Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes missing the playoff in 2024 left more questions than answers about how playoff seeds function. It was surprising for many, considering they lost just two games in their regular season, but still, their strength of schedule didn’t look too jam-packed with big games. Their only big games were against the Louisville Cardinals and then Georgia Tech (which they lost). Yet, they had been leading the charts for the playoffs since the start of their season, as they ranked third when early rankings came in. However, as the season progressed, there was too little room left, even in the 12 spots, to accommodate the Canes. The snub surely has hurt Mario Cristobal and the team, opening a whole new situation where they are struggling with outgoing departures.
But, first things first, Miami’s acquisition of Carson Beck in a $4 million deal is something to look at on the optimistic side. Furthermore, they have a class of 2025 that is ranked first in the ACC. The additions of 4-star true freshman Hayden Lowe (Edge), 4-star receiver Joshua Moore, and another 4-star Girard Pringle (RB) will give them the required depth. That being said, they still have holes in their wide receiver room that they are being urged to fix. One of those voices was On3’s J.D. PicKell, who provided an update as to what Miami is going to do to fill the vacancies.
“You lose your top three guys, and Xavier Restrepo (WR), Jacolby George (WR), and Isaiah Horton (WR) transferred to Alabama; they’re excited about him over there. So, who steps up for them in the receiver room? What I’m being told is that they’re probably going to go to the portal to just get one more proven guy should he become available.”
Well, adding the wide receivers will be a priority from the transfer portal. Sure, they have Joshua Moore and the likes of Malachi Toney and Daylyn Upshaw as their true freshmen. Furthermore, they have signed another wide receiver from LSU in CJ Daniels, who will be quite an exciting player in 2025. Still, the roster lacks one or two players in their receiver room, and Mario Cristobal will need to act quickly to sign him. He would surely want the player to attend some of the spring games in order to gel in with other players.
Their receiver room was probably one of the departments in Cristobal’s team that produced results. This was a team featuring Xavier Restrepo, who accumulated 1,000 receiving yards for the second time continuously. This was the first time since 2015 that a player at Miami had a 1,000-yard-plus season. Jacolby George also impressed as he put in 752 receiving yards at an impressive average of 14.2 yards per reception. Things would have looked quite optimistic for the coming season, but these players have left, and now comes the bigger challenge.
What is Mario Cristobal doing to address mass exodus concerns?
Well, Miami had one of those seasons where we saw a very high attrition rate after it ended. Their top running back, who posted an impressive 1,000+ yards season, has now departed after exhausting eligibility. Then there’s Isaiah Horton who had transferred to Alabama after posting 616 receiving yards in his sophomore season. Other players like Sam Brown Jr., who posted 509 receiving yards, and Elijah Arroyo have departed for pro football. Mind you, this attrition is not limited to their receiver room.
Cam Ward will be missed badly, and Carson Beck will have a massive onus to step into his shoes and deliver. To give an idea of the attrition rate Miami is suffering from, they only have 5 players still at their camp who joined in the class of 2022. Furthermore, just half of the 2023 class still remains at Miami, and the existing group only consists of backups, with only a few big names, like Francis Mauigoa (right tackle) and Rueben Bain Jr. (DL). So, what is Cristobal doing to address these issues?
Well, they have added wide receivers from LSU and Tulane. Those being CJ Daniels and Alex Bauman (TE). Then there are five additions in their DB room from the portal, which comprises Charles Brantley from Michigan State, Emmanuel Karnley (CB), and most importantly, Ethan O’Connor from Washington State. They currently have 12 transfers in their class and 21 true freshman additions. But, still, their receiver room looks shallow as of now, and Mario Cristobal would need to tap into the portal to add one or two more good receivers.
The post Miami Rumor: Mario Cristobal Forced to Damage Control as Mass Exodus Warrants Big Move appeared first on EssentiallySports.
