Full Breakdown
Miami Hurricanes Ranked Preseason No. 1 for 2026 College Football Season
6/25/2026, 2:30:52 PM
CBS Sports Picks Miami No. 1
Following the post-spring poll, CBS Sports analysts placed the Miami Hurricanes at No. 1 in the 2026 preseason Top 25. The decision ran counter to most colleagues, who favored Texas or Ohio State, but reflected Miami’s perceived balance across all phases of play.
Recent Playoff Run and Historical Context
Miami entered the 2025 season with a national-championship-game appearance and advanced to the College Football Playoff, beating Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss before a semifinal loss to Indiana. The program’s last preseason No. 1 ranking came in 2002, a year after its 2001 title, and nine players from the 2025 run were drafted.
Roster Changes and Key Players
Miami retained its starters and added the fifth-best portal class, delivering 13 players such as edge rusher Damon Wilson II, wideout Cooper Barkate and tackle Jamal Meriweather. Returning talent includes wide receiver Malachi Toney, running back Mark Fletcher Jr., and five-star freshman tackle Jackson Cantwell, No. 6 national recruit. Defensive linemen Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor left as NFL first-round picks.
Statistical Profile
Miami topped the ACC in sacks and tackles for loss in 2025, driven by returning defensive tackles Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott, edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, and newcomer Damon Wilson II. The secondary returns four cornerbacks plus safeties Bryce Fitzgerald and Zechariah Poyser, positioning the unit to contend for the conference’s top scoring-defense and total-defense marks again.
Coach Cristobal’s Official Remarks
Head coach Mario Cristobal said the program’s culture is built to attack human nature and prevent complacency, a mindset he attributes to his time with Nick Saban at Alabama. He publicly acknowledged making an incorrect decision after the 2023 Georgia Tech loss. His overall record at Miami is 35-19.
Criticism and Concerns
Analysts question Miami’s offensive-line depth after several starters departed for the NFL and note turnover on the pass rush. Cristobal’s late-game decisions—most notably the SMU timeout that resulted in an unnecessary-roughness penalty on Marquise Lightfoot—have fueled doubts about his clock-management reliability.
Verbatim Quotes
"Always attack human nature, I mean wake up in the morning with (your) hair on fire and making sure you never allow complacency or entitlement to permeate the building," — Mario Cristobal, Miami Head Coach
"made the wrong call." — Mario Cristobal, Miami Head Coach
Upcoming Schedule and Implications
Miami’s early schedule includes a four-game non-conference stretch that lets the staff fine-tune rotations before the ACC clash with Clemson on Oct. 3. The decisive Week 10 showdown versus Notre Dame offers a path to 9-0 and a top seed in the CFP, the only ranked opponent before the postseason. Unlike many SEC and Big Ten programs, Miami avoids a week-to-week grind, giving it a health advantage in December’s playoff stretch.
