Boasting a nearly clean bill of health, the Miami Hurricanes look to exploit a depleted Stanford Cardinal roster while talented freshmen prepare to fill key gaps in the rotation.
MIAMI, Fla. – The No. 7 Miami Hurricanes landed in California for Friday’s season opener against Stanford and the Atlantic Coast Conference released the initial injury report on Tuesday night.
Coming off a 37-27 win over Hawai’i, the Cardinal ruled 15 players out. Outside linebacker sophomore Gabe Kaminski is listed as doubtful. He had four total tackles, three solos and one assist, and two tackles for loss in last Saturday’s Week 0 game.
Five players are questionable, including fifth-year seniors outside linebacker Ernest Cooper and left tackle Niki Prongos, who was sidelined against the Rainbow Warriors with an undisclosed injury. Four players are listed as probable, including fifth-year senior safety Jay Green.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes only have two players featured on the report.
Sophomores tight end Luka Gilbert and cornerback Ja’Boree Antoine are ruled out (both undisclosed injuries).
The team will be primarily healthy on both sides of the field.
Gilbert was announced to miss the entire season ahead of fall camp. He was projected to be the primary backup to junior tight end Ellija Lofton and Antoine was expected to carve out a rotational role on the Hurricanes’ secondary.
Despite a couple of absences, it will present opportunities for others to step up.
Behind Lofton are a couple of intriguing freshmen tight ends: Gavin Mueller and Israel Briggs. They will likely have opportunities to deliver an immediate impact and cement themselves in the rotation. Mueller and Briggs were both four-star recruits. Blocking will likely play a significant role in who carves out an edge over the other.
Antoine is rumored to have suffered a knee injury in fall camp, but no legitimate confirmation. Last season, as a freshman, he primarily played on special teams but climbed the depth chart towards the backend of the season. In 12 games, Antoine logged seven total tackles, five solos and two assists, while appearing in all four College Football Playoff games, including the National Championship.
It’s an opportunity for defensive back JJ Dunnigan, another freshman, to deliver an immediate impact. Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman revealed in Monday’s press conference that he had three interceptions in a practice.
The Hurricanes’ entire offensive line came out of fall camp healthy. It will allow the coaching staff to experiment with different lineups and evaluate which works best on the field.
It’s worth mentioning that junior running back Jordan Lyle wasn’t ruled out or named on Tuesday’s report. He’s undergoing a legal process and facing charges of aggravated fleeing, eluding at high speed, and reckless driving. Lyle was arrested on Aug. 13, but the incident initially occurred on July 10.
Otherwise, the Hurricanes are more than healthy to kick off the 2026 college football season this Friday at 9:00 p.m. E.T., televised on ESPN.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes, Miami Heat, and Miami Marlins for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
