Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) scores against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of their College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Photo by Matias J. Ocner
mocner@miamiherald.com
The Miami Hurricanes, fresh off a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season, once again have a loaded roster as they aim to stay as one of college football’s top teams.
But at which positions, specifically, can the Hurricanes say they are among the nation’s best?
Preseason rankings by Athlon and Phil Steele have three of Miami’s groups ranked among the top five nationally, while Athlon has a fourth that it also considers to be top five.
Here’s a breakdown of those four units.
Running back
This is the first no-brainer group of the list, considering the talent at the top and the depth throughout the room.
Athlon and Steele rank Miami’s running back room the fourth best nationally (Athlon has Missouri, Georgia and Ole Miss ahead of Miami; Steel has Missouri, Texas and Louisville in the top three spots).
Senior Mark Fletcher Jr. leads the group after rushing for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, including 507 yards across four College Football Playoff games.
CharMar “Marty” Brown, Jordan Lyle and Girard Pringle Jr. are veterans with diverse skill sets — Brown a bruiser, Lyle possessing breakaway speed, Pringle with solid vision and agility — to round out the group. True freshman Javian Mallory and redshirt sophomore Chris Wheatley-Humphrey provide valuable depth.
Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) breaks a tackle to score against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Monday, January 19, 2026. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com Wide receiver
Like running back, Miami’s wide receiver room is stacked — and that’s being noticed.
Both Athlon and Steele say the Hurricanes’ receiver corps is third-best nationally (Athlon has Ohio State and Texas ahead of Miami, while Steele has Ohio State and Oregon as Nos. 1 and 2).
Any discussion of Miami’s wide receivers starts with Malachi Toney, who is one of the faces of college football as he looks to build on a phenomenal freshman season. Toney set single-season school records for catches (109) and receiving yards (1,211). His 10 receiving touchdowns were the most ever by a Miami freshman and tied for the fourth most in a season in school history. Toney also threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. He also is a threat to break away on punt returns.
Beefing up Miami’s receiver room are three veteran transfers in Duke’s Cooper Barkate, South Carolina’s Vandrevius Jacobs and West Virginia’s Cam Vaughn. Barkate caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards last season at Duke from quarterback Darian Mensah, who is now his quarterback at Miami. Jacobs had 47 catches for 789 yards and five touchdowns in three years at South Carolina, while Vaughn caught 35 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns at West Virginia last season.
Beyond those four, sophomores Josh Moore and Daylyn Upshaw should factor into Miami’s receiver rotation. UM also has a talented freshman class of receivers, headlined by Somourian Wingo.
Miami Hurricanes defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald (13) celebrates after intercepting the ball in the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies of the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff at Kyle Field at College Station, Texas, on Saturday, December 20, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com Defensive back
Miami’s secondary was the most improved unit on the team last season. That group is experiencing minimal turnover, with just two regulars in nickel cornerback Keionte Scott and safety Jakobe Thomas departing.
Athlon ranks the group third nationally behind Notre Dame and Oregon. Steele has it fifth, behind Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia and Iowa.
The Hurricanes bring back all four of their primary outside cornerbacks in Xavier Lucas, OJ Frederique, Ethan O’Connor and Damari Brown. Starting safety Zechariah Poyser also returns. Sophomore Bryce Fitzgerald, who led the team with six interceptions in 2025, will slide into a starting role after being Miami’s No. 3 safety and backup nickel as a freshman.
Boston College transfer Omar Thronton is slated to be Miami’s starting nickel corner.
Sophomore cornerback Ja’Boree Antoine and freshman safety JJ Dunnigan also figure to factor into Miami’s rotation.
Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr. (99) reacts after tackling Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) in the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Monday, January 19, 2026. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com Defensive line
The Hurricanes face a tall task in replacing a pair of first-round picks from this group in edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor along with starting defensive tackle David Blay Jr.
But Miami has more than enough talent to fill the gaps.
Specifically on the edge, it will be a by-committee approach with Missouri transfer Damon Wilson II, Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount leading the charge. Wilson had nine sacks last season for Missouri en route to being an All-SEC second-team selection, while Blount and Lightfoot were part of Miami’s defensive line rotation as sophomores. Beyond those three, sophomore Herbert Scroggins III and redshirt freshman Hayden Lowe will get the opportunity to compete for playing time.
On the interior, redshirt senior Ahmad Moten Sr. returns to anchor the line. Former five-star recruit Justin Scott, who became a key part of the rotation as last season progressed, should move into a full-time starting role as a junior. Transfers Jarquez Carter (Ohio State) and Keona Davis (Nebraska) round out the primary four defensive tackles.
Athlon rated Miami’s defensive line group third nationally behind Oregon and Notre Dame. Steele has the group sixth, behind Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas and Notre Dame.
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.