Miami’s secondary took on a different look Thursday night against Florida A&M, with Bryce Fitzgerald sliding over to cornerback and true freshman JJ Dunnigan getting his first collegiate start at safety.
The change comes as the Hurricanes work through a wave of injuries at cornerback, with three starters and/or expected rotational players sidelined for multiple weeks. OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas were both hurt in Miami’s 45-6 win at Stanford last Friday, forcing the staff to shuffle the back end.
Frederique had been turning heads all through fall camp and had established himself as one of the team’s top performers. Lucas, meanwhile, was heading into what was supposed to be his second season as a full-time starter at cornerback in 2026. Between them, the two have logged major experience for Miami, with Lucas at 891 career defensive snaps and Frederique at 990.
Ja'Boree Antoine was also expected to be in the cornerback rotation after a strong offseason, but he suffered a lower extremity injury in the middle of fall camp and is out for an extended stretch. Both Lucas and Antoine are expected back at some point in the second half of the regular season, while Frederique’s injury is expected to take longer.
That opened the door for Fitzgerald, who was recruited to Miami as a cornerback in the first place. The move is a homecoming of sorts for the former high school two-way athlete, who ran a 4.48 in the 40 and also played basketball. As a true freshman in 2025, Fitzgerald intercepted six passes, though Pro Football Focus says he has played only two snaps at cornerback in his UM career.
Miami does still have two experienced corners available in Damari Brown and Ethan O'Connor. Brown played 55 defensive snaps at Stanford in Week 1 and gave up two catches for 34 yards on seven targets.
He has 792 defensive snaps under his belt in his Miami career and started five games in 2025. O'Connor logged 26 snaps against Stanford, and his résumé includes 633 defensive snaps and seven starts in 2025.
Dunnigan’s promotion gives the Hurricanes another young piece on the field. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound freshman played 33 defensive snaps at Stanford and stood out with his play speed and physicality.
In Other News...
Miami Secondary Suddenly Faces A Bigger Xavier Lucas Concern
Miamis secondary had already been leaning on youth, and the home opener only sharpened that reality. Xavier Lucas, who started in Week 1, did not play against Florida A&M, and the program offered no injury details for the absence. With the Hurricanes dealing with multiple injuries and absences in the back end, underclassmen like Bryce Fitzgerald and freshman JJ Dunnigan have been pushed into bigger roles sooner than planned.
Mario Cristobal has pointed to the groups versatility as a way to absorb those hits, but the situation also underscores how quickly depth can be tested in the secondary. Miami has spent plenty of time talking about recruiting and development as the foundation for surviving stretches like this, and Lucas status adds another layer of concern for a defense already asking younger players to hold more responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Still Havent Forgotten The One Florida A&M Shocker
Before Florida A&M and Miami met again in the late 2000s, the series had already built up a long memory for Hurricanes fans, and most of it was not especially kind to the underdog. The two programs first tangled in 1979 and then again over the years in matchups that usually followed the same familiar script: Miami controlling the game, leaning on its talent and depth, and coming away with another win. By the time the teams played through the 2009 meeting, the Hurricanes had turned the series into one of those old nonconference histories that can be retold almost by habit.
Still, the reason this one lingers is that not every chapter fit the pattern, and Miami followers have never entirely let go of the one result that broke through the routine. Even with the Hurricanes holding the clear edge across the series, the trip through those games from 1979 to 2009 shows why certain opponents stick in the memory longer than the record alone would suggest. For Miami, the larger story is dominance, but for fans, it is the shock that kept one Florida A&M afternoon from blending into the rest. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Freshmen Have A Real Chance To Change The Conversation
Saturdays opener against FAMU at Hard Rock Stadium gives Miami a chance to do more than just get the season started cleanly. It also offers a first real look at a freshman class that could help shape how this team is discussed early on, with defensive backs J.J. Dunnigan and Camdin Portis, quarterback Dereon Coleman and wide receiver Somourian Wingo among the newcomers worth keeping an eye on.
The backdrop matters because freshmen rarely arrive with the spotlight fully on them, yet Miami has several young players positioned to make an immediate impression. Their backgrounds and earlier performances have built enough curiosity to make this matchup more than a routine nonconference game, especially if one or more of them starts changing the depth chart conversation right away. [Read more 🡒]