Mario Cristobal reloaded his Miami football roster with a newcomer class stacked with blue-chip transfers and recruits. Talent acquisition at that elite level comes with a hefty price tag in modern college football, and those hesitant to embrace the NIL era are often quick to criticize the programs that engage in immense offseason spending. Cristobal, however, brushed off the narratives that surround his highly-touted haul.
Transfer quarterback Carson Beck is the centerpiece of the roster overhaul and commanded a $4 million NIL package despite the uncertainty surrounding the health of his elbow, which he injured while playing for Georgia in the SEC Championship. He represents just one of the numerous expenditures Miami tallied in a hectic transfer portal cycle.
“I could imagine some of the things that are said out there,” Cristobal said to CBS Sports’ Josh Pate. “I don’t know what value that type of noise or people really have. Actually, I guess the value lies in the fact that you can take your son or you can take a prospect and say, ‘You see all that noise and trash? There’s an example of what’s irrelevant in life and in processes of hard work.’ That’s maybe the only value to it.”
Miami is not alone in its spending. The nation’s top programs ran up the tab on the recruiting trail in an effort to stockpile talent before the House v. NCAA settlement officially opens the door to revenue sharing and reshapes budget constraints. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti said that the most expensive rosters in 2025 cost as much as $40 million.
Ohio State last season became the face of the NIL era when athletic director Ross Bjork said the football program spent $20 million to construct its national championship roster. That figure pales in comparison to the largest payrolls ahead of the 2025 season.
“I think you can also take a parent and say, ‘Look, your son is a high-profile guy,'” Cristobal said. “‘This is great practice, because when you’re playing in college and you miss a tackle or you throw a bad pass or when you’re onto the NFL and you enter a certain city, they’re going to throw tomato cans at you at every stop they can. You have to get used to what comes with sports.’ I guess that would be the only value: practice for the future or just point out what’s irrelevant.”
Cristobal’s primary emphasis during the 2025 transfer cycle was to bolster a defense that allowed far too many explosive plays, especially through the air, en route to last year’s 10-3 record that fell short of a College Football Playoff berth. He added seven defensive backs, a pair of linebackers and a defensive lineman through the portal.
Miami also secured plug-and-play weapons to slot next to Beck on the offensive side of the ball, including speedy former BYU wideout Keelan Marion and ex-LSU veteran CJ Daniels.
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