Five story lines to watch as Miami Hurricanes get set to begin season vs Florida Gators

It’s officially game week.

The No. 19 Miami Hurricanes open the 2024 season on Saturday against the Florida Gators, with kickoff from Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set for 3:30 p.m.

It will be the start of a pivotal third season under coach Mario Cristobal, who has gone just 12-13 in his first two seasons leading Miami.

Ahead of the opener, here are five Hurricanes story lines to watch throughout the season.

Competing for the ACC title and a playoff spot

With the most talented roster on paper during Cristobal’s tenure and, relatively speaking, a lighter schedule, expectations are high for this Hurricanes team, one that hasn’t won a national title since 2001 or won a conference championship since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004.

Miami this year was voted to finish third in the ACC. However, after seeing No. 10 Florida State lose to Georgia Tech on Saturday in Ireland, one of the top contenders in the conference is already in a one-game hole in the conference. If Miami plays to its potential, it’s not unreasonable to think the Hurricanes could win their first ACC title.

But even if they don’t take the conference crown, the Hurricanes still have a path to the all-important national championship. The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams this season. The five highest ranked conference champions earn automatic bids into the field. The next seven highest ranked teams will fill out the remaining spots.

All eyes on Cam Ward

After a full spring and fall of practices to get acclimated to his new team, quarterback Cam Ward will finally make his highly anticipated Hurricanes debut on Saturday.

Ward, playing his fifth and final season of college football after spending two years apiece at FCS Incarnate Word and Washington State, has a lot of hype surrounding him to begin the season. He was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and is on a slew of preseason watch lists for annual awards.

His focus, though, is on the team and how he can get the Hurricanes to contender status.

And he won’t be doing it alone. Ward is one of several high-profile players who transferred to Miami ahead of the season. Joining him on offense are running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State), wide receiver Sam Brown (Houston) and center Zach Carpenter (Indiana). On defense, there’s defensive linemen Tyler Baron (Louisville), Simeon Barrow (Michigan State), Elijah Alston (Marshall), Marley Cook (Middle Tennessee State) and C.J. Clark (NC State) as well as linebacker Jaylin Alderman (Louisville) and defensive backs Mishael Powell (Washington), Isaiah Taylor (Arizona) and Dyoni Hill (Marshall).

Cam Ward’s ‘crazy story’ led him to the Miami Hurricanes. Will it end in greatness?

How the secondary will perform

The Hurricanes are loaded in the front seven on defense, led primarily by defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa.

The secondary is the position group to watch heading into the season mostly because of the turnover. Daryl Porter Jr. is the only returning starter from last season’s team. Powell is going to be one starter at safety. Damari Brown, Jaden Harris and Jadais Richard are slated to have expanded roles. Beyond them, the Hurricanes will look to the likes of Taylor, Hill and true freshmen Zaquan Patterson and OJ Frederique for depth.

With only one secondary starter returning, Miami will rely on Porter and Brown to step up

Can Hurricanes prevail in close games?

In two years under Cristobal, the Hurricanes have gone 4-6 in games decided by one score.

(They could have been 5-5 if not for the Georgia Tech game last season, but that’s another story).

Of those four wins, three came in overtime — a 28-20, double overtime win over Clemson and 29-26 win over Virginia in 2023, along with a 14-12, four-overtime win over Virginia in 2022.

Being able to close out close games is integral for a team that wants to be a contender. The Hurricanes will look to improve on that in 2024.

Which true freshmen will get playing time?

The Hurricanes boasted the No. 4 recruiting class in the country for the class of 2024. Of their 27 signees, 14 were blue-chip prospects (ranked as five-star or four-star recruits).

So who from that class could see instant playing time? Contenders include...

▪ Defensive lineman Justin Scott: He was the No. 11 prospect overall in the country and should factor in some way to Miami’s defensive line rotation.

▪ Safety Zaquan Patterson: The four-star prospect out of Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna has received a lot of praise from teammates, with Powell saying he has the potential to be a freshman All-American.

▪ Wide receiver Joshisa Trader: While the Hurricanes are loaded at receiver, with seniors Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George and Sam Brown leading the way, Trader has the athleticism and route-running skills to be an instant impact.

▪ Tight end Elija Lofton: Lofton is versatile enough to play just about anywhere in the offense and has the ability to create mismatches with his athleticism.

▪ Running back Jordan Lyle: The Hurricanes primarily used four running backs last season. Damien Martinez will get the bulk of the carries this season. Mark Fletcher is next in line when healthy. From there, it’ll most likely be Lyle, Ajay Allen and Chris Johnson who will get looks.