Miami's secondary took a hit early against Florida State on Saturday night. Safety Zechariah Poyser was ejected for targeting, and defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald left the game and headed to the locker room with an injury.
Poyser called for personal foul and targeting pic.twitter.com/qe55AWFTta
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) October 17, 2026
The losses came after Miami had worked through the bye week to get healthier on defense. Cornerbacks Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown both returned, which gave the staff more flexibility with Fitzgerald. But, the Hurricanes lost two of the players who have been central to the secondary's production and versatility this season.
Zechariah Poyser’s ejection
Poyser, a redshirt junior who transferred from Jacksonville State before the 2025 season, has started every game this year. He finished with 15 tackles through five games, including five against Clemson, and added two pass breakups. Last season he started all 16 games, ranked fourth on the team with 68 tackles, recorded three tackles for loss, one sack, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, and earned All-ACC honorable mention.
Miami was already without Ja'Boree Antoine and OJ Frederique Jr., who have missed extended time this season. Poyser's absence will once again force JJ Dunnigan and Omar Thornton into bigger roles.
Bryce Fitzgerald’s injury
Fitzgerald, a sophomore, led Miami with six interceptions as a true freshman in 2025 and earned Freshman All-America honors. He played both safety and corner this season while the Hurricanes navigated injuries at cornerback, and he was expected to move back toward his more natural safety role once Lucas and Brown returned. Through five games he had 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
Implications for the rest of the game and beyond
Miami entered the Florida State matchup with the nation's top-ranked scoring defense and first in the country in rushing yards allowed per game. The secondary has been a big part of that production even while dealing with absences.
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