The music stopped Monday morning, and Miami was left without a chair. Sam Leavitt, the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal, committed to LSU and Lane Kiffin after a whirlwind tour that included stops in Baton Rouge, Knoxville, Lexington, and Coral Gables. 

For Mario Cristobal, the timing couldn’t be worse. Carson Beck guided Miami to the title game but will be off to the NFL afterward. It will leave the program scrambling to find his replacement with the transfer portal set to close Friday, January 16. The quarterback market has been picked clean over the past two weeks.

Most of the elite passers have already committed elsewhere, and Miami now finds itself in the uncomfortable position of choosing from what’s left. Mario Cristobal has the following five options, which represent his best shot at making the National Championship game yet again.

Husan Longstreet

The most intriguing name still available might be USC’s Husan Longstreet, the former five-star recruit who was originally committed to Texas A&M before Lincoln Riley flipped him to the Trojans. Longstreet appeared in just four games as Jayden Maiava’s backup and completed 13-of-15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. He was able to preserve his redshirt, meaning he arrives with four full years of eligibility remaining.

Ranked as the No. 6 quarterback and No. 17 overall prospect in the portal by 247Sports, Longstreet visited LSU over the weekend before Leavitt’s commitment presumably shut that door. For Miami, Longstreet represents the classic high-ceiling, low-floor gamble. If the Hurricanes’ offensive infrastructure can unlock what Riley couldn’t, Longstreet could be the long-term answer at quarterback.​

Beau Pribula

If Mario Cristobal wants experience over potential, Beau Pribula is the guy. The Missouri transfer has been a college football vagabond. He originally signed with Penn State as Drew Allar’s backup in 2024, then transferred to Missouri on a lucrative NIL deal, where he started 10 games in 2025 before an ankle injury ended his season early.

Pribula threw for 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while adding 297 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. For Miami, Pribula would be a safe, experienced bridge quarterback who could keep the offense functional while a younger player develops.

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Ty Simpson

Ty Simpson just declared for the NFL Draft on January 7. But if he doesn’t like his draft grade, could Miami convince him to return to college for one more season? Simpson had a phenomenal 2025 campaign at Alabama. He threw for 3,567 yards, fourth in Crimson Tide single-season history, with 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. The problem is that Simpson is almost certainly gone to the NFL after that breakout junior year.

Miami would need to make a compelling NIL offer and sell him on the chance to play for a national championship contender, but it’s a long shot at best. Still, if Cristobal is desperate enough and Simpson gets cold feet about his draft stock, stranger things have happened in the portal era.​

Emory Williams

Sometimes the answer is already in the building. Emory Williams has been Miami’s backup quarterback throughout the 2025 season. And while he hasn’t played much, he’s at least familiar with the offensive system and the personnel around him.

Williams appeared in just a handful of games this season, throwing for a total of 156 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The redshirt sophomore showed promise in 2024 when he threw for 187 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-26 passing in spot duty.  If Cristobal strikes out on the portal options or feels like none of them are worth the investment, Williams could get the first crack at winning the starting job in spring ball

Eli Holstein

Pittsburgh’s Eli Holstein might be the most fascinating reclamation project available. After a brilliant 2024 season where he threw for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns, Holstein looked like a future ACC star heading into his sophomore campaign. But 2025 went sideways fast. He appeared in just eight games before losing his starting job, finishing with 1,081 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions before entering the portal on January 1. 

For Miami, Holstein represents a “buy low” opportunity on a quarterback who was legitimately excellent just one year ago. If the Hurricanes’ staff believes Holstein’s struggles were scheme-related or fixable with better coaching, he could be the steal of the portal cycle. The risk is that his confidence is shot after getting benched. And Miami would be betting that a change of scenery and offensive system can revive what made him special in 2024.