UPDATE: Jakobe Thomas has since been ruled out for the rest of the game against Virginia Tech.
Miami has been banged up in the secondary and the one player the Hurricanes probably can't afford to lose right now is safety Jakobe Thomas.
Thomas, an offseason transfer from Tennessee, is the de-facto leader on the back end of the defense now that Keionte Scott is lost for the season. So, when Thomas had to leave the game in the first half with an apparent injury, it was a major concern.
Miami DB Jakobe Thomas was hurt on the last play. He's a very important piece to the Hurricanes defense. Hope he's OK.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) November 22, 2025
Thomas returns to the field
The good news is that Thomas was able to return to the field with some extra reinforcements. Outside the concerns with Thomas, the Hurricanes' defense has been solid and Miami is on pace for another blowout that should hopefully play well with the College Football Playoff committee.
Jakobe Thomas is back on UM's sideline. He's got some kind of cuff or something on his left arm, above the elbow, that I didn't see before.
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) November 22, 2025
Hopefully the issue is minor. Thomas had arguably his best game of the season last week against N.C. State when he picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown. For his efforts Thomas was one of the highest-graded defensive players on PFF for the week.
With the halftime score at 20-3, we'll see how much Thomas plays in the second half. Virginia Tech is one of the worst passing teams in the ACC, and it's hard to see the Hokies being able to come back from a three-score deficit without a lot of help.
Thomas wants to be remembered as a great 'Cane
During his media session this week, Thomas talked about his appreciation for being at Miami and his efforts to bring a championship back to the program. He hopes that his play will allow him to be mentioned with the great Miami safeties like Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.
Jakobe just gets what it means to be a Cane 🙌🫡
— Miami Hurricanes (@MiamiHurricanes) November 21, 2025
Catch Jakobe Thomas on the latest episode of Storm Sessions, presented by OmegaXL Sport! https://t.co/r2dp7wou1l pic.twitter.com/G0LRwJ8Qke
"The history here. I want to be part of these history books. I want kids to look up to me one day and think about me when they're playing at Miami," Thomas said. "To represent the U is everything, especially when you think about all the great people that have passed through this university. I remember all the guys that have sweated on their field, bled on this field...I'm paying homage to them each and every day.