MIAMI — The Miami Hurricanes’ 2025 season lasted 19 days into 2026.
Miami’s campaign for a sixth national title concluded in devastating fashion, as the Hurricanes’ comeback attempt in the final minutes of the national title game ended with a Carson Beck interception. Instead, Indiana won its first-ever national championship, and UM went home distraught.
Although the season ended with a defeat, it was still the most successful Miami season in more than two decades. Here are the top 10 takeaways from the season:
The U is back to relevancy
Is ‘The U’ back? It’s the question from every college football commentator. Coach Mario Cristobal was asked the question repeatedly, and he would respond by talking about looking forward, not to the past.
But Miami’s run to the title game shows that Miami is back to being a nationally relevant program. The Hurricanes needed to beat two top SEC teams and the reigning national champions to reach the championship round. They accomplished that by overpowering those teams and getting key plays when needed.
Nothing is guaranteed in the future, but with Cristobal’s recruiting of both the high school ranks and the transfer portal, there is plenty of reason to believe 2025 will not be a one-and-done and that UM will continue to be a national contender.
“I think that’s the biggest misconception in sports; well, they almost got there, they’ll be back next year,” Cristobal said. “That’s a bunch of bull. You’ve got to improve from a roster standpoint, a regimen standpoint, discipline, everything, and move forward, and these guys have set the standard to help us get there.”
Hetherman is a revelation
Cristobal brought Corey Hetherman in to coach Miami’s defense after the unit’s struggles cost UM a shot at the playoffs in 2024. Hetherman quickly turned the defense around.
The Hurricanes ended the season with the No. 5 defense in the nation, a 63-place improvement from last season. Instead of being a bane on the team, the defense was the reason Miami made it to the title game. Up against some of the nation’s best teams, Miami allowed just under 18 points per game.
Toney is a superstar
It may be hard to remember now, but Malachi Toney was not a can’t-miss prospect. The American Heritage alum was a borderline four-star recruit who had reclassified to start college a year early.
There were rumblings and comments in the spring and fall that Toney would be an early starter, but who could have predicted what happened? From the moment Toney caught his first touchdown in the season opener against Notre Dame, the freshman’s stardom was never in doubt.
Toney ends his first season at Miami with his name all over the Hurricanes’ record books. Toney’s 109 catches are a UM single-season record. His 1,211 receiving yards are a single-season school record, too. He was the ACC’s Rookie of the Year and a second-team AP All-American.
And this was just his debut season.
Bain and Mesidor dominated
Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor were the nation’s most fearsome defensive duo this year.
Bain was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and Mesidor was a first-team all-conference pick. Bain ended the year with 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks (with an interception, as well). Mesidor’s traditional stats were a little more gaudy, as he racked up 63 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks.
The advanced metrics loved the two players, as well. Bain ended the year with 92.8 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, which was third in the nation among defensive ends. Mesidor was right behind him with a 92.4 grade, which was fifth in the nation. Bain was No. 1 nationally with 83 quarterback pressures. Mesidor had 67, which was tied for fourth.
Mesidor, who is out of eligibility, is headed to the NFL. Bain will almost certainly leave early to turn pro, as well. They leave as arguably the best pair of defensive ends in program history.
Beck: Good, but not great
The season ended on Beck’s right arm. But that should not cloud the fact that Miami would not have been in the national title game without him.
The transfer quarterback finished his final year of college with 3,813 passing yards, which is the second-most in program history, trailing only Cam Ward’s 2024 season. Beck’s 30 touchdown passes are also second in program history, once again trailing Ward. He was second in the nation with a 72.4 completion percentage.
Beck, of course, never had Ward’s dynamism in the passing game. His 12 interceptions seemed to come at the worst possible moments, with picks against Louisville, SMU and Indiana sealing his team’s fate in all three losses.
But Beck also provided UM fans with the most joyous moment the program has had in more than two decades, running into the end zone untouched for the game-winning touchdown against Ole Miss.
Transfer portal additions crucial
The Hurricanes brought in numerous transfers in the offseason, and many of them were crucial parts of the team’s title-game run.
On offense, (in addition to Beck) the Hurricanes signed North Dakota State running back Marty Brown, who had a solid season as a rotational running back, and two starting wide receivers, CJ Daniels and Keelan Marion. Center James Brockermeyer, who is Miami’s third straight transfer center, had a solid season.
On defense, new transfers led the way. Nickelback Keionte Scott was dominant and likely would have been a Thorpe Award candidate had he not missed the last three games of the season. Fellow defensive backs Jakobe Thomas, Zechariah Poyser, Xavier Lucas and Ethan O’Connor all played key roles. Linebacker Mo Toure also had a strong postseason.
The Great Wall of Mirabal stands tall
Once again, the Hurricanes’ offensive line — dubbed by fans as the Great Wall of Mirabal for O-line coach Alex Mirabal — was one of the nation’s best.
Led by likely first-round pick Francis Mauigoa at right tackle, the Miami line excelled at protecting Beck. Miami allowed just 20 sacks in 16 games. UM ended the season with an 88.3 pass-blocking grade, which PFF ranked first nationally. The site also gave the offensive line the third-best pass-blocking efficiency grade in the nation.
Fletcher’s playoff dynamism
Mark Fletcher Jr.’s first year as the Hurricanes’ starting running back ended with excellence.
The junior running back and American Heritage alum ended the season with 1,192 rushing yards, which is seventh-most in program history. His 12 rushing touchdowns are also tied for seventh in program history. PFF gave him a 92.6 rushing grade, which was fourth nationally among running backs with 50 or more carries.
In the most important games, Miami relied on Fletcher, and he stepped up. Fletcher rushed for 100 yards or more in three of the four playoff games and ended the postseason with 507 rushing yards, the most in College Football Playoff history.
Fletcher already announced he will return to the Hurricanes for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft.
Wide receiver reload
Miami had to replace nearly all of its key pass-catchers from last year, and it did. UM lost Xavier Restrepo, Isaiah Horton, Elijah Arroyo, Jacolby George and Sam Brown Jr. from 2024’s team.
Toney’s ascension to superstardom and Marion and Daniels’ solid play made it so those players’ absences did not sting.
Returning stars
Miami will lose many of its top players to the NFL as Bain, Mesidor, Mauigoa, Beck and others will depart. But the Hurricanes have reinforcements waiting in the wings.
On the defensive line, up-and-comers like Marquise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount and Hayden Lowe could step in and fill the void left by the Bain-Mesidor duo. Mauigoa is headed to the NFL, but who is lined up to replace the former five-star prospect? Another five-star tackle, the 6-foot-7 Jackson Cantwell, who was the No. 1 tackle in the 2026 recruiting class.
Miami is still hunting in the transfer portal for other replacements — notably for a quarterback to step in to replace Beck — but the Hurricanes have enough talent to keep playing at a high level.
