OPINION: Transfer portal is finally open, so buckle up and enjoy the ride as Miami Hurricanes have several holes to fill

If the Miami Hurricanes program the last couple of years is akin to an airplane, then it’s one of those flights that is waiting on the tarmac forever and has a lot of folks grumbling. It just hasn’t been quite right yet as Mario Cristobal works toward this program taking off to heights it hasn’t seen in two decades.

And, to continue with the above analogy, today starts a 30-day window for Cristobal to fuel up this Miami Hurricanes plane. Yes, the month-long transfer portal is finally open for business today, and the Miami Hurricanes will be busy hoping to find talent to stack on top of talent.

While players who graduated were able to go into the transfer portal previously, today marks the official 30-day start date for all players to officially start their transfer process.

Miami’s had mixed success under Cristobal in the portal so far, taking 27 transfers in his two years with the biggest “hits” from 2022 DL Akheem Mesidor and RB Henry Parrish, and success this past cycle with the likes of full-time starters OL Javion Cohen and Matt Lee, TE Cam McCormick, DT Branson Deen, LB Francisco Mauigoa and CB Jaden Davis.

2024 Miami Hurricanes Scholarship Eligibility Tracker

Prior to the portal opening this morning, several Miami players announced their intention to leave (with the caveat that players in the portal could always have the option to return to their prior schools up until they enroll elsewhere): QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Don Chaney, WR Frank Ladson, DE Jahfari Harvey and LB Corey Flagg.

Miami also has players that are expected to go pro early: the aforementioned Cohen, DT Leonard Taylor and safeties Kam Kinchens and James Williams.

Off two seasons of not-great results at Miami, it’s expected Cristobal might again approach that double-digit portal number of takes.

Keep in mind, too, that the roster will need to be further pared down with the transfers plus over 25 recruits expected to sign later this month. If you do the math, the general number of players that had eligibility to return that won’t be back is likely to exceed 20 (including transfers out and those going pro early). That’s a big number.

And it will all start to come into focus today and over the next several weeks.

CaneSport will be monitoring the players that leave the program and the top transfer targets, so stay tuned over the days and weeks ahead for that.

Priority No. 1 for Cristobal, of course, is landing a top quarterback after inconsistent play from Van Dyke the last two years. We already broke down several QB targets that either are expected to go in the portal or are already in it: Mississippi State transfer QB Will Rogers (is in the portal), Kansas State QB Will Howard (is in the portal), UCLA QB Dante Moore (expected to go in portal), Tulane QB Michael Pratt (choosing between going pro/transferring) and Vanderbilt’s AJ Swann (announced he will transfer but lower down the list of Miami QB targets right now).

Other positions of need for Miami on the offensive side? Look for UM to target one or two big-time wide receivers that can give the team a true No. 1 threat and also a pass-catching tight end (Miami’s top tight end this year had under 100 receiving yards, something that hasn’t happened in decades). On the offensive line also look for Miami to go after more talent. Cohen is leaving and Matt Lee isn’t for sure coming back, and Miami wants more depth. A portal offer already went out to a Division II prospect that’s in the portal – Shorter University sophomore offensive tackle Alan Herron. So there’s going to be some movement to monitor there.

On defense we expect Miami to target multiple run-stopping defensive tackles with starters Branson Deen (out of eligibility) and Leonard Taylor (going pro early) leaving. Several are already on the radar including Middle Tennessee State graduate Marley Cook, UPenn DT Joey Slackman and NC State’s C.J. Clark.

Certainly DB will also be getting a lot of attention with Kinchens and Williams expected to leave and the graduation of starting corners Te’Cory Couch and Jaden Davis. We expect a safety or two and a cornerback or two to arrive from the portal.

It’s a big Christmas-type wish list, and there are no portal guarantees.

But what you can bank on is Cristobal going all-out to try and upgrade this team’s talent.

It will be a wild and interesting ride until the portal closes in 30 days.

So take your seats, buckle up and prepare for takeoff.

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