No. 16 – Miami Hurricanes Season Preview

The postseason has not been good to the Miami Hurricanes over the last 14 years. Miami is 1-10 in bowl games since the 2007 season, and the Hurricanes have now lost four straight bowl games following their Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State to cap off the 2020 season. The Hurricanes are looking to change that in a big way this year, as they are seen as the second- or third-best team in the ACC for most people. Manny Diaz has the opportunity to lead Miami to at least 10 wins for just the second time since 2003.

Miami Regular Season Win Total

Over 9 Wins +100

Under 9 Wins -130

OFFENSE

D’Eriq King is the best quarterback that Miami has had in quite some time. King shined in his first season with the Hurricanes. He completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,686 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions, only struggling against top-ranked Clemson. King was the second-leading rusher on the Hurricanes last year too, and his mobility gives this offense a lot of flexibility.

The top running back from 2020 returns to the fold too. Cam’Ron Harris led the Hurricanes with 643 yards (5.1 YPC) and 10 touchdowns last season. Donald Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton saw a decent amount of action as freshmen, so this position group is in good hands.

Top receiver Mike Harley should be the favorite option for King again in 2021. Harley led the Hurricanes with 57 receptions for 799 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Transfer Charleston Rambo should make a big impact in south Florida, and Will Mallory is ready to take over from Brevin Jordan as the starting tight end.

Miami’s offensive line should be pretty solid. All five starters from 2020 are back for the Hurricanes, and that continuity should lead to improvement across the board.

DEFENSE

The Hurricanes have one of the top safety tandems in the country. Bubba Bolden led the team in tackles and was an all-conference selection in 2020, and Gurvan Hall Jr. has a ton of experience. That should make this secondary one of the best in the ACC as cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson, Al Blades Jr., and D.J. Ivey are all very good.

This defensive line is pretty solid too. Deandre Johnson is going to make an instant impact at defensive end after transferring in from Tennessee. Defensive tackles Jonathan Ford and Nesta Jade Silvera are considered quality starters as well.

Unfortunately, the linebackers are something of a concern. Two underclassmen are expected to start, and there isn’t a lot of depth. Bradley Jennings Jr. and Gilbert Frierson have looked to be reliable at least.

SCHEDULE

It’s never easy to start the season against Alabama. The Hurricanes will probably lose that game, and the following weeks’ games against Appalachian State and Michigan State won’t be walks in the park either.

The good news is that Miami won’t have to play Clemson in cross-division play. Additionally, the ACC is relatively weak outside of North Carolina and Clemson, so the Hurricanes have a good chance of being favored in every other ACC game. They will be a decent underdog against UNC in Chapel Hill though.

PREDICTION

Miami will likely finish with either eight or nine wins. The Hurricanes don’t have much of a shot against Alabama and probably won’t beat UNC, and there’s a good chance they lose another one or two games with their schedule. The only pushover is Central Connecticut State, and that will likely prevent a double-digit win campaign.s

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