Miami Finishes 7-6 With Plenty Of Uncertainty Going Forward
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Miami finished off their season this evening with a loss in the Pinstripe Bowl to Rutgers, making it a 7-6 season for Mario Cristobal in his second season. Cristobal went 5-7 in his first season in 2022, so a two-win improvement probably wasn't what fans were expecting with the sky-high expectations from the offseason.
However, Cristobal has been pivotal in bringing in talent to Coral Gables, with back-to-back Top 10 recruiting classes since his arrival. While the talent is pouring in, can Miami turn it into results?
Jacurri Brown was the quarterback for Miami today, but it seems unlikely he'll be the option come next season. With Miami liking what they saw from Emory Williams this season and their active pursuit of Washington State transfer Cam Ward, don't be surprised if this was Brown's last game as a Hurricane.
While Miami does seem well-positioned to get Ward, everything could be derailed if he doesn't choose the Hurricanes. The longer Miami waits, the more options go off the board.
The Transfer Portal remains far from over so who knows who will still make their way to the Portal in April when it opens again. While there could still be some great players from other schools yet to join, other Miami players could decide to depart, too.
Regardless, it will be difficult for Miami to land another class like they did last year featuring Javion Cohen, Matt Lee, and Kiko Mauigoa which could keep them from taking that next jump.
The bright side remains that Miami still has promising talents such as Mark Fletcher, Jr., Francisco Mauigoa, and Rueben Bain, Jr. who should all continue to improve this offseason after tremendous freshmen campaigns. That said, recruiting is over and Miami needs to shift its laser in on attacking the portal and building their team the new way.
If Miami isn't able to contend seriously for an ACC title next season, expect there to be some questions regarding Coach Cristobal and his staff.
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You can find Liam on Twitter @theleftyliam where he shares news on University of Miami basketball and football as well as opinions
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