Miami Hurricanes Football

NCAA has begun an inquiry into the University of Miami regarding name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, per Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

Enforcement staff members visited Miami to conduct interviews and spoke with billionaire booster John Ruiz, per Dellenger. They were in Coral Gables, Florida for two days.

"I'm extremely comfortable with what we are doing. I have nothing to hide,” Ruiz told Dellenger regarding what he said was an "interview" with investigators. "It went super well. The NCAA is trying to wrap their hands around this sudden change of environment. They’re trying to figure out how the landscape is working."

Ruiz's remarks would seem to align with a report from Manny Navarro and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic:

The NCAA's NIL policy went into effect on July 1, 2021.

Per Dellenger, Ruiz has signed 115 athletes to NIL deals. Most attend Miami, but he's also inked deals with players from North Carolina and FIU. The NIL deals total $7 million.

Ruiz notably signed Kansas State transfer and Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack to a two-year, $800,000 deal to endorse two of his companies, LifeWallet and the Cigarette Racing Team.

Ruiz spoke more on the matter:

A lot of NCAA bylaws are hard to reconcile with the ability and right to enter into NIL deals. I think that the NCAA is starting to get a handle on the fact that it's not capable of navigating within the [state] NIL laws and their own bylaws. There is an internal conflict.

I felt the people from the NCAA were extremely pleasant. They are tasked with the job of making sure they gather enough information and create a functioning standard for everybody. There has to be better regulation.

A Miami spokesperson released a statement declining comment on the "specifics of the matter."

The news comes amid an exciting time for Miami athletics. The Hurricanes football team hired alum Mario Cristobal away from the University of Oregon to lead its program, the men's basketball team reached the 2022 Elite Eight and the women's basketball and baseball teams made the NCAA tournament as well.

Alonzo Highsmith is returning to his alma mater to become the general manager of football operations at Miami.

"Alonzo is a true Miami Hurricane," head coach Mario Cristobal said in Thursday's announcement. "He understands the commitment and sacrifice it takes to be a champion on and off the field. His tremendous passion for the University of Miami and this city is unparalleled."

The school said Highsmith "will work directly with Cristobal to support all administrative functions of the football program, including budget-related items, culture building, program imaging and working directly with staff members both on and off the field."

Previously, he had worked within the front offices of the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and most recently the Seattle Seahawks, in addition to playing six years in the NFL.

As Cristobal noted, Highsmith is revered among Hurricanes fans.

The 57-year-old had 2,850 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns in four years at Miami. He helped the program win a national championship in 1983 and usher in the era of "The U."

Cristobal's predecessor, Manny Diaz, did something similar with his staff when he hired Ed Reed as Miami's chief of staff in January 2020. Highsmith's executive experience creates a distinction between the two, however.

There's no question his return will excite the fanbase by playing on the nostalgia of the Hurricanes' most successful era. He's also uniquely equipped to both reestablish the culture that will separate Miami from its competitors.

More than anything, though, hiring a defined general manager is becoming more important with name, image and likeness legislation and the one-time transfer rule changing the college landscape.

Poaching Cristobal from Oregon was a coup for Miami, but recent history has shown the head coach alone can only do so much to return the program to prominence.

Bringing Highsmith back to Coral Gables, Florida, continues the wider moves the university has made to bring in the necessary infrastructure behind the scenes.

The Miami Hurricanes will reportedly add Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor to their football staff, per Manny Navarro of The Athletic. 

The position will be an "off-the-field role," which Taylor preferred.

Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports first reported the connection, noting that the 47-year-old had previously turned down other coaching opportunities at the college level.

Taylor has spent the past five years at high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving as the team's defensive coordinator the past two years.

After Taylor spent his college career at Akron, the majority of his time in the NFL came with the Miami Dolphins. A third-round pick by the team in 1998, the Pittsburgh native finished his 15-year career with 139.5 sacks, 11th in league history, while earning six Pro Bowl selections and the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year award. 

