Miami Hurricanes junior safety Bubba Bolden returning to UM next season
Another top Miami Hurricanes player has chosen to return to UM next season instead of entering the 2021 NFL Draft. But this time it’s on the defensive side of the ball.
Redshirt junior safety Bubba Bolden, a 2020 semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, will stay at Miami to hone his already considerable all-around skills and likely raise his draft stock in 2022. Bolden’s decision, announced Tuesday in a video, came despite news that UM safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda is leaving Miami to become the Utah State defensive coordinator.
“I’ve never been satisfied with not being the best,’’ Bolden said on his announcement video. “My college journey has been filled with many highs and lows, yet I continue to be committed to the pursuit of greatness. I am by no means a finished product. I have many areas of development and improvement. Furthermore, my brothers and I have some unfinished business to handle next season.
“Therefore, I am excited to announce that I’ll return to the University of Miami for my senior year. I look forward to earning my college degree, continuing to develop as a student-athlete and being a key contributor to our team’s success and winning a national championship.
“Go Canes.’’
QB King was first
Miami fifth-year senior quarterback D’Eriq King also announced previously that he is staying at UM for 2021 — then tore the ACL of his right knee in the Cheez-It Bowl. UM said King, who retweeted Bolden’s video with a fingers-crossed emoji, would be ready to go for the ‘21 season after his surgery and rehabilitation.
King began the Canes’ “Let’s run it back’’ theme for next season when he made his return announcement official. And UM answered Bolden’s announcement with a similar graphic.
The NCAA will give all players in 2021 an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three Miami defensive ends previously announced they were entering the draft: redshirt sophomore Gregory Rousseau, who opted out of the season before it began; redshirt junior Jaelan Phillips; and senior defensive end Quincy Roche.
After the Cheez-It Bowl, Bolden, 6-3 and 200 pounds, led UM in total tackles with 74. He also had 6 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack, one interception, three pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks.
Bolden had some exceptional performances earlier in the regular season, but tailed off somewhat toward the latter part. His fierce attitude, coupled with natural talent and physical strength, have impressed coaches and teammates.
Phillips called Bolden a “generational talent.’’
Bolden, who played his freshman season at Southern Cal, came to UM before the 2019 season but sustained a season-ending, surgery-requiring ankle injury last year on Nov. 2 during an awkward chest bump in celebration of his first UM pick. He was a first-team Parade All-American out of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School, where UM tight end Brevin Jordan played (as well as opted-out quarterback Tate Martell).
More UM defensive news
The Hurricanes not only have officially lost Banda to Utah State, they will lose Mike Rumph as cornerbacks coach, the Miami Herald confirmed after footballscoop.com’s report on Tuesday.
The Herald confirmed through a source that Rumph, who just completed his fifth season leading the cornerbacks and was a star cornerback on UM’s 2001 national championship team, has been offered another option to remain on staff.
Footballscoop also reported through sources Tuesday that defensive line coach Todd Stroud “is likely stepping away from his role on the field’’ and also has off-field UM options.
Stroud, 57, had a tough time battling the coronavirus this season and years ago was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare, protein-related blood disease.
All the reported upcoming changes mean that the Canes’ traditionally strong defense in recent years, which significantly worsened by the end of their 8-3 2020 season, would have defensive coordinator Blake Baker and outside linebacker/special teams coach Jonathan Patke as the returning position coaches on that side of the ball. UM head coach Manny Diaz was the Miami defensive coordinator from 2016 through 2018, and still has a heavy role in coaching the defense, but allows Baker to call the plays on game days.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 2:07 PM.
