Mario Cristobal updates status of Jaylan Knighton, Waynmon Steed

As the Miami Hurricanes gear up for their colossal rivalry matchup against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, head coach Mario Cristobal took some time on Monday to update the statuses of Jaylan Knighton and Waynmon Steed heading into the game.

“Steed is hurt, and his injury is a little bit more significant. Jaylan Knighton is healthy,” said Cristobal. “He’s doing good and had a good week of practice. I’m expecting him to have another good week of practice this week. He’s a good player, and he’s done a lot of good things for this team. We’ve stuck with him through good times and bad times. Sometimes the balls on the ground; sometimes, he’s ran hard. We don’t hold that against anybody. He’s a hard worker, and he’s gonna get his touches. He’s a good football player.

“We look forward to him having a great week.”

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Steed has not played since the Hurricanes’ 27-24 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. The senior linebacker and Miami native has had somewhat of a quiet season this year. Steed has recorded 11 total tackles, five solo, and one pass deflection compared to last season, when he had 55 total tackles, 24 solo, and one sack.

Knighton has the third most rushing attempts and yards on the team. The sophomore from Fort Lauderdale has run the ball 43 times for 163 yards. His biggest struggle on the season has been hanging on to the football. Knighton has fumbled three times in three of the five games he has played this year, losing all three for a turnover.

Cristobal shares Miami’s plan at QB for Florida State

Also during Monday’s press conference, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal shared their plan at quarterback and reveals the status of Van Dyke entering into this week.

“Improving. He’s looking better and better every single day,” said Cristobal. “We entered this week preparing him to play. We’re preparing Jake to play and preparing Jacurri to play. I know for sure Jacurri is going to play Saturday. he gives us some things on offense, and he keeps getting better and better. It’s a shame that the one ball he threw was not a good one because I think you’re going to see how talented he is and how well he can build the ball. But TVD continues to improve. We’re very optimistic. He looked great yesterday and great today. So, we will keep pushing that envelope and see where we’re at come Friday and Saturday.”

With Van Dyke’s injury sidelining him Saturday against the Cavaliers, the Hurricanes turned to backup Jake Garcia. Garcia finished just 15-of-29 passing for 125 yards. He did not throw a touchdown or an interception. Freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown also threw passes in the contest but did not complete any of his passing attempts. If Van Dyke is able to go, despite his struggles, he looks to be the better option, especially in this huge rivalry game with bragging right for the year on the line.