A dramatic fourth quarter in the CFP semifinal between Miami and Ole Miss sealed the Canes’ place in the national championship game, where they will face the winner of Indiana-Oregon. Quarterback Carson Beck delivered an inspirational performance, but the win carried deeper meaning as one of his teammates honored a late Miami legend who tragically lost his life to gun violence.

The Canes eventually closed out the game with a dramatic 31-27 victory, and the post-win celebrations unfolded just as wildly as expected. However, amid the jubilation, Carson Beck’s teammate Jakobe Thomas chose to mark the moment with a powerful tribute to Sean Taylor, a lifelong Miami fan and legendary defensive back.

Taylor played three seasons for the Miami Hurricanes before moving on to the NFL, where he joined the Washington Redskins. Widely regarded as a Miami legend, Taylor’s legacy remains deeply woven into the program’s identity. To honor that legacy, Thomas wore a message on his gear that read, “Remember your why. RIP Sean Taylor #26.”

Tragically, Taylor’s life was cut short during his fourth NFL season. On November 26, 2007, he was shot in the upper thigh during a botched home invasion and robbery at his Miami residence. The intruders believed Taylor kept large amounts of cash in his home, leading to a confrontation in his bedroom. Taylor succumbed the following day to massive blood loss caused by a severed femoral artery, aged just 24 years old.

Taylor’s remarkable college career cemented his legendary status. He was a key member of Miami’s 2001 national championship team, the last time the program won a national title. During his dominant 2003 season, Taylor became a Consensus All-American, earned Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors, led the nation with ten interceptions, and set a Miami single-season record with three interception return touchdowns. His impact on the program endures, making Thomas’ tribute a fitting moment of remembrance on a historic night for the Hurricanes.

While the victory over the Ole Miss Rebels and the trip to the national championship game were satisfying moments for Carson Beck and the Canes, the job is far from finished.

Sean Taylor is an inspiration to Jakobe Thomas

Thomas is enjoying a breakout senior season in his lone year at Miami and has written the name of the late Sean Taylor on his gear since his freshman season at Middle Tennessee State. Taylor is Thomas’ favorite player, and like him, Thomas plays safety, embraces the physical nature of the position, and wants to honor one of the greatest players in a role he believes is often overlooked in football. That admiration grew even stronger after Thomas arrived in Miami.

“And then when I got the chance to come to Miami,” Thomas said on Monday, “It kind of just became a part of the culture of who I am as a person when I get on the field. I try to imitate as much of him as I can while still being my own person.”

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The tribute reflects both Thomas’s respect for Taylor’s legacy and his desire to model his game after a player who defined excellence at the safety position. He has been critical to Miami’s defensive resurgence this season. That was the reason why they overpowered the Aggies and the Buckeyes despite being underdogs in each of those games.

While the defensive line has received major plaudits, the Miami secondary has held its own even against the likes of Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) and the Aggies’ talented WR pool. For Thomas, playing for Miami gives him a chance to register individual milestones while also allowing him to register his name in the history of a great university.

“For me personally, I just come in every day and do what I’m supposed to do,” Thomas said, “but to be a part of this great university and all the history, it’s just an honor to be in the position that I’m in,” he said before Miami’s game against the Buckeyes.