2025 Miami Hurricanes Position Preview: Cornerback

There is no position the Canes addressed more than at CB- and for good reason – but the group led by Frederique, Brantley, Lucas, and O’Connor will be tested out of the gates against Notre Dame

One of the most glaring weaknesses for the Miami Hurricanes in 2024 was undoubtedly the secondary as the pass defense frequently put a historical offense in trouble late in games. Notably, the pass defense ranked 57th nationally and was regularly burnt by inferior opponents. It was so bad that the Canes team that arguably could have made a playoff run behind a top ranked offense did not even make the ACC Championship because Miami lost in a 42-38 shootout in the season finale to Syracuse. The woes were most evidently on display in that matchup where the Orange scored at will, erasing a 21-0 early deficit, as Kyle McCord threw for 380 yards and 3 TDs.

Staff Changes: Guidry/Jackson Out, Hetherman/Etheridge In

The issues from last year were not simply a talent gap as Miami featured some quality athletes. Instead, the problems seemed to relate to poor communication and horrendous coaching. The Canes first move of the offseason came two days after their final game, the Pop-Tarts Bowl defeat, when defensive coordinator, Lance Guidry, was fired after two disappointing seasons. Signs pointed to the departure of their cornerbacks coach as well, Chevis Jackson, who left for Wake Forest.

Miami acted quickly to revamp the staff as they added Corey Hetherman as DC, most recently in the Big Ten at Minnesota and Rutgers, and added Zac Etheridge as CB coach, who has experience at Houston and Auburn.

On-the-Field Changes: Transfer Portal Additions Aplenty

On the field, the Canes only notable loss is Daryl Porter, Jr., who was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. They lost three corners to the transfer portal in D’Yoni Hill, Robert Stafford, and Robby Washington, players who were relatively uninvolved in last year’s play.

Just as Miami acted with conviction in addressing their staff to fix last year’s disarray, no position was prioritized more on the recruiting trail than cornerback. Miami added four top CBs in the transfer portal and also add three to their incoming freshman class.

As far as the transfer class, Miami brought in numerous top-ranked CBs to address the poor 2024 passing defense. The most notable pickup for a number of reasons is CB, Xavier Lucas, who leaves Wisconsin. Lucas had difficulty leaving the Badgers due to alleged tampering, which is now the focus of lawsuit by Wisconsin against Miami. Nonetheless, Lucas, an American Heritage alum, returns home. Lucas is the number one CB transfer according to 247Sports.

The Canes bring in another Big Ten CB in Charles Brantley who departs from Michigan State, as well as a Washington State transfer CB in Ethan O’Connor. Brantley and O’Connor were regular starters for their former programs and are ranked 12th and 10th among CBs in the transfer portal according to 247Sports. They should both be immediate contributors.

Miami added a player who is familiar playing with Etheridge in spring portal addition, Keionte Scott. Scott transfers from Houston, but played for Auburn last year, where he played regularly.

Even though the cornerbacks on paper are bolstered by the portal additions, Miami returns its most promising asset in rising sophomore, OJ Freqerique. Freqerique was the most pleasant surprise in an otherwise abysmal secondary, as the true freshman earned All-American honors from one publication (FWAA), true freshman All-American (247Sports), and 2024 All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. Frederique, out of St. Thomas Aquinas, was a natural leader as he added 30 tackles and seven pass breakups.

In addition to Freqerique, Miami returns another underclassmen in redshirt sophomore Damari Brown. Brown only saw action in two games last year who was out due to an undisclosed injury suffered week one against Florida and missed the bulk of the season. Brown saw plenty of action in his true freshman campaign and should be able to plug back in as he was back for much of spring practice. Like Lucas, Brown is an American Heritage alum.

Miami also returns senior Jadais Richard who also saw his 2024 season cut short due to injury. Richard was a top contributor until he suffered an apparent leg injury against Duke down the home stretch of the season.

The three four-star freshman that Miami adds, Jaboree Antoine, Chris Ewald Jr., and Amari Wallace, should largely be depth or relief pieces, behind what has been a reloaded group filled with veterans.

Thrown Right into the Fire: Notre Dame

The Canes will be tested right out the gates in their season opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish feature a highly touted homegrown QB prospect in high-four star (45th ranked national prospect) redshirt freshman, CJ Carr. Notre Dame also feature a dynamic passing attack led by near national championship hero, Jaden Greathouse (6 catches, 128 yards, two TDs), as well as a South Florida native in Pinecrest’s Jordan Faison, a lacrosse superstar, as well as Will Pauling and Virginia transfer, Malachi Fields.

The ND offense is well-rounded beyond the playmaking receivers, which will not make it easy to isolate their defenders onto the receiving corps. At this point, August 31 is right around the corner and it will be the ultimate test out of the gates in the first time virtually any of the secondary guys play together – as well as the first time Hetherman and Etheridge (and Cristobal) lead the Canes defensive unit together.

Regardless, the Canes CB unit appears new and improved. Well, I guess anything would be an upgrade from last year’s unit but this one objectively exudes confidence on paper as one that could compete.