Mario Cristobal’s Miami Enter National Championship Game Without Key Offensive Player, Per Latest Injury Report

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Mario Cristobal’s Miami Enter National Championship Game Without Key Offensive Player, Per Latest Injury Report
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Cotton Bowl-Miami at Ohio State Dec 31, 2025 Arlington, TX, USA Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on before the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. Arlington AT&T Stadium TX USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRaymondxCarlinxIIIx 20251231_kdn_cb2_018 ©IMAGO/Imagn Images
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Cotton Bowl-Miami at Ohio State Dec 31, 2025 Arlington, TX, USA Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on before the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. Arlington AT&T Stadium TX USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRaymondxCarlinxIIIx 20251231_kdn_cb2_018 ©IMAGO/Imagn Images

While oddsmakers have already favored Indiana over Miami to win the national championship, the Hurricanes enter the game dealing with another setback. The first availability report, released Friday, showed that Miami could be without four players compared to Indiana’s seven, but the Canes are missing a key offensive piece.

Miami will be without tight end Elija Lofton, and reporter Owen Graham confirmed the news while sharing the injury report on X.

This season, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore has been a key weapon for the Hurricanes. He racked up 23 catches for 218 yards and three touchdowns. But his run came to an abrupt halt in the Fiesta Bowl, where an injury forced him off the field in a cart. But the setbacks for Miami don’t stop there.

For Miami, DB Xavier Lucas will be out for the first half, as he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl for a targeting call against Ole Miss.

But Lucas has started every game this season and has tallied 45 tackles and one forced fumble. Adding to the uncertainty, Miami’s Damari Brown, a key depth piece in the secondary, is listed as questionable.

This is a developing story…

The post Mario Cristobal’s Miami Enter National Championship Game Without Key Offensive Player, Per Latest Injury Report appeared first on EssentiallySports.

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