Monday Musings: continuity at key spots for Canes football

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 4: Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and Head coach Mario Cristobal look on during the final minutes of the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on October 4, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Happy Monday, everyone. Hope your weeks have gotten off to a good start.

It’s Monday, so I don’t need to tell you what time it is here. On with it…

1) Man, credit to Mario Cristobal and the University of Miami for finding a way to keep both Shannon Dawson and Corey Hetherman in Coral Gables for the foreseeable future.

Hetherman’s arrival and performance last season went beyond my wildest hopes for what the team could do defensively. It was one of the nastiest units I’ve seen in my time watching Miami and was on par with the great national championship teams of yesteryear. The bar is now set high, but the Hurricanes have the right man in place to get the most out of the considerable talent in the building.

Shannon Dawson really made the most out of the rosters that he had over the last two seasons, and that’s a testament and credit to him, how he’s able to adapt and produce. He produced the best offense in the nation and got the best season in program history from Cam Ward in 2024. He followed it up with a bulldozing approach last year, but that’s what Miami was built to do. I didn’t always agree with everything he did or said, as evidenced by my critique of his sharp comments late in the year about the running game. However, he delivered in the end, and I can’t wait to see what Miami’s offense will look like in 2026 with Darian Mensah under center and Mark Fletcher, Jr. behind him.

2) The spring game is taking place on Saturday.

At this point, it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to watch, as no announcement has been made about being on TV, and I can’t find it anywhere.

I am not worried about Mensah. I am not worried about Fletcher, Jr. and the running game. I am not worried about the skill position players. Etc. etc.

But here’s what DOES have my curiosity:

a) Is Damon Wilson II that dude? And can Miami look in the same ballpark of as dominant off the edge in 2026?

Wilson’s a hell of a player, to be clear. Clearly has the potential to be an impact difference maker at the next level. I am also very excited to see what Hayden Lowe and Marquis Lightfoot are going to do with more opportunity in the spotlight.

But boy, we saw something S.P.E.C.I.A.L. last year with two first-round talents coming off the ball and wrecking teams like a vice. Without that same level of elite play, Miami doesn’t get to the natty last year. They might not have to have that same level play in 2026, as every team is different and there are a number of ways to win, but can they give early flashes that they’re cut from the same cloth?

b) What’s the interior of the offensive line going to look like?

The offensive line will look completely different next year, obviously, with complete turnover of the starting group. Losing both tackles to the NFL would, you’d think be a bigger deal, but five-star Jackson Cantwell and Matthew McCoy give me faith that they can step into new roles and perform well.

I am more concerned on the inside, where we should see some combination of Samson Okunlola, Ryan Rodriguez, Max Buchanon, Jamal Meriweather, etc. (?). Okunlola and Meriweather have relatively substantial experience, but who’s going to be the best trio out of the group, and how will they gel/work together?

c) Does Miami have some enforcers on the back end of their defense?

I’m telling you. Jakobe Thomas is going to be missed. That guy was a tone setter on the back end of the defense. Keionte Scott was also a big impact player who brought energy and flipped momentum with impact plays.

Who are those guys next year? Bryce Fitzgerald is a star in the making, but who will be that hitter, that enforcer next year on the back end? Can Boston College transfer Omar Thornton be that guy? Has newcomer JJ Dunnigan put himself in position this spring to potentially steal a starting spot, or at least significant reps, as a freshman?

3) Don’t look now, but Miami baseball is suddenly hot.

Well, not suddenly, actually. They’ve won four straight series. They took two of three from Clemson, swept Creighton, and then took two of three from both Virginia Tech and then Wake Forest last weekend. After a 2-4 ACC start, the Hurricanes now sit at 8-7 in ACC play and 27-9 overall, which has them tied for sixth in ACC play.

Last weekend, the Canes got some strong starting pitching from their entire rotation. Rob Evans, Lazaro Collera, and AJ Ciscar all threw quality starts, with Ciscar slamming the door on Sunday with 7 innings of shutout baseball. The bullpen also held their own, to give credit where its due. Next up is USF midweek before a weekend series on the West Coast against Stanford.

4) Oh, yeah, and Canes hoops had some news.

Georgia center Somto Cyril picked the Hurricanes out of the transfer portal, so Jai Lucas has his rim protector for 2026-27. A big pickup, literally and figuratively. He averaged 9.3 points per game last year but led the SEC in blocks (2.2 per game) and two point field goal percentage. Not too shabby.

Go Canes!