A year ago, Jordan Lyle looked like he was ready to take over the Miami backfield. Now, after a frustrating 2025 season interrupted by injury, he’s back in the mix and drawing strong early praise from Mario Cristobal in fall camp.
Lyle’s path has been anything but smooth. In 2024, he showed off the kind of burst that makes coaches lean forward, piling up 400 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 7.4 yards per carry in a limited role. He had the kind of outbursts that stuck with people: 104 yards and a touchdown on just six carries against USF, then 115 yards and another score on seven carries against Wake Forest.
That production set him up to enter 2025 as the RB1. But the season never really got rolling.
Lyle was dealing with a nagging injury against Notre Dame and was limited to only five snaps, finishing that game with five carries for 11 yards. He didn’t get back on the field until Week 6 against Florida State, and from there his workload stayed capped.
He never played more than eight snaps in a game the rest of the season, shut things down after Syracuse, and finished with a season high of 24 rushing yards and one touchdown on four carries against Stanford.
The offseason gave him a chance to reset, get his body right, and attack 2026 with a fresh start. So far, that work has shown up.
During the first week of fall camp, Lyle has been one of the most impressive players on offense, and Cristobal said Tuesday he’s seeing a much fuller version of the running back.
"I see the Jordan Lyle that we saw a year ago in many respects, but with better physical traits," Cristobal said following Tuesday's fall camp practice. "He is healthy [now], which I think is a really important part.
I don't think people really knew the extent of how banged up he was last year and we see the full speed player now. I am really excited about him."
Lyle is up to 210 pounds, and he’s kept the speed and acceleration that made him such a highly regarded recruit out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Cristobal pointed to the work he’s done in strength and conditioning, saying, "Jordan has taken strength and conditioning very seriously and he has certainly improved improved his change of direction and acceleration and deceleration rates."
That matters in a Miami running back room that is loaded with options. The Hurricanes bring back starter Mark Fletcher, who ran for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Marty Brown added 474 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as the second-leading rusher, and Girard Pringle contributed 375 yards and four scores while averaging six yards per carry.
Lyle isn’t backing away from that competition. If anything, he’s using it as fuel. And in the opening stretch of camp, he’s making sure his name stays in the conversation for a bigger role in 2026.
In Other News...
Miami Suddenly Has A Fall Camp Battle Fans Can't Ignore
Special teams has become one of the more intriguing parts of Miamis fall camp, and the spotlight is falling on a kicking competition that is still very much unresolved. The Hurricanes brought in two transfer options to sort it out, with one coming from Northwestern and the other from FSU, and Mario Cristobal has pointed to the unit as an area he feels good about as camp moves along.
Cristobal also spent time talking about Jordan Lyle, whose recovery and improved conditioning have been part of the programs broader August conversation. The coaching staff clearly believes there is value in having him healthier and better prepared entering the season, but for now the kicking job remains one of the quieter battles that could end up mattering a lot once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Be Unlocking Even More From Transfer WR Cooper Barkate
Cooper Barkate has spent the second week of Miamis fall camp trying to turn a promising addition into something more complete. The senior transfer wide receiver has talked about sharpening his physicality and rounding out his game, which fits the tone of a Miami pass-catching group that seems to be pushing itself daily. Barkate has also pointed to the competition in the Hurricanes receiver room as a real advantage, saying the environment around him is helping bring out more from his own development.
For Miami, that matters because the Hurricanes are not just looking for another body at receiver, they are looking for players who can raise the level of the room and give the offense more options. Barkate appears to believe there is still another gear to find, and his optimism extends beyond this season to the idea that a stronger year in Coral Gables could improve his NFL Draft standing. The interesting part is how much more the Hurricanes can unlock before camp gives way to the real test. [Read more 🡒]
Former Miami Standout Could Reopen A Hurricanes Roster Debate
Malik Reneaus name is back in the college basketball conversation, and for Miami fans it brings a familiar what-if back into focus. After three years at Indiana, Reneau transferred to Miami and put together a career season, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team honors while giving the Hurricanes the kind of frontcourt production that can reshape a roster discussion in a hurry.
Now, after going undrafted and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic, Reneau is pursuing the possibility of another college season following a recent court ruling that opened the door for certain athletes to regain eligibility. The move raises an intriguing question for Miami circles: if that path stays open, would the Hurricanes have a place for a player who already proved he can change the look of a team in one year? [Read more 🡒]