Quarterbacks Reese Poffenbarger and Cam Ward, who joined the Miami football program during the winter portal window, began their collegiate careers with FCS programs. Center Zach Carpenter, running back Damien Martinez and wide receiver Sam Brown began their careers with Power Conference programs.
Martinez is the only one of the five who has transferred once. Miami added Martinez this spring after he was a two-time first-team All-Pac 12 at Oregon State. Zach Carpenter began his collegiate career at Michigan before transferring to Indiana and then Michigan. Brown began his career at West Virginia before spending two seasons with Houston.
Brown was the only one of the five who was a four-star signee per the 247Sports rankings. The 247Sports composite rankings had Brown as a three-star prospect. Carpenter, Martinez and Poffenbarger were consensus three-star signees. Ward wasn’t ranked.
Brown was the only one of the five Miami offensive transfers who ranked inside the top 500 players in his class as a high school prospect. Ward, Martinez and Brown were all inside the top 60 2024 transfers. Carpenter is a top 15 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 transfer portal.
Ward’s national profile ascended rapidly during his two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word in San Antonio. When Ward transferred to Washington State in 2022, he was the 22nd-ranked transfer and fifth QB. Ward was the 14th-ranked transfer and the fourth QB in 2024. The ascension by Ward has been impressive for an unranked recruit.
Poffenbarger signed with Old Dominion in 2021 before transferring to Albany after one season as a redshirt. In two seasons with Albany, Poffenbarger threw for 5,969 yards, 56 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while running for 200 yards and five TDs. Poffenbarger was the 791st transfer and 67th 2024 portal QB.
After being the 600th-ranked prospect in the 2022 class, Martinez earned first-team All-Pac 12 in both seasons at Oregon State. Martinez earned the 2022 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Martinez was the 33rd-ranked 2024 transfer and second-best 2024 portal RB.
Brown was the highest-ranked of the 2024 Miami offensive transfers as a high school prospect. Initially signing with West Virginia in the 2020 class, Brown was the 448th ranked prospect, three stars in the 247Sports composite rankings and four-stars in their house rankings.
Carpenter signed with Michigan in the 2019 class as the 547th ranked prospect, 32nd guard and 20th prospect in Ohio out of legendary Bishop Moeller in Cincinnati. Carpenter started 25 out of 27 games at Indiana and earned honorable mention all-Big 10 in 2024.
Ward, Martinez, Brown and Carpenter project as starters and impact players for the Miami football team in 2024. They all have significantly improved throughout their collegiate careers. Mario Cristobal and his staff did a good job evaluating talent, targeting the transfers they wanted and getting them to sign with Miami.
