Miami football’s Mark Fletcher Jr. wants to return no matter what happens in CFP

After very nearly missing the College Football Playoff entirely, Miami football is now headed to the quarterfinals after winning a 10-3 slugfest on the road against No. 7 Texas A&M in Saturday’s first round.

Both defenses starred throughout, as did the windy weather which made both passing and kicking extremely difficult. However, Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. emerged as the hero in the fourth quarter. In the game’s final stages, Fletcher dominated on the ground and was the difference in the game against an Aggies team that could not run the football all afternoon.

Fletcher finished the day with 172 yards on just 17 carries and got better and better as the game went on. On Miami’s final drive of the game, which ended in a decisive touchdown from Malachi Toney, Fletcher started the drive with a 56-yard scamper and finished with 75 yards on the series.

Now, Miami looks like it will get its emerging tailback back in 2026. While Fletcher will have a chance to test the NFL waters, he wants to return to the Hurricanes according to ESPN’s David Hale.

“Linda (Fletcher’s mom) is in no hurry to make the dream a reality,” Hale wrote. “Mark Fletcher could move on to the NFL when Miami’s season draws to a close, but he has talked with his mom about the decision, and he wants to stick around. He loves Miami, and the program has been the salve that has made the past year bearable.”

Getting Fletcher back would be a big boost for the 2026 Hurricanes, who will be looking for yet another new quarterback when Carson Beck graduates at the end of the season. However, pairing Fletcher with Toney on the outside would give Mario Cristobal a dynamic duo of weapons going into next season.

Fletcher and the Hurricanes have some unfinished business before they cross that bridge, as they will head to Arlington to take on No. 2 Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl. This Miami team has quietly been playing some of its best football of late, and Fletcher will be a big key for this dangerous Miami team if it wants to pull the upset on New Year’s Eve.

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