It’s been two full decades since the Miami Hurricanes sat comfortably near the top of the college football world, but in 2025, that may all change. Coming off just their second 10-win season since 2004, the Hurricanes have loaded up and enter the 2025 season with seemingly legitimate hopes of winning their first conference title since they joined the ACC, and contending for a National Championship while they’re at it.
At the very least, Mario Cristobal’s squad will be spending enough money to be taken seriously as a National Title contender. According to recent reports, the Hurricanes are one of a handful of programs who will enter the 2025 college football season with a roster nearing the $40 million mark. However, just because Miami is shelling out that much in NIL funds, it doesn’t mean that it will translate to success on Saturday’s.
One anonymous ACC coach, speaking with Athlon Sports, cast some doubt on Miami’s plan to spend talent instead of building a cohesive and team-focused culture.
"I think there's a bigger question on how and why they spend what they do on the guys they pick,” the anonymous coach told Athlon Sports for their 2025 College Football Preview magazine (h/t Nick Shepkowski of Sports Illustrated. “It’s almost like the Dodgers or Yankees mindset, spending on top-end recruits and portal guys, and not really a team-focused culture. You're still in Florida, you still have to prioritize the high schools, and they've done that in NIL..."
The most notable addition to the Hurricanes roster is former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck, who arrives in Coral Gables on a $4 million deal after his season ended prematurely due to injury this past December. Last year at this time, Beck was considered the favorite to be selected 1st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, his season-ending injury and inconsistent play throughout the 2024 season put Beck in a position where returning to college for one more season was the most logical career move.
Whether Carson Beck will be healthy and consistent enough to make that $4 million price tag worth it remains to be seen. But this rival ACC coach does raise an interesting question, and not just as it relates to Miami. Are chemistry and continuity worth disregarding if it means building a more “talented” roster? Is this just simply the new normal, or is there any way to actually thread the needle and have both?
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