CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: MIAMI VS INDIANA

January 17, 2026

Mark Fletcher

Hard Rock Stadium

Miami Hurricanes

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Just checking on your body. You had a very physical, hard running game against, in your last game. Tell me just a little bit about recovery, how you're feeling?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's been amazing. Ready to go.

Q. Tell me what you've done in the last 10 days to make sure you are ready to go?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Just sticking to my same process, you know, how I go throughout the week, staying focused, watching film, extra recovery, all those things like that.

Q. Has it felt like you're going to play in the National Championship? Or because you're at home, practicing in your own building, it's like, oh, this is weird, it feels like another game?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: No, no, it definitely feel like the National Championship. It's just a blessing that we're able to do it where it all started, and that's the Hard Rock. Simply a blessing to do it back at home.

Q. How did mom's return trip home from Phoenix work?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It went good. She drove back with my siblings. So I'm happy she's just got a nice little 15-minute drive now.

Q. That's all it takes, 15 minutes to get to the stadium?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: That's it.

Q. What's it mean to you to be in this position where it is one game, but it is the game to end the year?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yes, sir, it feels amazing. Extremely blessed for this opportunity. And we just can't wait, excited for this challenge versus a great team.

Q. How are you feeling being able to rep the city at this level?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It means everything to me, especially a kid who always been balling in South Florida. So to do it at one of the highest levels, it's a blessing.

Q. You mentioned being a South Florida guy, you've seen some of the lows of this program, and now you're seeing some of the highs of it. Were you always a Miami guy? Or did you think about other places when it was time for to you make a decision?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yes, sir, I definitely grew up a Miami fan, from family and my dad, specifically. But in the recruiting game, I was committed to Ohio State for like eight months during that process. But thank God I ended up at Miami going through that process, when it came to that final signing day.

It just means everything to me that I'm here now and that I can just execute with Miami. I did see the highs and lows, but I'm just happy to be part of the grind.

Q. What changed your thinking away from Ohio State?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I really feel like I just thought back to where I always have been succeeding at, which was South Florida. And I really didn't want to change that. I didn't want to change that, and everything worked out. My family could be close to see me as well.

So it was just no hesitation with Miami. Like, it was all green flags. Like, it was no, do I gotta think. Like, I knew I was going to be all right if I go to Miami.

Q. Who were the coaches that recruited you for Miami?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It was Mario Cristobal, and at the time it was a running back coach. He's at Ole Miss now, Kevin Smith.

Q. Where do you think you guys are now as a team when you think back to where you were after the SMU game? What sort of got you guys to this point?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I feel like we just had to make a decision, like, realize who we are. And we just had to continue to emphasize that throughout the week, every day, like. We just had to find out who we were. And we're the Miami Hurricanes. We just had to live that every single day with everything that we do.

Q. The season ending back where it started, what do you learn about the team from August to now?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I've learned that this is a group of guys that we truly just wanted to buy in. We wanted to make a difference. We knew that this is a special team with special people. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice.

But everybody was willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Everybody put their own accolades to the side, and it was just strictly just everything was a team move from everybody, like we all made our mindset to come together. Nobody's selfish, no anything, no own accolades.

We all just bonded together and we all bought in. That's what I'll say, changed -- not necessarily changed, but that's what we wanted to build to.

Q. Personally, you've been through a lot in the last year and a half. What has your story and your adversity taught you about God's faithfulness to you?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: That God never leaves me. God never leaves you. You might be going through the storm, might be going through some adversity, but he'll never leave you. You just always got to have that faith.

And you've got to appreciate the bad times just as much as the good times because the good times will come around again. But you've got to go through the bad a little bit so you can really appreciate those good times. But, no, God will never leave you. Just always have that faith.

Q. What would it mean to you guys to win the National Championship in your home stadium?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It would mean everything to us. It would mean everything to us to finish it off where it all started from. And what better place to do it than at home?

