Mario Cristobal Shared Vital Miami Hurricanes Injury Updates

MIAMI, Fla. – Coming off a bye week, the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes maximized the time off as several players are set to return from injuries; as head coach Mario Cristobal stated on The Joe Rose Show, “It paid off.”

“Ezekiel Marcelin Jr., Marquise Lightfoot, Xavier Lucas, and Damari Brown are all the way back,” he said. “The guys that were a little bit dinged up, they feel and look like they’re 100 percent.”

Even with having the best scoring and rushing defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Hurricanes have reinforcements on the way ahead of Saturday’s in-state rivalry clash against the Florida State Seminoles on prime time. Lightfoot left early in the first half of a 41-13 win over Clemson at Death Valley (Memorial Stadium). The rising star edge rusher has logged 19 total tackles, 11 solos and eight assists, 5.5 tackles for loss, and leads the program with five sacks thus far this season.

Lucas has been sidelined since the Hurricanes’ 45-6 win over Stanford on Sept. 4, the season opener. He and Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr. have been major absences to the secondary, which resulted in rising star Bryce Fitzgerald moving from safety to cornerback. The returns of Lucas and Brown will provide much-needed depth.

However, the same good news wasn’t shared about starting right guard Max Buchanan, who underwent surgery, which was revealed last Wednesday. He suffered a left knee injury against Clemson, but returned to finish the game. Buchanan has started in all five games thus far at right guard, as part of the Hurricanes’ reconstructed offensive line. Cristobal is hopeful he’ll be able to return later in the season – no specific timeline provided.

When asked about who would fill in at right guard, no names were mentioned.

“There are a lot of players that are continuing to compete,” Cristobal added. “I’m not going to label anyone this or that.”

When Buchanan went down, Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli filled in at right guard. However, the 21-year-old’s 6-2 and 298-pound undersized frame could be a concern. Jamal Meriweather is another prime candidate, who has experience all over the line of scrimmage, except center, from three years at Georgia. However, it could be Jackson Cantwell’s best opportunity to emerge from the shadows. The former elite five-star recruit has logged just 78 offensive snaps through the first five games of the season.

Meanwhile, Ben Congdon started against Clemson at left guard and has a strong chance to keep the job.

The Hurricanes are projected to win the remaining portion of Atlantic Coast Conference play on the regular season schedule. As one big body goes down, several others will be back on the field this weekend. Kickoff against the Seminoles is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. E.T. and will be televised on ESPN.

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