Which Miami Hurricanes Players Have The Biggest Shoes To Fill Next Season?
The Miami Hurricanes have lost some important players to the NFL Draft and into the Transfer Portal.
Mario Cristobal and his staff have used these departures as opportunities to find upgrades through recruiting and the portal. Miami signed 27 players in the class of 2024 and added nine veteran transfers. There are also dozens returning Hurricanes who will try to ascend into starting spots.
So, which players have the biggest shoes to fill next season?
-Center Zach Carpenter. The graduate transfer from Indiana will try to fill the massive shoes left behind by Matt Lee. Lee graded out as a top four pass-blocking center last year. He only surrendered one sack over his final three collegiate seasons. Carpenter was solid at Indiana, giving up eight pressures and three sacks against a tough Big 10 schedule. He'll be tasked with providing continuity and stability for what should be one of the top offensive lines in the country next season at Miami.
-Defensive tackle CJ Clark. The NC State transfer will fill the void left behind by Leonard Taylor. Taylor has elite upside but didn't always provide consistency. Clark was consistent for the Wolfpack. He started every game in the 2023 season and recorded three tackles and a sack in a victory against Miami last November.
-Safeties Mishael Powell and Savion Riley. There will be plenty of competition for Miami's vacant safety spots, but for argument's sake, I will pencil in Powell and Riley as the probable starters based on their experience coming over from Washington and Vanderbilt, respectively. They'll try and fill the shoes of Kam Kinchens and James Williams. Both are projected to be drafted within the first three rounds and made up one of the top safety duos in college football over the past two seasons. Both Powell and Riley are earning positive feedback in offseason workouts. Powell brings invaluable experience, having started for the national runners up last year.
-Quarterback Cam Ward. I know the guy he's replacing didn't have a great season last year, but hear me out... Tyler Van Dyke, now a Wisconsin Badger, was Miami's starter for over two and a half seasons. Beginning a new chapter at the most important position after so long is significant. Ward will need to be considerably better at Miami than Van Dyke was in order for the Hurricanes to reach new heights. Ward threw for over a thousand yards more, six more touchdowns, and five fewer interceptions than TVD in 2023. Ward will use his final season of eligibility as an audition for the NFL. If he shines at Miami, it's a win-win for him and the program.
-Someone is gonna fill the void left by receiver Colbie Young. Young was a starter alongside Jacolby George and Xavier Restrepo last season, but he's transferred to Georgia. It's too soon for me to make a projection on who will grab his spot. Isaiah Horton seems like the most promising internal candidate. Joshisa Trader, an early enrollee freshman, has been turning heads in offseason workouts. There is also a possibility that Miami will try and grab an experienced outside receiver when the Transfer Portal reopens in April.
