More help is on the way to Miami’s availability report, and not in the good direction.
The Hurricanes will be without junior safety Dylan Day when they open the season against Stanford, adding another hit to a secondary that was already short on bodies. Miami had already been told it would be missing defensive back Ja'Boree Antoine and tight end Luka Gilbert, with Gilbert out for the season. Day’s absence only tightens the squeeze.
Day played plenty last season and carved out a meaningful role in a defense that leaned on its depth. He finished with two pass deflections, 11 tackles, and a sack, and he was a useful piece in the different personnel looks defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman likes to use.
That loss also pushes more responsibility toward freshman safety JJ Dunnigan, who was already expected to see the field in this one.
The bigger picture for Miami is pretty clear: the secondary has been the team’s most injury-riddled position group over the past two seasons, and the Hurricanes are once again having to lean on the next-man-up approach. They are already down two in the backfield, and now another piece is gone before kickoff.
Stanford, meanwhile, comes into the matchup with 15 players already out after its week 0 game against Hawaii.
Miami’s full report includes a long list of unavailable players: linebacker Dylan Stephenson; wide receivers Carter Shaw and Daylen Sharper; defensive backs Jason Hil Jr, Breylan Thompson, Jack Duckworth, Zaiden McDonald and Aaron Morris; offensive linemen Aidan Kilstrom, Nathan Mejia and Nick Fattig; defensive linemen Jacobi Murray and Brendan Delaney; tight end Reiman Zebert; and kicker London Bironas.
Also listed as questionable are wide receivers Caden High and Nico Brown, linebacker Ernest Cooper, and offensive linemen Simione Pale and Niki Prongos.
On the probable side, safety Jay Green, cornerbacks Chris Garland and Jaivon Randall, and wide receiver Jacob Butler are expected to go.
Miami and Stanford are set for a 9:00 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN Sept. 4.
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Cristobal said Lyles situation has not changed as Miami moves through its game-week prep, which keeps the focus on how the Hurricanes will piece together the backfield and manage the rest of the absences. With multiple key contributors unavailable, the opener now carries a little more intrigue than Miami likely wanted, especially in a spot where early-season continuity usually matters most. [Read more 🡒]
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Miami Fans Should Know These Stanford Names Before The Opener
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Benji Blackburn gives Stanford a tight end option with size and a chance to matter in the middle of the field, while Micah Ford brings a running back profile that could help the Cardinal stay balanced. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Matt Rose stands out as a defender Miami will need to account for, giving the opener a few individual matchups that could shape how comfortable the Hurricanes look right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]