Miami defied everyone’s expectations last season by bouncing back from a midseason slump to produce a near-national championship run. While they fell short and lost multiple key starters, this season’s Miami squad is built for another run to a title. However, in order for that to happen, these three things must occur.

Jackson Cantwell needs to be the best freshman offensive lineman in the country

The first key is Jackson Cantwell emerging as the best freshman offensive lineman in college football. Cantwell is physically gifted enough to accomplish this. It is not a ridiculous claim to expect him to do this, because I believe he really is that good.

If Cantwell becomes an immediate-impact true freshman, he is going to elevate everybody around him. When we’ve seen freshmen in college football immediately dominate along the offensive line, it has been a driving force for the rest of the unit to play at a high level. Will Campbell and Joe Alt both performed at an elite level as freshmen and were drafted in the first round. While they anchored their respective lines, everybody else around them played well too. Cantwell has that same potential, and Miami needs him to actualize it.

The defensive line needs Marquise Lightfoot or Armando Blount to step up

Replacing Rueben Bain, Jr. and Akheem Mesidor will be difficult. Both were disruptive forces along the Hurricanes’ defensive front, and their departures leave a significant void.

Justin Scott, Ahmad Moten, and Damon Wilson II should make up for some of that lost disruption, but Miami is going to need one of its highly recruited players to emerge as at least a solid contributor along the defensive line. If Lightfoot and/or Blount can develop into reliable disruptors opposite Wilson, this group should be just as good as it was a year ago. The talent is there. It’s a matter of development and opportunity.

The passing game needs to take a leap

Lastly, if the Hurricanes’ passing game takes a step forward in 2026, they’re going to be unstoppable. Last season, Miami mauled opposing teams with the run game, but it felt like something was missing through the air.

I think the pieces are in place to change that this year. Darian Mensah is more talented than Carson Beck. Cooper Barkate is better than CJ Daniels. There’s a real opportunity for the Hurricanes to threaten opposing defenses through the air the way they did two seasons ago with Cam Ward at quarterback.

I believe that Miami has what it takes to be a real national title threat in 2026. Hopefully, these things can come to fruition.