Miami football picked up a major win in recruiting with the commitment of a 4-star tight end. The Hurricanes are trending in the right direction after an encouraging third year under Mario Cristobal. The program went from 7-6 in 2023 to 10-3 in 2024, finishing the season as the No. 18 team in the country. There was a blown opportunity to make the College Football Playoff after the late-season loss to Syracuse, but that disappointment does not diminish the overall direction of Miami football.

Cristobal is continuing that momentum on the recruiting trail. While the Hurricanes have a top-15 class being added to the program this season, they just added another talented prospect to a 2026 class that currently ranks seventh overall. According to On3's national recruiting/transfer portal reporter Hayes Fawcett, Israel Briggs has committed to Miami. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end is a 4-star recruit from Visalia, California, who chose the Hurricanes over LSU.

Briggs will join a program that will hopefully continue trending in the right direction when he arrives. For that to happen, Miami football is again looking to the transfer portal at quarterback. 2024 was a resounding success with the Hurricanes signing Cam Ward from Washington State. The West Columbia, Texas native had a season for the ages under Mario Cristobal, winning ACC Player of the Year, being named First-team All-American, and eventually getting selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Miami football is adding another super-talented player under center this season, former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. The 2023 All-SEC selection is a two-time national champion who understands the expectations in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes want to contend in the ACC and make the College Football Playoff's twelve-team field.

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Miami football opens the season hosting Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are coming off an appearance in the National Championship game and will likely be a fixture in the top 10 throughout 2025. A few weeks later, the Hurricanes will meet Florida, which is expected to improve significantly from last season.

On paper, the ACC slate is pretty manageable. Miami will not play Clemson during the regular season, which will likely enter the season in the top 5 and won the conference last season. The Hurricanes will face contenders like Louisville and SMU, the latter of which just made a shocking run to the College Football Playoff.

Overall, though, aside from the Notre Dame clash, there's a decent chance Mario Cristobal's team will be favored in every other game on the schedule. Should the Hurricanes capitalize on their potential, the program will continue to pick up recruiting wins like the recent commitment of Israel Briggs.