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Podcast: Five key questions facing Miami and Mario Cristobal heading into the offseason

Mario Cristobal’s first season as the coach of the Miami Hurricanes ended with a thud Saturday.

A 42-16 rout at the hands of the Pittsburgh Panthers means Miami failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2007, so the offseason is underway sooner than expected in Coral Gables.

As Cristobal now heads into Year 2, the pressure will be on the 52-year-old to prove this was just an outlier rebuilding season on the way to turning Miami back into the powerhouse he promises it will be.

The Eye on the U podcast sort of is skipping over a season-in-review show this year to look ahead to the future. David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald, instead pose five key questions facing Cristobal and the Hurricanes (5-7, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) as the first-year coach goes into his first full offseason at Miami.

The big question is, What did Cristobal learn from this disastrous debut season? He keeps saying the talent needs to improve, but where might he look to add? It needs to start with making the offense more dynamic.

This could also come down to coaching and whether Cristobal will make changes to his staff is another major question going into the winter. Expect some changes — coaches rarely keep staffs totally intact after losing seasons — even if they’re not all splashy. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ departure shouldn’t be taken as a foregone conclusion, given some of the injuries the offense faced this year and the philosophical like-mindedness he has with Cristobal.

Cristobal’s biggest task might be handling the transfer portal. There’s the question of who he can’t afford to lose -- in injury, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke proved to be indispensable this year -- and who he needs to add. Last offseason, he made a bunch of portal pickups, but only a few — running back Henry Parrish Jr., and defensive linemen Darrell Jackson Jr. and Akheem Mesidor — were immediate difference-makers or no-doubt long-term building blocks.

Lastly, it’s officially recruiting season for the Hurricanes and Cristobal already made a splash Tuesday by flipping four-star athlete Collins Acheampong from the Michigan Wolverines. Cristobal clearly believes recruiting trumps all and his Class of 2023 — sitting inside the top 10 of the 247Sports composite rankings — should be foundational, but how much will it help Miami in the 2023 college football season?

As always, thanks for listening and please continue to rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.