Cardale Jones criticizes Miami: 'I feel bad for the recruits'

It took less than an hour after Miami fell 31-24 to Rutgers in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl before outsiders began to criticize the program. In particular, former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones took aim at the storied school.

“Man, I feel bad for the recruits going to Miami U for NIL,” Jones wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Bad staff, no stability within program and one of the worst college home game atmospheres. Chasing the money isn’t always the answer. But good luck.”

Jones played at Ohio State from 2012-15. Entering the 2014 campaign as a redshirt sophomore, Jones was third on OSU’s depth chart at quarterback, trailing behind Braxton Miller and JT Barrett. However, after the pair suffered injuries late in the season, Jones was forced into the limelight.

He fit in perfectly. In his first career start, Jones led the Buckeyes to a stunning 59–0 victory over No. 11 Wisconsin on the eve of the NCAA football committee’s inaugural playoff selection. Jones was named MVP of the game.

He followed up the performance with back-to-back successful showings to boost OSU to a national title. Miami couldn’t find a similar success story this season. After a 4-0 start, including a win over Texas A&M, the Hurricanes finished the season with a 7-6 record.

Miami has no such luck

The team capped off its disappointing close with a loss against Rutgers. Like the Buckeyes, the Hurricanes were without their starting quarterback. Tyler Van Dyke entered the transfer portal after the regular season ended.

Unlike the Buckeyes, a backup quarterback didn’t save the day for the Hurricanes. Instead, Miami’s Jacurri Brown did his best to fill Van Dyke’s shoes, completing 20-of-31 passes for 181 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Evidently, the performance didn’t meet Jones’ standards. In fairness, Jones didn’t criticize the players. Instead, he attacked the staff, program and fans. Specifically, Jones went after Miami’s shortcomings despite its top-notch NIL opportunities, headlined by the school’s official collective: Canes Connection.

Canes Connection is operated by Co-CEOs Zach Burr and Brian Goldmeier, who are successful fundraising professionals with more than 30 years of experience running business development firms in the Miami-Dade area.

“With nearly $500 million in funds raised throughout their careers, Goldmeier and Burr, a University of Miami alumnus, have formed the Canes Connection to leverage their experience and relationships with top-tier content creators and blue-chip brands to facilitate NIL partnerships for current and future Miami student-athletes,” the collective said in a news release.

Despite Jones’ critiques, Miami’s NIL opportunities are still reeling in recruits. Miami football has the No. 6 class in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankins. With the transfer portal still in play, head coach Mario Cristobal will only add to the Hurricanes’ talent pool.