2025 Miami Hurricanes College Football Preview Part 2: Offense

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Miami, Florida – Welcome to the second part of the Miami Hurricanes College Football Preview, where we look at the offense and special teams. As previously mentioned in part one,  the Hurricanes fielded the best offense in the country, led by Heisman finalist Cam Ward. With him, the Hurricanes were always competitive. Ward fought on every down, making plays when it seemed like the team was on the verge of punting it away. Fans would see Cam swarmed by defenders, only for him to break away somehow and get a throw off into the hands of a wide receiver. Although he was with the program for a mere year, Cam Ward left his mark on Coral Gables.

Ward’s departure to the NFL was one of many changes on the offense. The unit witnessed its own revamp with the departures of Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Elijah Arroyo, Damien Martinez, Jalen Rivers, and Andres Borregales to the NFL. Isaiah Horton and Ajay Allen also departed, transferring to Alabama and Tulsa, respectively. Similar to the defense, Miami reloaded with transfer kids and returning players under the guidance of offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Let’s showcase the key players.

Miami’s next potential Heisman

No shortcuts. No handouts. Just hard work.

Carson Beck earns a spot on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jq7b1kXb5L

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 21, 2025

We’re kicking this off with the quarterback, Enter: Carson Beck. The former Georgia Bulldog suffered a right elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear during the 2024 SEC Championship game and underwent successful surgery last December. Beck missed the College Football Playoff but was expected to begin throwing in the spring of 2025 and was cleared for Miami’s summer workouts. He is now back to full strength and ready for his debut season with the Hurricanes. Beck was part of last year’s Heisman conversation and a presence on my Heisman Watch List, throwing for 3,485 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Seen as not only one of the best QBs in the SEC but also in the nation, Carson Beck has the tools to get Miami into the CFP.

Emory Williams remains UM’s backup. Williams is known for his win over Clemson and for his gutsy performance at FSU in 2023. Further down the depth chart, you have underclassmen Judd Anderson and future star Luke Nickel.

Confidence Level: 8/10

Whether he’s a field general or a game manager, Carson Beck will bounce back from 2024 and remain in the Heisman conversation.

WR Corps and Tight End

This area is a bigger unknown than special teams. Beck will be throwing to a pair of familiar faces: Joshisa Trader and Ray Ray Joseph. Jojo recorded six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in his freshman year. Trader will certainly have a bigger role this season. Joseph also had six catches for 74 yards. They will be reinforced by LSU transfer CJ Daniels, who also spent four years at Liberty. Daniels caught 42 passes for 480 yards in his lone season with the Tigers. He was highly successful with the Flames, logging 106 receptions totaling 1,959 yards and 21 touchdowns. Some say he is the best of the wideouts.

100 Days, 100 plays until @CanesFootball returns next season 🙌

Day 45: JoJo Trader gets his first TD as a Cane in the Pop-Tart Bowl ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/H4sDCfdYq9

— Sebastian Font (@S_Font_Sports) July 7, 2025

Keelan Marion is a transfer from BYU who will also serve as a return specialist. The Atlanta native tallied 76 catches for 1,125 yards and seven TDs in his final year with the Cougars. Without a doubt, Marion will be making an immediate impact. Tony Johnson accumulated 48 receptions for 449 yards and six touchdowns for the Bearcats, averaging 9.4 yards per catch. He will be another impact player. Speaking of, Arroyo’s absence opens the door for Elija Lofton, who could be as explosive, if not more. Lofton caught nine passes for 150 yards and one TD while also serving on special teams. He averaged nearly 17 yards per catch. Tulane transfer Alex Bauman is the other tight end who totaled 20 receptions for 212 yards and seven scores last year. It will be interesting to see who becomes the top target for Beck. For me, it will be either Jojo Trader or Daniels.

Confidence Level: 7/10

Some say the Hurricanes will lean more on the run. I believe this will be a balanced attack that will contribute to explosive plays and numerous successful drives. Notre Dame will give a decent idea of what this crop of wide receivers is capable of.

