The storyline that “Miami hasn’t been challenged” requires some context. Miami has indeed won all of its games by double figures, including a 33-20 win at Wake Forest and a 41-13 victory at Clemson.
But No. 3 Miami, which is 5-0 going into Saturday’s matchup with FSU (3-3), has battled injuries along the way and showcased the depth of its roster.
“In the conference games, Wake and Clemson, the games that challenged them the most, they were ready for it,” Miami radio voice Joe Zagacki said. “Whenever the games got tight, they had an answer.”
Miami’s injuries have been persistent, and the team will be without defensive backs Romanas Frederique Jr. and Jamboree Antoine on Saturday (7 p.m. on ESPN). Frederique was a game 1 starter at corner at Stanford before safety Bryce Fitzgerald shifted over and stepped in. Miami has started three different corners, with Ethan O’Connor earning the nod in the last three games ahead of the bye week.
The Hurricanes had to battle at Wake and hold off a late challenge, in part despite those injuries. Miami and Clemson were also in a relatively close game before the Hurricanes pulled away.
“The biggest problem right now is injuries,” Zagacki said on this week’s Front Row Noles / Seminole Sidelines show. “That’s going to probably determine Miami’s fate. If all these guys come back and they get most of them together between now and the end of the season, they’ll have a monster. If not, it will probably be a bit of a challenge.”
Zagacki said the defensive front “has been ferocious. Especially against Clemson and Wake Forest.” That’s impressive considering Rueben Bain Jr. (Tampa Bay) and Akheem Mesidor (LA Chargers) were first-round picks this spring. Defensive ends Marquise Lightfoot (five sacks) and Damon Wilson II (three sacks) lead the way. A former FSU commitment, Armondo Blount, has 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Moving over to offense, Miami has a history of high-end quarterbacks and has hit big (while paying big money) via the transfer portal in grabbing Cam Ward, Carson Beck and Darian Mensah in consecutive years. Fourth-year offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who is an Air Raid disciple and coached with Hal Mumme, has tailored his scheme to the quarterbacks.
“All of those guys understood how to play the position,” Zagacki said. “All of them embraced being the quarterback at Miami. There are so many demands here because of the past performances. They embraced those demands. I think you have an offensive coordinator in Shannon Dawson that understands if they’re here for one year, 'I’m going to adjust to them, not make them adjust to me. He’s done a really good job of changing the terminology to what they’re comfortable with, designing plays to what they’re comfortable with. And then of course all three of them have been behind really good offensive lines with good players on the perimeter.”
Mensah helped guide Duke to the ACC championship in 2025 and made a late decision to jump into the transfer portal on the last day it was open despite reportedly having a two-year contract. The ACC’s preseason player of the year has thrown 15 touchdown passes and no interceptions while completing 84.2 percent of his passes.
“He’s a point guard, pass-first point guard,” Zagacki said. “Not a running quarterback. Although the last couple of games, he has run more and encouraged to run more by Shannon Dawson to put a little more pressure on the defense. He’s done a good job in this offense of finding guys that, whoever’s open, the ball is coming your way.”
Miami is loaded with skill players. Receivers Malachi Toney (39 catches, 604 yards and six touchdowns) and Cooper Barkate (19 catches, 241 yards, four touchdowns) are Mensah’s top targets. Barkate departed Duke, where he had a 1,000-yard season in 2025, to join Mensah in Miami this offseason. Toney had a 1,000-yard season as a freshman and there are resemblances to FSU legend Peter Warrick.
“He is really cool to watch,” Zagacki said. “If you watch him go into a break, come out of a break, you go, ‘He’s on air.’ It’s like he’s in a popcorn machine. When guys go to grab for him they can’t tackle him.”
Running back Mark Fletcher is among the top 5 rushers in school history, surpassing Clinton Portis in the win at Wake. Fletcher has five rushing touchdowns, and he averages 5.9 yards per carry in 2026.
Watch the video above for more from Zagacki on the Hurricanes and the FSU-Miami rivalry. Thanks for reading the Osceola. Subscribe now for 40 percent off to enjoy a full year of coverage of FSU athletics. You’ll also earn a gift card at Alumni Hall.
