OXFORD — Spring practice has delivered its usual blend of optimism and unknowns for the Miami football program.

RedHawks coach Chuck Martin is guiding a program working to pair recent momentum with a roster in flux.

The RedHawks close spring workouts Saturday, April 26 with their annual spring showcase, offering the first extended look at a team reshaping much of its offense.

Miami heads into the 2026 campaign following one of the steadiest runs of Martin’s tenure, producing just one losing season in the last eight years.

The RedHawks won the Mid-American Conference Championship Game in 2023 and reached the title game in 2024 and 2025.

Defense and experienced leadership have anchored that success, helping stabilize a program that once struggled for consistency before Martin took over following the 2013 season.

This spring, the spotlight shifts to the other side of the ball.

“State of the offense? State of confusion might be one of the states we’re in,” Martin said with a laugh. “We’ve got a bunch of new guys. Freshman quarterback, a sophomore quarterback, a transfer quarterback. Running backs are young. Receivers are mostly new.”

Quarterback remains the most unsettled position, with no clear frontrunner emerging through 11 practices. Martin pointed to the competition among returner Thomas Gotkowski and transfers David McComb (Kansas) and Caleb Heavner (Fort Hays) as a positive development.

“Thomas is a young kid who got thrown in there and got some experience,” Martin said. “David’s really talented. Caleb’s played the most football of the group and is probably the calmest right now. We’re excited about all three.”

Questions stretch beyond the quarterback room, though.

Miami returns four main contributors — Eric Smith, Jacob Schorsch, Greg Smith Jr. and Kris Manu — along the offensive line, but Martin said that unit must elevate its performance.

“They were good for first-year starters,” Martin said. “But they weren’t at the level we expect. They’ve got to make that jump.”

At receiver, only a few familiar targets — including Lynel Billups-Williams, Braylon Isom and Keith Reynolds — are back, leaving opportunities for a deep but largely inexperienced group. Right now, D’Shawntae Jones is the only returning running back who saw consistent playing time last season.

“Every day it feels like a different guy makes a play,” Martin said. “Then the next day, that same guy struggles. But that’s part of having a young group.”

The result has been a spring marked by flashes and growing pains, typical of a team integrating new pieces.

“If you watch certain plays, I feel pretty good,” Martin said. “If you watch others, we can’t beat anybody. That’s probably how a lot of teams feel right now.”

Even with the offensive questions, Miami’s recent consistency offers a steady base. The RedHawks have leaned on defensive structure and a strong culture to remain a factor in the MAC, and Martin believes that identity remains intact.

The task heading into the fall will be building enough cohesion on offense to match that foundation — especially with an early test at Pittsburgh to open up the season.

“I don’t even know who’s going to play at Pitt right now,” Martin said. “If you told me to name it, I’d be rolling the dice.”

That candor reflects Miami’s position this spring — a team still coming together.