The month of spring football wrapped up in mid-to-late April for most college football programs and the NCAA Transfer Portal window is close for the spring and most players have their landing spots.
All of this means rosters are essentially set for the 2025 season and team have an idea of what trajectory the players that needed to step up this offseason are on.
With the summer months approaching, many college football experts have updated their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for this upcoming 2025 season.
The Miami Hurricanes have significantly upgraded its depth and talent following the month of spring football, adding eight players in the spring portal cycle, including RB CharMar Brown (North Dakota State), WR Keelan Marion (BYU), WR Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), LB Mohamed Toure (Rutgers), LB Kamal Bonner (NC State), Nickel Keionte Scott (Houston), DB Jakobe Thomas (Tennessee), and K Bert Auburn (Texas).
In the spring portal window, UM bolstered the proven production in the receiver room, landed a third running back into the playing rotation, added a couple of starting caliber linebackers, landed two starters in the secondary, and found a kicker to replace Andy Borregales.
Those additions make Miami a totally different team coming out of spring football.
On paper, the 2025 Hurricanes look like a well-rounded team.
Quarterback transfer Carson Beck is rehabbing his way back from surgery on the UCL in his throwing elbow. As a two-year starter at Georgia, Beck was highly productive and earned a 24-3 record.
The Hurricanes also return plenty of talent on the line of scrimmage, featuring four returning starters on the offensive line and productive defensive linemen like Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor.
The secondary has been bolstered significantly with six additions from the portal, led by winter window newcomers in CB Xavier Lucas and DB Zechariah Poyser.
On paper, this UM team is one of the best in the ACC. What do the national writers think about the Hurricanes coming out of the spring?
Read on for their updated thoughts and where they rank Miami in their latest Top 25.
BRANDON MARCELLO, CBS SPORTS
No. 11 Miami
“Carson Beck was considered the nation’s top quarterback this time a year ago. We all know what happened in Georgia, but landing in Miami with the motivation to prove himself was just what the Hurricanes needed in the wake of Cam Ward’s record-breaking year. Beck still has the talent to be one of the nation’s best passers. Miami hired Minnesota’s Corey Hetherman to fix a historically bad defense, which struggled to communicate on the back end, and that major course correction will complement a more vertical offense.”
MARK SCHLABACH, ESPN
No. 21 Miami
“Much of the Hurricanes’ hopes in 2025 ride on Beck’s surgically repaired right arm. He sat out spring practice after undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow. If he’s healthy and cuts down on the turnovers that plagued him at Georgia last season, Miami’s offense might be one of the better ones in the ACC. The Hurricanes have two dependable tailbacks and what could be a very good offensive line.
“The receiver room needed depth — coach Mario Cristobal picked up Daniels, Marion and Johnson from the portal. Poyser and Lucas will help fill a couple of holes in the secondary, and Bain and Mesidor are healthy and have slimmed down. The Hurricanes open the season against Notre Dame at home on Aug. 31 and play Florida at home on Sept. 20.”
JOEL KLATT, FOX SPORTS
No. 18 Miami
“There is people all over the map on this team. I am going to be cautiously optimistic about Miami.
Carson Beck transfers in to take over for Cam Ward. I like this move, but Beck has the elbow surgery in December and didn’t throw during spring practice. There is room for concern. Has to make you a little bit nervous. I know he has played a lot of football, but reps with this group becomes a question because of the reps lost in the spring. The offensive line and running back room should be good. Wide receiver is a concern for me. Xavier Restrepo was Mr. Reliable for them and they lost their tight end [Elijah Arroyo] who started playing really well at the end of the season. The pass catchers aren’t as good as they were last year and Beck wasn’t throwing any passes to them in the spring. I like a lot of what Mario Cristobal has done, but it is cautious optimism. Let’s wait and see.
“The defense held Miami back a little bit last year and they brought in a new defensive coordinator from Minnesota in Corey Hetherman and they hit the portal well.”
BRYAN DRISKELL, ATHLON SPORTS
No. 20 Miami
“The quarterback position will continue to get much of the focus for the Hurricanes, but the reason I have them in my Top 25 is their lines. Led by preseason All-American tackle Francis Mauigoa, the Miami offensive line should be very good. They will open up a lot of holes for running backs Mark Fletcher Jr., Jordan Lyle and CharMar Brown. The Miami defensive line also has a chance to be outstanding with Rueben Bain returning to health. Miami had to completely revamp its secondary through the transfer portal and they landed a number of very talented players on the back end to go with a new coordinator. How quickly that unit gels will say a lot about whether or not Miami can get more stops. Carson Beck gets a lot of the attention, but the former Georgia quarterback has to protect the ball better and handle pressure more effectively. The receiving corps didn’t get the impact portal pickups it needed, which is a big concern.”
