Questions are building around Hayden Lowe, and Miami’s staff is going to have to address them soon.
Lowe, the Hurricanes’ lone five-star signee in the 2025 class, did not play last season after Mario Cristobal said the edge rusher was dealing with an injury more serious than first thought. He was supposed to be working his way into the rotation this fall. Instead, there’s real uncertainty now about whether he’ll even be on the roster when the season gets going.
The chatter picked up again Sunday after a post said no one had seen Lowe at media day and noted that he had been on the west coast through the spring. The same post also said there was no clear explanation for what happened, while adding that Cristobal might eventually sort it out.
Miami is in the middle of media day and begins training camp Tuesday, so the next time Cristobal is in front of reporters, this is the question everyone will be waiting on.
Lowe arrived in Coral Gables with serious buzz. The Southern California product was a top-20 national prospect and rated among the five best edge rushers in the country.
He also turned heads during his first spring camp in 2025 before injuries derailed that momentum. He was away from camp this past spring because of personal issues.
The timing makes the uncertainty sting even more. Edge rusher is one of the clearest openings on the roster after Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft this past April. Miami needs somebody to emerge opposite Damon Wilson II.
Armondo Blount and Marquise Lightfoot are the names most likely to fight for that job on the left side, but Lowe was so disruptive in his first spring that he was expected to be in that mix too.
The Hurricanes have also added three edge rushers in the 2026 class as they continue to stock the position with young talent. Asharri Charles, DeAnthony Lafayette and Jordan Campbell all arrive with upside, but none of them are expected to give Miami immediate help.
One 2026 newcomer is already out for the year, though.
Freshman defensive back Jontavius Wyman announced August 1, 2026 that he plans to sit out the season.
“After a lot of thought, prayer, and conversations with the people closest to me, I’ve decided to sit out from football this year. I WILL BE BACK!!”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Wyman’s future is elsewhere, but it leaves the door open. He said he’ll be back, just not specifically back at Miami.
The secondary is a different situation from edge rusher. Miami has far fewer questions there and plenty of talent already in the room, both young and veteran, along with more incoming help this season and another highly regarded group expected in the 2027 class. In that sense, Wyman may simply be the odd man out in a crowded picture.
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Marcus Allens path back to the court has hit another painful detour, with the Miami forward set to miss the 2026-27 season because of a torn ACL. It is another tough blow for a player whose Miami story has already been defined as much by perseverance as production, after he fought through non-Hodgkin lymphoma last season while still staying around the program and supporting the team.
The setback also lands at a particularly harsh moment for the Hurricanes, who are already dealing with a second ACL injury after newcomer LJ Cason went down. For a roster trying to build any kind of continuity, losing Allen again removes a familiar presence from the frontcourt and adds another layer of uncertainty to a season in which Miami had hoped health might finally be on its side. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Lost A Key Forward Before The Season Even Starts
Marcus Allens latest setback is a tough one for Miami to absorb even before the season gets going. The junior forward had already made his comeback story a compelling one after beating non-Hodgkin lymphoma and being declared cancer-free following chemotherapy, and now the Hurricanes have to plan without one of the more meaningful pieces of their frontcourt rotation.
Miami announced Allen will be out for the 2026-27 season after an ACL injury, leaving the staff to rework its forward depth heading into the year. The program does have options at the position, but losing a player with Allens experience and perspective is still a hit, especially with the injury believed to have happened during summer workouts. [Read more 🡒]