The Miami Hurricanes sputtered in Mario Cristobal’s head coaching debut. Cristobal and the ‘Canes went 5-7 in a season where they failed to live up to preseason expectations. Heading into 2023, it doesn’t look like it will get any easier.
Miami signed a high-ranked recruiting class, but they will now be absent a longtime starter. Hurricanes offensive lineman Jakai Clark will hit the NCAA transfer portal. On3 Sports tweeted on Tuesday evening, “Miami IOL Jakai Clark intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per Manny Navarro.”
On3’s additional note there provides significant context. Clark had previously started 42 games on the offensive line for the ‘Canes. He was a full-year starter in his freshman season in 2019. He then went on to start 10, nine, and 11 games along the way.
Clark previously was committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini as well as the Auburn Tiigers. In late 2018, he flipped to Miami shortly after taking an official visit.
Prior to his commitments, the Loganville, GA native held offers from Arizona, Boston College, Louisville, Minnesota, Oregon State, Temple, and West Virginia according to 247Sports.
Miami will simply have to continue to rebuild as Cristobal hopes to bring the program back to prominence. It didn’t do them any favors that Jaden Rashada flipped to Florida earlier this offseason (Although, that situation has taken several twists and turns since his flip to the Gators).
[On3]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022