CORAL GABLES — Mario Cristobal sat down with Jakobe Thomas to convince the former Tennessee safety to come to Miami. But first, he had some pointers.

“He told me what I needed to fix before he told me what I was good at,” Thomas said. “And that’s what kind of struck out to me is this guy cares about me as a football player. And then he told my mom that before (I) leave here, (I will) be a great football player and a great man. And that’s the biggest thing for me is life after football.”

Within 10 minutes, Thomas was convinced Miami was the place for him. Now, he is positioned to be a key safety in the Hurricanes’ revamped defense.

“Some guys probably wouldn’t take it well, but me, I want to be the best player I can be,” Thomas said. “And if it takes criticism every single day for

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