WHERE OPPONENTS ON MIAMI’S SCHEDULE RANK
These post-spring projections also featured plenty of Miami’s opponents on the 2025 schedule.
Clemson isn’t on Miami’s schedule, but the Tigers are a strong favorite to reach the ACC Championship Game. Clemson returns plenty of talent in 2025 and is widely viewed as the top team in the ACC going into the season.
The highest projection for Clemson? ESPN’s Schlabach ranks Clemson No. 2 overall in the country.
“Much like Penn State, Clemson’s offense is stacked with a talented quarterback, deep receiver corps and an experienced offensive line coming back. The Tigers don’t have a two-player attack at tailback and that remains their biggest concern after spring practice. Last year’s leading rusher, Phil Mafah, departed for the NFL, and top backup Jay Haynes tore an ACL in the ACC championship game.
“Converted wide receiver Adam Randall, and freshmen David Eziomume and Gideon Davidson might all get significant carries. Davidson was the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2025, according to ESPN Recruiting. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney also made a big move to shore up his defense, which ranked next to last in the ACC in stopping the run in 2024 (160.6 yards), luring defensive coordinator Tom Allen away from Penn State. Heldt, who had five sacks at Purdue last season, is another important player on the best defensive line in the FBS.”
Notre Dame competed in the National Championship game this past season and the Irish will once again be strong in 2025. The Hurricanes open the season against Notre Dame on Sunday, August 31st.
Bryan Driskell of AthlonSports ranks Notre Dame as the No. 2 team in the country after the spring.
“Notre Dame will look to prove that its run to the title game in 2024 wasn’t a fluke, and judging by the talented roster it returns the Irish will have a great shot to do just that. Notre Dame should have dominant line play and it returns arguably the best running back duo in the country in star Jeremiyah Love and his big-play sidekick Jadarian Price. First-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash inherits a loaded defense that is led by sophomore Leonard Moore and a deep, athletic linebacker room. Notre Dame is going through a quarterback battle, and when the dust settles I expect CJ Carr to be the winner. He’ll have some weapons to work with thanks to the arrival of Malachi Fields and Will Pauling to go with Jaden Greathouse and Eli Raridon. If the pass game can develop the Irish offense will be dangerous.”
Florida is a team many pundits are high on because the Gators finished the 2024 season on a strong note and return plenty of contributors from that team.
UF finished the 2024 season with an 8-5 record while navigating a difficult 2024 season.
Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports ranks UF as the No. 10 team in the country after the month of spring football.
“Billy Napier avoided the coaching carousel last season, winning eight games against arguably the toughest schedule in college football. His team should be better this fall. DJ Lagway could emerge as the SEC’s best quarterback if he remains healthy behind four returning starters on the offensive line. Does he have the receivers to help him along the way? More importantly, does the defense have enough depth to contend weekly in the SEC?”
SMU is coming off a 2024 season in which the Mustangs made an appearance in the ACC Championship Game and earned a College Football Playoff berth. ESPN’s Schlabach ranks SMU as the No. 15 team coming out of the spring.
“After unexpectedly reaching the CFP in their first season in the ACC, the Mustangs’ priorities were pretty clear this spring: find some receivers and defensive linemen. SMU lost top pass catchers Roderick Daniels and Key’Shawn Smith as well as leading rusher Brashard Smith. Coach Rhett Lashlee signed Harden, UCLA’s leading rusher in 2024, and he’s hoping freshmen Daylon Singleton and Jalen Cooper and a couple of transfers can help at receiver.”
“The situation on the defense is even more pressing after star edge rusher Elijah Roberts and tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte departed for the NFL. Making matters worse, the Mustangs lost tackle Jonathan Jefferson to an undisclosed injury that is expected to require him taking a medical redshirt this season, according to Lashlee. The Mustangs signed nine defensive linemen out of the portal to help.”
Schlabach is also the highest of the national experts on Louisville, ranking the Cardinals No. 22 overall.
“After a season full of near misses in 2024, Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm is rolling with another transfer quarterback this season. Moss started nine games at USC before losing the job in 2024; he threw for 3,469 yards with 27 touchdowns in his career there. The good news for Moss is he’ll join an offense with Brown, one of the best tailbacks in the FBS, and a receiver corps that includes Bell and Caullin Lacy, who sat out most of last season after breaking his collarbone.
“The Cardinals might have to score a lot of points because their defense is probably going to be a work in progress. There were big losses up front, although leading tacklers Quinn and Clark are returning. Louisville added a few defensive backs from the portal to also rebuild the back end.”
Where do you think Miami should be ranked in the preseason Top 25 polls? What teams are clearly better than the Hurricanes on paper going into this 2025 season? Comment below.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
