Will Miami return to the College Football Playoff in 2026?

The Miami Hurricanes went on a run in the 2025 College Football Playoff, upsetting teams like Ohio State and Ole Miss before getting beaten in the national championship by Indiana. Some of the key players the Hurricanes lost include: Quarterback Carson Beck, OT Francis Mauigoa and DE Rueben Bain Jr. Can they recover from those losses to have a successful 2026 season?

The key theme that Miami has followed in the 2024 and 2025 season was getting an experienced quarterback through the transfer portal. They decided to continue that pattern by getting Duke quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah was able to lead Duke to their first ACC Championship win since 1989 in 2025, where they beat Virginia 27-20 in OT. 

Miami was also able to find a great replacement for Bain Jr. through Damon Wilson II, who previously played at Georgia and then Missouri. In 2025, Wilson was able to get nine total sacks and 23 total tackles. That's not the only addition to the defense they got from the transfer portal; the Hurricanes also got Boston College safety Omar Thornton. In 2025, Thornton had 56 total tackles, four forced fumbles, and one interception. He will be a great safety to roll down into the box but still be able to cover. Last season's leading tackler, linebacker Mohamed Toure, will be returning for his eighth season in 2026 as well. 

What to expect from Miami's offense

The offensive side of the ball also has so many experienced returners and transfers to help Darian Mensah. To start off, the backfield will be led by Mark Fletcher Jr., who ran for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The Hurricanes also have star receiver Malachi Toney returning, who is one of the top players in the nation. They also brought in two decent receivers from the portal who'll likely have a good amount of playing time; those players are Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina).

The Hurricanes' biggest games of the year will come from Clemson (Week 5),  Florida State (Week 7), and Notre Dame (Week 10). If they can win the rest of their games comfortably and be able to win against Clemson or Florida State, and at least keep it a close game with Notre Dame, then their ticket to the ACC Championship and playoffs should practically be punched.

What is Miami's biggest problem?

The biggest problem, however, is Miami's inconsistency; a pattern from the past two seasons is that they keep games close with teams who shouldn't be on their level. The best examples of this from 2025 are the Florida State game, where Miami won with a final score of 28-22, the Louisville game where Miami lost 24-21, and the SMU game where Miami lost 26-20 in OT. 

There's an argument to be made that those teams weren't bad, and understandable that they were close. For instance, Florida State happened to be ranked No. 18 at the time their game happened, but the only real reason they were ranked that high at all is that they beat Alabama in week one. Louisville and SMU both were outside the top 25 at the time of their games against the Hurricanes.

Miami looked like it would fall off after the national title appearance; however, with offseason additions, the narrative has flipped and looks to be a powerhouse team in 2026. The Hurricanes will likely find themselves right back in the playoffs this upcoming season.