When it comes to roster management in this modern era of college football, the NCAA Transfer Portal is a two-way street.
Yes, the portal represents a talent acquisition avenue to improve the depth and potential of a roster, but the portal also provides other programs opportunities to pick from your own roster as well.
One of the more underrated questions that should be answered at the end spring portal cycle: did the portal transactions provide a net positive?
That's the question this article looks to address.
According to the 247Sports Team Transfer Portal Rankings, Miami's class ranks No. 10 overall in the country with 14 commits.
LINK: Check out the 247Sports Team Portal Rankings here.
Quarterback Cam Ward ranks as UM's top transfer, according 247Sports. Running back Damien Martinez is another top 50 transfer for the Hurricanes.
How did the UM program navigate the churn of the portal? Read on for a look at how the Hurricanes addressed key departures in the portal with the players that were brought into the program.
Outgoing QB Tyler Van Dyke (Wisconsin) - Incoming QB Cam Ward (Washington State)
Verdict: Upgrade. Ward threw for 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns along with eight rushing touchdowns in 2023. The prior year, Ward threw for 3,232 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for five touchdowns. Van Dyke's best season was in 2021 as he threw for 2,931 yards with 25 touchdowns. Both quarterbacks have NFL level arms, but Ward brings much better mobility to the position and plays with better anticipation. The lack of mobility and anticipation led to too many injuries (quarterback hits) and interceptions.
Outgoing RB Henry Parrish (Ole Miss)/RB Don Chaney (Louisville) - Incoming RB Damien Martinez (Oregon State)
Verdict: Upgrade. Martinez is a true workhorse back at 6-feet and 230 pounds. He ran for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns for the Beavers in 2023. Parrish and Chaney are best suited to be complementary backs and they combined to run for 1,103 yards and eight touchdowns. Miami has lacked a true lead running back for the past couple years. Adding Martinez changes that.
Outgoing WR Colbie Young (Georgia) - Incoming WR Sam Brown (Houston)
Verdict: Push. Both Young and Brown are talented players who bring different strengths to the field. At 6-feet-4 and 220 pounds, Young brings more size and contested catch potential. At 6-feet-2 and 195 pounds, Brown brings YAC potential to the receiving corps. At the end of the day, each player landed in a spot that is best suited for their specific offenses. Miami needed to find an outside receiver that could be a YAC threat in the short, quick passing game and Brown provides that ability.
Outgoing WR Brashard Smith (SMU) - Incoming ???
Verdict: To be determined. Smith was UM's fourth receiver in 2023, working primarily out of the slot, and totaled 263 receiving yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 132 yards and one touchdown. Smith was also a dangerous kick returner, totaling 579 yards and one touchdown in that phase of special teams while averaging 29 yards per return. At SMU, Smith is making the transition to running back. Miami didn't necessarily bring in a transfer portal to replace Smith because the Hurricanes like what they have returning on the roster with Isaiah Horton expected to get a bigger role in the receiver rotation and young players like Ray Ray Joseph and JoJo Trader expected to get opportunities as well.
Outgoing DT Jared Harrison-Hunte (SMU) - DT Simeon Barrow (Michigan State)
Verdict: Upgrade. Harrison-Hunte brings intriguing athleticism to the field, but Barrow represents an upgrade with the toughness and physicality he brings on the interior of the line of scrimmage. That last two seasons, Harrison-Hunte has totaled 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and 39 quarterback pressures. Over the past two seasons, Barrow totaled 76 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 50 quarterback pressures.
Outgoing DE Nyjalik Kelly (UCF) - Incoming DE Tyler Baron (Tennessee)
Verdict: Upgrade. Kelly is a third-year defensive end with plenty of potential while Baron is a proven veteran with NFL Draft potential. In 2023, Baron totaled 28 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 41 quarterback pressures. Over his past two seasons at Miami, Kelly totaled 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and 21 quarterback pressures.
Outgoing DE Jahfari Harvey (SMU) - Incoming DE Elijah Alston (Marshall)
Verdict: Upgrade. Harvey has the edge in terms of pure size and athleticism, but Alston has the edge in terms of pure guts, guile, and production. Harvey is a sixth-year player at the college level while Alston fifth-year player at the college level. Harvey has totaled 97 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, ten sacks, one interception, and 73 pressures. Alston has totaled 107 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception, and 91 pressures. Alston is coming off a 2023 season in which he generated 35 pressures. Harvey generated 16 pressures in 2023 for the Hurricanes.
Outgoing LB Corey Flagg (Missouri) - Incoming LB Jaylin Alderman (Louisville)
Verdict: Upgrade. Flagg brought plenty to the linebacker room from a preparation and instincts perspective, but he was a limited player from a physicality standpoint. Flagg finished the 2023 season with 48 tackles and six tackles for loss. Alderman brings improved physicality and production after totaling 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Alderman projects as UM's third linebacker in 2024.
Outgoing CB Davonte Brown (Florida State) - Incoming CB Dyoni Hill (Marshall)
Verdict: Push. At 6-feet-2 and 190 pounds, Brown brings intriguing physical traits to the field, but he struggled to perform under the lights as he constantly got flagged for pass interference penalties in a small sample size. Opposing quarterbacks constantly went at Brown when he entered the game. At Florida State, Brown is attempting to play safety, where physicality will be a question he has to answer. Hill arrives from Marshall as a depth corner who played 671 defensive snaps. Hill will be Miami's fourth corner in 2024 and he will look to prove he can be a productive player at the Power Four level.
Final Thoughts: Miami absolutely upgraded its roster through the portal, replacing plenty of productive veterans with better players.
The Hurricanes upgraded particularly at some of the most important positions: quarterback running back, and on the defensive line.
Ward and Martinez represent big improvements at the playmaker positions on offense. Ward is a perfect fit for the Shannon Dawson offense and Martinez is UM's best running back since Mark Walton in 2016. The Hurricanes now features the best quarterback and running back duo in the ACC.
Miami also features the best defensive line in the ACC thanks to pass rushing portal additions like Tyler Baron and Elijah Alston while also improving the physicality and toughness on the interior with defensive tackle additions like C.J. Clark and Simeon Barrow.
UM's toughest loss in the portal was wide receiver Colbie Young, but the Hurricanes filled that void with the addition of Sam Brown—who might be an upgrade if he can quickly settle in and build chemistry with Cam Ward.
Young is the only player who left Miami for a clearly better program AND is expected to still maintain a significant role.
Overall, the portal can provide talent and take away talent. This churn hits every team in the country and the Miami Hurricanes navigated that turnover well with the additions outweighing the departures.