He was inducted into Canton in 2017.

The hire adds another person with an impressive resume to the Miami staff under new coach Mario Cristobal.

Fellow Hall of Famer Ed Reed is also in an off-field role for the Hurricanes as the chief of staff, while former coaches Kevin Steele and Charlie Strong were hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, respectively. Josh Gattis, the reigning Broyles Award winner as the top assistant coach in the country, was hired as the offensive coordinator away from Michigan.

All of this should help raise expectations for the program after finishing 7-5 in 2021. Miami has just one 10-win season in the last 18 years, but the new coaching staff is looking to return to national contention.    

Former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones could be released on $850,000 bond while awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge related to the 2006 death of Hurricanes teammate Bryan Pata.

ESPN's Paula Lavigne reported Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda said prosecutors presented a "viable case" against Jones, who's been held without bail since being arrested in August, but she didn't view him as a threat to flee. She also ordered him to not make contact with Pata's family or potential witnesses.

"I can't say he's not a danger to the community," Miranda said. "The risk of flight is what I'm looking at."

Juan Segovia, a homicide detective with the Miami-Dade Police Department, was among the people questioned during the bond hearing. He was the assistant officer on the case 16 years ago and took over the lead in 2020 when colleague Miguel Dominguez retired.

Segovia explained he would have handled the investigation differently but thought there was enough evidence to move forward with charges at the time, per Lavigne.

"If it was up to me, I would have arrested him in 2006," he said.

The prosecution's case leans heavily on the testimony of Paul Conner, a former University of Miami English professor who now resides in Ohio, who lived in the same apartment complex as Pata and provided police with a description of a man he saw walking away from the area after a loud bang was heard.

Conner picked Jones out of a photo lineup in both 2006 and when the case reopened in 2020, but defense attorneys noted he only placed his confidence level at "90 percent" originally, creating reasonable doubt, per Lavigne.

The defense used character witnesses to discuss Jones' work in the community, including as a youth coach, as part of his successful appeal for bond.

Michael Mirer, one of Jones' attorneys, said in an email to ESPN they "firmly believe that when this case is brought before a jury, Rashaun will be exonerated."

"There is a complete lack of evidence to substantiate the charge in this case and we look forward to our day in court," Mirer wrote.

The Associated Press reported in September, when Jones pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, that investigators found a pattern of confrontations between Jones and Pata, and Pata's brother said Jones threatened to shoot his brother two months prior to his death.

Jones told investigators he was home on the night of the shooting, but prosecutors said they obtained information showing his cell phone pinging different towers throughout the evening, according to the AP.

The next court date in the case is scheduled for Sept. 1.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor has reportedly been speaking with Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal about a position on his staff.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported the news Saturday and gave credit to CaneSport.com for first mentioning the possibility. Herald added that a "consultant or analyst role" is among the options.

Taylor starred for the Miami Dolphins from 1997 to 2007 and again in 2009 and 2011. He finished his career with 139.5 sacks and 774 tackles. He earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006 before winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2007. The six-time Pro Bowler also made first-team All-Pro on three occasions.

Cristobal, who played football at Miami from 1988 to 1992 and served on the coaching staff from 1998 to 2000 and 2004 to 2006, is in his first year leading the Hurricanes' program. He arrives from Oregon, where Cristobal led the Ducks to a pair of Pac-12 titles.

His best year was 2019, when Oregon won the Rose Bowl, finished 12-2 and ended the season fifth in the Associated Press poll.

Now he'll look to lead the Hurricanes to brighter and better days. Adding a former NFL superstar like Taylor would appear to be a huge win for Cristobal as the Hurricanes prepare for their 2022 debut against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 3.

Rashaun Jones, who is facing a second-degree murder charge for the 2006 killing of Bryan Pata, told police he "had nothing to do with" the death of his former Miami Hurricanes football teammate.

Paula Lavigne of ESPN reported Thursday on the video statement made by Jones for police after he was arrested in August and pleaded not guilty ahead of Monday's scheduled bond hearing.

