DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – If you can’t beat them, join them.
That seems to be the motto of former Miami Hurricanes running back Lorenzo Lingard, who is transferring to play for Florida, he announced Friday.
Lingard announced his decision to play for the Gators in a Twitter post.
“I am truly blessed and thankful to be a Gator,” he said. “The people who made this possible have changed my life.”
I am truly blessed and thankful to be a Gator. The people who made this possible have changed my life. I am ready to do whatever it takes to become the best gator as a team player and student athlete. I know my Dad is excited for this , i want to maximize everything pic.twitter.com/YZXSgHpUkz
— Lorenzo Lingard JR (@d1champ99) January 3, 2020
A former five-star running back from Orange City, Lingard didn’t play much in his two seasons at Miami. Lingard had 17 carries for 136 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2018. He played in two games in 2019 but didn’t record a carry.
Florida loses leading rusher Lamical Perine, who scored three touchdowns in Monday night’s Orange Bowl victory against Virginia. But Lingard would have to sit out the 2020 season because of NCAA transfer rules, unless he receives a waiver for immediate eligibility.
The Gators beat Miami 24-20 in last year’s season opener and went on to win 10 more games, while the Hurricanes ended 2019 on a three-game losing skid, including a shutout loss to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, to cap a 6-7 campaign.