On Tuesday afternoon, Miami Hurricanes Safety Derrick Smith was not at practice. According to a UM spokesperson, Smith was absent from practice to deal with a personal matter.

It appears that personal matter was deciding to enter the transfer portal with the intent to leave Miami, a move which Smith announced late on Tuesday evening.

A junior from Jacksonville, FL, Smith had reportedly taken big strides forward through spring and fall camp to this point. While he wasn’t in line to start, he seemed to be near the top of the Safety rotation and in line for plenty of snaps this fall.

However, that is no longer the case. The Trinity Christian Academy alum will now look to find a new college home and make an impact on the field for that new team in 2020 and beyond.

With Smith departing the Canes’ roster, Gurvan Hall, Amari Carter, Bubba Bolden, Keontra Smith and Robert Knowles are the Safeties vying for playing time. At present, Hall and Carter seem to have a leg up on the starting jobs, but Bolden and Smith both have plenty of talent to add to the group, as well.

Though his impact wasn’t as much as he would have liked in his time in Coral Gables, we wish Derrick Smith the best in his future endeavors.

The Miami Hurricanes return to practice on Wednesday, 10 days before the season opener against the Florida Gators.

Go Canes