Miami Hurricanes are making significant changes to their secondary, adding talent through the transfer portal to improve their defense.
Cristobal made some bold moves, firing defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, who also coached the safeties. They’ve brought in several top defensive backs through the transfer portal to strengthen the team.
In his first press conference since the season ended, Cristobal mentioned that the defensive depth is improving. He said they’re getting closer to “normal depth,” which is a relief.
Last year was tough, and Cristobal took some responsibility. He admitted he should have done a better job bringing in healthy players. By the end of the season, they were down to just two corners, which was a real challenge.
This offseason, Miami lost five defensive backs to the portal. Two of them, Jaden Harris and D’Yoni Hill, were starters last season. Plus, two more starters, Daryl Porter Jr. and Meesh Powell, have moved on to the pros.
To counter this, the Hurricanes have added four defensive backs from the portal and four more from their 2025 recruiting class. Cristobal is optimistic, saying they’re getting closer to normal depth, but they’re not quite there yet.
He explained that with 85 scholarships, the number of front-line players doesn’t change much, even with the new limits. They need to play a lot of defensive backs throughout the season.
All the new defensive backs have starting experience at their previous schools. For instance, Charles Brantley started 24 games at Michigan State and had a solid season last year. Ethan O’Connor, who played at Washington State, also had impressive stats, including a pick-six.
They also added Zecheriah Poyser, a safety who had a strong performance with 75 tackles last season.
And it looks like Miami might not be done yet. Xavier Lucas, a former American Heritage defensive back, is trying to transfer out of Wisconsin. Cristobal mentioned that schools have 48 hours to enter a player into the transfer portal once they fill out the necessary paperwork. If a player wants to leave, they’ll help them get in there as soon as possible.
