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2026 CANES PORTAL ROUNDUP: MIAMI RELOADS
On the heels of a natty appearance, the Miami Hurricanes have virtually completed their 2026 Portal class. The Canes took a smaller class this year considering they were able to sign their entire secondary and entire running back room, along with most of their LB corps.
Miami comes back next year with one of the top defensive line classes in the nation and now has the luxury to use the portal selectively as they use it to improve the team while continuing to watch their high school recruits develop into monsters. So what did Miami bring in? What can Miami expect from the new portal adds in 2026?
Quarterback:
Darian Mensah-Possibly the most coveted prize of the entire portal, the Canes at the buzzer landed superstar QB Darian Mensah. After a standoff with Duke, the Canes came out on top and Mensah was able to enroll at Miami. The Canes landed a top-3 quarterback in the nation. Last season, Mensah led Duke to win an ACC Championship and posted 3,964 passing yards, 34 TDs, and just 6 INTs with a 66.8% completion rate.
Outlook: Miami has a star who will easily be the best QB in the ACC and arguably a top-3 arm next year. The Canes landed a blue-whale-type commitment at the most important position in football. Mensah will be a Heisman candidate next year, and Miami for the third year in a row lands a stud transfer quarterback.
Wide Receiver:
Vandrevius Jacobs – The Canes got Jacobs from South Carolina, and they got a blazer. Jacobs had four touchdowns this year of over 30 yards, including three that went for 49, 50, and 74. Miami lacked explosiveness at the WR position, and Jacobs provides just that. Jacobs had three 100-yard games and finished the year with a team-high 32 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns at 17.1 YPC.
Outlook: Jacobs will probably win a starting spot, and I would not be surprised if he becomes a favorite target of Mensah. This is one of those additions that has the possibility to earn All-ACC-type potential when all is said and done, and whose explosiveness will unlock a new level for Miami’s offense.
Cam Vaughn – Miami added another explosive WR transfer in Cam Vaughn from West Virginia. Vaughn had 35 receptions for 541 yards, 4 TDs, and again, with 15.5 YPC, shows that he is an explosive playmaker.
Outlook: Vaughn is a dark-horse candidate to start because of his explosiveness, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, like Jacobs, he also challenges for a starting spot and becomes an All-Conference-type player, as he certainly has the talent to achieve that. Miami will have starter- to All-Conference-potential WRs fighting for playing time in the two-deep.
Cooper Barkate – This is the grand prize of the WR class and one of the overall best portal additions by any team, period. Barkate is easily a top-10 WR in the nation and top-5 WR production-wise last year. Barkate was second-team All-ACC behind Malachi Toney, and he was Mensah’s top target at Duke. How elite is Barkate? He went off for 72 receptions for 1,106 yards and 7 TDs, and again, another big-play WR with 15.4 YPC.
Outlook: This is a monster addition that makes it impossible for opposing defenses to lock in on Malachi Toney. Defensive coordinators not only have to focus on the speed and explosiveness of Vaughn/Jacobs and the Swiss Army knife that Toney is, but now they can’t zero in on Toney because there is a legitimate, bona fide MONSTER WR they need to account for. Barkate will break defensive coordinators and open up Toney even more, which is a scary thought for the rest of college football.
Defensive Line:
Damon Wilson II – Miami landed arguably the top EDGE in the portal in Damon Wilson II. The Canes needed to replace some production from Bain/Mesidor and brought in arguably a top-3 EDGE in the nation. Wilson is going to command a starting spot and will be coached by Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, who has developed Rueben Bain into one of the top first-round picks and Akheem Mesidor into a borderline first-round pick. Wilson had 9 sacks at Missouri and now joins the best DT class in the nation.
Outlook: With Miami’s talent along the DL, Wilson is primed for an All-American-type year, and his progress makes the Canes’ pass rush scary good once again. Expect him to be one of the stars of the show, providing Miami with another fantastic edge rusher and a career year.
Jarquez Carter – The Canes landed former 4-star recruit Jarquez Carter. Carter is an explosive DT who Miami coveted out of high school but eventually signed with Ohio State. He appeared in six games for the Buckeyes, but Miami was able to land him the second time around as Heatherman covets athletic 280–290-lb DTs, and Carter fits that mold.
Outlook: Carter will be a two-deep-type DT for the Canes. Carter is physically ready and will provide strong depth for Miami. Expect a second-half surge for Carter and for him to become a playoff contributor. Very strong addition by the Canes.
Keona Davis – Miami added a starter from Nebraska’s DL in DT Keona Davis. Davis has the ability to play both EDGE and interior DT. Last year, he had 33 tackles, 2 sacks, and 10 pressures for the Cornhuskers.
