Miami is playing for a spot in the national title game, and the transfer portal still finds a way to crash the party.
As the Hurricanes kicked off their College Football Playoff semifinal against Ole Miss at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night, news popped up that Miami wide receiver transfer Ray Ray Joseph has already signed with East Carolina.
ECU has signed Miami wide receiver transfer Ray Ray Joseph, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 9, 2026
Former top-135 overall recruit. Posted 14 career catches at Miami. Also contributed as a kick and punt returner. pic.twitter.com/GvCmKaqABm
Miami WR Ray Ray Joseph commits to East Carolina
It's funny timing because we live in an era where roster news never stops. College football is currently operating inside a condensed winter transfer window (Jan. 2-16) that has turned the portal into an around-the-clock marathon.
Joseph, a Miami native from Miami Edison, arrived as a touted four-star prospect in the 2023 class and was viewed as a potential game-breaking slot option with return ability. He was listed as the No. 132 overall player in the 247Sports Composite coming out of high school.
For Miami, Joseph never quite carved out the consistent receiving role. Over three seasons at Miami, he totaled 14 career catches for 135 yards and he did not score a touchdown as a Hurricane. His 2025 usage was especially light, with just two catches for 25 yards, both coming in the early-season win over Bethune-Cookman.
But, Joseph most clearly helped Miami in the return game. In 2024, he served as a punt returner, logging 17 punt returns for 128 yards. In that same year he also posted six receptions for 74 yards while appearing in 13 games. As a true freshman in 2023, he played in 10 games and contributed on both kickoff and punt returns, finishing that season with 251 all-purpose yards.
For East Carolina, Joseph is the kind of swing that makes sense for the program. He's a proven athlete with Power Four experience and has a track record as a returner.