ARLINGTON, Texas — A month ago, before the Hurricanes beat Texas A&M in their first-ever playoff game and secured a berth in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, there was still doubt whether Miami would make — or even belonged — in the College Football Playoff.
On selection day, no one was quite sure whether the playoff selection committee would pick Miami or opt to put Notre Dame in ahead of it. When the Hurricanes were slotted at No. 10, fans breathed a sigh of relief.
UM wide receiver Keelan Marion shouted.
“Lace your boots up!” Marion yelled repeatedly, as shown in a video he posted on social media.
Three weeks later, the moment still makes Marion smile — even though he nearly missed the selection show because he slept in.
“It was just a moment where I was just happy because everybody was questioning whether we’re going to be in there or not,” Marion said. “So I just always kept that faith and believed that we was going to get in there. So when the moment happened, I just went crazy.”
Marion said the phrase has been a part of his vocabulary.
“It’s just like the confidence and the swag I have,” Marion said.
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. said Marion brings that energy to the team every day.
“That video was definitely his personality,” Fletcher said. “Like 10 out of 10. That’s him.”
The video quickly made its rounds on social media, and Miami fans loved it. Fans quickly started repeating the phrase in the lead up to the first round and again now that the Hurricanes are poised to face Ohio State in Wednesday’s Cotton Bowl.
“That showed the love and passion that the fan base has and stuff,” Marion said. “So the video was just me just showing my passion for the love of the game.”
Lace ya boots up! #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/bEWfJcLVn8
— Lorraine (@10minmanicure) December 21, 2025
Marion’s boots are laced. The first-year Hurricane who transferred from BYU has become a key part of Miami’s offense. He has 590 yards and a touchdown on 44 catches this year. The bulk of his production came in the last five games of the regular season as he became a steady target for quarterback Carson Beck.
“I’ve just been showing him anytime he comes my way, like, I can be another guy that also makes the play for him, too,” Marion said. “So just having him to keep coming my way and keep making that play and just keep building that trust and chemistry with him and that confidence.”
