How the Miami Hurricanes Developed Their 2026 Draft Class
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It's been nearly two decades since the Miami Hurricanes had a team in the National Championship Game. It's also been some years since they produced one of the most talented draft classes in years.
Think back to the last great draft class for the Miami Hurricanes. There have been good ones, but where do they compare to the rest?
The 2001 National Championship team had multiple first-round picks, but they were spread across multiple drafts. The 2026 class has up to three first-round picks. Moreover, the depth they added through the transfer portal has also allowed them to have a deeper draft class.
Even with the No. 1 overall pick last season, the Hurricanes only had seven players drafted. Cam Ward went No. 1, and in the second round, tight end Elijah Arroyo. Then the fifth, sixth, and seventh saw other Canes get drafted.
This season, the Hurricanes could have up to 12 players taken throughout the seven rounds. It has come from recruiting, good coaching, and great scouting out of the transfer portal.
Recruiting from the Heart
Mario Cristobal entered Miami with the program not in a mess, but not properly flowing the way it had been in the past. The Canes would still produce some of the best talent in the NFL, but it wasn't as consistent as in years past.
Recruiting was dead with questionable classes, but the first class Cristobal brought was now in place. These are the benefits of this class. Bain and Maugioa were among the first players to commit to the new era of Canes football, and both are now projected as top-10 picks.
Anez Cooper and Wesley Bissainthe are other players who benefited from the recruiting and scouting efforts. Each was a three-star recruit who developed into a multi-year starter for the resurgent program.
The Evergreen Use of the Transfer Portal
The transfer portal was always going to be a positive for Miami. It's the University of Miami; they were always going to be big spenders. It has allowed them to bring in Carson Beck, Jakobe Thomas, Keinonte Scott, James Brockermeyer, and CJ Daniels. This doesn't even mention Keelan Marion and David Blay.
Beck was viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and now he will likely be a quiet day two pick that will stand the test of time. Similar to Scott and Thomas, both had no draft stock before entering Coral Gables.
Brockermeyer was viewed as one of the best centers in the country when he transferred from TCU to Miami, while others rose.
Marion was an All-American returner who transformed into Miami's most reliable target at the end of the season. It started in the transfer portal, and having the right scouting and the right coaching.
The Right Coaching
Good players come with great coaching. Cristobal has put the right people in the right place. Jason Taylor, Corey Hetherman, and Shannon Dawson start at the top of what the Hurricanes are and can be.
Moreover, it is exactly what the Canes' head coach wanted out of the program. Good coaching allows the team to grow and get to places they are familar with.
"The expectations for myself and this program are beyond what anybody out there can have," Cristobal said. "Miami has slugged around for 25 years and has been irrelevant and now all of a sudden it is like, whoa, Miami is viewed very differently, and I think everybody has to appreciate that because it is difficult to come out of that hole.
"This is a time to focus on momentum and process. It is important to have positive anger, and if we don't win every game, we are going to be pissed. It is all focused in a direction where it can be constructive and help us get better—and that is what we are doing."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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