The impact of NIL and the Transfer Portal requires a crystal ball to project how Miami will perform this season. Fortunately, the next best thing joins ACC Nation for our Canes football preview. Manny Navarro of The Athletic and Host of ‘Wide Right‘ podcast provides a straight up and straight forward look at this year’s squad.

The team isn’t shying away from taking big steps as they open against Notre Dame on Sunday, August 31. The game will be prime-time on ABC at 7:30pm ET. How they perform and the outcome could have more impact on both Miami and the ACC than one might imagine. Navarro runs through the schedule giving his thumbs up, thumbs down view of the wins and losses.

Carson Beck appears ready and willing to roll as quarterback for Miami this season after having UCL (elbow) surgery earlier. Who will be his back-up? There’s plenty of depth in the room but limited experience taking game snaps.

Head Coach Mario Cristobal has loaded and re-loaded (in some cases) a team that has lost some key personnel. The offense looks solid even with the departure of players like Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George. How about the running game? Who fills the shoes of Damien Martinez?

The defense will need to step up this season to help buffer some of the losses on offense and Navarro runs down the players returning and transferring in that can make that happen.

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