Pata was shot in the head outside of his apartment in 2006, and an ESPN investigation in 2020 found that Jones has been a suspect since 2007. Per Lavigne, August was the first time Jones had been questioned by police about the evidence against him.

Retired University of Miami writing instructor Paul Conner, who picked Jones out of a photo lineup in 2007 after he told police the day after the shooting he heard a "pop" noise and saw a man jogging through a parking lot, is among those who will be questioned at the bond hearing.

Jones' comments come from a videotaped interview with Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Juan Segovia from the day of his arrest.

"I know how that could look because of the situation," Jones said in the interview while also acknowledging if he was a detective he would see himself as a suspect. "But I'm telling you, I had nothing to do with him dying."

Segovia presented evidence to Jones that included testimony from an eyewitness saying Jones was quickly exiting the area after the shooting, phone records disputing his assertions he was home the night of the shooting, a gun Jones owned and allegedly used to threaten people with, and statements from those who knew them that said Jones threatened Pata after they quarreled about a woman—Jones' ex-girlfriend who was dating Pata.

"I got up from there and went downstairs," Jones said when talking about the fight regarding his ex-girlfriend. "I might have cried a little bit, but it wasn't any ongoing beef where I was at Bryan or trying to hurt Bryan."

He also continued to deny he went near Pata's apartment that night even though he knew where it was because he was friends with his teammate's cousin. He also said allegations he threatened people with the gun were untrue.

"I can't explain to you," he said when asked about the cellphone records indicating he wasn't home. "I don't know. Just really bad luck, really bad. Look, I'm telling you. I have nothing to do with this guy being murdered, nothing. It ain't no 15 years of telling myself I didn't do it."

Jones also said the reason he changed his phone number on the day of the shooting and didn't attend a team meeting was that then-head coach Larry Coker said he was suspended for failing a second drug test and he didn't want people to be able to reach out to him and criticize him for it.

He also pointed to a video of him helping Pata tie his shoes at a football game shortly before the latter's death as proof he did not want his teammate dead.

"If I'm beefing with somebody and I want somebody dead, why am I tying their cleat for? I'm literally down there tying his cleat," Jones said.

In August 2021, Elizabeth Merrill and Lavigne reported Jones could face the death sentence or life without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.

Josh Gattis will reportedly become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Miami, according to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.

Gattis has reportedly informed players at Michigan that he has taken the new job, per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN. 

Gattis spent the past three years as Michigan's offensive coordinator, winning the Broyles Award in 2021 as the best assistant coach in the country. The Wolverines won the Big Ten title last season while earning their first-ever spot in the College Football Playoff before losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

The Michigan offense ranked 16th in Division I with an average of 35.8 points per game.

Prior to Michigan, Gattis was co-offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2018 and receivers coach for a unit that featured DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs III.

The 38-year-old also has experience at Penn State, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan.

He now joins a program looking to turn things around under new coach Mario Cristobal. The team finished 7-5 last year under Manny Diaz, but there are high expectations for the new staff, especially after hiring Gattis and seasoned defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

Gattis will have plenty to work with in his new job, starting with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The 4-star recruit totaled 2,931 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games as a freshman in 2021.

Michigan, meanwhile, will have to replace another key member of its staff after defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left for the Baltimore Ravens. Prior defensive coordinator Don Brown left to become head coach at UMass a year earlier and recently hired another former Michigan coach in Steve Casula, whom Gattis referred to as his "right-hand man," per Aaron McMann of MLive.com.

It leaves plenty of questions for the Wolverines even after Jim Harbaugh remained with the program amid NFL interest. 

Gattis reportedly had internal support to become the next Michigan head coach if Harbaugh had left, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. Just a few days later, he is no longer part of the program.

Co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore could be an internal candidate to replace Gattis, while quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss will also likely get consideration.

The Miami Hurricanes will not participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Washington State because of COVID-19 protocols, the team announced Sunday. 

