Dave Hyde
Sports columnist
Mario Cristobal signed a four- or five-star player seemingly every day. It’s time to turn all this talent into a national contender. Miami will set the tone of its season with games against Notre Dame and Florida in the first month. But the ACC schedule without heavyweight Clemson on it should be a good path for Miami to get into the championship game and, beyond that, the national playoffs. Prediction: 10-2.
Adam Lichtenstein
Hurricanes beat writer
Last year could have been the year. With the eventual No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and the nation’s top offense, the Hurricanes were poised to reach the ACC title game and College Football Playoff. Due in large part to poor defense, it didn’t happen. So Mario Cristobal spent the offseason overhauling the defense. Lance Guidry is out as defensive coordinator. Corey Hetherman is in. They also brought in nine new defensive transfers, with six new defensive backs to revamp last year’s beleaguered secondary. Oh yeah, and the Hurricanes added Carson Beck, a former Georgia star, to replace Ward at quarterback. There are still questions about Miami: Will Beck improve on an iffy 2024, and will his surgically repaired elbow hold up? Will his receivers be able to make plays for him? Is the defense actually improved? But every team has questions. Miami surely has the talent to answer them. Prediction: 11-1.
Keven Lerner
Assistant Sports Editor
Cam Ward was the architect of Miami’s successful 2024 season. But he is in the NFL now, and the Hurricanes brought in Carson Beck to replace him. While Beck had a good career at Georgia, he lacks the dynamism and ability to create plays that Ward has, which dazzled fans last year. Beck is also coming off elbow surgery, which puts his health in question. Even if Beck is healthy, the Hurricanes lost all of their top receivers from last year. The lack of established playmakers on offense could make life harder for Beck. Miami should be good this season, but there are too many question marks to definitively say they are an elite team. Prediction: 10-2.