Q. And what's your Mount Rushmore of Miami Hurricanes?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: How many is that? Four? I've got to put my dawg, Sean Taylor. It can be anybody? Sean Taylor. There's a new one, I'm going to put DeeJay Dallas. That's my boy. DeeJay Dallas. I've got two more -- because I really love the defensive guys. I gotta put Ed Reed. I got one more. It's too many to name. I gotta name a lot. I'm just going to finish it off with Ray Lewis.

Q. Hometown kid, obviously growing up this is kind of the dream for everyone. Can you kind of walk us through that? I know you've been asked a thousand times doing this in your hometown. Can you talk a little bit about that?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's a dream come true, dream come true. If you would have asked little Mark, would he be here right now, he'll probably be, like, man no way. But it's a blessing.

Definitely just so grateful for this opportunity. I know that's a lot of kids who would want to be in this position like. And the fact that I'm one of very few that's able to do this at this level I'm just extremely blessed. We are all extremely blessed to be here.

Q. You remember the first team, youth team you played on here? Do you remember the name of the first team you played on as a kid here in this area growing up?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: My little league team? The Lauderhill Lions, Lauderhill Lions. That was my first team that I ever played for as an organization. But the team that I really started to get my name out there was the Plantation Wildcats. That's where I started getting noticed and things like that.

Q. What were your ages. You said Lauderdale?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Lauderhill, I was 7 years old. Right after that I went to Fort Lauderdale Rebels. I don't think they're a team right now. That was 8U. And then 9U through 12U, I played for the Plantation Wildcats, yes, sir.

Q. We were asking Carson about his touchdown run. You've done a couple of those in your time. Can you walk us through what you saw in that play and any tips for Carson next time he goes on a run there?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I just saw a playmaker making a play. I saw a playmaker making a play. That was a hell of a drive that we ran down there and did. What a better way to finish it off with our guy.

No tips for him. No tips for him. He walked in there just right, just right.

Q. How pumped is mom that she doesn't have to drive this week?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I know she's extremely pumped. I know she's extremely pumped. We didn't even really talk about it yet. But my girl only gotta do 15 minutes this time. So she's good.

Q. Looking around, how cool is this?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: This is amazing. This is a blessing. We are all extremely blessed to be here. We're in the National Championship. It's crazy. It's a dream come true.

Q. We've been talking about this for months, but now that it's finally here, how different does it feel?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I don't really think it feels different. We're sticking to our same process. Trying to go 1-0, sticking to it.

Q. How do you feel about being on the other sideline? What's that going to feel like?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I know that's probably going to feel a little weird. That's probably going to feel a little weird. But just spot the ball. We in that grass.

Q. How many people do you have coming to the game?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: A lot, a lot. Too many to name.

Q. Can you put the phone down with the tickets or you're like somebody else deal with it? How's that working out?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Somebody else is dealing with it. It's too crazy. I just had to cut those distractions.

Q. Coming out of the tunnel, where do you think the heart rate is going to be?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I know my heart rate's going to be up, it's going to be pumped. I'm just going to be so blessed to just run out of that tunnel one more time with the guys, yes, sir.

Q. Obviously growing up in the area growing up as a Hurricanes fan, your dad grew up as a Hurricanes fan, just what does this mean from that standpoint, to your family and to be representing the Hurricanes in your own backyard?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's a dream come true, dream come true for little Mark. You know I used to watch all the old Hurricane greats. To be able to make history, to be able to have little kids say that was Mark Fletcher who played in the national championship game for the Hurricanes, it just means everything to me. It's a dream come true. I'm so blessed.

Q. Talk about your O line and what they've been able to do, obviously, blocking in front of you and creating holes. Obviously a big part of the run game. Just speak to just how proud you are of those guys up front?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Extremely proud of them. Like they work day in, day out, some of the hardest workers in the building great people off the field and they make me look good. They make me, I'm just a pretty girl in the corner, like they dress me up. They just take care of me, and I just appreciate how hard they work and how they show up every single day.

