The Hurricane stemming from southern Florida transpired into nothing more than a passing breeze in the grand scheme of the 2024 CFB season. Miami’s missteps down the stretch had major repercussions. Losing 2 of their last 3 games meant the powers that be kept them out of the playoffs. Despite falling short of this checkpoint, the Canes faithful still witnessed an enthralling season. More so than they’ve been afforded over recent seasons. At the epicenter of pretty much everything good was their QB Cam Ward, whose services shall now be deployed elsewhere. Owing to this, CFB savant Josh Pate echoed a sentiment of worry and uncertainty, feelings that are simmering underneath the collective fanbase.

Ward is on his way to the NFL off the back of his Heisman-adjacent season. This leaves a very concerning void under center for Mario Cristobal. Similarly to how they acquired Ward, Cristobal and the Canes have tried to look for a solution in the transfer portal. Alas, they’ve not been successful yet.

Miami has been filling roster spots via the portal, just not the most glaring one. Breaking down their activity on his namesake YouTube show, Josh Pate acknowledged their latest acquisition of D-lineman David Blay from Louisiana Tech. “[This] makes 4 top 100 guys that Miami’s picked up. A wide receiver, this defensive tackle, they’ve gotten themselves a corner and a safety.” said Pate. He then proceeded to ask what he reckons is “the million-dollar question”.

Josh Pate proceeded to discuss the elephant in the room. “What are they going to do at quarterback? Don’t know…don’t know.” he said. “It’s not that the quarterback room is barren there. Emory Williams is down there right now. He’s played for them already. But it’s just [that] I think most people in the market expected them to make a move there. I did as well. It doesn’t mean they won’t. It’s just that they haven’t yet. That’s what we’re waiting on.”

Emory Williams, who’s entering his junior year, has 2 total starts for the Canes. Neither came last season. His freshman year ended with a fractured arm as well. It’s safe to assume Mario Cristobal isn’t planning to head into next season with Williams as his QB1. Miami’s been in a publicized pursuit for Cam Ward’s successor, which serves as a proponent of this assumption. However, for one reason or another, they’ve failed to onboard their target.

The Miami Hurricanes’ attempt at rehashing a previous trick fell flat

It’s fair to say the last quarterback that came over from Washington State to Miami through the portal was a success. That would be Cam Ward. So, with this proverbial trail already blazed, why not tread right back across it? That’s what Miami attempted to do when WSU QB John Mateer hit the portal earlier. Mateer deputized Ward for the WSU Cougars till 2023. He finally got his shot as a starter after Ward left and- say it quietly- outperformed Cam’s stint at the school.

John Mateer was the No.1 overall player traversing the portal, and Miami was amongst the potential landing spots. However, he has joined the Oklahoma Sooners instead. Even though the Canes had Cam Ward as a direct example of Mateer’s fit and development, he opted for OU instead. This was largely due to his Washington State offensive coordinator and QB coach, Ben Arbuckle, taking on those capacities at Oklahoma. Mateer deemed fit to follow suit and maintain that synergy.

With a plethora of quality signal-callers still available, there’s an opportunity for Mario Cristobal to fill the quarterbacks room. Perhaps his failure to do so yet has led to him spreading his chips and acquiring upgrades at other positions. Miami essentially went as far as Cam Ward willed them last season. With an incoming of that ilk not conspicuous, a change in the offensive philosophy beckons. The words of Josh Pate won’t fall on deaf ears in southern Florida, though. The Canes will hope to get this figurative monkey off their backs and onboard their next QB1 soon.