BREAKING: Miami’s Freshman Safety Avantae Williams OUT for 2020

Head Coach Manny Diaz ruled the highly touted freshman, safety Avantae Williams, out for the 2020 season, during a Tuesday morning media availability.

Williams was Miami’s highest rated freshman in the 2020 recruiting class. 247 Sports rated him as the second best safety in the 2020 cycle. Avantae arrived to Miami back in June.

Diaz said that during a preseason evaluation, Miami found an injury that would force him out of the upcoming season.

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UM says this is lingering issue, and expects he’ll be able to play in 2021.

“During Avantae’s preseason exam he presented some chronic and lingering medical issues that our medical staff feels we need to let heal, let him strengthen this fall, and we will re-evaluate him come January in the spring time so Avantae will not compete for us this fall,” Diaz said in a post practice presser.

Avantae Williams’ medical issue isn’t life-threatening or anything that would cause grave concern. His injury is alarming in sense UM doctors do not believe he should play this year. But this was a pre existing issue, UM said. No reason to think he cannot play down road, he is expected to be back to full strength in January.

The Deland High School product chose the Canes over the Florida Gators in a National Signing Day announcement in February.

Miami has three veteran safeties expected to see playing time this season, senior Amari Carter, junior Bubba Bolden, and junior Gurvan Hall Jr.