Q. You've had to go through, obviously, some injuries in your career. Just what have you learned about yourself through these last couple of years going through those ups and downs?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I learned that I'm a faith-oriented person. I just hold on strong to my faith, true to my faith. And I never let myself get down on myself. I never dealt myself. And I always trust in God to have my back.

So I know you can put me through anything, you put me through any rain any fire, I'm going to always come back on top.

Q. Maybe just one more just the experience in general, you know you guys are home but you're getting the full college football championship experience. Just kind of what's the vibe with all the guys taking this all in?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm just making sure everybody takes this it all in because this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I know it's a thousand, millions of kids who wish they could do this, so I'm making sure everybody just takes in this moment.

Get off your phone as much as you can just speak to people just have fun and be ourselves and just really enjoy this moment because I know I am.

Q. You feel like your body's ready for, like, 25 carries if Mario dials it up?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm ready for 50 carries. I don't care how many. However they you know we need to get the job done I'm ready to do whatever.

Q. What you have you seen from the defensive film, looking at Indiana?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Oh, no, they number one for a reason. They number one for a reason. They fly around they're not going to be in the wrong spot. High-effort guys. I wouldn't want to play anybody else. This is a great challenge for us.

Q. Do you have a relationship at all with Fernando Mendoza or not really?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: No, no, I really don't. But I know he's a great guy. I think probably for a little bit, like he might have been on the older (indiscernible), like, during SFE, a little 7-on-7 team down here. That's probably it, like we probably had a conversation or two, but no real connection.

Q. How do you like the game plan that Shannon has got in place?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Love the game plan, love the game plan. We just gotta roll.

Q. Miami's a place where former players come through -- former players like Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin all those guys. When you see those guys and you interact with them, what's the takeaway for you what are you learning from them?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm learning everything I can. Just the fact that these are some of the greats that I've watched as a little kid. It's a little, like, dang, that's Ray Lewis, that's Edgerrin James.

But at the same time it's, like, all right, they are here for us, so I'm taking as much knowledge as I can, on and off the field things. So any little information I could soak up from them, because they're greats, they're hall of famers, so I'm just taking all information. Extremely blessed to have those guys around me.

Q. I'm just trying to do the math, like, how old would you have been where you were watching Edgerrin James.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I probably, like, I don't think I ever watched anything live. I would be just like, my dad showing me showing me old videos and things like that. I'm watching the documentaries and stuff like that. But, yeah, at a young age though.

Q. Was it Michael Irvin clips online? Did they have television at that point, black and white?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I don't know, but I know I was watching that 47 catch that ball every time.

Q. Very cool, man. It's like these guys come through, it's not just maybe about football, it could be maybe more about football.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's definitely not just about football. Yes, that's what is bringing us together but it's the brotherhood. It's off the field things they make sure we're straight all around. Just as men.

Q. What's in your headphones on Monday?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Headphones? Man, I probably have a little bit of everything, a little bit of Kodak, a little bit of Lil Durk, a little bit of a YoungBoy, I'm going to have a little bit of everything to get me turned.

Q. For the Fiesta Bowl you said it would be a dream come true to come home and play for the natty. What are your emotions going into Monday?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm just extremely blessed, extremely excited. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm not taking it for granted.

Q. When you committed to Miami, did you have this as one of your goals?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: No, it was most definitely. I knew it was going to be a building process and I was willing to stick to it, bring in guys that we needed, and I just wanted to see this university prosper.

Q. How do you feel like little Mark from Plantation feels now?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: He's geeked. He's extremely excited. This is a dream come true for him. He used to watch all these guys and he be, like, he would want to be one of them one day. And the fact that I'm sitting here able to do that, it's a blessing.

