Can't Wait for Saturday | Portal moves could mean a quick fix for Cristobal at Miami
May 11—***
Which college coach deserves a nice long break? Not that he's going to take it, but Miami's Mario Cristobal is setting his team up for success in 2024.
Coming off a 7-6 finish in '23. Miami has landed a transfer class ranked No. 1 by the nice folks at .
The top catch is quarterback Cam Ward, who threw for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns at Washington State in 2023. That followed a 3,231 season in '22. In '21, while playing at FCS school Incarnate Word, Ward threw for 4.648 yards and 47 touchdowns. Yes, 47.
Cristobal got Ward some help, adding tailback Damien Martinez from Oregon State, who ran for 1.185 yards in '23. Receiver Samuel Brown caught 62 passes at Houston.
Cristobal made an odd choice when he left Oregon for Miami in 2022. He had god success with the Ducks, winning 12 and 10 games in two of his four seasons.
Oregon found a fantastic replacement in Dan Lanning. The Ducks are considered a strong contender for the Big Ten title in '24 and the spot in the playoffs that will go with it. Maybe they will see the Hurricanes in the opening round.
Miami opens at Florida and hosts Florida State in the midseason. With the rebuilt roster, every game is winnable.
