Miami’s fall camp opened with a pair of roster losses, and the biggest one is the kind that lands like a punch: former five-star pass-rusher Hayden Lowe is no longer with the program.
Mario Cristobal said the news on WQAM, confirming that Luka Gilbert is out for the season and that Hayden Lowe and Jontavius Wyman are no longer with the team.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said on WQAM that Luka Gilbert is out for the season and confirms that Hayden Lowe and Jontavius Wyman are no longer with the program.
- Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) August 4, 2026
For Miami, Lowe’s departure is the one that really changes the mood. The expectation was that he’d take a step forward this offseason and become part of a defense trying to keep its standard high after a dominant run last year. Instead, the Canes are suddenly down a highly regarded edge rusher before camp even gets rolling.
That matters even more with Akheem Mesidor now with the Los Angeles Chargers and Rueben Bain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miami needs production off the edge, and Lowe was supposed to be one of the young players helping carry that load for Cristobal and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.
Lowe was entering his second season in Coral Gables and had been projected as a major rotational piece, the kind of player who could turn into a difference-maker. Coming out of Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif., the 6-4, 250-pound defender signed with Miami as the No. 2 EDGE, No. 2 prospect from California and No. 16 player nationally, according to 247Sports.
His recruitment backed up that billing. Lowe drew 29 offers and chose Miami over Alabama, USC, UCLA and others, which is part of why this exit hits so hard.
The ceiling was obvious. A breakout season in 2026 felt like a real possibility.
Instead, his Miami career is over before it ever got off the ground. It’s not yet clear whether Lowe left on his own or was removed from the program, but the bottom line is the same: he’s gone, and Miami has another unexpected hole to fill.
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