Mario Cristobal discusses what TreVonte' Citizen brings to the Hurricanes

New Miami head coach Mario Cristobal capped Signing Day with the surprise addition of running back TreVonte’ Citizen.

Citizen, a four-star running back and top-100 prospect out of Louisiana, was also considering LSU and Florida heading into the big day but opted to sign with the Canes. Cristobal described what Miami is getting in the new signee on Wednesday.

“What can you say, 6-foot-1, 215, every-down back… He can run through you, can run around you,” Cristobal said on Signing Day. “He can get the ball out of the backfield and line up outside as a receiver. Explosive power. Hard to tackle guy… Power runner, inside zone, outside zone. This guy does it all. He was a guy we really, really needed. He’s a different type of back. Credit to our guys for getting him on board.” 

The addition of Citizen pushed Cristobal’s first Miami class to No. 11 in the nation. At No. 94 in the On3 Consensus rankings, the Lake Charles native is the top-ranked signee in the Sooners’ 2022 class. He will team up with Miami’s returning leading rusher Jaylan Knighton to provide a solid power and quickness combination.

Citizen could factor into the Miami offense in a major way in 2022. That offense will, however, be led by a new coordinator next season. Over the weekend, the news broke that Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is headed to Coral Gables.

Cristobal notches win with Josh Gattis addition

Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is on his way to Miami, According to FOX’s Bruce Feldman.

“BREAKING: Michigan OC Josh Gattis is accepting Miami’s offensive coordinator job, per source,” Feldman tweeted Sunday. “The 38-year-old Gattis who helped the Wolverines to the Big Ten title in 2021, won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. Big addition for the Canes.”

Coming off a tremendous season, Gattis helped Jim Harbaugh lead the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff. However, the uncertainly of Harbaugh’s future may have led Gattis to make a move with his future at the forefront of his thinking.

Gattis leaving Michigan for Miami is a gigantic coup for new Hurricanes leader Mario Cristobal. As he looks to rebuild Miami into a contender, hiring one of the top assistants in the nation is a huge step in the right direction.

Despite such a successful tenure with the Wolverines, Josh Gattis reportedly sent players a message conveying his displeasure with the Michigan administration. He told The Athletic he would only leave for “something special.”

On3’s Jonathan Wagner contributed to this report.