Miami wide receiver Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph entered the transfer portal Wednesday, bringing an early departure to what figures to become another busy offseason of change for the Hurricanes.
Joseph, a former blue-chip signee from Miami Edison, arrived in 2023 as one of Mario Cristobal’s local recruiting wins after a flip from Clemson. The staff sold his explosiveness in the slot and his ability in the return game; he flashed that versatility in spurts but never carved out a sustained role in a crowded receiver room.
Over three seasons in Coral Gables, Joseph logged 14 catches for 135 yards, plus work on both kickoff and punt returns. This fall, he appeared in only three games and finished with two receptions for 25 yards, while younger wideouts and transfer additions ate up most of the snaps.
The writing on the wall arrived long before the portal rumor mill started churning. Miami stacked the receiver room in back-to-back high classes and leaned on veterans and transfers during its College Football Playoff run this year. Joseph, who once profiled as a natural successor to Xavier Restrepo in the slot, instead watched competition grow around him while his role shrank.
During Joseph’s recruitment he visited UCF, Florida State and Louisville along with Miami and Clemson, so those schools figure to monitor his market again.
For Miami, the loss counts more emotionally than on the depth chart. Joseph represented the type of local playmaker Cristobal wants to keep home, and fans connected with his swagger and “made in Dade” identity. From a pure numbers standpoint, though, the Hurricanes still hold a deep, young receiving corps and just signed another wave in the 2026 class. The staff continues to stack talent at every spot. When that happens, not everyone finds snaps, even former headliners.
Joseph now gets a reset. A program that features the slot and trusts him in the return game could unlock the dynamic playmaker fans expected when he first put arrived to Coral Gables. Miami, meanwhile, continues its push to the Playoff with one fewer familiar face in the receivers’ line during practice — and another reminder that the offseason turnover has already begun.
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