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Would you start Nickel and aim for 7-8 wins?

407cane said:
agree to disagree on that one. hopefully it doesn't come to that

they specifically went for reese and ward this past offseason because we opened with the gators, don't see a scenario where we don't bring in at least one portal qb - even if it's not a flashy one
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We can agree to disagree but I’m telling you he would man lol I can pretty much safely bet on it. The only way Emory would start over Luke is an injury setback or if Mario overruled.
 
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407cane said:
agree to disagree on that one. hopefully it doesn't come to that

they specifically went for reese and ward this past offseason because we opened with the gators, don't see a scenario where we don't bring in at least one portal qb - even if it's not a flashy one
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there is no way mario allows Dawson to start Luke against ND.
 
My hope is Mario finds a potential starter in the portal window. There’s no player of Cam Ward’s caliber, but we should be able to find an ACC caliber starting quarterback. Who knows maybe we get lucky?

Assuming the starting position is filled, let Nickel, Emory, and Judd fight for the back up roll. If Nickel is all he’s hyped up to he should win the backup position. Make it a fair fight. 1-0 every practice.

Emery and Judd can be QB three QB four or hit the portal. Miami can also look for a second veteran who accepts a backup position, but in a much better circumstance, and for a decent wage.
 
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Mario doesn’t get a pass next year because he didn’t win this year. You can’t get passes until you win something. If he won the ACC or a playoff game this season, I think we’d be okay with Nickel or Emory bridge for 7/8.

Due to ending of this season, we need to win more now then ever.
 
we fired a coach that was better vs ranked teams and our rival, and was a miami guy and arguabley the same w-l record. so the only way for moronio to save his job is to use the true freshman qb excuse. Or go with emory and hope for 10 wins somehow.
 
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MumbleRap said:
I expect to beat ND next year. The best HS class in last 20 years will be upperclassmen next season. Idc who starts at QB, idc who the DC is.

Get it done.
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I’m sorta serious and joking at the same time

I think we all would prefer NOT to start him. I think the coaches think that too

Just saying if we start Emory we already know how it will go down. It would be a Mertz/Lagway type deal
 
UMercury21 said:
we fired a coach that was better vs ranked teams and our rival, and was a miami guy and arguabley the same w-l record. so the only way for moronio to save his job is to use the true freshman qb excuse. Or go with emory and hope for 10 wins somehow.
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Manny lost to a 5-7 FSU team in year 3.

The two FSU teams he beat went a combined 9-13.

Manny was 8-7 in his last 15 games (6-6 vs P4 teams).
 
ageezy said:
it was a scenario guys ... not saying this will happen ... we gone get a qb, the question is the caliber
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I hear ya but you said aim for 7 wins.... That's where things went a bit sideways....
 
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JHallCanes said:
I’m sorta serious and joking at the same time

I think we all would prefer NOT to start him. I think the coaches think that too

Just saying if we start Emory we already know how it will go down. It would be a Mertz/Lagway type deal
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Idk, I’d expect to beat ND with Mertz under center. Football success is built from the inside out, I think Canes have a top 10 foundation at OL/DL.
No one on UMs schedule next season should be better in the trenches.
 
JustAFanHTX said:
He won’t. If it’s Emory and Luke, he’ll go with Luke
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I mean it seems clear Nickel is more talented.

I really don't know why people are acting like it is so crazy for true freshman to start. Happens all the time, especially with all the QBs that everyone wants us to grab in the portal. I'm sure he will have moments he really struggles. That should be expected. But A) we would be saving at least $2-3M that can then be used on other positions in spring portal to surround him with more talent. And B) the next 2 years (2026-2027) if Nickel showed potential in 2025 we could really be cooking...

My 1 worry would be that I think Dawson wants a HC job next yr and it would definitely be annoying to go to a new OC after Nickel started his first year. **** Dawson could try to take Nickel with him. (If he performs well I'm sure Dawson would try!).
 
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this guy does not like Miami. But what he says is not a lie.

From the ON3 article by Ari Wasserman....

Late in Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, after Iowa State took a one-point lead over Miami, the cameraman from the broadcast panned over to Cam Ward throwing the football on the sideline. Miami’s starting quarterback, who hadn’t played at all during the second half after shredding the Cyclones in the first half, had the look in his eye like he was about to go back into the game and get the Hurricanes one final win before heading off to the NFL.

Ward didn’t come back into the game, which felt like a disappointment. But there was good news. Backup quarterback Emory Williams, who played the entire second half and currently seems to be Ward’s heir apparent, had the opportunity to lead Miami to a game-winning field goal attempt.

