In Light of the Demond Williams Fiasco, Miami Fans Shouldn’t Panic About their Slow Transfer Portal Start

The College Football Transfer Portal officially started on January 2 but Miami has yet to make a move. And, predictably, some corners of Canes Twitter are in full meltdown mode. But here’s the thing: being “behind” in January is exactly where you want to be when you’re one win away from playing for a national championship.

This is a good problem to have. Let me say that again for the people in the back: This. Is. A. Good. Problem. To. Have.

While programs like LSU, Texas Tech, and Florida are scrambling to fill massive holes left by coaching changes and roster overhaul, Miami is preparing for the Fiesta Bowl semifinals. The Hurricanes are still playing meaningful football while everyone else is shopping. To overstate the obvious, that’s not a weakness – it’s a strength.

Trust the Process (No, Seriously This Time)

Cam Underwood, Editor-in-Chief of State of The U wrote an excellent piece this week about the “proof of concept” at Miami, and he nailed it. Cristobal’s vision for roster construction – building a team of “big dudes close to the ball” who physically dominate opponents – has been validated on the field with large dividends.

Miami doesn’t just look the part anymore; they play the part too, mauling opposing teams play after play within the trenches (and beyond). The offensive line creates space for Mark Fletcher Jr. to grind out yards. The defensive line, led by Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, generates pressure and kills opposing run games (the Buckeyes were playing scared). This is exactly what Cristobal promised when he returned to Coral Gables – a team of relentless competitors known for toughness and physicality.

It’s taken years and growing pains but Miami is finally the team Cristobal envisioned. The proof isn’t in transfer portal rankings. It’s in Cotton Bowl victories over defending national champions.

Remember last offseason when Miami brought in a defensive coordinator from Minnesota who’d only coordinated at the Power Five level for one season? Remember when they signed a Georgia transfer quarterback who threw 12 interceptions in his final season with the Bulldogs and was coming off an arm injury? That washed up quarterback signing that was deemed a terrible mistake by pundits?

Yeah, about that.

Carson Beck just managed a Cotton Bowl victory over the defending national champions, completing 19 of 26 passes with zero turnovers in the biggest game of the season. And Corey Hetherman? He turned Miami’s defense from a national embarrassment (68th in scoring defense in 2024) into one of the nation’s elite units, ranking 4th in scoring defense and 5th in rushing defense this season.

The common denominator? Mario Cristobal knows what he’s doing.

Quarterbacks Are Flying Off the Shelves – And Now, A Stunning Turn

While Miami fans panic about portal rankings, the chaos unfolding across college football proves exactly why the Hurricanes’ measured approach is smart.

Elite quarterbacks are flying off the shelves at panic prices. Brendan Sorsby reportedly got $5 million from Texas Tech. Sam Leavitt is being pursued by LSU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, and Kentucky with massive offers. Drew Mestemaker committed to Oklahoma State. These aren’t market rates – these are desperation rates from programs trying to buy their way to relevance that Miami has already achieved.

Then there’s the Demond Williams saga – occurring just tonight, and is a stunning example of how chaotic and unpredictable this process can be. Williams signed a new deal with Washington on January 2 promising to return, then entered the portal less than a week later. Now Washington is threatening legal action, the Big Ten Conference is monitoring the situation, and Miami is reportedly one of the schools pursuing him.

Sound familiar? It’s the Xavier Lucas situation all over again – Wisconsin sued Miami for tampering after Lucas withdrew from school and enrolled at Miami without using the portal. That lawsuit is still ongoing while Lucas prepares for the biggest game of his life – in ORANGE AND GREEN! Now Miami could find themselves in round two with an even higher-profile player and bigger stakes.

The Williams situation perfectly illustrates why Miami’s patience is strategic, not passive. In a chaotic portal cycle where players are signing deals and changing their minds days later, where schools are threatening lawsuits, where programs are massively overpaying out of desperation – Miami can afford to wait for the right opportunities at the right price.

Miami Is Already Where Everyone Wants to Be

Here’s what Miami fans need to understand: programs are overspending in the portal right now because they desperately want to be where Miami already is.

Miami is in the CFP semifinals. Miami already has elite coaching, an elite defense, and championship momentum. They don’t need to overpay for marginal upgrades or get into bidding wars with programs desperate to reach the level The U has already achieved.

Look at Indiana as proof of concept. In fact, the remaining teams are evidence of the changed model in college football as their success stems from working the transfer portal. But let’s stick with the Hoosiers who are now the prohibitive favorite to win the national championship at +135 odds after crushing Alabama 38-3. They’ve landed a stacked portal class while preparing for a semifinal. Curt Cignetti is killing it by landing QB Josh Hoover, Michigan State WR Nick Marsh, Kansas State EDGE Tobi Osunsanmi, and Boston College RB Turbo Richard – his third straight year landing an elite starting quarterback from the portal.

