When Ohio State meets Miami in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Dec. 31, the Buckeyes will see a familiar face in the Hurricanes’ backfield.
Mark Fletcher Jr., the running back who carried the Hurricanes to an upset of Texas A&M in the opening round, once spent seven months committed to the Buckeyes.
It was a month before the early signing period in late 2022 when Fletcher decommitted from the Buckeyes and ultimately ended up at Miami, a decision that followed a desire to remain in South Florida.
As Fletcher looked back on his recruitment on Dec. 23, he pointed to the pull toward home as the biggest factor in him shifting course.
“I felt that I would be most successful if I just stayed home and played for the Hurricanes,” Fletcher said. “Everything just worked out for me.”
Fletcher, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, had been one of several Ohio State recruits in the class with ties to Florida. The Buckeyes would ultimately sign four of them, including slot receiver Brandon Inniss, who played with Fletcher at the American Heritage School.
In his first year as Miami’s primary back, Fletcher has rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns. He missed two games in November with an injury before a return late in the regular season.
He saved his best for the playoff. Fletcher ran for 172 yards at Texas A&M, flashing an explosive burst. Seven of his 17 carries resulted in gains of at least 10 yards, including a 56-yard breakaway run late in the fourth quarter that set up the Hurricanes’ game-winning touchdown.
If his hot streak continues, it could present a challenge for the Buckeyes, who have one of the country’s top rushing defenses and only allowed three of 13 opponents to surpass 100 yards against them.
Fletcher said it was not easy to break off his commitment to Ohio State three years ago, but saw it as an important step in his maturation.
“In that recruiting stage, for all athletes, that’s when you’re going to have to learn to have those hard conversations,” Fletcher said. “That’s becoming a man, having to tell people no, having to disappoint people, but at the end of the day this is your life. That conversation was hard.”
He looks forward to facing the Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“It definitely kind of feels like a full-circle moment,” Fletcher said, “but any game that I get to play, I’m just very blessed to have the opportunity.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Mark Fletcher left Ohio State for Miami as running back recruit
Reporting by Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
