Former Miami Hurricanes safety dismissed from Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State has dismissed sophomore safety Zaquan Patterson.
Iowa State v Miami - Pop-Tarts Bowl
Iowa State v Miami - Pop-Tarts Bowl | Dustin Markland/GettyImages

Miami’s safety room won’t feel this one, but it’s still a notable footnote in the Hurricanes’ 2024 class. Oklahoma State has dismissed sophomore safety Zaquan Patterson, a former blue-chip signee at Miami who transferred to Stillwater in May after one season with the Canes. The move was first reported by On3’s Brett McMurphy and no reason was given publicly.

Patterson wasn’t in Mario Cristobal’s 2025 plans after he entered the spring transfer portal in April, but he left on good terms, telling On3 at the time that his exit was about “right place, right time,” not any issue with UM’s staff. He committed to Oklahoma State in May, choosing the Cowboys after also weighing Florida and Ole Miss.

"It just was not the right place, right time. It has nothing to do with the program. Mario Cristobal and everyone in that facility are great people. I want to thank all the Canes fans as well. They’ve been a big part of my support. They made me feel at home. From the day I committed to now, they all showed major love."
Zaquan Patterson when leaving Miami

Patterson’s single season in Coral Gables was promising for a true freshman. He played in 12 games, finished with 19 tackles (15 solo), three pass breakups and earned his first career start in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State.

Patterson was a headliner in Miami’s 2024 haul out of Chaminade-Madonna (FL) — he was ranked a national top-100 prospect and was one of the cycle’s highest-graded safeties — before his spring move.

The timeline: portal entry (Apr. 25), OSU commitment (May 8), dismissal announced Aug. 18. More information will likely come soon but the fact remains that the signee from the 2024 class will now be seeking a third home in his young college football career.