News, notes, thoughts, fallout from UM's post-spring portal cycle. And announcement coming

Miami Herald

07-05-2025

University of Miami News, notes, thoughts, fallout from UM's post-spring portal cycle. And announcement coming
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes as the football transfer portal activity begins to slow (players can still be signed, but nobody new can enter the portal):
▪ Unlike last spring, the Canes did not land every portal player that visited campus in April and early May.
Miami, in particular, would have loved to acquire All-Big 12 safety AJ Haulcy (who picked LSU despite being wined and dined by the Canes) and defensive tackle Braxton Feely, who opted to stay at Boise State.
Since spring ended, the Canes did not add an elite starting safety, a veteran defensive tackle or a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver (Syracuse slot player Trebor Pena, who was arguably the best receiver in the portal, visited Miami but opted for Penn State).
It would have made a very good offseason an extraordinary one if a second top safety (besides Zechariah Poyser) or No. 1 receiver had been added.
But in UM's defense, second portal cycle options at those positions were very limited; the Canes landed a pretty good safety in Jakoby Thomas and two solid receivers in Keelan Marion and Tony Johnson. And overall, this group of seven post-spring additions is a very good one, filling needs at receiver, linebacker, kicker and the defensive backfield.
On3.com ranks UM among eight winners in the post-spring portal cycle after adding receivers Marion (BYU) and Johnson (Cincinnati), North Carolina State linebacker Kamal Bonner, Tennessee safety Thomas, Houston cornerback/safety Keionte Scott, North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown and kicker Bert Auburn.
Auburn gives the Canes a generally reliable kicker who was very good in 2023 and not quite as good last year, but still the best possible option to replace NFL-bound Andres Borregales.
Marion and Scott give UM accomplished returners who once led their conferences in kickoff and punt return averages, respectively.
Here's how on3.com assessed UM's portal efforts: 'Similar to a year ago with Cam Ward, Miami focused much of its winter portal efforts on a quarterback. The Hurricanes pulled off a stunner in January, landing Carson Beck, who passed on the NFL draft for the portal. Miami has worked this spring on surrounding Beck with talent, bringing in two new wide receivers in Marion and Johnson. Marion was a second-team All-Big 12 pick as a kick returner after taking back 18 kicks for 472 yards and two touchdowns last season, too.
'Miami was also able to land Brown, who appeared set to land at Cal until the Hurricanes made a final-hour move to land the Jerry Rice Award winner. The North Dakota State running back closed out 2024 with 1,183 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Reshaping the secondary was a priority for new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.'
If you include the prespring portal additions, this transfer class deserves an A or A-, on paper.
That group includes Beck, ex-LSU receiver CJ Daniels, ex-Tulane tight end Alex Bauman; UAB tight end Jack Nickel; center James Brockermeyer; Louisiana Tech defensive tackle David Blay; cornerbacks Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) and Ethan O'Connor (Washington State) and Charles Brantley (Michigan State); cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (the Arizona transfer then left UM in April); former Jacksonville State safety Poyser; ex-Charlotte long snapper Adam Booker and erstwhile FAU kicker Carter Davis.
Finding an accomplished starting quarterback and several good defensive backs in the portal - plus a starting center and starting defensive lineman — makes this a successful Canes offseason by any measure.
▪ Because there simply wasn't an elite No. 1 boundary receiver in the portal, there's as much uncertainty about who will earn a top-four receiver spots as any offseason I can remember.
Jojo Trader, who was injured late in spring practice, is a likely starter if he's healthy.
Daniels (LSU's No. 4 receiver) and Marion (24 catches, 346 yards, TD last season have a legitimate chance to win the other boundary job, with Ny Carr, Joshua Moore and Dylan Upshaw competing.
Johnson (48 receptions), 449 yards and six TDs last season is the front-runner in the slot, but explosive freshman Malachi Toney needs to play — inside or outside — and Ray Ray Joseph had a solid spring.
▪ UM's inability to find a veteran tackle from a weak crop of postspring portal options (Blay stayed at Boise; UCF's Bernard Gooden picked LSU) creates a big opportunity for freshman Donta Simpson and Daylen Russell to earn snaps as a No. 4 tackle.
Probably the more likely scenario is one of the top ends (Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Armondo Blount) moving inside on passing downs and UM giving more edge snaps to Blount or Malik Bryant or to young players Hayden Lowe, Marquise Lightfoot, Booker Pickett or Cole McConathy.
▪ Bonner, who was productive in seven starts for North Carolina State, becomes the front-runner to start opposite Wesley Bissainthe, but I wouldn't discount Raul Aguirre or Jaylin Alderman. Alderman was a productive starter for Louisville in 2023 and Aguirre repeatedly flashes. Chase Smith and Bobby Pruitt could become factors.
UM also is awaiting a decision from Rutgers linebacker Mohamed Toure, who was exceptional in 2023 (94 tackles, 9.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks) but missed 2022 and 2024 with separate ACL tears.
North Carolina, Penn State and Indiana also have been pursuing Toure.
▪ Beyond Feely and Pena, UM's other spring portal visitors who ended up elsewhere were defensive backs — Haulcy, UF's Gregory Smith (picked North Carolina), Colorado cornerback Colton Hood (chose Tennessee), UCF cornerback Brent Austin (chose Cal), Kansas State's Noah King (picked Colorado).
Though Haulcy was a priority, some of the others weren't high priorities after UM made inroads with Thomas and Scott.
Thomas will battle Markeith Williams and Dylan Day to start opposite Poyser.
Scott, who was a productive slot corner for Auburn two years ago, will compete with Damari Brown and Brantley for snaps in nickel packages. He can also play safety and boundary cornerback, but is best in the slot.
▪ Offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prep prospect in the 2026 class, is expected to pick his school on Tuesday, and Miami, Georgia and Oregon are the top contenders.
The 6-7, 300-pound Cantwell, who attends high school in Nixa, Missouri, visited UM in the spring and will visit Georgia on Saturday.