Wesley Bissainthe’s name has suddenly landed back in Miami’s orbit, but that doesn’t mean the Hurricanes should rush to bring him home.
The Kansas City Chiefs waived Bissainthe on Sunday after he signed as an undrafted free agent following four seasons in Coral Gables. Now he’s weighing a return to college, and he’s one of 41 athletes covered by a temporary restraining order in the fifth-year eligibility fight.
That alone makes this a complicated situation. The ACC already took a hard line Thursday, voting unanimously that any player who signed a professional contract or appeared on a professional roster cannot play on a conference team. And for Miami, the idea of chasing this now and sorting out the consequences later feels like a mess waiting to happen.
Bissainthe was a real piece for the Hurricanes last season. He started 15 games, posted 71 tackles, added three tackles for loss, one sack and an interception, and helped Miami reach the national championship game.
But the way the program handled that season matters here, too. Both the staff and Bissainthe treated those as their final snaps together.
Summer and fall camp have already passed, and the coaches have spent that time giving reps to the players who remained.
Bringing him back in late August would mean taking those snaps away from players who earned them over months of work after Bissainthe headed for the NFL. If leaving and returning in September becomes normal, that creates a problem for everyone in the room, from returning starters to freshmen trying to win trust.
Timing is another issue. Miami opens Friday night at Stanford, and the Cardinal has already played once this season.
Adding a player during game week would not be a clean look, even if he knows the system. It has the feel of a hurried, awkward move that doesn’t really fit where the team is right now.
And then there’s the legal side, which is still far from settled. The ACC rule is plainly against this kind of return, and Miami was part of the unanimous vote to approve it. No player can come back after signing an NFL contract or appearing on an NFL roster.
Judge Martin Hoffman’s order in Dallas lasts 14 days, and another hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11. With rulings coming in fast and the landscape changing almost weekly, it’s hard for any college program to feel settled about making a move like this.
Bissainthe gave Miami four seasons, and that doesn’t disappear if the Hurricanes decide not to reopen the door. He remains appreciated. But with the roster set, the opener four days away and the eligibility fight still unfolding, there are more than enough reasons for Mario Cristobal and Miami to leave this one alone.
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The uncertainty sits at guard, where true freshmen Jackson Cantwell and Ben Congdon are both in the mix, with Cantwell likely to get the nod. Seuseu Alofaituli is also expected to start at guard while continuing to cross-train at center, giving Miami some flexibility if injuries or adjustments force Cristobal to shuffle things once the game begins. [Read more 🡒]
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For Miami, the appeal is obvious. Lees ability to help in more than one spot makes him the sort of prospect staffs keep circling back to, especially when multiple major programs are involved. The Hurricanes already have two verbal commits in the cycle, but the bigger question is whether they can turn that early progress into a stronger foothold with a player whose recruitment should stay active for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Still Has A Jordan Lyle Question Before The Opener
Mario Cristobal still has one notable backfield question to sort out before Miami lines up against Stanford, and it centers on Jordan Lyle. The Hurricanes coach did not offer a clear update on Lyles status as the opener approaches, leaving the junior running backs availability uncertain after a stretch defined by legal issues and injuries that kept him from producing much last season.
Miami has been preparing to lean on a committee approach in the backfield either way, with several players in the mix for carries. Even so, Lyles situation matters because his presence would change the shape of that rotation, and the Hurricanes would like a cleaner answer before kickoff rather than carrying the uncertainty all the way to game day. [Read more 🡒]