The new NCAA rule that affects UM bowl on Saturday. And news in wake of Larranaga
A new NCAA rule will allow the Canes to play two freshmen defenders, if they choose, in Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl without burning their redshirt.
And with UM short-handed at receiver, the Canes also can play their three freshmen receivers without any redshirt concerns.
Players can appear in as many as four games and still redshirt. And beginning this season, the NCAA says bowl games, playoff games and conference championship games don’t count toward that total.
So a player whose team plays a conference championship game and advances to the College Football Championship game can appear in nine of the team’s 17 games and still redshirt, provided he plays no more than four in the regular season.
In UM’s case, that means that the Canes could play defensive tackle Armondo Blount and edge player Booker Pickett on Saturday against Iowa State (3:30 p.m., ABC) without burning either of their redshirts. Both have appeared in four games.
Pickett, who was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 17 edge player in last year’s recruiting class, played 26 defensive snaps this season.
Blount, who was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 9 defensive end, has played 47 defensive snaps.
Two other Canes players also have played exactly four games but both redshirted in a previous year: tight end Jackson Carver and safety Isaiah Taylor, the Arizona transfer and son of UM defensive line coach Jason Taylor.
Meanwhile, the Canes - for competitive reasons - have declined to say whether any of the team’s draft eligible players, excluding Cam Ward, are playing in the bowl game. Ward said he’s playing.
His top receiver, Xavier Restrepo, was not named a captain for Saturday, fueling speculation that he would sit out the game as he prepares for the NFL. Restrepo recently was non-committal in comments to the South Florida Fox affiliate about whether he would play Saturday. Receiver Sam Brown’s status also is in question as he mulls turning pro.
UM definitely will be without receiver Isaiah Horton, who entered the portal and is expected to join Alabama.
That likely means an opportunity Saturday for freshmen receivers JoJo Trader (who has played six games) and perhaps Ny Carr (two games) or Chance Robinson (three games). Trader has played 53 offensive snaps, Carr 32 and Robinson 27. Shemar Kirk (22 snaps) also could be needed depending on how many receivers don’t play.
Besides Blount and Pickett and Robinson and Carr, other UM players who have guaranteed redshirts for this season are quarterbacks Emory Williams and Judd Anderson, cornerback Damari Brown (who missed all but the first and final games due to injury), running back Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, cornerback Ryan Mack, freshman defenders Daylan Russell and Elias Rudolph and Artavius Jones and freshmen offensive lineman Nino Francavilla and Deryc Plazz.
Lucas update
Xavier Lucas, the talented Wisconsin cornerback and Plantation American Heritage alum, wants to enter the transfer portal and has been linked to UM.
But Lucas said on X on Friday: “I still intend to transfer, but at the moment, Wisconsin is refusing to release me into the transfer portal. I’ve met all NCAA requirements of the transfer portal process. I’ve yet to be put into the transfer portal by Wisconsin, which is impeding my ability to speak to schools.”
Basketball notes
▪ According to a source, point guard Nijel Pack, limited to nine games this season, has been advised to sit out for a while to help recover from a foot injury. If he doesn’t play again this season, he has a good chance to get a medical redshirt and could re-enter the transfer portal next April. That is a consideration, a source said.
Pack has averaged 13.6 points in 69 games (all starts) for UM and was a key part of the Canes’ Final Four team.
▪ Jim Larranaga’s retirement on Wednesday triggers a 30-day window for UM basketball players to transfer. But nobody who transfers would be eligible to play for another team this season.
UM, which is now being coached on an interim basis by assistant Bill Courtney, next plays at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at Boston College.
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 1:06 PM.
