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Add another to the list of student-athletes that had decided to take their talents away from the University of Miami.
The school announced Thursday evening that redshirt junior defensive back Ryan Mayes will be leaving the program.
Mayes, a former three-star recruit out of Miami Northwestern – even though he spent the majority of his high school career at Miami Dr. Krop – was a part of Al Golden’s 2014 recruiting class. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Mayes never quite lived up to his billing coming out of high school. He was never able to crack the Canes’ starting lineup and played almost exclusively on special teams.
The most memorable moment of Mayes’ career in Coral Gables may have been a 2015 pre-game dust up he had with then-Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo.
Oh boy. #Canes not happy #FSU kicker Aguayo was on their side of the field warming up. They let him know it. pic.twitter.com/UngYp6gEW5
— Will Manso (@WillManso) October 10, 2015
Mayes’ departure shouldn’t concern UM fans, though.
The “numbers game” provided the writing on the wall – that he would likely spend another season playing majorly on special teams – which likely precipitated Mayes’ decision to leave.
UM welcomed three new cornerbacks to its roster this offseason – top junior college defensive back Jhavonte Dean, graduate transfer Dee Delaney and true freshman Trajan Bandy – who confirmed he’s grown a full inch and has added “5 to 10 pounds” of muscle since arriving on campus.
Also, sophomore Malek Young showed flashes of being able to handle boundary corner responsibilities during his freshman year and was one of the standout players for the Canes during the past spring session. Junior cornerback Michael Jackson also received praise for his continued development during the spring.
All the players who have left the University of Miami this offseason – quarterback Jack Allison, cornerback Terrance Henley and tight end Jovani Haskins – all were players that weren’t destined to play big roles on the team in 2017 or beyond. The only exception would be running back Gus Edwards, who likely would’ve been in a rotation with other backs Travis Homer and Trayone “Choc” Gray behind No. 1 back Mark Walton.
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