Through the Smoke: A Miami Hurricanes football podcast · 247Sports, Miami, Miami Hurricanes, Miami football, Miami athletics, College Football

Mailbag Podcast: Team and recruiting takes after two weeks of the 2025 season

September 9, 2025·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

David Lake names Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, and Miami as top college football playoff contenders after two weeks.

Mailbag mode fits this show. David Lake and Gabby Urrutia start with subscriber questions and keep circling the same useful questions: how good are these opponents, how much talent is really there, and what does Miami's standing mean after two weeks of the 2025 season? USF does not get waved away. The read is simple enough: a good Group of Five team, scrappy enough to test Miami, and helpful to the resume if Miami handles it properly. UF gets the sharper critique. The problems are red zone execution, drops, personnel usage, technique, fundamentals, and late game management. The talent still matters, though. Florida is not treated as harmless, just less clean than expected and still dangerous if the right players pop in the right week. FSU comes off better than expected. The hosts see effort, athleticism, belief, and a team playing hard, while still wondering if the roster is truly high end. Louisville sounds unsettled. Miller Moss has not clicked yet in this read, but Jeff Braum still gets some trust because the staff is expected to find answers. Stanford gets the roughest review. Losses to Hawaii and BYU make the outlook sound bleak, with the hosts wondering where the wins are supposed to come from. SMU takes a little more sorting. The read leans toward missing Brashard Smith's run threat and last year's defensive line presence, which leaves more on Kevin Jennings and shows some erratic play. Ramello Brinson gets a real shoutout. His receiving production is treated as a bright spot, even if the team still needs rhythm and another playmaking gear. Then the talk shifts to quarterback risk. Manning, Carr, Lagway, Sayan, and Gunnar Stockton come up as examples of young or uncertain quarterbacks who may be fine long term without all hitting right away this season. The logic is blunt enough: if quarterback matters most and the outcome is uncertain, Miami should cut that risk wherever it can.

As heard by us

A steady Miami mailbag with roster, recruiting, and opponent talk.

This Miami Hurricanes mailbag works as a practical check-in on the team, with roster questions, recruiting notes, and a look at how USF shapes up as the next test. It feels more like a real football conversation than a polished segment, which fits the format well.

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Why you'd press play

Miami mailbag conversation on the Hurricanes' roster, recruiting, and the USF week ahead.

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