The Miami Hurricanes enter the 2026 college football season as one of the most talented teams in the country. After coming up just one drive short of the program’s sixth national championship, coach Mario Cristobal has built a roster that should compete for the title once again.

Through some notable transfer portal pickups, including Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, Miami looks poised to push for the top of the mountain in the college football world.

That talent was recently acknowledged by one national outlet. ESPN.com release its list of the top 100 college football players for 2026, and it included five Hurricanes: Malachi Toney at No. 4, Ahmad Moten, Sr. at No. 18, Mensah at No. 23, Mark Fletcher Jr. at No. 29, and Damon Wilson II at No. 63.

Five players in the top 100 is impressive. But it still feels as though ESPN shortchanged the Hurricanes’ roster. Beyond those five, Miami has three particular players who could become household names once the 2026 season is over.

Safety Bryce Fitzgerald is the ballhawk everyone should know

Casual football fans might remember Fitzgerald from the first College Football Playoff game last season. He was the player who jumped in front of Marcel Reed’s pass in the end zone to pull down the game-clinching interception with 24 seconds left. Fitzgerald, a true freshman in 2025, tallied a whopping six interceptions and showed a nose for the football and rare instincts for a player of his age.

He’ll be back to lead the back end of the Hurricanes defense, and in his second year, he should be primed to build off a huge first season. That can only lead to great things for Miami’s defense in 2026.

Defensive lineman Justin Scott will be an anchor in the middle

Moten made the top 100, and it’s quite a surprise that Scott did not. After all, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had Scott at No. 29 and Moten at No. 30 in his most recent 2027 mock draft this week. Scott is explosive and more than handles his own in the run game. He’ll team up with Moten to create the best interior defensive line tandem in the country.

Leaving Scott off the list while Moten made the cut feels like an oversight, especially when the gap between the two is considered by some analysts to be razor thin.

Wide receiver Cooper Barkate could be primed for a breakout

Barkate will play second fiddle to no one in Miami’s offense this year. After serving as Mensah’s top target at Duke last year, he came with him to Coral Gables. Barkate cracked the 1,000-yard receiving mark with the Blue Devils last season, proving he can produce at a high level.

With defenses looking to stop Miami’s strong run game and take away Toney, Barkate could be the biggest beneficiary. The attention paid elsewhere should open up opportunities for the wide receiver to put together another big year.