College football fans already got a taste this past weekend with an exciting Week 0 slate seeing a top-10 upset in the ACC, as the Miami Hurricanes head into Week 1 with a new group of stars hoping to lead them back to the top of the sport.
In a list comprised by ESPN's Max Olson and Eli Lederman , four Miami Hurricane newcomers earned on a spot on the Top 100 Newcomers In College Football .
Starting off with the top-25 and the highest ranked player on this list from the ACC is quarterback Cam Ward (6th overall) who transferred from Washington State to Miami for his final season. Here's what ESPN had to say about Ward and his new fit with the Canes:
"After thriving at the FCS level at Incarnate Word and throwing for 6,966 yards and 48 touchdowns over two seasons at Washington State, Ward was torn between entering the NFL draft or joining a CFP contender. He bet on Miami, and the Canes coaches were so blown away by his play in the spring that they pushed all-in and invested in big-name transfer talent on both sides of the ball. They know they've got a quarterback with arm talent, experience and leadership to make them a true ACC title contender."
The only other Hurricane to appear on the top-25 was Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron (24th), who flipped his transfer from Louisville during the spring portal. Here's what they had to say about the former SEC pass rusher:
"Baron was one of the more coveted edge players in the portal in December after a strong senior season in which he produced 10.5 TFLs and six sacks for the Vols. He went through spring ball with Louisville, then reentered the portal to join a Miami squad that is loading up for a playoff run. The Canes have added a ton of talent to their D-line but are counting on the 6-foot-5, 260-pound pass rusher to shine right away."
Moving on to the group sections, the final two Hurricanes appeared in the offensive playmakers section. The top of that list starts off with running back Damien Martinez who joins Miami after two seasons at Oregon State. The breakdown on Martinez:
"Martinez proved himself as one of college football's best young running backs at Oregon State, earning Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2022 and first-team All-Pac-12 honors last season after finishing third in the conference in rushing yards (1,185) and scoring nine touchdowns. Now he's out to prove he should be one of the first backs selected in the 2025 NFL draft. He's lived up to the hype for the Canes in fall camp."
The last of the featured newcomers for Miami is wide receiver Samuel Brown , who transferred from Houston this offseason to rejoin with his former offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson . Here's what they had to say about the receiver who could end up being a coveted prospect in the coming NFL Draft:
"Brown, another valuable spring portal pickup, began his career at West Virginia but shined at Houston with 103 catches for 1,286 yards and seven touchdowns over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound wideout finished sixth in the Big 12 in receptions (62) as the Cougars' leading receiver last season. He looks like he'll be a terrific complement to Miami's returning receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George and has the potential to become a top-50 draft pick."
While not featured in this top-100, several other Hurricane newcomers such as Mishael Powell , Elija Lofton , Elijah Alston , Simeon Barrow Jr. and more are expected to be key pieces to a Miami team eyeing to make an appearance in the revamped College Football Playoff.
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