The Hurricanes recruited Xavier Lucas when he was a standout cornerback at American Heritage, but Lucas ultimately chose Wisconsin.
After a year with the Badgers, Lucas wanted to enter the transfer portal because his father was suffering from a “serious, life-threatening” illness, his lawyer, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports. Miami, his hometown team, was the obvious destination. But Wisconsin did not enter Lucas’ name into the portal within 48 hours, as mandated by NCAA rules, leading to a protracted standoff between Lucas and the school.
“At the moment, Wisconsin is refusing to release me into the transfer portal,” Lucas wrote on social media on Dec. 27, eight days after announcing his plans to transfer. “I’ve met all NCAA requirements of the transfer portal by Wisconsin which is impeding my ability to speak with schools.”
On Friday, Lucas committed to the Hurricanes, Heitner told Yahoo Sports.
Lucas signed a revenue-sharing agreement with Wisconsin, according to a Yahoo Sports report, but the expected revenue-sharing agreements — part of a lawsuit settlement that paved the way for schools to directly compensate athletes — do not go into effect until July 1 if the settlement is approved in April.
The agreement Lucas signed is supposed to bind him to Wisconsin for two years and gives the school exclusive use of his name, image and likeness; it also prohibits another school from using them, according to Yahoo. Lucas’ contract is contingent on the settlement’s approval, according to Yahoo.
Lucas has already withdrawn from Wisconsin and enrolled academically at Miami for the Fall 2025 semester, and he is expected to reclassify to the spring, according to Yahoo. The NCAA told Yahoo: “NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately.”
Lucas was a star at American Heritage. He was a Sun Sentinel All-County selection and had 46 tackles with four interceptions as a senior. He was a four-star prospect.
In his first year of college football, he put up strong numbers. Lucas had 12 tackles with an interception, and Pro Football Focus gave him a 77.5 grade with a 75.2 coverage grade.
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