Q. Coach was talking about how you guys are trying to keep this like a road trip mentality. But how hard or easy has it been maybe for you to be like, no, sorry, mom, I can't have dinner with you tonight because you're home with everybody here?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's not that hard you because we have people who understand, and we have great leaders on the team who get everybody, gets that message across that Cristobal wants to emphasize.

We're keeping our process the same, just as if we were going out of town. It's just a blessing that we're home, though.

Q. When you take a look around and you see all the hometown kids and kind of soak it in, like, wow, we're all here playing for the National Championship title, what goes through your head?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Through my head, I'm just extremely blessed. I make sure that the guys know how blessed we are. We are all little kids at the park, just playing football, didn't know what this would come to.

The fact that it came to something like this, something so beautiful, something so pure, that not a lot of the kids get to do, you can't take this opportunity for granted. We just have to enjoy this, enjoy this moment, take it all in and just live life.

Q. There's a lot of noise when you get into this situation. I mean this whole thing, right? How hard is it to just keep your head straight? Because it can be overwhelming.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It can definitely be overwhelming, but you've got to be able the goal and you've got to remember why you're here. This is the beauty that comes with it, the attention and things like that. But at the end of the day we've all got a job to do, and we're just here to do it. We're just here to have fun.

Q. Has anything kind of, I don't know, weird, whacky, wild happened in the last week, any encounters with fans, class, people on campus, anything strange that you've been like, wow, that happened?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Nah, nah, nothing crazy, but it's definitely a lot more people noticing us at school and stuff. A lot of people stopping us to talk to us and things like that. Nothing crazy. It's all good things.

Q. Where did it come from within you to be the guy to pick up teammates? I know you've been helped by them in your career here, but to be the guy who goes to Mally and tries to get his head up after a fumble, that's a role that all your teammates talk about you playing really well.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yes, sir, it just comes from the heart. It comes from the heart. I see something, I want to say something. I just go from the heart in those things.

It's not like I even take on that position. Like I've gotta do it. I just seen something. I seen my teammate getting down on himself. And shoot, I've been in that position before and I just want to go help him get his mind right, let him know, man, it's all right, God got you, keep it going. I would say it's from the heart.

Q. Instinctive at this point. Where did it come from? You always been like that as a kid? When you were playing pee wee football are you the dude that's helping the other kid out?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I feel like I just always been that way, I always just wanted to help bring guys along. And I feel like as I got older I did become more vocal because I would always just lead by example. But I had a lot of coaches come up to me and just tell me things like, you know, your voice matters, and your voice, it definitely speaks volumes in rooms and people will listen to you.

It was definitely like as somebody who was more quiet you know just lead by example I definitely had to get out of my comfort zone, you know, really become that vocal leader. But one day I just did it. I just kept on doing it, kept on doing it, and people would just come together and listen that's just me now.

Q. You see the effect it has.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yes, sir.

Q. It's a cool thing to be called a pillar of the program.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yes, sir, man.

Q. That's what Mario calls you. That's a high compliment.

MARK FLETCHER JR.: That's definitely a high honor. And I'm just taking that, you know, full on.

Q. You fresh still, feeling good?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm feeling great.

Q. What's the golden number for how many carries you're expecting on Monday night?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: However many they need me. They can give me 50, however many they need me to go with.

Q. What's it like for the running game to be so essential for the game plan for you guys to win, to have so much, you know, not pressure for you guys to succeed?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: We're just excited for the challenge. You know Indiana, they are number one for a reason. Great defense, fly around, you know, great front seven, great back end. We're just excited for the challenge to compete against a great team like that.

Q. What are some of the things that really stand out about Indiana's defense?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: They just fly around. They always going to be in the right spots. Great front seven. Great back end. That's what I can see.

Q. You previously announced that you're returning to Miami for your senior year. Just why was that important for you to go back for your senior season?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I just love this program. I didn't feel like I was finished yet. A lot of people telling me I should leave and stuff like that. But I feel like I got more to do here. I want to do more here for the University of Miami.

