Ranking Miami's Position Groups: The Offense
Which Miami Hurricanes offensive position groups will excel and which ones need work?
Today’s breakdown discusses the pluses and minuses for each offensive group to date, basically assessing the overall depth chart at each position, with much of the following countdown rankings being based off of what has, or has not, happened so far during fall camp.
5) Tight End
Where’s the buzz? With all of the press conferences that Mario Cristobal, his staff, and players are going through, combined with the fact that tight end Elijah Arroyo didn’t participate in CanesFest, this position would be the best suited to be last on the totem pole, at least for now.
It’s not that the position is bad, but losing Will Mallory to the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts is a blow. Combining that fact with Arroyo’s injury situation from last season, leaves some questions.
There’s pressure for one of the young players to step up. That also means Oregon Transfer Portal addition Cam McCormick could end up playing a lot of snaps. His experience is needed anyway, and if Arroyo misses considerable action, McCormick could be No. 1 on the depth chart. That also brings up the wild card.
How will flex tight end Jaleel Skinner impact the rotation? So much natural athleticism for this young man. Just have to wait and see.
There's a ton of talent at tight end with Riley Williams and Jackson Carver also providing talent for the future and maybe even some big plays this season. That said, if Arroyo and McCormick stay healthy, the unit will be better for it because that means neither of the first-year players have to make plays.
4) Offensive Line
This was a difficult choice. There’s ample talent among the starting ranks – at least for now – but there could be even more talent with Zion Nelson in the lineup. He’s obviously returning from an injury from last season. That brings up two concerns.
One would be chemistry. All signs point to the run game getting going. Good deal. The pass protection, based on CanesFest however, needs work. That’s probably at least in part due to so many new faces at new positions like true freshman Francis Mauigoa at right tackle.
Offensive lines generally take time to gel. Miami needs to figure it out quickly (again, pass protection here) with Texas A&M coming to Hard Rock Stadium on Sep. 9. That’s a loaded front seven that can rush the passer. Poor pass protection leads to hits on quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, and that’s obviously a no-no for many reasons.
The other situation relates back to Nelson. He’s a NFL talent. The Canes could really use him in the lineup. Plus, with him out, there’s just not the proven depth that’s usually a part of upper echelon offensive lines.
This situation will all but flip around in 2024 – and potentially by the end of 2023 as players know one another better – when many of this year’s starters return. Until then, even one injury up front could cause issues.
From all of Miami’s positions, the offensive line is the one that could honestly go in about any direction this fall. Staying healthy will be paramount.
3) Quarterback
For the Canes to finish with a good record and an overall successful 2023 season, this position needs to be No. 1 in late November.
For now, people just need to see top-notch passing from a player that’s shown he could do it in 2021. That brings up the big question.
How well does Van Dyke take hits and make throws under duress after suffering multiple shoulder injuries in 2022? Hey, it’s not a given that he’s ready to roll.
As a person that believes in Van Dyke, it’s a good wager that he’s going to have a great season. Still, there’s pause about the injury, and one other major factor, that places quarterback at #3.
Like most college football teams, the Canes do not have a proven backup. Will Jacurri Brown be ready if Van Dyke goes down? Hard to grade him via CanesFest because quarterbacks were not live to hit. That being the case, he did not exactly light it up either.
There’s also freshman Emory Williams, but does anyone really believe a true freshman would be ready to take over for Van Dyke if he went down?
2) Wide Receiver
With Colbie Young and Xavier Restrepo leading the way, this is an explosive group. Additionally, the number of players that All Hurricanes own Alex Donno continues to discuss during his podcasts is extensive.
There’s a depth chart that’s building. Size and definitely elite speed and shiftiness are showing during fall camp. Maybe it’s Jacolby George or Tyler Harrell, or another Canes wide receiver, and perhaps a combination of players over time, but there will be plenty of pass catchers for Van Dyke to connect with.
Look for this unit to truly start to take off before mid-season. For now, it’s already a quality unit and one that deserves respect, especially with the aforementioned Young and Restrepo leading the pack.
1) Running Back
This might surprise some Miami fans. That’s fine. The reasoning stems from the ease of learning the position for a freshman like Mark Fletcher, Jr., possessing a returning talent like Henry Parrish, Jr., and then there’s Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen that showed out during CanesFest. Do not discount Don Chaney, Jr. contributing this fall either.
The running back room has complementary players for any given situation and there’s depth. Both are great signs. To make this an elite unit someone needs to step up during pivotal moments and make it happen. Time will tell if the running backs deserve an elite grade at season’s end. For now, the Miami running back room appears to be ready to break out!
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.