Five key questions for Miami Hurricanes football as spring practice begins
Miami Hurricanes football is back.
Well, spring football practice — but, hey, that’s better than nothing, right?
The Hurricanes begin their 15-practice spring schedule on Tuesday, the first time the team will be back on the field together in a formal setting since reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
As Mario Cristobal and Co. get things started, here are five key questions the Hurricanes will look to answer over the next month.
1.) How quickly will Darian Mensah acclimate? This marks the third consecutive season the Hurricanes picked up their starting quarterback through the transfer portal.
In 2024, Cam Ward rewrote the Hurricanes’ single-season record book on the way to leading Miami to a 10-win season and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
In 2025, Carson Beck picked up where Ward left off and led the Hurricanes on a magical College Football Playoff run that ended with a loss in the national championship game to Indiana.
The Hurricanes are hoping to go 3 for 3 on their quarterback acquisitions with Mensah, who completed 67% of his passes for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns against six interceptions last season with Duke after starting his career at Tulane.
2.) Who replaces key starters on both lines of scrimmage? The Hurricanes have to replace four starters on their offensive line and three on the defensive line.
It won’t be easy to replace the likes of soon-to-be first-round draft picks in right tackle Francis Mauigoa and edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor — not to mention fellow starting offensive linemen Markell Bell, Anez Cooper and James Brockermeyer plus defensive tackle David Blay Jr. — but Miami does still have talent in the trenches and competition will be fierce for playing time.
Let’s start with the offensive line. Matthew McCoy and Samson Okunlola, who split time at left guard, should be two of the starters. Top incoming freshman Jackson Cantwell is primed to start right away at one of the two tackle spots. Ryan Rodriguez and SJ Alofaituli are the early front-runners to be the starting center. The fifth starting spot will likely come down to Georgia transfer Jamal Meriweather and returnees Max Buchanan and Juan Minaya.
As for the defensive line, Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott return to anchor the interior of the line. Armondo Blount (who can play both inside and outside) and Marquise Lightfoot are poised for extended roles, too. Add in transfers Damon Wilson (Missouri), Keona Davis (Nebraska) and Jarquez Carter (Ohio State), and Miami has a stout group to work with up front. And that’s not even mentioning the likes of Hayden Lowe, Herbert Scroggins and a slew of incoming freshmen.
3. Which freshmen will impress? Beyond Cantwell, the star of Miami’s 2026 recruiting class who was ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the class by the 247Sports composite ranking, there are several first-year players who will have a chance for playing time.
Defensive back JJ Dunnigan, a four-star prospect from Kansas, has all the tools to make an impact similar to the one Bryce Fitzgerald made last season — starting in a limited role designed to put him on the field in roles that will help him succeed before potentially expanding his responsibilities as the season progresses.
Tight end Gavin Mueller, a physical specimen at 6-5 and 255 pounds, will push Elija Lofton and Luka Gilbert for playing time.
Offensive linemen Ben Congdon and Joel Ervin plus defensive linemen DeAnthony Lafayette and Keshawn Stancil could be factors as well.
And if they can break out, Somourian Wingo and Milan Parris can add depth to the Hurricanes’ receiving room.
Speaking of...
4.) How will the Hurricanes’ stacked receiver room sort itself out? Malachi Toney and Cooper Barkate will be the one-two punch at the top of this depth chart. That’s not up for debate. Toney set the Hurricanes’ single-season records for catches (109) and receiving yards (1,211) as a true freshman in 2025. Barkate was Mensah’s top receiving option at Duke, hauling in 72 catches for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns.
But Miami is absolutely loaded at receiver behind those two even with CJ Daniels and Keelan Marion out of eligibility.
The Hurricanes added three veterans via the transfer portal in Barkate, Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina). Josh Moore and Daylyn Upshaw both showed in spurts last season that they can contribute.
And then there are the four incoming freshmen in Wingo, Parris, Vance Spafford and Tyran Evans.
Mensah will certainly have options to work with in 2026. The next month will showcase who he is able to build early chemistry with.
5.) How will the team sustain the momentum from its run to the national title game? The Hurricanes surprised the college football world by sneaking into the 12-team playoff field and going all the way to the championship game.
They want to show that the run wasn’t a fluke.
That starts on Tuesday and over the next month of practices.
A championship won’t be won right now.
But Cristobal re-establishing the standard that was put in place last season does start right now.
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