Tag Archive for: Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Zach Dykstra leaves football team

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The Miami Hurricanes are going to be down an offensive lineman. According to a report from Andrew Ivins, Zach Dykstra has left the football team.

Dykstra did not play at all this season. He appeared in one game back in 2018 playing against Savannah State.

Whether or not Dykstra will transfer to another school is unknown. According to the report, his name was not in the transfer portal late Wednesday, so  whether he decides to transfer or not is unclear.

This is a blow to the offensive line depth for the Hurricanes. He was the nation’s No. 61 overall offensive tackle prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He signed with Miami in 2017.

Normally, losing a depth player would not be an issue. However, the Miami hurricanes really need a good season from their line. They are coming off the year in which they give up a ton of sacks. Giving up 50 sacks overall, that was the largest amount out of any Power Five school. There are some returners in the fold, as well as help on the way.

Looking at the 2020 recruiting class, Miami does have some line prospects at their disposal. Jaelyn Rivers and Chris Washington are two enrollees who could find their way onto the playing field. Rivers was a four-star prospect while Washington was a three-star prospect. Both of them have potential to make an impact on the line.

This hurts Miami from a depth perspective. Nevertheless, they should be able to make up for it on the line. Six returning players played in at least one game on the line last season. They are going to need to have a big season if Miami wants to succeed.

Especially with a revamped quarterback position, good production could lead to success offensively. In a crowded ACC, things need to be firing on all cylinders.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Program lands explosive RB in Thad Franklin

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The Miami Hurricanes continue to build their program. On Tuesday night, they landed the top 247Sports running back in Thaddeus Franklin.

Franklin comes from Chaminade-Madonna Prep and is a native of Hollywood, Fla.

He is the 11th overall running back in the 2021 class, and the 25th overall player in the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. In addition to Miami, Franklin held offers from Auburn, Baylor, FIU, and Florida.

Prior to his commitment on Tuesday, he recently received an offer from Texas A&M on January 23. In addition, he attended the South Carolina Junior Day on January 18.

What can he bring to the Miami Hurricanes? The answer is, he can bring a little bit of everything. Measuring in at 6 feet, 185 pounds, he is an interesting mix between a power and speed back. He runs hard, and is very difficult to tackle. Once he misses an initial defender, he is off to the races. That hard type of running style will certainly fit well with the Miami offense. The Miami Hurricanes want to be explosive and Franklin fits the bill. He has the opportunity to be a big-time playmaker.

Looking at the Miami Hurricanes 2021 class

Currently, the 2021 class is stacked. It is ranked fifth overall nationally and second in the ACC per the 247Sports Team Rankings. Franklin, a four-star running back, headlines a great class. In addition, guard Laurence Seymour, defensive tackle Savion Collins, and outside linebacker Chamon Metayer also hold a four-star distinction.

Franklin is a huge get for Miami as they look to continue building their program . He is a player that the program can build around. It will be interesting to see what other additions occur for the 2021 class. Miami is already building a solid group,  and it would be beneficial for the program to continue trying to add as much talent as they can to the class.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Program expected to name Rob Likens as WR coach

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The Miami Hurricanes are going to get a new wide receivers coach. Rob Likens is expected to be named the new wide receivers coach.

The past two seasons, he has been the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. The role of wide receivers coach is not something new for him. He has also served the role at Arizona State and Temple. Arizona State was second in the entire PAC-12 in points last year. The program was also second in first down conversions with 233. Tied with three other teams, Arizona State had a 91% red zone conversion percentage.

Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels ranked fifth in the conference with 245.3 yards per game. Running back  Eno Benjamin also performed well last year. Rushing for 90.3 yards per contest, that ranked him third overall in the conference.

Likens brings experience to Miami Hurricanes

Likens certainly brings with him a bevy of experience to Miami. The Pac-12 as a conference is very fast-paced.  Miami could definitely use that type of offense. The conversion numbers and the amount of points scored by Arizona State is also a positive trend for Likens. Although he will be dealing with entirely different personnel, it bodes well for a Miami Hurricanes team that has reloaded this offseason.

It will be interesting to see if the Miami Hurricanes offense will have a Pac-12 feel to it. They certainly need to improve in many areas. They are taking steps to improve and are heading in the right direction. Just a look at the fact that the D’Eriq King is coming to the program. That says something right there.

The program has been rebuilt in what feels like a matter of weeks. The turnaround has been quite impressive. Now, we’ll have to see if all the pieces are able to form a fluid, cohesive unit on the field next season.

Miami Hurricanes: Ed Reed to join program as Chief of Staff

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A familiar face is coming back to Coral Gables. The Miami Hurricanes have hired Ed Reed as  Chief of Staff for the program.

According to the program’s official press release, Reid will serve in an advisory role to head coach Manny Diaz. Reed will take on duties that include strategic planning, operations, quality control, and player evaluation and development. He also serve in an athletic mentor role and help recruit players as much as the NCAA allows.