The Running Game

There was so much talent in this position that even with the losses incurred, Miami still has a great running back corps led by Mark Fletcher and Jordan Lyle. Fletcher produced 112 carries for 607 yards, nabbing nine TDs. Lyle, meanwhile, rushed for 400 yards on 54 carries, hitting the endzone four times. Fletcher brings power, while Lyle has explosiveness. Now for the transfers. CharMar Brown got the ball a lot at North Dakota State to the tune of 244 carries for 1,181 yards, including 15 TDs. Brown had four 100-yard games and was the first Bison to surpass 1,000 yards in almost 10 years.

MARK FLETCHER JR. EXTENDS MIAMI'S LEAD 😤

📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/kf3ZBRn1GL

— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2024

Girard Pringle Jr. is a blue-chip freshman from Tampa, Florida. Pringle is considered one of the nation’s top RBs coming out of high school and is a consensus four-star recruit. Lastly, we got Chris Wheatley-Humphrey returning to the program, recording one seven-yard carry last season. Wheatley-Humphrey is a speedster among a loaded rotation and will look to crack the upper tier of the depth chart.

Confidence Level: 8/10

There’s so much talent here. Outside of injuries, the RB Corps will do fine. I want to see who gets the most goal-line work and carries. A great ground game will fulfill two goals: Chewing up the clock and giving the defense a breather.

O-Line: Where it all begins

Gone are the likes of Jalen Rivers and Zach Carpenter. Both were quality pieces that will be missed. However, the Hurricanes have junior Francis Mauigoa, who should easily go in the first round of the NFL Draft. Mauigoa is one of the best linemen in the country. UM will also have Anez Cooper, who can produce enough results to make the ACC First team, and will be a sort of dynamic duo with Mauigoa in the trenches. When Rivers went down, Markel Bell filled in and picked up the slack. Bell’s actions secured him a big role this year. Matthew McCoy is another key returning player who was part of the foundation that helped propel the offense into the best in the country. With his size, physicality, and potential to be great, he’s the real McCoy. Transfer student James Brockermeyer joins the group after spending three seasons at Alabama and one at TCU. Brockermeyer was a unanimous four-star recruit coming out of high school and will be an anchor in the offensive line.

EVERY REP MATTERS 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dbcg6T8Z9t

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 9, 2025

This position consistently experiences high attrition, so having depth is essential. Former 5-star Samson Okunlola has slowly increased his workload over the last two years and will likely see rotation work. Tommy Kinsler has similarly become more involved in the O-line, whose size will contribute to keeping Beck upright. Lastly, we have the experienced Ryan Rodriguez, who is now healthy, Juan Minaya, and Nino Francavilla. Rodriguez went down against Florida, missing the rest of 2024. He will be an asset coming off the bench if not an outright starter.

Confidence Level: 9/10

You got Mauigoa, Cooper, Bell, and McCoy, what’s not to love? The number one thing is staying healthy.

Special Teams

This is the first time since 2019 that the Miami Hurricanes will not have a Borregales brother as the kicker. Back then, we had Camden Price and Bubba Baxa. Yeah, that brought back some unpleasant memories, eh? Granted, Price was fairly reliable. Regardless, field goals are no longer guaranteed. Fans will realize they took Jose and Andy Borregales for granted. Texas transfer Bert Auburn should be Miami’s newest kicker. Auburn made 64% of his field goals last season, making 16-of-25. Nearly all of those misses were from 40+ yards. At least he made all 64 PATs. Bert missed 20 field goals in his three years at Texas. For comparison, Andy missed 12 in his four years at Coral Gables. If he struggles, they might look at FAU transfer Carter Davis, although his accuracy is highly questionable.

Punter Dylan Joyce returns, keeping up the recent trend of having an Australian at punter. Joyce has averaged 43.3 yards per punt over two seasons at Miami. Your long snappers will be Adam Booker and Michael Donovan. Marion will handle kick returns while Joseph handles punts.

Confidence Level: 6/10

Yeah, I am somewhat worried about the kicking game. What makes it scarier is that Davis doesn’t convince me (yet) that he’s a better option over Auburn. Please don’t let this be a Baxa Era, please.

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