And I know there's some risks that come with that, things like that, especially being a running back, but I feel like God got me, you know, God got me through anything. You know, He hasn't left me yet. So I don't think he going to leave me now so I'm going to be straight for whatever I do.

Q. Your roll in recruiting running backs is pretty well documented. Just wanting to have the best room around you. When Marty was consideration did you have conversations with him and what were the basic idea of those?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I just told him, like, hey, man we need you and look you'll really help us out. And with Marty it wasn't really no hesitation. During recruiting I was able to speak to him. I tell him how he can help us. And, shoot, he was on board. He was on board. Yes, sir.

Q. You decided to stay in Miami no matter what in the transfer portal era. What was the key for you to stay? And which advice let's say you would give to a player who stay undecided in this era?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: For me, it was just all about faith. That's what I would say. Having faith and knowing that I wanted to just get more done here at this university. And like I said, no hate to any transfer portal guys, but that was just never one of my missions, never one of the things I wanted to do.

Like, if I said I'm going to do commit I'm just going to commit here. And anything that goes, shoot, I'm just going to deal with it. So thankfully you know I was able to see the bright end of that.

And to any other guys, I'm just saying have faith and have believe in yourself and you're going to have to have to make a hard decision. Just make sure that you're able to live with it and be happy with it.

Q. In these last three seasons in which area did you improve the most, according to you?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Football wise? I definitely got better with my vision, second-level moves, things like that, just especially my pass blocking.

Q. What's it like having all of South Florida embrace this team because players like you went to local high schools? Maybe if they weren't necessarily Canes fans, they adopted this team because of you guys?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's cool to bring the community together. We're doing something positive for the community, something that is putting Miami back on the map and just something people could talk about.

Little kids can look up to us and they all want to be the Miami Hurricanes one day, because that's what I was when I was a kid. I was, like, I want to be a Miami Hurricane. It's a blessing to be here and to have people come join together like that. That's a beautiful thing.

Q. What's maybe one thing somebody who isn't from South Florida and the high school scene might not understand about what you grew up with and how the style of ball is down here?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I say just very different. It's very different because these kids, we need this football. Like we definitely need this because some of these boys, shoot, it's either jail or, shoot, early grave.

We need this football to do something positive in the world. And it's just such a beautiful thing that a lot of kids are able to come and do this and just do something for their family to change their people's lives.

Q. You said you wanted to be a Cane as long as you can remember. What's your earliest memory of Miami Hurricanes, like a player you liked to maybe start out?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Yeah, I don't think it was -- well, a player, it was definitely Sean Taylor. That's what my dad, he would show me old videos -- not even of running backs, but like of great defensive players.

Sean Taylor, I remember watching him and learning about how he died. And I was like as a little kid, I was hurt. I'm like, bro, this legend died?

Just growing up, getting involved with the Miami Hurricanes and just having alumni come back, seeing people like Edgerrin James, Ray Lewis, people I used to look up to. Now a little kid can look at me as one of them it's just a blessing. I'm just happy to be here.

Q. You're one of the guys that came in after 5-7. You believed in the vision that Mario Cristobal was telling you. To see it come to this point to where you're sitting here playing for a National Championship in three years, how much more does it mean to a guy like you who is from down here who believed, you're the early adopter of technology -- I'll watch other people do it first, you're the guy, guys who came in after 5-7, we're here and we're going to win a National Championship on our home field?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: We all definitely grew up watching Miami Hurricanes and we seen how great they were. And the fact we were able to have an opportunity to come back and bring the U back, and we all just made a decision together during the recruiting stages, we're going to be the ones to bring the U back.

We want to do this because we cared as little kids just seeing how great it was. And the fact that we were able to be in that position to bring them back, we were head on with it. We trusted that process.

