Miami tight end returning for unprecedented 9th season of college football

Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick is heading back to school to play his final year of college football. 

McCormick, who is 25 years old, according to ESPN, will be playing in his ninth season. 

McCormick petitioned the NCAA to allow him to play in his ninth year due to four seasons in which injuries caused him to miss significant time. 

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Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick talks to the press after practice March 21, 2023, on campus in Coral Gables, Fla. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Combined with his redshirt year and a COVID year in 2020, McCormick announced his "last ride" in 2024. 

"Appreciate all the support!" he wrote on social media with an image captioned "Last Ride."  

"I'm blessed that it was me to go through it because a lot of people would have folded under the pressure — both mentally and physically," McCormick said, via ESPN. "But it's pushed me to be a better person and teammate — everything. I've learned so much from every year and everything I've had to overcome."

McCormick, a three-star recruit from Bend, Oregon, stayed home in 2016 to play for the Ducks. He was in a recruitment class with Justin Herbert, while players like Nick Bosa and Jalen Hurts were entering college.

McCormick redshirted that year as a true freshman before playing seven games in 2017, hauling in six receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown. 

Miami tight end Cam McCormick (84) returns the ball to an official after a play in the fourth quarter as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Dec. 28, 2023, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Then, injuries happened.

In 2018, McCormick broke a leg, which presented complications in 2019 and 2020. He was granted his sixth year in 2019. And after the 2020 COVID year, he injured a foot just two weeks into the 2021 season. 

McCormick was finally able to play a full season with the Ducks in 2022, catching 10 passes for 66 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. He was granted his eighth and ninth years of eligibility prior to transferring to the Hurricanes. 

He played 13 games last year for Miami, catching eight passes for 62 yards. 

Cam McCormick of the Miami Hurricanes warms up prior to a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Hard Rock Stadium Oct. 7, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

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McCormick told ESPN he "isn’t going to be cut short by what people are saying." He’s ready for his last ride in college.