Mark Fletcher leaning toward returning to Miami football after losing title game

A key figure in Miami football’s incredible run in the 2025 college football season could be giving it another go with the Hurricanes.

Days after Miami suffered a loss to Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff National Championship game, Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher is said to be leaning towards returning to play another year with Mario Cristobal’s squad, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

“The continued belief is that Miami standout junior RB Mark Fletcher will end up returning to school instead of turning pro, sources tell @CBSSports. Indicated Dec. 23 that he planned on staying in school and that still seems to be the plan even after three big CFP performances,” wrote Zenitz in a social media post on Thursday via X, formerly Twitter.

Fletcher is eligible for the NFL draft, but after falling just a win short of winning the CFP title, he appears to be more interested in helping Miami football complete the mission in 2026.

If so, he can further boost his NFL stock following a stellar junior campaign with the Hurricanes.

In the 2025 college football season, Fletcher picked up a total of 1,192 rushing yards to go with 12 touchdowns on 216 carries. That checks out for an average of 5.5 yards per rushing attempt. In the last two seasons, he has rushed for 1,799 yards and 21 touchdowns on 328 carries (5.5 yards per carry).

Having Fletcher back for the 2026 season is certainly a shot in the arm for Miami football’s pursuit of the program’s first-ever CFP title.

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