Q. This might be something you can't answer, but there seems to be a little bit of a shift offensively where you lined up more towards one side or the other of Carson Beck, but now you utilize the pistol formation. Is there something different from pistol that you see as a running back that helps you? Is it downhill, you're already going downhill, something from that? You can answer if you can. What do you see different?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Nothing different on my case. Coach Dawson, he just writes up a play and we just execute it. Nothing different in my case.

Q. Each one of these playoff games has come down to the last couple of drives. What has kept your guys' composure especially on the offensive side, the way you closed out Ohio State or obviously the game-winning drive against Ole Miss?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: We just believe in our identity as an offense who perseveres through anything. Just one play at a time mentality, good or bad.

We practice for perfection but nothing is ever going to be perfect in the game. We just have a one-play-at-a-time mentality, and I think that's what keeps us level headed, keeps us grounded. We don't get too high or too low or anything. We just stay consistent in that, one play at a time, one play at a time, one play at a time.

Q. Can you talk about the postseason journey you guys have had from being one of the last teams in to now playing for a championship in your home stadium?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's a blessing. It's a blessing when we find out that they were able to get that opportunity to be in the playoffs, we knew that we were going to go on for a run.

We knew we were going to go on for a run. We believe in ourselves. We're ready to go. We're so blessed to be here.

Q. Talk about your postseason success. You have rushed for a lot of yards in these past three games. What do you attribute that to?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I just attribute that to the O line, wide receivers and the tight ends getting people out of the way. That's all I can say. I'm just out there, running, having fun. Them guys doing all the hard work.

Q. You have a special relationship with Malachi Toney. When you watch this guy block, he's, what, 5'8", 5'9"? I don't believe he's taller than that. When you see a guy blocking like that, such a young age, the passion he brings, what's it make you think? You've known each other for a long time. Watching a guy like that, I don't need to catch the ball, I'm going to knock someone's head off?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: For me, I'm not surprised at all. Ever since I met him, he's just been the hardest worker. He's been different. The mindset that he carries, like, that's a grown man.

He loves doing all the hard work. He loves doing the things that -- he's just a generational player. He's definitely like something to -- you will want your son to, like, look up to him. He's a special person on and off the field.

And him, a little guy blocking all these big guys like that, that just shows the type of person he is, the selfless person he is, as a receiver usually known for doing the pretty things, catching the ball. But, no, all my receivers, they do all the hard work, all the gritty work.

Q. This is kind of a unique game week for you guys being at home, also not really a home game. Just what has this preparation been like compared to the last few bowl games? What's your expectation for the environment on Monday?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Nothing changed but the location for us. Our same game day, game week process is the same and the goal is always the same, and that's to go 1-0. No, we're just excited for this opportunity.

Q. (Off microphone)

MARK FLETCHER JR.: I'm definitely expecting the energy to be high. We have a lot of Hurricane fans coming down, coming out of the crib. I hate that the ticket pricing was so much, so we can't have a lot of fans there. But, hey, it's just a blessing to just even be here at home.

Q. How much does it mean for you? You put your trust in Coach Cristobal two years ago. You stuck with the process, decided you want to stay and now you're coming back for one more year next year. Just to get to this point with the team how important was it for you to kind of go through those bumps in the road to get to where we are now?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: Like I said earlier, you've got to go through some bad times to appreciate the good times. We knew, like, when I signed here, when C.C., Bain, you know, guys who have been here since the start and things was 5-7, we all just, like, we seen the U as little kids, we seen the U be great, we seen the U on top.

The fact we had an opportunity to come back and be the ones who could change the trajectory of the university, that's what we wanted to do. And we just trusted and believed in ourselves and here we are now. Yes, sir.

Q. What has this week been like having the opportunity to play in Miami in terms of hearing from family, friends, ticket demands, all of that?

MARK FLETCHER JR.: It's been exciting. It's been really we're sticking to our everyday game week process, staying locked in. The only thing that changed is the location. But we're definitely happy it's at home.