Where do new transfers fit into Hurricanes’ plans for 2024?

The Miami Hurricanes picked up four touted transfer commitments last weekend, and all four will likely have significant rotational or starting roles for Miami this coming season.

With those additions, the Hurricanes shored up some existing depth issues on the roster, putting themselves in a better position for the 2024 campaign.

The first transfer, former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez, has an obvious spot on the roster. He fills the void left by Henry Parrish Jr., UM’s leading rusher from the past two seasons, who elected to transfer back to Ole Miss.

Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns and was a first-team All-PAC-12 selection. He has 2,167 rushing yards and 16 scores in his college career.

Martinez earned an 83.1 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus last year. He also had an 88.1 run grade, which was 40th in the nation among running backs with 100 or more carries last year.

The former Beaver running back, who has two years of eligibility remaining, stood out in several areas. Martinez had 39 runs of 10 yards or more, which was tied for sixth-most nationally among running backs with 100 or more carries. He averaged 3.82 yards after contact, which was tied for 26th nationally. Crucially, Martinez protected the football, earning a solid 84.9 fumble score from PFF after fumbling just once last season.

The Hurricanes return two of last year’s rotational running backs, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Ajay Allen, but both missed spring football due to injuries. They are expected to be ready to play in the fall and should do a good job complementing Martinez in a running-back rotation.

The next transfer to join the roster was linebacker Jaylin Alderman, who played against the Hurricanes while at Louisville last year.

Alderman, who also has two years of eligibility, primarily played inside linebacker with the Cardinals but also played outside. Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry primarily likes to run a 4-2-5 defense with two linebackers, and Alderman’s versatility will likely help him fill in quickly.

Alderman was a solid linebacker for the Cardinals, racking up 58 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season. He scored well in coverage, earning a 71.1 coverage grade from PFF, which ranked seventh among 20 ACC linebackers with 500 or more defensive snaps last year.

However, rushing the passer was not his specialty, as he ranked near the bottom of those 20 linebackers in quarterback pressures.  Alderman’s tackling was decent but not stellar. He missed 16.7 percent of his tackle attempts, according to PFF, which tied for fifth-most among that group of 20 everyday linebackers.

Alderman will likely rotate in at linebacker, working with veterans like Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe and young players like Raul Aguirre Jr.

Cornerback Dyoni Hill was the third commitment of the weekend. The Marshall transfer filled a critical position of need for Miami, which had lost two starting cornerbacks to graduation and was lacking in depth at the position.

Hill, who played under Guidry and new Hurricanes cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson at Marshall, has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Hill, an outside cornerback, had 55 tackles, 10 pass breakups and an interception last season. PFF gave him a solid score, rating him a 75.3 on defense and a 72.3 in coverage. His defensive grade ranked 14th out of 33 Sun Belt cornerbacks who played at least 500 snaps. Hill allowed 55.7 percent of targets to be completed, which was 10th-best in that group of Sun Belt corners. However, he gave up 15.2 yards per catch on those completions, which was 24th of 33.

Returning veteran Daryl Porter Jr. has one outside cornerback spot locked down, but Hill may compete with rising sophomore Damari Brown for the second spot. Whether he technically wins the job or not, he will likely see significant playing time this season.

The final transfer was Houston wide receiver Sam Brown Jr., who arrives at Miami with two seasons of eligibility, as well. Brown, an outside receiver, had 815 yards and three touchdowns on 62 catches last year. PFF gave him a 72.9 offensive grade.

Although Brown does not have the size 6-foot-4 former Hurricane Colbie Young brought, he is still a solid outside receiver option. Brown’s offensive grade was 12th out of 49 Big 12 receivers with 30 or more targets, and his yards after catch per reception (6.7) ranked 10th.

Brown was particularly successful on routes over the middle, earning a 90.7 grade on short passes over the middle, an 89.0 grade on intermediate passes over the middle and an 88.2 grade on deep passes over the middle.

The Hurricanes lost Young to the transfer portal (he ultimately enrolled at Georgia), opening up an outside starting spot. Isaiah Horton did well in the role during spring camp, and he will likely compete with Brown for that position.