Spring football is in the rearview mirror, and the Hurricanes’ season opener against Stanford is still about two months away, but Miami’s roster is set for the upcoming season.

The Hurricanes are coming off their best season in decades, going 10-2 in the regular season before winning three College Football Playoff games and reaching their first national championship game since the 2002 season.

Expectations are high for the 2026 season, and we will take a look at each of Miami’s position groups in the lead-up to the campaign.

Earlier this week, we looked at UM’s veteran group of linebackers. The story is the same this week at cornerback, where the Hurricanes return numerous key players.

Who left

The Hurricanes lost one of the most crucial players from their standout defense last year.

Nickelback Keionte Scott played just one season at Miami, but he made a huge impact. After previously playing at Auburn, Scott arrived at UM and slid into the nickel role. He excelled at the spot, racking up 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions. Scott finished third on the team in tackles for loss despite missing the last three regular-season games with an injury. He was picked as an All-ACC second-teamer.

Scott had 20 tackles and three tackles for loss during Miami’s playoff run, and he had one of the season’s indelible moments when he picked off an Ohio State pass and returned it for a touchdown.

“It meant everything,” Scott said of his one-year tenure at Miami.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Scott in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

The Hurricanes did not lose any other major contributors from last year’s team. Two cornerbacks, Jadais Richard and Charles Brantley, departed via the transfer portal.

Richard, whose time at Miami was limited by injury, played 20 snaps last year. He transferred to Tennessee. Brantley played 31 snaps, and he transferred to Michigan State (the school he started his career at).

Who returned

The Hurricanes brought back most of their key cornerbacks from last year. All four outside cornerbacks who played more than 100 snaps last season — Damari Brown, OJ Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas and Ethan O’Connor — returned this year.

“We’ve been making progress, but it’s a lot of room for improvement,” Lucas said in March. “And we’re looking to get better.”

Brown, an American Heritage High alumnus, returned to the field in 2025 after missing most of the 2024 season with an injury. He started four games but missed the playoffs with an injury. He ended the season with 24 tackles and one pass breakup, but his underlying metrics were good.

Pro Football Focus gave Brown, a redshirt junior in 2026, a 75.9 defensive grade and a 79.4 coverage grade. He allowed catches on 52.6 percent of throws his way, which was ninth-best among ACC cornerbacks with 300 or more snaps.

Frederique, a St. Thomas Aquinas High alum, has been a key part of Miami’s defense the past two seasons. After a freshman All-American season in 2024, Frederique had a decent campaign in 2025. Due to injury, he played in only 10 of the Hurricanes’ 16 games. In those 10 games, he had 19 tackles and seven pass breakups.

Pro Football Focus gave Frederique, a junior in 2026, a 62.1 defensive grade with a 63.1 coverage grade. He allowed catches on 54.3 percent of throws his way, which was third-best among Miami’s outside corners.

Lucas, also an American Heritage alumnus, played his first year at UM after a controversial transfer from Wisconsin. He was arguably the Hurricanes’ top outside corner last season, playing the most snaps (649) and posting solid statistics. He had 45 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and a team-leading eight pass breakups. PFF gave him a 73.9 defensive grade and a 76.4 coverage grade.

Lucas, a junior in 2026, allowed catches on 59.3 percent of the passes thrown in his direction, but he did not allow a touchdown all season. He played the second-most snaps among ACC corners who did not allow a touchdown in 2025.

“I feel pretty good,” Lucas said in the spring. “I’ve still got to improve as a player, mentally and physically, but I’m just trying to slow the game down as much as I can.”

O’Connor, a transfer from Washington State, played a key role in Miami’s defense, especially in the playoffs when Brown and Frederique were dealing with injuries. O’Connor had 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups, and he earned a 75.6 defensive grade with a 74.5 coverage grade.

O’Connor, a redshirt junior this year, allowed catches on 51.1 percent of the passes thrown his way, which was the best mark among UM’s outside cornerbacks and eighth-best among ACC cornerbacks who played 300 or more snaps.

The Hurricanes also return depth cornerbacks like sophomore Ja’Boree Antoine, who impressed in limited time last year, redshirt freshman Chris Ewald Jr., and redshirt sophomore Ryan Mack.

Who arrived

The Hurricanes did not add an outside cornerback in the transfer portal this offseason (though Boston College transfer Omar Thornton could play nickel or safety). Instead, Miami signed four cornerbacks in its high school recruiting class: Brody Jennings, Camdin Portis, Jaelen Waters and Jontavius Wyman. All four were four-star prospects.

Waters, a Seffner native, was the highest-rated prospect of the group. He was listed as the No. 21 corner and No. 164 player in the class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Waters is 6 foot 1 and 180 pounds.

Portis, the son of UM legend Clinton Portis, was a long-time Hurricanes commit. He joined UM’s class in October 2024 and never backed off his pledge. Portis, who is listed at 5-11 and 175 pounds, was the No. 28 cornerback and No. 257 player in the class. Portis could compete for the open nickel role.

“He’s very versatile,” UM safeties coach Will Harris said. “He can play multiple positions. He did that in high school, as well. But I would say the biggest thing with him is just getting bigger — bigger, stronger and faster.”

Jennings, who played for Mandarin High in Jacksonville, was listed as the No. 35 cornerback and No. 346 player in the class. He is listed at 6-1 and 185 pounds. Wyman, a Georgia native, was the No. 40 cornerback and No. 374 player in the class. He is listed at 5-11 and 170 pounds.

Because of the Hurricanes’ depth at cornerback, it is unlikely the freshmen play a lot in 2026.