Most fans had pretty high hopes for Jordan Lyle in 2026. Although Mark Fletcher was embedded as the Miami Hurricanes starter in the backfield, Lyle had the door open to establish himself as a major piece in the backfield rotation. And through spring camp and some of the summer training camp, that looked like it was going to be the case.
Then the off-the-field issues came to the surface, and Lyle was held out for several games to start the season. While Lyle was dealing with the disciplinary fallout from his actions, true freshman Javian Mallory stepped in and stole the spotlight.
We're now seven games into the schedule, and Mallory has continued to look like the next big thing while Fletcher has been spotty. Lyle went from expectations of being a high-usage backup to trying to get in where he could fit in. But in the double-overtime win over FSU, Lyle showed signs that this season might not be completely lost.
Mallory was the star of the show against the Seminoles, with 108 yards and two touchdowns, but Lyle looked good with the opportunities he got. He finished with 42 yards on nine carries and ran with some authority.
Jordan Lyle Runs Over Ashlynd Barker pic.twitter.com/XkqPMwJSFz
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) October 18, 2026
Jordan Lyle might have found his footing against FSU
Mallory's performance had everyone buzzing, and it should have -- Miami's backfield might be a timeshare for the rest of the season, and the true freshman has earned the right to be a co-starter. But beneath that buzz was seeing Lyle finally look like the player we expected him to be. It got everyone excited, including offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.
"I think he's making huge strides. I thought that game was big for him. He came in and did some great things, and you can see his talent. He looks good, he feels good, he's in a good mindset, and I continue to see him doing exactly what he did more in that game," Dawson said of Lyle.
With Marty Brown done for the season, it's going to take multiple backs to support Fletcher and provide all the additional intangibles that Brown brought to the table. We've seen Mallory have his ups and downs in pass protection, but that's expected because he's a 19-year-old freshman. All three backs need to improve at catching balls out of the backfield.
So there are plenty of ways for Lyle to fill in some roles that are open in the backfield. He took a big step forward Saturday by simply running the ball with power and getting to the second level a few times. By earning more touches, Lyle will have more chances to achieve that breakout performance.
And as he gets stronger and more comfortable in his role, Miami becomes a much deeper and tougher offense to stop as we approach the games that will determine how successful the Hurricanes' season is going to be.
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