But Indiana’s success doesn’t mean Miami needs to panic. It means the system works when you have the right people in place. Portal rankings in January don’t predict who wins championships in January. Execution does. Development does. Culture does.

Cristobal had to get over the hump, but this year is proof of concept.

The QBs/WRs/Defense Will Come, The Rest Will Take Care of Itself

The names that have loomed largest in the portal as it pertains to Miami are the long list of QBs, WR Cam Coleman (Auburn), Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina), and players on defense such as EDGE Damon Wilson II (Missouri), CB Sharif Denson (Florida), LB Robert Woodyard Jr. (Missouri), and S Koi Perich (Minnesota). Despite all of the linking of player to the Hurricanes, Miami has landed exactly zero players. And that’s okay.

Cristobal has proven he can identify and develop talent all over the field. With Hetherman’s track record of developing defensive backs this year through Keionte Scott, Jakobe Thomas, and Lucas there’s every reason to believe Miami will land the pieces they need.

Which brings us to the next point. Please, hold onto Corey Hetherman. The man just orchestrated one of the most dramatic defensive turnarounds in recent college football history. Programs will come calling, but keeping Hetherman should be Miami’s top priority this offseason. And it could be a direct link to safety Koi Perich at Minnesota, which could create some transfer portal momentum.

The portal window doesn’t close until January 16, with extensions for teams still playing. Miami is still playing football while everyone else is desperately trying to fill rosters. The Hurricanes can be selective and they can wait for the right fits. Based on tonight’s Demond Williams, they can take their time. Even if they don’t land Williams, the portal chaos shows why patience matters.

The Unheralded Pickups Track Record

Trinidad Chambliss – the Ole Miss quarterback Miami faces in the Fiesta Bowl – was still playing football at this time last year as he came from Division II National Champion Ferris State. He wasn’t some five-star recruit Lane Kiffin outbid everyone for. He was a largely unheralded transfer who became a problem for SEC defenses after replacing Austin Simmons (who has entered the portal), and led Ole Miss to the CFP semifinals.

The arc is incredibly similar to Cam Ward who was a zero-star and was never supposed to be the No. 1 overall pick.

To that end, Carson Beck wasn’t supposed to lead Miami to a CFP semifinal. Keionte Scott wasn’t supposed to make the game-changing play against Ohio State. Much to the chagrin of Wisconsin and the Big Ten, Lucas wasn’t even supposed to be playing for Miami this entire season. But they did. Because Mario Cristobal and his staff know how to evaluate talent beyond the star ratings and transfer portal rankings.

Miami doesn’t need to win the portal rankings in January to win games in December and January. They’ve proven that already.

The Stars Will Want In

Here’s the thing about winning: it attracts talent. Miami just knocked off the defending national champions as 9.5-point underdogs. They’re one win away from playing for a national title at Hard Rock Stadium – their home field. They have one of the nation’s best defenses, an elite defensive coordinator, and momentum unlike anything the program has had in over two decades.

Elite portal prospects are watching. They’re seeing what’s happening in South Florida. They were coming to Miami in swarms before this playoff run and now the stars will want in at an even more aggressive rate. When programs are winning at this level and being developed to play on Sundays, they always do.

Miami doesn’t need to overpay in January for marginal upgrades. They can wait for the elite players who want to be part of something special—who want to play for a championship at The U. And if the Demond Williams situation breaks Miami’s way despite the legal chaos, that’s a bonus – not something to panic about if it doesn’t happen.

Trust in Cristobal

Mario Cristobal has earned the benefit of the doubt. He transformed this defense in one offseason. He landed Cam Ward when everyone said Miami was a too far away in their rebuild. He brought in Carson Beck when everyone said he was washed. He’s rebuilt offensive and defensive lines, developed NFL talent, and now has Miami one win away from a national championship appearance.

The man knows how to build a roster. He knows how to identify talent. And now, he is proving that he knows how to win.

The portal window is still open and Miami still has time. They still have momentum and most importantly, they’re still playing for a national championship (one of only four teams that can say that).

So take a breath, Canes fans. Trust the process. Trust the recruiting magician that is Mario Cristobal. Trust that the rest will take care of itself. The Demond Williams chaos is just one example of how unpredictable this process is – Miami doesn’t need to rush into panic decisions when the right opportunities will present themselves.

Being “behind” in the portal in January is exactly where you want to be when you’re one win away from everything.

GO CANES!