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Miami (FL) football spent the first Saturday of 2025 aggressively tweaking the roster. The Hurricanes lured in, not one but two key weapons to bolster both sides of the ball via the transfer portal.
The ‘Canes started the morning adding Tulane tight end Alex Bauman, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. But Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal weren't through. Washington State cornerback Ethan O'Connor committed to Miami nearly four hours later with Fawcett also confirming that move.
Miami delivered the moves nearly a week after taking the Pop-Tarts Bowl loss to Iowa State. The Hurricanes immediately made it a mission to retool the roster post Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo. Fawcett has witnessed how Miami is landing what he called “elite” talent to Coral Gables through the portal.
Fawcett says the ‘Canes have now added three Top 32 transfers by On3.com, including the new defensive addition. They've added six Top 100 transfer portal prospects in total.
O'Connor rose to No. 2 among best cornerback talents left in the portal by Fawcett and On3.com.
The new talents Miami is bringing in
The former Cougars cornerback joins Ward as former Pullman talent heading to the peninsula. O'Connor brings intriguing size and ball skills in tow that's bound to win over “The U.”
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound defender swatted eight passes and snatched four interceptions this past season. He grabbed half of his picks against two of the more prolific offenses nationally in Texas Tech and San Jose State. The West Covina, California, native comes to Coral Gables with three years of eligibility left.
Bauman adds a needed future red zone presence for the next Miami QB. He scored seven times for the Green Wave, who went 9-5 overall.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound weapon snuck behind two nationally ranked foes for three of his seven scores. He burnt No. 17 Kansas State twice and tallied 49 total yards on both scores in the Sept. 7 loss. He later scored on a two-yard pass against No. 24 Army on Dec. 6 in the American Athletic Conference title game.
Bauman managed to grab 20 passes for 212 yards for the Green Wave. He never surpassed the three-reception mark in a single game. Bauman, though, brings a needed TE addition to a team losing Elijah Arroyo to the NFL Draft. Miami also needs to replace Riley Williams, who entered the transfer portal.
Cristobal and the ‘Canes have made an imprint on the portal. CJ Daniels is one prized addition, with the wide receiver jumping from LSU to Miami. He brings 21 career touchdowns to Coral Gables. Louisiana Tech nose tackle David Blay is another impactful addition to the ‘Canes, labeled as one of the top interior defensive linemen available in the portal.
Miami isn't showing signs of slowing down in the portal either. The Hurricanes are still in play for former USC talents Zachariah and Zion Branch. The brothers visited the Miami campus on Jan. 2.
