Early Tuesday afternoon, Miami Hurricanes fans were through the roof with excitement. Head coach Mario Cristobal and the Canes lured away defensive coordinator Lance Guidry from Tulane University.
Guidry was coming off of a 2022 coaching campaign where he would pioneer a top-10 defense at Marshall University, before accepting the same position with Tulane in January. Quite the turn of events right?
Guidry’s hire for the Canes football program would come shortly after former defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s departure from the coaching staff on Sunday evening.
Kevin Steele would accept and retain the same coaching position in a reunion with head coach Nick Saban at Alabama. Steele had formerly coached under Saban from 2007-2008 as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Crimson Tide.
College Football fans are well aware of the many highs and lows within the sport and the off-season is no exception to the rule. Unfortunately for Canes fans, today has certainly become a day filled with it.
Class of 2023 Four-star defensive back Antione Jackson, a member of the highly touted top-10 recruiting class the Hurricanes signed in December, requested a release from his national letter of intent with the University of Miami this afternoon.
Jackson initially committed to head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs on March 21st, 2022, before flipping his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes on July 2nd, 2022. Jackson referred to his commitment to Miami as a “dream come true” at the time and looked up to former record breaking Hurricanes running back, now NFL player Duke Johnson.
Duke Johnson would not be the only idol or former ties to the University of Miami for Jackson. His uncle, is former men’s basketball player Dwayne Wimbley who donned the orange and green for the Hurricanes from 1997-2001.
Jackson starred for Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) for three seasons and was nominated an Under Armour All-American before deciding to forego his senior year of High School in September of 2022, by reclassifying from the 2024 graduating class to 2023.
Jackson chose to take an official visit to the East Carolina Pirates in December despite his commitment to the Hurricanes at the time.
Dillard High School would host an early signing day ceremony on December 21st, 2022. That is where Jackson had proceeded to put on a hat that suggested he would head to East Carolina, before tossing the hat away in favor of a Miami Hurricanes cap and honoring his commitment with the hometown team.
Fast forward to February, after speaking with a local High School football coaching source, the coaching changes on the defensive side of the ball at Miami were “not a factor” for Jackson to subsequently ask for his release from Miami. It was a decision being weighed over by the defensive back since signing with the Hurricanes on December 21st, 2022.
Jackson was contacted by LifeWallet Sports News for comment on his release from the University of Miami or potential new collegiate destination ahead. He declined to comment on any further details after making his decision public.
