Mario Cristobal just dealt a body blow to Kirby Smart months before the football is teed up

Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts against the Florida Gators during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes earned a huge win on Saturday that should pay dividends for years to come.

Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes are on a heater lately. After making it all the way to the program’s first national championship game appearance in almost a quarter century, the Hurricanes appear poised to make a run at a title again in 2026 and beyond.

Duke transfer QB/WR duo Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate, Missouri EDGE Damon Wilson II, and Boston College DB Omar Thornton highlight some big pickups that Cristobal landed that should help ease the blow of some major NFL losses this offseason (nine players).

Success also breeds success in high school recruiting, and Cristobal picked up a big piece of the puzzle for his 2027 class, flipping the commitment of five-star cornerback Donte Wright from Georgia to the Hurricanes.

Wright is a recruiting class headliner for any program in the country. He checks in as the No. 2 CB in the 2027 class, as well as the No. 1 player in the state of California and the No. 8 overall player in the national according to On3 Sports’ industry rankings. He also holds offers from Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Nebraska, Washington, and Cal, among others.

His commitment isn’t out of left field by any means. He visited Miami last month and came away impressed. He spoke highly of his relationship with safeties coach Will Harris and cornerbacks coach Terry Jefferson, who was recently promoted to the position following the departure of Zac Etheridge to the Arizona Cardinals earlier this offseason.