The Hurricanes’ season started on Aug. 31 and extended until Jan. 19. Miami played 16 games — three more than any UM team has ever played in.

When deciding how to train this offseason and prepare for the 2026 season, Miami looked at two other local teams to see how they handled training after deep postseason runs. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said in an interview on WQAM’s “The Joe Rose Show” that the team’s off-field staff examined the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers’ regimens after their deep playoff runs, among other teams’ regimens, when preparing their offseason schedule.

“What did they do in the offseason?” Cristobal said.

Cristobal said players who played 400 or more snaps have less high-impact training this offseason.

“As long as you don’t compromise physicality, toughness and everything that comes with it and culture, I’m OK with it,” Cristobal said. “And you know what? The people we have downstairs, they’re real. They’re not these softies. They’re professionals. Everything they brought to the table, it matches up, for the most part, what I’m seeing with my eyes. So I have to learn. I have to keep growing as a coach. And they really helped me with that.”

Cristobal compliments Barkate

Darian Mensah was not the only high-profile player Miami poached from Duke last month. The Hurricanes also added star wide receiver Cooper Barkate, who followed Mensah to UM.

Barkate is a top-end player in his own right. He led Duke with 72 catches, 1,106 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. He was a second-team All-ACC selection. Barkate had a 76.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

“He was recruited as a safety by a lot of people,” Cristobal said. “So you know he’s got that mentality to just get after you. And he was a great player at Harvard, and out there, in three years, already had his diploma and went out to Duke and then from there he followed his quarterback into the portal. He’s explosive. Another 1,000-yard guy.

“It’s kind of neat. We have a lot of thousands, right?. Four-thousand (yard passer) here. One thousand there. Mark Fletcher (Jr.), a thousand (yards rushing), Malachi Toney, a thousand (yards receiving). Let just keep adding in those kind of numbers, we’ll be all right.”