The Hurricanes will kick up their 2025 campaign on August 31 with a crucial home game against Notre Dame. College football season is quickly approaching.
Miami just finished a 10-3 season that had a promising start but ended with two late-season losses that denied UM a chance to win the ACC and qualify for the College Football Playoffs. The Hurricanes’ Pop-Tarts Bowl loss against Iowa State marked the end of their season.
However, the 2024 season has already passed. The most crucial position on the 2025 roster is quarterback, so we’ll start there.
Last season, the Hurricanes brought in a transfer to take over at quarterback. Cam Ward, that transfer, was successful in almost every way.
Miami had the top offense in the country at the end of the season with Ward at quarterback. Ward set school records for both passing yards (4,313) and touchdowns (39), all of which were single-season.
Ward received the second-best passing grade (91.7) and the highest offensive grade (92.9) among quarterbacks with 100 or more dropbacks from Pro Football Focus.
After a year, Ward departed the Hurricanes and was selected with the first choice in the NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans.
To put it briefly, Ward’s choice to play with the Hurricanes for a season was a huge success for all parties.
Reese Poffenbarger, Miami’s backup quarterback, was also lost via the transfer portal. As Ward’s backup in four games, Poffenbarger threw for 20 yards. He moved to North Texas.
Judd Anderson and Emory Williams, two backup quarterbacks from the previous season, were welcomed back by Miami.
Having participated in seven games during the previous two seasons, Williams has the most experience of the two. In 2023, he started two games as a true freshman, falling to FSU on the road and defeating Clemson at home (while also breaking his arm).
Williams has completed 61.9 percent of his throws for 657 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in his seven games. His most recent performance, meanwhile, was poor in the second half of UM’s bowl loss.
Williams completed five of 14 passes for 26 yards and an interception against Iowa State.
However, Williams was given a lot of first-team reps during spring training because incoming transfer Carson Beck was sidelined for the season due to an injury.
Regarding the backup quarterbacks in the spring, offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson stated that reps are the most important factor.Those guys are abusing the fact that they are receiving ones, twos, and threes.
In one snap last season, second-year quarterback Anderson failed to pass the ball.
As the team’s most crucial new player, Beck bears a major responsibility for the Hurricanes’ future.
Beck has a winning track record and joined after two years as Georgia’s starting quarterback.The Jacksonville native helped the Bulldogs capture the SEC championship last season and finished 24-3 during his time as a starter. Beck has 7,912 throwing yards, 58 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions during his tenure at UGA. He recorded 3,485 throwing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024.
Despite his struggles last season, Beck was regarded as a possible top choice in this year’s NFL draft going into the 2024 season. He threw more interceptions last season, and his offensive grade dropped from 91.5 in 2023 to 81.2. Still, Beck was perhaps the greatest transfer quarterback on the market.
After tearing a ligament in the SEC championship game, Beck had elbow surgery and spent the spring recuperating. Although he was cleared to throw shortly after, he did not participate in Miami’s spring workouts or game.He spent the spring practicing his mental drills, acclimating to his teammates, and understanding the offense.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal stated in April that he was excited to be around him due to his high football IQ and method of understanding the game. He exudes a certain natural presence.
Beck will start at quarterback against the Fighting Irish in August, barring an unanticipated problem. However, Miami added other quarterbacks this offseason besides him.
Luke Nickel, a four-star quarterback, was signed by the Hurricanes in their 2025 recruiting class. After excelling at Milton High in Georgia, Nickel signed with UM, becoming him the longest-tenured commit in Miami’s class. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Nickel was ranked as the 19th best quarterback in the class.
After winning his second consecutive state championship, Nickel was named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Player of the Year.
In the spring, Dawson claimed that he threw the football with remarkable accuracy. He seems to find it easy. He was also victorious. It had been two years since he had lost a football game. Therefore, those two factors rank highly when assessing quarterbacks. When you look more closely at his understanding of football and how he sees the game, you’ll see that he has a really calm mentality and approaches leadership in a very calm manner. All of those factors combined to make me really like him.
Nickel threw a touchdown pass to fellow freshman Malachi Toney at Miami’s spring game, making him a noteworthy player.
Following the spring game, Cristobal stated, “He keeps his eyes down the field.” He is incredibly natural. I don’t believe he’s affected in any manner.
