Former 4-star safety Kiy Hester is leaving the Miami Hurricanes, taking his talents back to the Garden State. Hester is expected to transfer to Rutgers, so he can be closer to his ailing mother.
“My mom, she is sick an stuff and she’s gotta ge surgery,” Hester told NJ.com last week. “And I wanted to be there for her, to support her.”
Hester is a New Jersey product—an area Miami head coach Al Golden covered while leading the Temple Owls for years—who originally committed to the Scarlet Knights, backed off and wound up signing with the Hurricanes.
Hester spoke boldly and carried a big stick regarding his decision to sign with the Hurricanes last winter. While Miami was taking a shellacking from Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl, the 4-star safety took to Twitter, boldly declaring that he was ready to lock down a starting spot.
“I’m coming crazy next year taking spots,” @Hester_2k tweeted during the wee hours of December 29th.
Despite the big talk, Hester was no where to be found when the first depth chart of the season was released mid-August. Deon Bush locked down one side, with Jamal Carter as his back-up. On the other, running-back-turned-safety Dallas Crawford was first string, with Hugo Delapenha Jr. or true freshman Marques Gayot in the number-two role.
Initially Miami was going to block a transfer to Rutgers, as the two school are slated to meet in four years. Hester was however allowed to transfer to schools including Penn State, Maryland, West Virginia, Michigan State, Boston College, UConn and Temple.
It appears any block has since been lifted. Golden has since acknowledged that Hester’s release has been granted and that there’s a personal issue, but nothing other than that was mentioned at Monday’s weekly press conference.