Had Williams been successful, he would have sent Miami into a critical offseason feeling a little better about its future at the quarterback position. But Williams only got Miami to its own 40 yard-line, throwing an interception in the game’s closing moments.

Which leaves us with some questions about Miami.

1. Can the Hurricanes really go into next season with Williams leading the way?

2. Can a program be successful long-term by continually renting quarterbacks out of the portal?

3. Is Miami the cautionary tale of what happens to a program that’s overly reliant on finding its quarterback in the transfer portal?

Though there has been a lot of discussion about Ward and the decision that went into sitting out of the second-half of the game — after, of course, he captured the NCAA record for most career passing yards — that’s not what’s important for Miami. Ward didn’t even have to play in the game at all, so getting wound up about the decision to sit in the second half — his or otherwise — seems like a waste of time. That’s especially true given Miami had to get a look who is seemingly taking the reigns at quarterback next season.

That closer look at Williams didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Williams does have some experience at Miami — replacing former quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in some critical moments in the past — but this Miami program, headed into year four under Mario Cristobal, is at a critical juncture. Next year is supposed to be the year Miami breaks through, wins the ACC and makes the College Football Playoff.

Williams doesn’t seem to be good enough to get Miami where it wants to go.

That’s not Williams’ fault. It’s Cristobal’s.

Though Miami had been really successful in the acquisition of Ward — we know now that the Washington State transfer carried the Hurricanes all season to the brink of the ACC title game and beyond — how is it possible they are in the position now, this deep into Cristobal’s tenure, where it either lands a top-tier transfer quarterback or are in deep trouble?

Miami made a run at Washington State transfer John Mateer. It felt really good about its chances of landing perhaps the best transfer of this portal cycle, especially because it had Ward’s success as proof of concept and presumably a fat check to write. But Mateer followed his offensive coordinator from Wazzu, Ben Arbuckle, to Oklahoma. Believe it or not, Oklahoma was just as motivated monetarily to find a quarterback to rescue the program.

Now Miami seems out of options. Unless a quarterback falls out of the sky — cough, Quinn Ewers — what will the Hurricanes do? Go into the offseason with Williams leading the way? Hope that true freshman quarterback Luke Nickel, a four-star prospect of Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton in the 2025 class, is ready to play immediately? How did Cristobal get this far into his Miami tenure without singing a bonafide blue-chip quarterback ready to play.

It makes me think of Notre Dame and how it has handled its transfer quarterback position. Like Miami, it has been very reliant on transfers quarterbacks. Last year, Notre Dame had Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman. This year, the Irish have ridden Duke quarterback transfer Riley Leonard all the way to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

But next year? Marcus Freeman is seemingly about to hand the keys over to former five-star quarterback CJ Carr, an elite-level prospect from the 2024 class who has been in the program developing. That gives Notre Dame the option of either finding someone it perceives as better in the portal or falling back on the kid. Either way, Notre Dame has options. Freeman did it right.

Miami doesn’t have any options. In the 2023 recruiting cycle, Cristobal signed Williams out of Milton (Fla.) High, the No. 627 overall player in the On3 Industry rankings in his class. In 2024, Cristobal got Judd Anderson of Warner Robins (Ga.) High, the No. 613 overall player. And in 2025, Cristobal finally got a blue-chipper in Nickel, but the damage is already done. It’s time for Miami to starting tampering its tail off, which is me only partially kidding.

Because who could conceivably come into the portal now? People are speculating that Ewers may after his CFP run because he seems in between ready for the NFL and not welcome back to Texas with Arch Manning waiting in the wings for his turn. But if not Ewers, who else? It’s been a pretty dry portal season, which is why Miami finds itself in this positon.

Sure, the portal can provide greatness. Ward was a Heisman Trophy finalist this year. It’s a great tool.

But it’s not predictable enough to be relied upon. That’s why coaches have to try and sign the best possible high school quarterback it can in every class, regardless of what it feels the program may be able to command in the portal given spending power.

The story isn’t written for Miami. If we’ve learned anything about college football, it’s unpredictable and shocking roster movement happens all the time. Maybe it’ll work out for Miami in 2025. Maybe a quarterback will fall out of the sky in the spring portal window.

Had Cristobal recruited an elite-level quarterback prospect during any of his first few cycles, though, Miami wouldn’t have to sweat heading into the offseason.
 
Atom Atlas said:
I think everyone is assuming Dawson will be back.... Man just had #1 Offense in the country... He's sure to get HC offers... Will he take any???. Who knows....
But it is a possibility...
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If we field a solid offense next year without Cam the quality of offers he'll receive is considerably greater. I'm guessing he knows this and is betting on himself.
 
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