Miami star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. said Tuesday he will return to the Hurricanes for the 2026 season.
The junior considered leaving for the NFL draft, but decided to announce his return just eight days before Miami’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against No. 2 Ohio State.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll be back another year,” Fletcher said in a news conference before the Cotton Bowl game. “I have one more year. You know, I’m a true junior. Another year guaranteed.
“I love this team. I love this organization. I love this culture. And I just want to spend more time with my brothers while I can.”
Fletcher rushed for a career-high 172 yards in No. 10 Miami’s 10-3 win over No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round of the playoffs. He has totaled 857 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and is just 22 yards away from becoming the 11th player in Miami history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
He enters the contest ranked 13th on the rushing yards list. That’s three yards ahead of Frank Gore, who went on to a successful NFL career and was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. Fletcher’s 24 career rushing touchdowns rank 10th in Hurricanes history.
“I think staying consistent (has been key),” Fletcher said of his game. “I’m just doing my job to the best of my ability. I feel like that’s where I’ve grown, just staying consistent, working on my second-level speed and then, of course, blocking.”
–Field level media