A smart move for the Miami Hurricanes

This is certainly an impactful move for the program. Reed was one of the best Miami Hurricanes players of all-time. Playing from 1997-2001, he was part of the most recent golden age for the program. He led the nation with nine interceptions in the 2001 season and was named the 2001 co-Big East defensive player of the year. He was undoubtedly the heart and soul of those great defensive teams. That is certainly saying something when you consider who else was on the roster.

Reed was a  first-team All American in 2000 and 2001. Those Miami Hurricanes teams posted a 23-1 record. They were at the pinnacle of the college football mountain. Some still talk about that 2001 Hurricanes team to this day, and they are continually in the conversation as one of the best college teams of all time.

Having Reed on the recruiting trail would be  tremendous for Miami. When you consider his body of work both at Miami and at the professional level, there is no denying he was successful. A Pro football Hall of Famer in 2019, he has been successful everywhere he has went. His role with the program certainly checks off many boxes. It will be interesting to see where he contributes most.  Just having his name attached to the football program is a huge win for the Miami Hurricanes.

Miami Hurricanes: Jarren Williams to transfer from program

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A member of the Miami Hurricanes is entering the transfer portal. Quarterback Jarren Williams has decided to move on from Miami according to a report from Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.

,Williams played quite a bit last season. He threw for 2,187 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His best game came against Louisville. In what was a 52-27 win on November 9, Williams went 15-of-22 on the day throwing for 253 yards and six touchdowns. A 67-yard throw was his longest of the afternoon.

Williams finishes his Miami career throwing for 2,204 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

King changed quarterback room for Miami Hurricanes

With D’Eriq King now in the fold, this does not come as much of a surprise. King should figure to be in the starting quarterback conversation when the Hurricanes take on Temple in the season opener on September 5. With the commitment of King, the quarterback room got a lot deeper, and the dynamics changed quite a bit. Based on what he did in Houston last year alone, King certainly looks to be primed for the starting role. Last year for Houston, King threw for 2,982 yards and 14 touchdowns. He rushed for 674 yards and 14 touchdowns.

N’Kosi Perry will also be part of the quarterback room as well. Last season, he threw for 1045 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions.  There is an option for Miami there as well. However, there is no reason to think that the job would not go to King.

The outlook of Miami’s  offense is certainly a bit different than even a couple of weeks ago. It will be interesting to see how the new-look offense performs during spring ball . As different pieces get adjusted, Miami will certainly have a lot more work with than they did at this time a year ago.

 

 

Miami Hurricanes: Program picks up commitment from Keyshawn Smith

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The Miami Hurricanes picked up another commitment on Tuesday. This time, it was from 2020 three-star wide receiver Keyshawn Smith.

Smith is the 152nd overall wide receiver in his class and the 84th overall receiver in the state of California per the 247 Sports Composite Rankings.

In addition to Miami, other teams were vying for his services. Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, and Fresno State all extended offers his way. He received 15 in total. It has been a wild recruiting process for him over this to past month or so.

He took an official visit to Washington on December 6 and committed to the program on December 12. He officially signed with Washington on December 18. He then  decommitted from Washington on Tuesday, electing to start fresh with Miami.

As a senior for Lincoln High in San Diego last season, he scored 13 total touchdowns. He caught 46 passes for 808 yards and a touchdowns as a receiver. He also rushed the ball 16 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith brings speed to Miami Hurricanes

What can he bring to the Miami Hurricanes? Measuring in at 6 feet, 185 pounds, Smith has tremendous hands and speed. Furthermore, he is not afraid to leap up and make difficult catches. He should be another weapon for Miami in what is  already a crowded receivers room. Spring ball  will be a good first-look in regards to the position. Miami has several playmakers at its disposal.

With this commitment, Miami only has two spots left in this recruiting cycle. Currently, there 2020 class ranks 16th nationally and second overall in the ACC per the 247 Sports Team Rankings.

Miami has done very well in recruiting over the past couple of weeks. Time will tell how they will use those remaining two spots on the roster in this recruiting cycle.

Miami Hurricanes: Team lands playmaking defensive end in Quincy Roche

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The Miami Hurricanes have been on fire on the recruiting trail lately, and they picked up another commitment on Monday. The team received a commitment from former Temple defensive end Quincy Roche. As a graduate transfer, he has one year of eligibility remaining.

Playing for Temple the past three seasons, Roche had a solid year last year. He recorded 49 tackles and 13 sacks in addition to a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. His best game last year came against Tulane on November 16. In that contest, he recorded 12 tackles and three sacks on the day. For the year, he finished fifth in the nation in sacks per game last season.

It is worth noting his success in 2018 as well. That year, he recorded 57 tackles and six sacks in addition to forcing two fumbles.

As a prospect, he was the 36th overall player in the state of Maryland and the 84th weak-side defensive end in his class per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

For Miami, this puts the icing on the cake at the defensive end position. Now, they have both Gregory Rousseau and Quincy Roche. Rousseau was second in all of college football with 15.5 sacks in 2019. This brings instant production to Miami’s defensive end position. Furthermore, it stabilizes the position and shores up the defense.

On top of all this, Jaelan Phillips is also eligible to play this year. A former member of the UCLA Bruins, Phillips recorded 12 tackles and a sack in the 2018 season. He should be able to bring an additional boost to the defensive line for the Miami hurricanes.

