Miami defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald made it clear ahead of the Wake Forest game that his value to the Hurricanes comes from being able to line up almost anywhere the staff needs him.
After getting work at cornerback in the FAMU game, Fitzgerald said the chance to help in different spots is exactly what he wants. “It's just great.
Just to be able to help the team in many different ways. So whatever Coach Hetherman, Coach Cristobal, Coach Harris, whatever they need me to play, I'm wanting to do it at any risk.”
He also addressed Mario Cristobal’s comment that he could play wide receiver, and Fitzgerald didn’t sound surprised by it. “Cristobal loves me, and I just put in the work.
So whatever he asks me to do, I'm gonna do it anyway. So I think him just seeing my versatility in practice, yeah, I think he was just saying something.”
That versatility has been the biggest theme in his development, and Fitzgerald said he still sees himself as a player on the rise. “Great.
I had an okay season last year, but I'm still an unfinished product just to get better. Whatever they need me to do, they need me to play corner, nickel, safety, linebacker, it don't matter.
I'm gonna do it regardless, whatever they need me to do.”
Fitzgerald also had praise for J.J. Dunnigan, who started at safety against FAMU.
He called Dunnigan “that's a freak of nature,” and added that the young defender handled the opportunity like a veteran. “He came in 200 pounds, just a blessing, a great product.
And they told him FAMU that he was starting, and he was ready. He took it on like a pro in the film room, asking me questions, everybody, he just he was ready to go.”
Looking ahead to Wake Forest, Fitzgerald described the Demon Deacons’ offense as a tough test. “They're a great team.
They got a lot of good receivers, a good quarterback, great offensive coordinator. Just, he's just ready to go out there, have fun, be 1-0.”
And for Fitzgerald, moving out to cornerback isn’t some unfamiliar assignment. He said he played the position throughout his high school career, including his entire senior season and half of his junior year.
“Cornerback in high school, I played my whole senior year, half my junior year, just depending on who we played. But cornerback, it's not a big challenge for me.
I played my whole life. So I already had the hips, the ankles, and now they just, they need me to go play.
So I told them, Coach, I'll do whatever.”
In Other News...
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A recruitment that once looked headed Miamis way has suddenly become a lot more complicated. Five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright, who had been widely expected to land with the Hurricanes, is now taking a harder look at Texas, Ohio State and Florida, with his recent trip to Austin helping the Longhorns make a stronger impression.
Miami is still pushing hard for Wright, and the Hurricanes have even had one of their own voices working on the case in public, with Malachi Toney urging him to join the program. For a team trying to keep elite South Florida talent from drifting elsewhere, this is exactly the kind of late tug-of-war that can reshape a class, and Miami now has to finish stronger than it started. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces A Tough Road Test With Its Secondary Under Pressure
The No. 5 Hurricanes head into their next test with a little more intrigue than a typical early-season road trip. Miami is 2-0 and will visit Wake Forest, which is also unbeaten, in a matchup that has already drawn attention inside the program because of the way the Demon Deacons play and the way their quarterback, Gio Lopez, has looked so far. Mario Cristobal and several Miami players have pointed to Wake Forests physical style as part of the challenge, and it is the kind of game that can demand patience, discipline and a clean night in the secondary.
That secondary is where the pressure is most obvious. Miami will be missing two starting cornerbacks because of injuries, which shifts even more responsibility onto a defense trying to hold up in a tough road environment. For the Hurricanes, the question is less about reputation than readiness, with both sides entering the game unbeaten and the margin for error likely to be thin from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Just Framed What Miami Built In The FAMU Win
Mario Cristobal spent the aftermath of Miamis win over FAMU talking less about style points and more about the habits the Hurricanes are trying to build. He pointed to the work, energy and execution that showed up in the game, along with a few individual performances that stood out, including JJ Dunnigan, Vance Spafford, Javian Mallory, Armondo Blount, Luke Nickel and Dereon Coleman. For a team still in the process of putting its identity together, those kinds of nights matter because they give the staff a clearer read on where the younger players are and how the group is coming together.
Cristobal also made it clear that the value of a game like this goes beyond the final result, especially when it comes to giving younger players real snaps and keeping the standard where Miami wants it. The Hurricanes came away with a better sense of their depth and camaraderie, but the bigger question is how much of that progress carries forward once the competition stiffens. [Read more 🡒]