Mario Cristobal Signed a Top 5 Transfer Portal Class at Miami

Trinton Breeze
2 min read
February is usually the calm after the storm in college football. The coaching carousel slows, the portal smoke settles, and everyone finally gets a chance to take a breath.

After reviewing every move across the country, 247Sports has the Hurricanes checked in at No. 4 nationally. Not bad for a program that wasn’t rebuilding in the first place.

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LSU currently has signed the top transfer portal in college football. Ole Miss and Texas are right behind the Tigers followed by Miami.

Miami went straight to the top of the board and landed Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, the No. 6 QB in the transfer portal. That now makes three straight cycles where Cristobal has secured a high-end portal quarterback (Cam Ward, Carson Beck).

The offense should be loaded again.

The entire running back room returns, and Mensah didn’t arrive alone. His favorite target at Duke, Cooper Barkate, followed him south. Miami also bolstered the receiver room with Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Dre Jacobs (South Carolina), adding speed and depth to an already dangerous group.

Up front, help was needed, and addressed. The Hurricanes added 6-foot-7 offensive lineman Jamal Meriweather as they continue reshaping the trenches.

Defensively, Miami restocked almost everywhere.

Former Missouri EDGE Damon Wilson headlines the class. He finished third in the SEC with nine sacks last season and led the Tigers in quarterback hurries. With Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor off to the NFL, Wilson should be asked to contribute immediately. Miami also added Keona Davis and Jarquez Carter to strengthen the defensive line rotation.

In the secondary, Omar Thornton arrives from Boston College after an 82-tackle season and looks like a Day 1 starter. Conrad Hussey adds another capable body at safety.

Just Miami doing Miami things.
 

Comments (13)

Quality over quantity. And to retain the guys we did, wow, big ups to the staff. To top it off, most of the incoming class is already on campus. 2026 is gonna be another really really fun year, I'm beyond excited. Go Canes🙌🏾
 
I'm confused like everybody else here as to how Damon Wilson and Darian Mensah are not considered 5 star transfers. I love our quality over quantity approach to this class.

I like the entire class however there are 2 players that I'm intrigued with mainly because I don't know too much about them and what their respective floors and ceilings are. Those 2 are OL Jamal Meriweather and Safety Conrad Hussey.
 
Nice job by Mario and Co addressing critical pieces - hopeful for a grad transfer to add to the OL as we lost significant depth there in Kinsler etc

That’s not possible. Any grad transfer needed to be in already to play this year. They can transfer anytime, they have to be in the portal by the deadline to play in the next season.
 
I would laugh hard if LSU doesn't make the playoffs after yet ANOTHER top 5 portal class.
 
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