The 2024 college football season could be best described as a bittersweet success story for the University of Miami’s football program, with great hope for the future but an underwhelming ending. Having finished with their first top twenty ranking since 2017, this season is being described as a positive development for the Miami Hurricanes. With a nine-game win streak to start the season against ACC rivals such as Florida State and Duke University, the Hurricanes were shaping out to be the strongest team in their conference. However, following a brutal week 10 loss against Georgia Tech, Miami’s fortunes were quickly flipped as they lost two more games and ended with a mediocre 10-3 record. So, what happened and how will this affect the Hurricanes going further?

To start, the Hurricanes had a promising transfer portal going into the 2024 season. With great offensive pickups such as the eventual Heisman candidate Cam Ward and the retainment of core players such as Xavier Estrepo, Miami’s offense was shaping up to be one of the best in college football. However, Miami did not just stop at their offense as they considerably increased their defensive output as well. With the transfers of defensive linemen Simeon Barrow Jr. and Marley Cook, as well as pass rusher Tyler Barron, the Hurricanes were looking to make a statement going into their first game on both sides of the ball. That statement was indeed made.

In their first game, they won forty-one to seventeen against the University of Florida, a blowout win against a historically strong SEC team. Following this victory, the Hurricanes went on to win their next three games by an average margin of forty-eight points showing an obvious disparity between their abilities and that of their opponents. However, UM started to show signs of diminished dominance in the following games as they were beating teams by some of the slightest of margins or by otherwise non-impressive amounts. Despite these narrow successes, the Hurricanes eventually presented themselves as the fourth-best team in college football as they had gone on to win their first nine games and secure an incredible national ranking. Additionally, the U of M’s quarterback, Cameron Ward, who later was nominated as a Heisman candidate for his football excellence, provided phenomenal performances week in and week out, further cementing the team as a football powerhouse not to be reckoned with easily. The team looked like national contenders going into Week 10, however, this is when the fruits of their past labor would stop bearing. 

The Canes lost Week 10 to an otherwise weak side in Georgia Tech, which would prove to be a devastating blow to their national ranking. Going further, the University of Miami had gone from being ranked number four to being just outside the top ten with an eleventh-place finish, a disappointing development. In addition to the Georgia Tech defeat, UM went on to lose two more games to end their season as the fifteenth-ranked college football team, a mediocre finish to what could have been a stellar season. 

With their top fifteen finish, the University of Miami was barely left out of the College Football Playoffs, marking a sad turn of events for UM fans. Lara Norkin ’27 described the Canes season as a “disappointment at the end” withstanding that they had a very strong start. In addition, Daniel Accardi ’28 believed that the defense was “atrocious” and that Miami’s defensive liabilities setback their season, a common sentiment shared by many journalists. Justice Sandle, the lead staff writer of the University of Miami’s Sports Illustrated chapter, described UM as having a defensive ranking that was “a bit too kind” as he described it as being much worse than how experts portrayed it to be. On top of that, Sandle also attributed UM’s lack of pass rush as well as the allowance of three hundred yards per game by opponents as the main catalysts for what would lead to the Canes’s eventual erosion. Moreover, it could also be said that Miami’s defense relied on younger players and was too lenient towards playing older, less effective competitors. Whilst all these theories can be reinforced by statistics, Mario Cristobal, Head Coach at the University of Miami, affirms a stance in which he holds both sides of the team responsible for losses. Additionally, Cristobal went on to say, “When we lose, we lose as a team,” an obvious testament to his position on where he believes responsibility should lie and where fans should possibly direct their grievances. 

Despite the disappointing end to UM’s season, the program did not let their shortcomings dissuade their ambitions. As soon as the season ended, and the transfer portal opened, the Hurricanes immediately “went to work” as it pertains to the transfer portal. Miami’s administration made significant moves by acquiring extreme offensive talent in players such as quarterback Carson Beck as well as veteran wide receiver CJ Daniels. In addition, Miami made significant changes to their defense with the addition of players such as Michigan State defensive back Charles Brantley and LA Tech’s David Blay, a probable response to this past season’s defensive criticisms. As can be seen above, despite hardship and mediocrity, the Hurricanes are actively looking to improve their roster and give their fans a future to make up for their 2024 missteps. Miami’s roster is looking exciting as is and it is probable that as the offseason lingers, the team will only become more promising. 

 Sources:

University of Miami 2024 Football Season Schedule

2024-2025 Offseason Transfers

2025-2026 Offseason Transfer Tracker 

Sebastian the Ibis image

Justice Sandle Article  

Mario Cristobal’s Statements