The Miami Hurricanes finished their 10-3 season where it looked they would achieve things unparalleled with Cam Ward. This was a season that promised so much more, and yet they walked out of it, having actually brought in nothing. Nevertheless, they still are looking like a team to be reckoned with in the 2025 season having signed a solid QB in Carson Beck. Then came another addition which shook the very foundations of how football in colleges work.

Yes, it was the addition of the cornerback Xavier Lucas to their 2025 roster. Lucas, who was a CB talent of the 2024 class, joined the Wisconsin Badgers and looked decent all over the season as a freshman. A 4-star prospect in their 2024 class, he was ranked 35th in his position. His future certainly looked bright for him at the Badgers until he chose to jump ship and join the Miami Hurricanes. Bolstering a CB room that already has several talents in Miami’s 2025 roster. Mario Cristobal was recently put on the spot in an interview, and he chose not to throw a hard ball at it, and here’s why.

Cristobal certainly didn’t duck the question, although he didn’t quite open up too much on Lucas and his future at Miami. The interviewer asked the Miami Head Coach about the Corner group he is building in his roster and updates about Ethan O’Connor, Charles Brantley, and especially Xavier Lucas. He response? Well, that’s something we’re getting on.

Cristobal said, “We became unhealthy in a hurry, and then things certainly didn’t work out on that side of the ball (defense). So Ethan O’Conor special athlete long explosive, has got a tremendous future great man-to-man ability and is a willing tackler. His face in there loves to have fun during practice. I mean, he’s like all these guys. You’re probably going to hear the same traits about all of them same thing”. Ethan O’ Connor, who joined Miami from Washington State, had 32 total tackles in the previous season as a freshman and is looking like a real game changer in defense. Coach Cristobal also praised some of his other players before talking about Xavier Lucas…

Cristobal highlighted his other CB addition. “With Karnley (Emmanuel), you know he’s another physical, long, and these guys are all over 6 foot, they’re between 6 and 6 foot 3, and they’re all long, they’re explosive, they could run. Xavier Lucas is same thing; you all know him from his track days down here running; I believe in 10-4, 10-5. He’s a bigger one; he’s more in the 195 -200 lb range“. Emmanuel Karnley joined them from Arizona Wildcats and also had quite a decent season with them as a freshman in 2024. The Miami Hurricanes certainly have notched up some good cornerbacks and bolstered their defensive room. Considering that is where they had most of the problems in the 2024 season. However, the major transfer that raised too many eyebrows and discussions was Xavier Lucas, and here’s why.

Xavier Lucas and Miami Hurricanes at odds with the Wisconsin Badgers?

Xavier Lucas initially wanted to join Miami through the transfer portal and requested the Badgers to list him in the portal. His request to enter the portal was denied, citing a revenue-sharing agreement executed between both parties. Lucas went on with it anyway and stopped attending his classes and enrolled in Miami starting from 2025. This caused a lot of hailstorms in the Big 10 and especially for other Badgers.

Badgers accused Miami of tampering with their player and violating the NCAA regulations. Big 10 jumped in the conversation and said, “The Big Ten Conference stands in full support of the University of Wisconsin regarding the contractual agreement between student-athlete Xavier Lucas and the Wisconsin football program”. Miami then denied these allegations, and Lucas’s lawyer clarified and defended his client through scathing statements. He said that the agreement is null and void ab initio since the House v. NCAA settlement hasn’t gone through yet. The controversy hasn’t died down and is still brewing a lot of media attention. The verdict?

Well, Mario Cristobal has got his player in Xavier Lucas; maybe by hook or crook, no one knows. But, Badgers being badgers, they aren’t budging now anytime soon. And with the landscape the college football is in right now, no one can say what can happen in the future.