The news is promising for Jakobe Thomas after the senior safety was injured in the first half against Virginia Tech and did not return to the game.
Thomas left the game in the second quarter with an injury and went into the locker room. He returned to the sideline with additional pads on his arm, but did not return to the game. MIami won 34-17 with freshman Zechariah Poyser taking over some of Thomas' roles. Poyser finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
The good news is Mario Cristobal said that X-rays on Thomas' arm were negative, and he doesn't expect the transfer from Tennessee to miss next week's showdown against Pitt.
Good news for the Hurricanes: Jakobe Thomas’s X-Rays were negative, and Mario Cristobal expects him to be ready for next week.
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) November 22, 2025
"He took a really good shot there, probably a helmet right to the arm," Cristobal said. "You always want to check it and see if there's any type of fracture. X-Rays were negative. We feel really confident that he'll be ready to roll next week."
With top cornerback Keionte Scott out for the season, Thomas is the most experienced member of the defensive backfield and the clear-cut leader on that side of the ball. His presence will be necessary next week in a do-and-die game against the Panthers.
With Thomas out, Miami underclassmen stood tall
Miami has had to lean on underclassmen at various times this season and Cristobal has said over the season that it was more important to give young players meaningful snaps than leave starters in to run up scores. That approach has been criticized at times, but it's paying off big time down the stretch.
Freshmen Bryce Fitzgerald and sophomores Poyser, Damari Brown and OJ Frederique all had to play significant snaps Saturday and continued to impress. Poyser led the Hurricanes in tackles and had a big sack on a third down to end a potential scoring threat. Cristobal said that it's a message to future recruits that Miami trusts its young talent.
"It bodes well for us right now because they're playing at a high level. And certainly if you're a player out there, a recruit, you're saying, 'Man, these guys have some legitimate, real-deal dudes that are young and are making plays. It's exciting for now, and it's exciting for the future," Cristobal added.