Miami released an official statement on its website about its withdrawal from the game:

“We are extremely disappointed that our football team will be unable to participate in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl,” Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Strawley said. “But due to the number of COVID-19 cases impacting our roster we do not have enough student-athletes to safely compete, and the health and safety of our student-athletes will always be our top priority. This team worked hard all season to earn a bowl invitation and my heart goes out to our student-athletes, especially our seniors. I also want to thank Interim Head Coach Jess Simpson and our football staff for all of their efforts in preparation for this bowl game.

“We regret the impact this has on the Washington State program and their postseason experience. I want to commend the Sun Bowl Association for their tireless work in helping us navigate this situation over the past several days. We are grateful for their support as an Atlantic Coast Conference bowl partner.”

The news comes after ESPN's Andrea Adelson reported on Dec. 23 that multiple Hurricanes players had tested positive for COVID-19. 

Adelson also reported that the team's COVID-19 issues would prevent the Hurricanes from traveling to El Paso, Texas, for the matchup until one day before the game was set to be played on Dec. 31. 

In addition, Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas told Adelson the Hurricanes were "doing everything they can to play" in the Sun Bowl. 

"I think they really want to be at the game; the way I understand it their results are headed in the right direction," Olivas said at the time. "We're all optimistic they're going to be here."

Miami finished the season 7-5 and won five of its final six games to reach bowl eligibility and earn a spot in the Sun Bowl. Washington State also finished 7-5 and won three of its final four games. 

The Hurricanes aren't the first major program to pull out of a bowl game this year. COVID-19 and injuries forced Texas A&M to withdraw from the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest.

Other teams to pull out of their respective bowl games include the Virginia Cavaliers, Boston College Eagles and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. 

Tight end prospect Jaleel Skinner announced Friday he will sign with Miami after initially committing to Alabama.

The 4-star prospect committed to Alabama in October but chose not to sign his letter of intent during Wednesday's start of the early signing period. He has now flipped his commitment, becoming one of the top players in the 2022 class for new head coach Mario Cristobal.

Skinner is considered the third-best tight end in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and the No. 98 player overall.

At 6'5", 210 pounds, Skinner has excellent size for the position with the type of speed that could make him a true mismatch at the higher levels. 

It could represent a significant addition for a Hurricanes squad that finished just 7-5 this season.

This is also a valuable building-block for Cristobal, who was hired as the head coach earlier this month to replace Manny Diaz.

Though Skinner will be just the ninth player signed in the team's 2022 class, eight of those players are 4-star recruits. As Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports noted, Miami's average recruit rating is fifth-best in the country.

It could lead to a quick turnaround for the program as it looks to return to contention in the ACC.   

The NCAA is investigating two "high-profile" NIL deals involving football players at BYU and Miami "for potential violations of the association's interim rules regarding new marketing rights for college athletes," according to Sportico's Daniel Libit and Eben Novy-Williams. 

The two deals might qualify as a pay-for-play setup, per Sportico, which is prohibited under NIL guidelines.

The BYU deal is reportedly in partnership with protein bar company Built, which provided compensation for every member of the football team. The Miami deal was with American Top Team, an MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym, which offered compensation to every member of the Hurricanes football program.

"We have communicated with the NCAA concerning the Built Bar NIL arrangement," Jon McBride, BYU's associate athletic director for communications and media strategy, told Sportico. "They have informed us they do not have any additional questions at this time. We will continue to monitor and abide by the NCAA interim NIL policy."

Miami told Sportico the school had not been contacted by the NCAA about the issue. 

Among prohibitions, NIL compensation cannot be given or offered to players based on their enrollment at specific schools, meaning it can't be dependent on their commitment to play for a school.

The NCAA's interim NIL policy took effect in June, allowing student-athletes to benefit from their names, images and likenesses. Student-athletes are allowed to engage in NIL activity that is consistent with the law of the state where the school is located. In addition, they have to report their NIL deals to their schools.