The transfer portal door may be shut, but business in Coral Gables is far from over. Just as Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes were ready to celebrate the return of a key contributor, the mood flipped in a heartbeat. Miami took another hit to its depth chart, losing a wide receiver to the portal.

“NEW: Miami WR Jojo Trader has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports,” wrote On3.

Losing JoJo Trader is certain to sting Cristobal. Coming out of high school, Trader was a certified blue-chip, four-star recruit. The No.9 wide receiver in his class, and a Sun Sentinel Super 11 standout, had back-to-back first-team All-County nods.

Once the No. 25 overall prospect in the 2024 ESPN rankings, Cristobal’s receiver never quite broke through at Miami. He logged in just 19 catches for 269 yards and two scores across 18 games. With limited tape in Coral Gables, his portal market remains a question mark.

On the stat sheet, Trader’s departure barely moves the needle. But symbolically, it highlights Cristobal and Co.’s bigger issue of turning blue-chip talent into real opportunities within an overcrowded receiver room.

Despite arriving as one of South Florida’s top wideouts and opting to stay home, Trader never found steady snaps in Cristobal’s squad. He made four starts over two seasons, but couldn’t lock down a role in a receiver room that was flipped upside down in 2025. 

An influx of veteran portal additions and the rapid emergence of true freshman Malachi Toney left him on the outside looking in. The news likely put a damper on Cristobal’s mood, cutting short what could have been a celebration of freshman running back Girard Pringle’s return.

The 2025 four-star running back, ranked No. 8 at his position, hit the portal searching for a new home. College football heavyweights like Georgia, Florida, and USC wasted no time circling Cristobal’s dynamic backfield weapon.

A former four-star out of Seffner, early in the season, saw action mostly in garbage-time snaps. But when starter Mark Fletcher Jr. dealt with injuries, Pringle stepped up for Cristobal as a key playmaker. He recorded 375 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 62 carries. He averaged nearly 6 yards per pop and exploded during the closing stages of the season. However, when Fletcher returned healthy, Pringle’s touches dwindled in the postseason.

For every step forward the Hurricanes make, it seems they’re forced to take two steps back. However, amid the roster shuffle and portal churn, Cristobal is already getting waved by the $6.5 billion NFL giant.

Mario Cristobal becomes the Pittsburgh Steelers’ favorite candidate

The Pittsburgh Steelers previously eyed Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman before he opted to stay put. With a 35-19 record at Miami, which includes an impressive 13-3 record in the 2025 season, Cristobal has firmly established himself as one of college football’s top coaching talents.

“I hear the Steelers are very interested in Mario Cristobal, the coach at the University of Miami,” reported NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger. “The way that Mario coached that team reminded of what old-school coaches used to do. They’re limited in the NFL, how often you put pads on and hit and all that stuff, but they’re going to get after it.”

With longtime head coach Mike Tomlin out, the Steelers are hunting for fresh leadership. Reports suggest Mike McCarthy, former head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, is a serious contender to take the reins in Pittsburgh.

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Meanwhile, Mario Cristobal goes all-in on 2027 recruiting, hitting St. Thomas Aquinas. Hurricanes already have four commitments; now the countdown begins to replace JoJo Trader. Cristobal is committed to the Hurricanes, and it’s unlikely to see him jump over to the NFL scene anytime soon because such moves are rare without interviews.