Miami RB Lorenzo Lingard Announces Transfer to Florida

The Gators have added another former five-star prospect to their roster via the NCAA transfer portal, at a huge position of need.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Hurricanes sophomore running back Lorenzo Lingard has announced that he will transfer to the University of Florida.

Lingard, 6-0, 200 lbs., previously entered the NCAA transfer portal on December 30th.

The former five-star prospect was considered the No. 2 running back in the class of 2018 by composite rankings, but suffered a season-ending knee injury during his freshman year that led to limited playing time in 2019. Appearing in only two games for the Hurricanes this past season, he should earn a redshirt.

In high school, Lingard clocked a 10.71 second 100 meter dash - he's extraordinarily fast for a 200 lb. running back and that speed should translate to Florida's run game, which struggled behind poor run blocking in 2019. During his time at Miami, Lingard rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns - all in his freshman season prior to the injury.

Lingard acknowledged that he wanted to play closer to home amidst his father's struggling health as reasons for his intention to transfer. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is about two hours from Lingard's home town of Orange City, FL.

Adding to the report about Miami RB and former @UHSTitansFB star Lorenzo Lingard entering the transfer portal... (1/2)

Lingard told me the main reason he's looking to transfer is to be closer to home due to his father's health concerns (kidney/heart).

— Chris Boyle (@ChrisBoyleDBNJ) December 30, 2019

Previously, GatorMaven broke down the outlook of Florida's running back position for the 2020 season, noting that there was still work to do in adding talent to the group. Lingard's transfer takes a huge weight off of the Gators' shoulders as the team attempts to re-legitimize it's run game. 

You can welcome Lingard to Florida by giving him a follow on Twitter here, and you can check out the film that made him a five-star prospect coming out of high school below.