playoff run in 2026.
Vaughn, who is represented by A&P Sports Agency co-founded by Stefan Aguilera and Jacob Piasecki, sees the opportunity that is at his disposal. The Hurricanes return Malachi Toney, the freshman phenom who set single-season school records for receptions (109) and receiving yards (1,211), but the other starting receiver spots are up for grabs following the departures of Keelan Marion and CJ Daniels.
Vaughn is one of three receivers Miami added via the portal, along with Cooper Barkate from Duke and Vandrevius Jacobs from South Carolina, to bolster a room that includes Toney and a slew of potential-filled underclassmen — namely Joshua Moore and Daylyn Upshaw plus incoming freshmen Somourian Wingo, Milan Parris, Vance Spafford and Tyran Evans — to give new quarterback Darian Mensah plenty of options to throw to next season.
“That room is going to be dangerous,” Vaughn said. “Who are you going to double-team in this room? Who are you going to contain with this run game and all these weapons?”
While nothing is guaranteed, Vaughn is ready to prove he can be a steady contributor for a national contender once spring practices formally begin next month.
“I can go in there and make an impact right now,” Vaughn said. “I’m ready right now.”
Vaughn has a track record of success already. He comes to Miami with 83 career catches for 1,335 yards (a 16.1 yards per catch average) and nine touchdowns. Twenty-three of his 83 receptions — 27.7% — have gone for at least 20 yards and 415 of his 1,335 receiving yards — 31.1% — have come after the catch. He has primarily played on the outside, the roles Miami has to sort out with Toney set to once again be the Hurricanes’ primary slot receiver.
“What I bring to a receiver room is ability for sure and leadership,” Vaughn said.
But before committing to Miami, Vaughn did his homework. He had to. The ever-changing college football landscape requires it. Rosters turn over far more year over year. Personnel changes quickly. And with the elimination of the spring transfer portal window, those looking for new homes only have one shot to get it right for next season.
So Vaughn treated this time in the portal as if he was a high school recruit again. He had an idea of between six and 10 teams that he was interested in before entering the portal. His goal, and his advice for anyone who considers going into the portal in the future: “Just make sure you know what you want.”
“Know basically everything about that program before you even make a decision,” Vaughn said.
He had already done his homework on Miami. Vaughn said the Hurricanes had interest in him last year when he left Jacksonville State and that he “always had a dream” to play for the Hurricanes.
The run they went on last season — sneaking into the College Football Playoff field as the final at-large team and making a run all the way to the title game — made Miami even more enticing.
He made that dream a reality after his official visit in early January.
“I was just kind of sitting in my hotel and I never felt so good or so great about a decision a day in my life,” Vaughn said. “You have that gut feeling like ‘Yeah. This is the place for you. This is where you need to be. This is where you belong.’”
Now that he’s here, he already sees something special brewing — something he hopes he’ll play a big role in turning into reality.
“There’s already a team chemistry that I can just feel coming in as a brand new kid,” Vaughn said. “I can already feel it.”
Running backs coach departs
Hurricanes running backs coach Matt Merritt is leaving UM to become the running backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals.
Merritt has been at Miami the past two seasons.
He is the second member of Mario Cristobal’s staff to depart this offseason after tight ends coach Cody Woodiel left to be the tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator at Ole Miss.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 10:37 AM.
.JPG)