Miami was sixth in the country with 48 sacks on the season. The addition of Roche will definitely change that number. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to produce. If he can play at a high level consistently, Miami should be in good hands.

Miami Hurricanes

Wait is Over: Hurricanes Officially Land D’Eriq King

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After much anticipation, quarterback D’Eriq King is officially a Miami Hurricane.

The Miami Hurricanes have addressed a major issue at quarterback, as D’Eriq King will enroll this week.

Timing was crucial as he had to enroll by Tuesday in order to participate in Spring practice.

 

New offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has found someone that fits his up-tempo spread offense perfectly.

King sat out all but four games last year after choosing to redshirt to save his last year of eligibility.

In 2018 while with the Houston Cougars, King set the AAC total touchdown mark with 50 scores (36 passing 14 rushing).

Those 36 passing touchdowns came against just six interceptions, and King put up those numbers despite missing nearly three games with a knee injury.

 

His 2018 totals were astounding – 219-of-345 passing (63.5%) for 2982 yards, He added 111 carries for 674 yards (6.1 YPC) on the ground.

King’s dual-threat capabilities will be utilized heavily in Lashlee’s offense.

Miami has once again utilized the transfer portal to their advantage, having also signed kicker Jose Borregales from FIU.

Rumors of King’s arrival swirled after his two day visit to Coral Gables this past weekend but uncertainty still loomed as nothing was made official until Monday.

The Hurricanes have addressed major needs at quarterback and kicker, along with perceived upgrades on the coaching staff.

Manny Diaz has started to right the ship of public perception somewhat, first with the Lashlee hire and now with finding a new dynamic signal caller.

Expectations are once again high after a disastrous ending to the past season.

It will be interesting to see how all of these new additions mesh in what may no longer be perceived as a rebuilding year.

That sure happened fast.

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Photo credit Tony Capobianco.

Miami Hurricanes: Receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield bolts to Penn State

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The Miami Hurricanes receivers coach is off to Happy Valley.

A Miami Hurricanes coach is headed to the Big Ten. Wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield is headed to Penn State to serve the same position.

Stubblefield played football for a number of years, beginning at Purdue in 2001. A consensus All-American in 2004, he began his professional career in 2005. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers in April of that year.

After bouncing around for a couple of teams throughout the 2000’s, he began his coaching career. He came to Miami in January 2019, following two years coaching the same position at the Air Force Academy.

Taking stock of the Miami Hurricanes receiver room

Miami’s receiving group was led by K.J. Osborn and Brevin Jordan statistically. Osborn recorded 50 catches for 547 yards and five touchdowns to lead the team. He averaged 10.9 yards per reception. Jordan caught 35 passes for 495 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 14.1 yards per reception, he was able to give Miami production out of the tight end position.

Jeff Thomas was also a big producer for the offense in 2019. He was second on the team in touchdowns with four. Catching 20 passes for 335 yards, Thomas averaged 16.8 yards per reception. Nevertheless, there were concerns that the Miami wide receivers did not develop enough in the 2019 season.

Stubblefield also did some work off the field in recruiting. He was able to get four-star wide receiver Romello Brinson to commit to the program. A four-star recruit, Brinson had promise for Miami. However, he decommitted from the program on November 24.

The coaching turnover for the Miami Hurricanes continues, and this is just yet another move and change for the program in what has been a very busy offseason. Now, it will be interesting to see who fills the vacancy left by Stubblefield’s departure. One has to wonder if they will find a coach before spring ball begins, and whether it will be an in-house hire or from somewhere else.

Miami Hurricanes: D’Eriq King set to visit Coral Gables this weekend

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The Miami Hurricanes will have a big-time visitor this weekend. Former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King will take a two-day tour at the University of Miami, beginning Friday.

King would be eligible to play right away and that would be great news for Miami. He is just one of three quarterbacks with 35 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns in a season.

As noted in a report from Andrew Ivins, a recruiting guru who is a regular contributor to the 5 Rings Canes podcast on the Five Reasons Sports Network, the quarterback has been talking with Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

King is exactly what the Miami Hurricanes need

This would be a much-needed upgrade for the Miami Hurricanes. Poor quarterback play has plagued them throughout the last couple of seasons. King would have a chance to add stability to the program for at least two seasons. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.  Perhaps even more exciting, he would be eligible to play right away.

Miami is going to have to compete with other big-time schools for King. LSU, Oregon, Arkansas, and Ole Miss have also been on his radar. The Hurricanes certainly have their work cut out for them when it comes to battling with other teams for King.

This would be a huge get for Miami just in terms of production. The Hurricanes ranked 99th in the country in 2019 with 22.3 points scored per game. They also ranked 103rd in the country with 348.3 yards per game. With 7.2 yards per pass attempt, that ranked 73rd in the country.

King would provide an instant splash to the Miami offense and would electrify a passing game that is struggling at the moment. Not only that, it would be the first big development for Lashlee since joining the staff. It would certainly provide a jolt into the Miami quarterback room, and would make the ACC a lot more interesting come the fall.

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