Mario Cristobal has an exciting opportunity to fill an important position on his Miami coaching staff.

A: We’ve learned that Miami’s coaching searches move very quietly under Mario Cristobal. Nobody was talking about Matt Merritt for running backs coach until reports emerged he was getting hired. With that in mind, right now we can only speculate as to who might be considered as Jahmile Addae’s replacement.

A logical candidate would be Marshall cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Chevis Jackson. He worked under current Miami DC Lance Guidry in 2022. Marshall’s defense was incredible that season (remember their upset against Notre Dame?). Prior to his time at Marshall, Jackson coached cornerbacks under Les Miles at Kansas. He played for Miles at LSU prior to a 4-year NFL career. Gaby Urrutia at Inside The U named Jackson as a candidate who is creating some early buzz.

Another top option would be Minnesota cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe. He’s built a solid reputation as an energetic recruiter and developer. Monroe spent seven years at Syracuse before heading to the Golden Gophers. While he was with the Orange, he was responsible for recruiting South Florida. He already knows the area and has connections with local high schools.

To the second part of your question, YES, recruiting will be a major factor in who Cristobal decides to hire. Miami has missed out on several of their blue chip DB targets in recent cycles. The Hurricanes will look to get over the finish line with top DB recruits like Chris Ewald Jr. and DJ Pickett.

Q: With the almost complete landscape change in college football with an inept NCAA that is now allowing unlimited transfers and a no limit NIL, we are witnessing dynasties like Alabama start to lose depth on their rosters. Oddly enough, Miami is finally starting to build depth.

Do you see this as a sustainable thing for Miami under these rules or do you think Mario will start having issues losing higher rated guys as well? -LLcoolmatt

A: I think Miami can thrive in this new era of chaos in a way that many other schools cannot.

1- Miami has a coaching staff who clearly embraces the evolution that comes with this wild wild west era of Transfer Portal madness and NIL arms races. While they may not love everything about this new reality, Cristobal and staff are working tirelessly to succeed in it.

2- A noticeable trend in the Transfer Portal is that players who initially enroll in far away schools often return closer to home when picking their second (or third) team. Since South Florida is among the richest recruiting grounds in America, Miami can continue to benefit from former local stars returning to their roots. RB Henry Parrish enrolled at Ole Miss out of Columbus High School and returned to Miami in 2022. CB Darryl Porter Jr out of American Heritage enrolled at West Virginia before coming home.

3- We can’t ignore this reality: Players who enter the Transfer Portal often seek more NIL money from their next stop. Based on my understanding of the NIL landscape, I believe Miami currently offers one of the most competitive NIL collectives in the country.

My main concern is this: Will Miami get left behind in the next conference realignment? If so, can the ACC offer a compelling enough situation for recruiting sustainability? While this concern is not directly related to your question, it’s something I constantly think about in the big picture.