Outlook: Davis strengthens an already stout Miami defensive line that brings back the best DT in the nation, Ahmand Moten, rising star Justin Scott, and Armondo Blount, the former five-star who was a key contributor last year and is set to have a big year. Davis brings quality depth—starter-level depth—that sets up Miami for another deep championship-level run.
Offensive Line:
Jamal Meriweather – The Canes landed 6’7”, 305-pound Jamal Meriweather from Georgia. Meriweather is able to play guard and OT and appeared in 51 snaps for the Bulldogs in a backup capacity. Alex Mirabal loves his physical tools, and Miami believes they can work with him the same way they worked with Markel Bell and develop him into a monster. Miami believes they got a steal here.
Outlook: The Miami offensive line lost a lot of talent this past season. There is a clear need for someone to step up at the offensive tackle position, and Meriweather has a chance to get significant snaps there, where he will be battling Matthew McCoy. I expect Meriweather to play a ton of snaps and threaten for a starting-level position at OT. If not, he will be two-deep/starter at guard.
Johnathan Cline – Miami added ETSU transfer IOL Johnathan Cline. The Canes needed numbers at OL, and they added a 6’4”, 310-pounder who has two years of eligibility remaining.
Outlook: I don’t expect Cline to have a major impact this year, but the Canes need the numbers, and he will be a good practice-squad player who raises the floor of the group.
Secondary:
Omar Thornton – Miami added Boston College transfer Omar Thornton. Thornton had a very good 2025 season, posting 82 tackles, 8 TFLs, 4 FFs, and 34 total stops. He gives Miami an instant starter at nickel, solidifying Miami’s secondary as the Canes will have the best secondary in the nation once again.
Outlook: It is tough to follow up Keionte Scott’s production, but Thornton is the perfect player to follow in his footsteps. A thumper and violent player, Thornton will be a worthy successor to the best defensive back in the nation, and I expect he will fit like a glove in how Heatherman uses him. Do not be surprised if Miami also uses him to fill the box safety spot that was manned down by Jakobe Thomas. Wherever he lands either Nickel or Safety, Miami has a star-level player in Thornton.
Conrad Hussey – Miami added a player they coveted two years ago in former four-star safety Conrad Hussey, who transferred first from FSU and now Oregon State. Hussey has 45 career tackles and 2 FFs with an INT.
Outlook: Miami loses Jakobe Thomas, and although they are bringing back Zechariah Poyser and Bryce Fitzgerald along with stud freshman JJ Dunnigan Jr., who is impressing in early reports, Hussey brings depth to Miami’s safety class. Expect him to be a two-deep-type player and a starter-quality safety who can fill in admirably if an injury occurs.Hussey can also play the nickel role and could emerge as the starter there if Thornton slides to safety. I expect him to be a borderline starter/two-deep contributor for Miami.
Special Teams:
Jack Olsen / Jake Weinberg – Miami landed K Jack Olsen from Northwestern and K Jake Weinberg from FSU. Miami expects Olsen to be the intermediate kicker for the Canes next season, while Weinberg will be the punter and long-range kickoff specialist. Olsen was 19-for-21 on FGs in 2025 for Northwestern and received honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition.
Outlook: Miami addressed its kicker-punter situation by taking one of the best available kickers in the portal in Jack Olsen and also bringing in punter Jake Weinberg, who forced a touchback on every kick this year on non-onside kicks. Miami strengthened special teams with two plus additions.
Portal Grade:
We can’t fully grade this until we see these players play, as last season showed portal additions like Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas were not just borderline starters but some of the best safeties in the nation. From a needs standpoint, the Canes addressed every major need outside of OT and TE. Miami was also looking for LB help, but with the return of Toure and Smith and a healthy Kamal Bonner, the Canes should be solid at LB and will be joined by Kellen Wiley and JJ Edwards, whom the staff is sky-high on. Miami will have to hope Meriweather/McCoy steps up at OT and that Luka Gilbert emerges at the TE position.
Final Projections:
QB – Darian Mensah (All-American)
WR – Cooper Barkate (All-Conference / All-American)
WR – Cam Vaughn (Starter-level / All-Conference)
WR – Vandrevius Jacobs (Starter-level / All-Conference)
OL – Johnathan Cline (Depth)
OL – Jamal Meriweather (Two-deep rotation)
DE – Damon Wilson II (All-American)
DT – Jarquez Carter (Two-deep rotation)
DT – Keona Davis (Two-deep rotation)
S – Omar Thornton (All-Conference / All-American)
K – Jack Olsen (Starter)
K – Jake Weinberg (Starter)
Miami brings in at least six players with All-Conference ability, along with solid kickers, two very good rotational players, and a depth piece, with TE being the one true position that was not addressed in the portal.
EARLY GRADE: A-
