Miami is getting a major defensive boost at the perfect time.
Mario Cristobal confirmed Monday morning on the Joe Rose show that Xavier Lucas, Marquise Lightfoot, Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. and Damari Brown are all back ahead of Florida State. All four had been dealing with injuries or bumps and bruises heading into the bye, and the extra week appears to have done the job.
Lucas is the biggest name in that group. Miami had been without both starting corners since Stanford, and while OJ Frederique’s injury was the more long-term issue, the expectation from sources had been that Lucas would come back after the bye all along. He gives the Canes size, strength and speed at corner, and he also brings a solid track record from camp, along with a strong matchup memory from last year’s battle with Duce Robinson, Florida State’s big X receiver.
Brown’s return matters just as much in its own way. At more than 200 pounds, he’s one of the strongest corners on the roster, and Cristobal said the team had been short at the position enough that Brown was asked to play through an injury. Now he gets the chance to do it healthy.
Lightfoot gives Miami another body back up front after missing time early. The defense held up without him against Clemson, but his presence still changes the look of the unit. The Chicago native has been outstanding to open his junior season and has been a key part of a Miami defense that allows the lowest percentage of touchdown drives in the country.
Marcelin was also on the verge of a larger role before he got hurt. He’s flashed every time he’s been on the field, and this linebacker room can use more young players pushing behind Chase Smith and Mohamed Toure, both of whom came up big at Clemson.
The returns also open up more options for Bryce Fitzgerald. Cristobal said moving him back to safety is on the table, though he can line up anywhere, including nickel.
Omar Thornton has done some good things at nickel, but not without some negative plays mixed in. That gives Miami a real decision: keep Fitzgerald in the slot, or put him back at safety on third and long and let him use his range and ball skills the way he did last year.
Not everyone is ready to roll yet. Max Buchanan is still out, though Cristobal said he hopes to get him back later in the season, with the playoff stretch the more realistic target.
Ja'Boree Antoine also remains sidelined and will not play this week, and the feeling is that his return is closer to the Notre Dame timeframe. Armondo Blount is not injured, but he was part of the group that simply needed rest.
The good news for Miami is that the bye didn’t just heal bodies - it also clarified depth. Ryan Mack showed he can be trusted off the bench at corner.
Dylan Day had a strong game at safety. On the defensive line, Jarquez Carter, Herbert Scroggins III and Booker Pickett Jr. all contributed, with Pickett handling the extra-rusher role that Lightfoot had filled.
And they did it on the road, at Clemson and at Wake.
That said, Florida State is not being treated like a soft landing spot. Cristobal gave the Seminoles their due, pointing to ten sacks against Virginia and what he called an elite red zone offense. With two top-10 teams already getting upset, Miami knows exactly what kind of week this is.
In Other News...
Miami Faces One Big O-Line Concern Before Florida State
Miami is getting healthier on defense at a good time, with Ezekiel Marcelin Jr., Marquise Lightfoot, Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown all back in the mix ahead of the Florida State rivalry game. That gives the Hurricanes some needed depth and flexibility on that side of the ball as they head into one of the biggest dates on the schedule.
The more immediate concern is up front, where starting right guard Max Buchanan had surgery for a left knee injury and is expected to miss some time. Miami has not given a firm return timeline, and the staff is sorting through options to replace him on the offensive line, a spot that could loom large with Florida State coming fast. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Basketball Just Got An Early National Reality Check
KenPoms preseason numbers are in, and they give Miami a pretty solid national starting point after last seasons NCAA tournament exit. The Hurricanes come in at No. 22 overall, with an offense rated 118.4 and a defense sitting at 94.9, a profile that suggests a team with enough balance to hang around the top 25 if it settles in quickly.
The first real test arrives right away on Nov. 2, when Miami opens against Florida, the No. 2 team in KenPoms preseason rankings. It is the kind of early measuring-stick game that can tell a staff plenty about where the Hurricanes stand before the long grind of ACC play really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis FSU Ticket Scramble Put One New Problem Front And Center
The scramble for free student tickets to Miamis rivalry game against Florida State turned into a familiar kind of college-football chaos as the Hurricanes opened access through a new Ticketmaster system. Students ran into long virtual lines and website issues, even though the school had set up the process with the promise of making distribution smoother and more orderly than the old way.
By later in the day, tickets were still available, which took some of the immediate heat off the rush but did little to quiet the questions around the partnership Miami announced in July. The new setup was supposed to streamline the process, but the opening act instead gave students another reminder that a better ticketing experience is still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]