With 2026 ACC Media Days kicking off in earnest Wednesday, the question on everyone's mind is whether anyone can stand in the way of the Miami Hurricanes this season.
The Canes were a Carson Beck interception away from hoisting a national championship trophy on their home turf, and many believe this year's squad has more firepower to work with.
While the games still have to be played and fall camp hasn't even started, there is an overwhelming sense among conference and national media members alike that it will be Miami versus the field in 2026.
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It is worth noting that the Hurricanes still have not won an ACC Championship since joining the conference more than two decades ago, but with the talent head coach Mario Cristobal has assembled, both on this roster and on his coaching staff, this has to be the year they get over the hump in conference play.
Miami returns a litany of playmakers, both homegrown and through the portal, as players like Malachi Toney, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Cooper Barkate will give offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson plenty of weapons to play with.
The man throwing them the ball, Darrian Mensah, comes to Coral Gables by way of the Duke Blue Devils, and at the risk of sounding like a heretic on the streets of South Florida, I believe this is the most talented signal-caller Cristobal has ever had under center while coaching at Miami.
Yes, Carson Beck is an NFL quarterback and an all-conference selection at two schools, and Cam Ward was literally a unanimous All-American and first overall draft pick, but Mensah has the tools and mentality to make Dawson's offense run like a well-oiled machine, and the embarrassment of riches he will have at his disposal at both wide receiver and running back will be on full display.
The question marks are there, though, particularly along both lines of scrimmage, as the Canes will have to replace both starting tackles and both edge rushers on offense and defense respectively.
If any team can weather that storm (no pun intended, I promise), it's the Hurricanes, whose recruiting prowess in the trenches has set them up nicely to be able to reload after April's draft exodus.
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Former five-star Justin Scott should anchor the interior of the defensive line, and former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson was one of the most coveted defensive players in the portal.
As far as teams that can catch Miami, that will be a tough ask.
The Canes always seem to have one or two games they tend to slip up in during conference play, but their league slate looks particularly weak this season, even by ACC standards.
Other than a trip to Notre Dame on Halloween, it's hard to predict a loss for Miami, but keep an eye on that early October game on the road against Clemson.
I may be falling for the banana in the tailpipe routine once again, but I think coach Dabo Swinney has the Tigers poised for a bounce-back year in 2026.
They are the only team that has even sniffed the rarefied air that the Canes are in when it comes to recruiting, and they are less than two years removed from winning the conference and making a College Football Playoff appearance.
Keep an eye on the Tigers as well as SMU, who jumped up and bit Miami last season.
The Mustangs and Hurricanes don't meet in the regular season, but if they do end up squaring off in the ACC title game, I wouldn't be surprised to see head coach Rhett Lashlee giving Cristobal and the Canes fits once again.
There's a reason the Miami Hurricanes will be heavy favorites heading into 2026, as this year finally feels like the season it all clicks for them, which sounds crazy to say about a team that was in the CFP finals less than seven months ago, but it's true.
Firepower on offense, elite coordinators, huge talent advantages on both sides of the ball, and a laughably weak conference schedule should mean the Canes finally win the ACC this coming year.
Talking season is almost done, then it will be time for Miami to prove it on the field.
Buckle up, Canes fans.