Mark Fletcher threw a punch at Indiana defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker following the devastating 27-21 National Championship loss to the Hoosiers.
Other players and athletic staff separated the players to prevent the altercation from escalating.
Miami’s Director of Recruiting Mike Rumph claims that Tucker referenced Fletcher’s dad, who passed away last year.
“Dude was talking about Mark’s dad who passed away last year. Mark is and always will be one of the most classy people you will ever meet. RIP Mr. Fletcher,” Rumph commented on an Instagram post documenting the incident.
During the ESPN broadcast, Fletcher said that he still texts his father’s phone number before every game. Fletcher texted his dad at 5:45 a.m. the day of the National Championship.
“Good morning, dad. Be with me, boss man. I love you.”
Contrary to Rumph’s explanation of events, Tucker told the Herald-Times that the punch was unprovoked.
“I was just trying to congratulate him on the game,” Tucker said. “That was a cheap punch. Luckily, we got the win.”
Tucker, a junior linebacker who transferred to Indiana University from James Madison University, has also struggled with adversity after his mother died of breast cancer in 2024, according to Yahoo Sports.
Luke Cohen, a chair member of the official student section Category, said that this was out of character for Fletcher.
“Fletcher is one of the most stand up guys on the team and so if he punched someone they probably said something really messed up,” Cohen said. “I think that was a common sentiment among students.”