Ex-5-Star RB Lorenzo Lingard Announces He's Transferring from Miami to Florida

Running back Lorenzo Lingard announced Friday he will transfer from Miami to Florida.

Lingard appeared in two games in 2019 but didn't receive any carries. He will use the year as a redshirt season, which gives him three more years of eligibility with his new team.

The Florida native was a 5-star recruit in high school, ranked the No. 2 running back and No. 25 overall recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports.

Lingard burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 with four carries for 82 yards and two scores against Savannah State, including a 64-yard run. He totaled 136 rushing yards on 8.0 per carry before a leg injury ended his season.

He was working his way back to full strength this season but didn't see much playing time and reportedly entered the transfer portal earlier this week, per Garrett Stepien of 247Sports.

The running back will leave a team that has gone 13-13 the past two years and join one that has put up a 21-5 record in this stretch.

Florida could use help at the position after ranking 107th in the country in rushing yards per game. Lamical Perine led the team with 677 rushing yards, while Dameon Pierce (305 yards) will be the only returning running back with more than 100 yards on the ground last year.

If Lingard can reach expectations, he can be a much-needed playmaker for the Gators as they try to compete with the best in the SEC.