MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami All-American safety Kamren Kinchens was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital with less than two minutes left in the game against Texas A&M on Saturday evening following a collision with Aggies' receiver Ainias Smith.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said he was heading to the trauma center to visit Kinchens after the game, and while he didn't offer a definitive diagnosis, he remained positive.
"Football is unforgiving at times," Cristobal said. "I don't think that's the case here. I'm very hopeful. I don't like to get ahead of myself, but I like to think positive and think that everything is trending in the right direction and we'll get an update to everybody as soon as we get it."
The Hurricanes posted a photo of Kinchens on the team's X account late Saturday night.
That's one tough Cane 🤞
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 10, 2023
(picture via Merdie Kinchens-Butler) pic.twitter.com/IEHonGrOMm
Kinchens suffered the injury with 1:56 left in the game, and medical personnel were called onto the field. The entire team surrounded him at one point, and the cheerleaders took a knee on the sideline.
Fellow safety James Williams said he told Kinchens "Look at me, keep your eyes open, breathe" as his teammate lay on the field.
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke called Kinchens "the heart and soul of this program" and sent prayers to his teammate.
"Hopefully he's OK," Van Dyke said. "He's the main leader of the team, brings it every day in practice, makes us work, so hopefully he's ok. The quarterback was trying to fit it into a tight window and he was just trying to make a play on the ball. I think his head got caught up a little bit in the other guy."
Kinchens, a junior from Miami, had seven tackles and one interception for 28 yards.