ACC Transfer Portal Breakdown: Miami
As SMU football nears its first season competing in the ACC, On the Pony Express will break down the transfer classes of every team in the conference.
The series continues with Miami, currently ranked No. 6 out of 17 teams in the ACC. The Hurricanes have 34 players leaving and 14 coming in.
That gives Miami an Index Score of 20 in the On3’s Team Transfer Portal Index.
Miami Transfer Class Breakdown
Miami added two players inside the Top 20 in this year’s portal class with No. 8 quarterback Cam Ward and No. 18 running back Damien Martinez. With them coming from Washington State and Oregon State, respectively, the Hurricane took advantage of the Pac-12 leftovers.
They also added four-star transfers Sam Brown (WR, Houston), Simeon Barrow Jr. (DL, Michigan St.) and Elijah Alston (DL, Marshall) in a really, really strong class.
Also look for safety Mishael Powell (Washington), defensive lineman Marley Cook (Middle Tennessee) and offensive lineman Zach Carpenter (Indiana) to make an impact this season.
An interesting addition is quarterback Reese Poffenbarger from Albany. He led the FCS with over 3,600 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, but will have to compete with Ward and last year’s backup Emory Williams.
Top Offensive Transfer: RB Damien Martinez
There are few players who will have an instant impact like Martinez. When he hit the portal there was a frenzy with Miami winning out.
This past season Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards on 194 carries and nine touchdowns and was a first team All-Pac-12 selection. That followed a true freshman campaign where he just missed the 1,000-yard mark with 982 yards and seven scores en route to being named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, The Athletic’s Freshman All-America First Team and first team All-Pac-12.
The new Miami back was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards this past year.
Martinez also fills a need for Miami as it loses two of its top three backs from last season to the portal.
Top Defensive Transfer: DL Simeon Barrow Jr.
Barrow has been playing at a high level at a high level program for three years. He is coming off a season with 36 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks, forced a fumble, blocked two kicks and had seven quarterback hurries.
Barrow has played in 34 career games with 30 starts and totaled 110 tackles, 18.5 for loss, 10.5 sacks, two blocked kicks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
That will translate from the Big 10 to the ACC.
Key Losses
There are 18 former four-star recruits headed out of Miami. That list includes new SMU running back Brashard Smith and defensive end Jahari Harvey along with former starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke who has committed to Wisconsin.
And there’s four-star transfer receiver Colbie Young. He was Miami’s third-leading receiver a year ago with 47 catches for 563 yards and five touchdowns.
The other notable losses for Miami include leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. (100-625, 6 TDs), third-leading rusher Don Chaney Jr. (94-478, 2 TDs), fourth-leading tackler cornerback Corey Flagg Jr. (48 total, 7 TFL, FF), depth corner Davonte Brown (transferred to Florida St.) and backup defensive lineman Thomas Gore.
The post ACC Transfer Portal Breakdown: Miami appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings