‘For most programs, back-to-back 10-win seasons would be cause for celebration. For Miami’s Mario Cristobal, it’s merely the prelude to a much tougher demand. And the Canes’ head coach is making that demand in the spring practices after he stressed that he wants to see more from a particular unit.

“We just need more, we need more out of everybody. And that’s the one and only mentality that permeates the entire building,” Cristobal said on the InsideTheU YouTube channel. “We got to see more from them, like we need more durability and physicality out of our corners and secondary guys, right? Few years in a row down the stretch, we’re not all the way there.”

The Hurricanes have made some impressive additions ahead of the 2026 season, following the loss of several key defensive players. Regardless, that means nothing if they do not meet the coaching staff’s demands. The expectations are to surpass their 13-3 record in the 2025 season and return to the College Football Playoff. Ultimately, for a team that was a few plays away from winning the national championship last season, the goal is a championship or bust. But that can only happen with all units moving at the same pace.

“Well, this is part of that hardening process, right? Our linebackers, yeah, we have a couple of veterans. There’s guys that are, I don’t want to say behind, with them side by side. Those guys got to show up and be physical and violent on the field and play to a certain level. And we got to coach that really, really hard and teach really, really well and provide them with all the tools and resources to be successful because we just need more.”

Miami’s LB room has some serious experience, with Mo Toure possibly taking the Mike LB role. NC State transfer Kamal Bonner, who didn’t have a great 2025 season due to injuries, is expected to line up on the weak side, while Chase Smith will have the hybrid role. The room also features players like Cam Pruitt and Kellen Wiley, who will have a bigger role this upcoming season.

On his part, Cristobal was not only critical of the defense. After Miami’s fourth spring practice, he admitted that the team as a whole has shown flashes of brilliance but not at the level of consistency that is expected. If they are to reach the heights they foresee, both the offense and the defense must improve.

“We certainly need to see more out of everybody, the entire program, every coach, every player, and every analyst, and have everything just facing forward, making sure we take each day to prepare to be successful in 2026.”

Regardless, he highlighted that they were beginning to see more competitiveness than in previous practices. 

How Miami’s defensive replacements are catching up

Several of Miami’s key defensive players are heading to the NFL, and replacing them with equally capable hands is key if they are to come any close to their accomplishments in 2025. Among them, Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor are two notable players in that category, but the team’s defensive coordinator had some encouraging updates to give about how the new additions are catching up.

“I’m excited about the group we have,” Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “And obviously, very thankful for the guys we had last year. … The guys that left are a very, very talented group, and they changed the game.”

Damon Wilson II, who transferred from Missouri, Marquoise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount, and Hayden Lowe are a few of the players who will be expected to rise to the occasion in the coming season. 

“Right out of the gate — and we showed a clip yesterday in one of the meetings — is how hard he practices. It doesn’t matter: ones, twos, threes, his first rep in this uniform,” Hetherman said. “But he goes extremely hard. And when you look at the guys last year, when you look at Bain and (Mesidor) and (Keionte Scott) and (David) Blay and (Wesley Bissainthe) and all the different guys, Jakobe (Thomas), that’s what those guys were. Every day, they got better on the field because of how hard they practiced and how hard they competed. And that’s one thing he brings to the program right now.”