To put things as bluntly as possible, Miami’s Week 1 battle against Notre Dame is the most important game of the season. This may seem obvious as Notre Dame is the highest-ranked team on the Canes’ schedule and was in the national championship last season, but it is more than just that. In the past decade, Miami football has been very streaky, and domino effects have been a real thing. If the Hurricanes come up short against the Irish, things could very likely spiral and lead to a mediocre, disappointing season. If Miami comes to play and takes down Notre Dame in a packed-out Hard Rock Stadium, the sky is the limit. 12-0 and 11-1 will definitely be in play in a mediocre ACC. But the Hurricanes likely need a big Week 1 performance to ensure a successful season. Yes, a College Football Playoff appearance is still possible if the Canes come up short in Week 1, but the margin for error becomes a whole lot thinner.
A lot of questions with Miami Football in 2025 are related to former Georgia QB Carson Beck, who transferred to Coral Gables during the offseason. While Beck was dominant in his last two healthy seasons, leading the Bulldogs to a national championship, the narrative is that his job was made easy by the elite roster around him. However, Beck still had elite stats at Georgia, with 7912 passing yards and 58 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback at Georgia(and some extra games playing as the backup). Beck brings elite national championship experience to Miami next season. Will Beck do as well as Cam Ward? Probably not. But, does he need to? Also, probably not. Miami should have one of the top run games nationally in 2025 with top 2024 RB Mark Fletcher returning and a much-improved offensive line that includes several key transfer portal additions. If Beck can manage games well, make timely throws when needed, and limit turnovers, all of which he did at Georgia, he will be just fine in Coral Gables. Miami will need some wide receivers to step up and make plays when the run game is not clicking, as the Hurricanes lost their top 5 pass catchers from 2024. Returning sophomore JoJo Trader looks to make a big leap as he showed glimpses of greatness in his limited action during his freshman campaign. The Hurricanes also added two proven receivers in the transfer portal, as CJ Daniels from LSU and Tony Johnson from Cincinnati came to town. Additionally, the Hurricanes have several 4-star receivers coming in. The question is: who will emerge as Carson Beck’s primary target? That role is wide open going into the season and will be essential to the success of the Canes' offense.
The Hurricanes have a much-improved defense as well, which was the main issue and 2024 that forced such a heavy workload for the number 1 pick, Cam Ward. Over half of the defensive starters will likely be new members of the squad. The Hurricanes' secondary looks much improved after being the main issue in their 2024 losses, with six transfer portal additions, including 4-star Xavier Lucas from Wisconsin, 4-star Ethan O’Connor from Washington State, and others. Proven power five starters are huge additions for the Canes to limit other teams’ wide receiver cores. The defensive line looks much improved as well, with veterans Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor returning. Miami also brings on the highest-ranked player in its freshman recruiting class, 5-star edge rusher Hayden Low. One of the biggest keys to a Week 1 win for the Hurricanes will be how uncomfortable they can make freshman QB CJ Carr on the road in a packed-out Hard Rock Stadium. Overall, the defense is much more trustworthy compared to 2024.
In conclusion, this Hurricanes squad looks much more balanced and complete than in 2024. There is definitely potential for a College Football Playoff berth if things go as planned. There is potential to run the table in a very mediocre ACC. But it all starts with the biggest game of the season, Sunday night at home against Notre Dame.
A lot of questions with Miami Football in 2025 are related to former Georgia QB Carson Beck, who transferred to Coral Gables during the offseason. While Beck was dominant in his last two healthy seasons, leading the Bulldogs to a national championship, the narrative is that his job was made easy by the elite roster around him. However, Beck still had elite stats at Georgia, with 7912 passing yards and 58 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback at Georgia(and some extra games playing as the backup). Beck brings elite national championship experience to Miami next season. Will Beck do as well as Cam Ward? Probably not. But, does he need to? Also, probably not. Miami should have one of the top run games nationally in 2025 with top 2024 RB Mark Fletcher returning and a much-improved offensive line that includes several key transfer portal additions. If Beck can manage games well, make timely throws when needed, and limit turnovers, all of which he did at Georgia, he will be just fine in Coral Gables. Miami will need some wide receivers to step up and make plays when the run game is not clicking, as the Hurricanes lost their top 5 pass catchers from 2024. Returning sophomore JoJo Trader looks to make a big leap as he showed glimpses of greatness in his limited action during his freshman campaign. The Hurricanes also added two proven receivers in the transfer portal, as CJ Daniels from LSU and Tony Johnson from Cincinnati came to town. Additionally, the Hurricanes have several 4-star receivers coming in. The question is: who will emerge as Carson Beck’s primary target? That role is wide open going into the season and will be essential to the success of the Canes' offense.
The Hurricanes have a much-improved defense as well, which was the main issue and 2024 that forced such a heavy workload for the number 1 pick, Cam Ward. Over half of the defensive starters will likely be new members of the squad. The Hurricanes' secondary looks much improved after being the main issue in their 2024 losses, with six transfer portal additions, including 4-star Xavier Lucas from Wisconsin, 4-star Ethan O’Connor from Washington State, and others. Proven power five starters are huge additions for the Canes to limit other teams’ wide receiver cores. The defensive line looks much improved as well, with veterans Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor returning. Miami also brings on the highest-ranked player in its freshman recruiting class, 5-star edge rusher Hayden Low. One of the biggest keys to a Week 1 win for the Hurricanes will be how uncomfortable they can make freshman QB CJ Carr on the road in a packed-out Hard Rock Stadium. Overall, the defense is much more trustworthy compared to 2024.
In conclusion, this Hurricanes squad looks much more balanced and complete than in 2024. There is definitely potential for a College Football Playoff berth if things go as planned. There is potential to run the table in a very mediocre ACC. But it all starts with the biggest game of the season, Sunday night at home against Notre Dame.
