MIAMI BEACH — Miami is tasked with stopping Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza in Monday night’s national title game. Mendoza has a pair of All-Big 10 wide receivers to throw to.
It is not a good time for the Hurricanes to be missing multiple key cornerbacks.
But that is a challenge Miami will have to deal with. Due to injuries and suspensions, UM’s cornerback corps will be tested.
“You’ve got to step up,” cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. said. “Next man up. Always next man up mentality. So everybody’s ready, everybody prepared. So whoever may be going to be called, we’re going to be ready.”
Frederique is one of the banged-up corners. He missed the last five games of the regular season with an injury. The St. Thomas Aquinas alum returned for the playoffs, but he played just five defensive snaps in the semifinals against Ole Miss.
Frederique said he is “ready to go” for Monday’s game. But the news is not as rosy for Damari Brown.
Like Frederique, Brown is a South Florida local (an American Heritage alum). He was a key cornerback for UM during the regular season, but Brown suffered a left foot injury after the season and has not played in the postseason. He is listed as questionable for Monday’s game.
“Still up in the air,” Brown said Saturday.
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Miami will also be missing cornerback Xavier Lucas for half of Monday’s game — not due to injury but because the sophomore was penalized for targeting in the second half against Ole Miss. Lucas has started four of Miami’s last four games and two of three playoff games.
But the Hurricanes have gotten solid play from players up and down the depth chart. Ethan O’Connor, in particular, has become a major part in the secondary. The Washington State transfer averaged about 34 snaps per game during the regular season, starting three of 12 games.
O’Connor has started all three playoff games and has allowed nine catches on 18 targets. He has two pass-breakups and nearly picked off two passes against Ole Miss.
“I’m so proud of him in the way (he) continues to go about his day and mature throughout the year,” defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge said. Anytime you’re going through the transfer portal and you’re trying to get adjusted coming through, I thought it took a little while to get adjusted with everything. But once he got comfortable with my style of coaching, the way we do things and obviously, seeing how the game goes — man, he’s in the zone right now. And he’s been playing at a high level the way he was recruited to come here and do. And you’re seeing it every week.
“And he’s peaking at the right time to go out there and play the game that he’s been playing. So it’s been exciting to see his gameplay at this level in the moment that it counts the most. I always say the big-time players show up in big-time moments and he’s playing at a high level in a big-time stage right now.”
Miami needs its cornerbacks to be at the top of their game. Indiana features star wide receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, who have double-digit touchdown catches this year. Sophomore Charlie Becker has also come on strong in the second half of the season, racking up 614 receiving yards and four scores.
But Etheridge said he is confident in whoever lines up against the Hoosiers’ stars.
“These guys have a mentality that who’s ever in between those white lines, there’s a certain standard that we want to play as a defensive unit,” Etheridge said. “Every guy that stepped between those white lines, they step up, whether you’re a freshman, whether you’re a walk on, whether you’re a senior, whether you’re a fifth-year. It doesn’t matter. When any guy steps on that field, we have a certain way that we go to do things. So with guys being banged up, we don’t flinch, we don’t blink because every guy’s prepared for that moment.”
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/01/17/um-cornerbacks-indiana/
