Mario Cristobal Is Building The Perfect Melting Pot Between Recruits and Transfers
A major question posed to Mario Cristobal Wednesday morning, right after someone asked if Coach had his Cuban coffee yet, was how Miami is so successful in the transfer portal and seems to get all the guys other schools covet.
"We were talking about this earlier. The use of the portal and how you build your roster is all dependent upon what the starting point is in a program," Cristobal said. " At a previous program, there wasn't much use of a transfer portal by us because we were very junior and senior ladened. We have a handful of fourth and fifth-year guys that are awesome. They need to be complemented by guys that have had a significant amount of snap counts, maturity at certain positions."
Cristobal is a firm believer that players who transfer, want to win now. He also believes his roster is set up for that to happen. Perhaps that's the reason why transfers are flocking to Miami.
"You have guys that have been here, have been through a lot, are driven to compete and win." Cristobal said. "Then you have some transfer portal guys at some positions that needed bolstering, that are driven, that want to win, want to be at Miami. Then they're sandwiched in there with some uber-talented freshman classes."
Miami has added starters and depth in this cycle of the transfer portal. Ward and Damien Martinez are obvious starters, but when a player like Houston transfer Samuel Brown is added to the wide receiver mix, the depth seems to improve. Miami also added prime pieces along the defensive line which will end up starting due to players transferring out and graduating.
"You have them at all levels and different positions. That allows us for higher-level play," Cristobal said. "It allows for a great mentorship and development for the younger guys. Now, you build the right kind of depth. You're not staggered where its more sustainable."
Cristobal wants to be at a point where they bring in young recruits to meld in with the upperclassmen transfers.
"The coming years, it bodes well for Miami where it's layered with upperclassmen are complemented by younger guys," Cristobal said. "There are younger guys in starting roles as well. But overall the blend and mix is really well -- really good."
Scott Salomon is a contributor to Miami Hurricanes On SI. He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com. He can also be followed on X @ScottSalomonNFL.
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Scott Salomon joined On SI in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins site, and has since contributed to the Miami Heat, Back in the Day NBA, Miami Hurricanes and San Antonio Spurs sites. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. He's covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services.