NCAAF News: Mario Cristobal, Miami turn heads with offer to son of NFL Hall of Famer and program legend

With the 2025 NCAA season opener right around the corner, Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes took many by surprise with a bold decision. As reported, the Canes offered a scholarship to the son of an NFL Hall of Famer who attended the school.

Devin Hester will forever be considered one of the best talents to come out of the University of Miami. A cornerback during his time with the Hurricanes, Hester stole the spotlight in the NFL thanks to his second-to-none dynamism.

Hester became a return specialist in the league and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Now, Miami is hoping the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, offering Devin’s son, Drayton Hester, a full Division I scholarship.

“Miami extended the first D1 offer for Class of 2031 Drayton Hester this past week, who stars for the Anytime Jags (Orlando, FL). He is the son of former Miami Hurricane and Hall of Famer Devin Hester,” per Geo Milian on X. “Drayton took home the 11U Heisman last season.”

Devin Hester during the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony.

One of its kind

It’s not uncommon for the sons of former players to receive scholarship offers early in their careers. However, Cristobal and Miami have definitely gone a step further, as their latest recruit is only 12 years old. Drayton Hester is currently in seventh grade and won’t enter college until 2031.

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Consequently, the Hurricanes’ decision has sparked polarized opinions all over social media. While many see it as a statement about Hester’s talent, others consider it unfair and even unethical on Miami’s part.

Orange out

While the scholarship offer to Hester made noise in the NCAA landscape, the Hurricanes remain focused on what truly matters. Needless to say, it’s not the recruitment of a pre-teenager.

Head coach Mario Cristobal of the Miami Hurricanes against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.

On August 31, the Hurricanes will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. It will be a heated rivalry matchup between two programs who hold a grudge for one another. The fans in Miami Gardens will be treated to the first showdown between Notre Dame and Miami since 2017. The last time these two programs met, the Canes walked out victorious at home defeating the Irish by a lopsided score of 41-8.

Miami will be holding an orange-out, calling on all fans to wear that color to the game. Whether that will help Mario Cristobal, Carson Beck, and company hold off last season’s runner-ups remains to be seen. The stage is set. It might not have the hype of 1988’s matchup between the “Catholics and Convicts,” but it’s shaping up to be a marquee game to kick off the 2025 college football season.