College Football Playoff: Miami RB Mark Fletcher to return for Hurricanes in 2026

Miami’s 10-3 win over Texas A&M in College Station was far from an exhibition of offensive excellence, but in a game where both teams struggled to move the ball, there was one offensive player who was a consistent bright spot. Miami junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 172 yards on 17 carries, accounting for 62% of Miami’s total offense including a 56-yard run on the Hurricanes’ final possession to set-up the game-winning touchdown from freshman star receiver Malachi Toney. 

Fletcher is the workhorse of the Hurricanes backfield, the thunder to Toney’s lightning on the outside, and while Miami will need a new quarterback once again next season, Fletcher informed the team that he will be back for his senior season, per ESPN. 

That means Miami gets its top two offensive playmakers back for 2026 in Fletcher and Toney, making them an extremely attractive situation for the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal — which saw a number of big names enter last week. The Hurricanes hit on their last two spins around the portal with Cam Ward and Carson Beck, and have the financial and on-field situation to make it three-for-three next year. 

As for Fletcher, Miami has a rich lineage of running back stars, and rather than making the leap to the NFL next season, he will look to cement his place among those Hurricane legends. Fletcher ranks13th at 1,978 rushing yards in his three seasons, and if he simply repeats his 857 yards from this season, he climbs to fifth all-time at Miami, slotting in between two legends in Clinton Portis and Edgerrin James. A 1,000 yard season would push him into third all-time at Miami, trailing only Duke Johnson and Ottis Anderson.