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Mark Fletcher reveals message from Mario Cristobal after CFP championship loss

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs01/22/26grant_grubbs_

On Monday, Miami came up one win short of a national championship, falling 27-21 to Indiana. After the game, Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. revealed what Miami head coach Mario Cristobal told his team in the locker room.

“He just told us, let’s get back to work,” Fletcher said. “This one hurt, and it’s supposed to hurt. Like he’s been saying, if you’re worth a damn as a competitor, it’s going to hurt. But the people coming back, we know what it takes, and we’ve just got to go back to work. That’s all we do.”

Fletcher is returning to Miami next season despite being draft-eligible. He had a breakout 2025 campaign, tallying a career-high 1,192 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 216 carries. Additionally, Fletcher recorded 17 catches for 140 yards and two scores.

Prior to the 2025 season, Fletcher had never recorded more than 610 rushing yards in a single season. Fletcher was spectacular in the postseason for the Hurricanes. He averaged 126.8 rushing yards per outing in the College Football Playoff.

He was particularly excellent in Miami’s first-round win over Texas A&M. He erupted for a season-high 172 rushing yards in the victory. For his efforts this past season, he was named an All-ACC Third-Team selection.

Mark Fletcher Jr. was one of three players who fielded questions for Miami at the post-national championship press conference. He was joined by Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. Mario Cristobal raved about the trio.

“They had the guts, the faith and the trust to look at a place that was a complete mess and say, I’m going to be the person, I’m going to be a man of action, and I’m going to make things real, and I’m going to make the University of Miami a prominent program once again and we’re going to win and we’re going to win big and we’re going to change the culture,” Cristobal said. That’s not easy. A lot of people look at that, they shy away from it.

“…  It can’t be understated what these guys have done. I can’t understate that. The ability to take a team on November 1st that was lower than low and to find a way that every single day hold people accountable, demand the best of them, bring energy and enthusiasm to practice and get the results on a weekly basis, a 1-0 for I think seven weeks straight, it is a testament to what they are.”