Which Miami Player Makes Biggest 2023 Impact?
Article photo of Colbie Young; credit to Brian Smith of All Hurricanes
Wanted to start today off with a little fun. Mario Cristobal and the Canes have several players that could help elevate next season’s record.
But, which specific player could help the Canes the most? That’s debatable from many angles. Here’s a poll listing four of the potential players, and a few thoughts about each afterwards.
What do you think?
Davonte Brown - Cornerback
Miami lost a plethora of defensive backs from the 2022 team. Gaining at least one cornerback from the Transfer Portal was a must. It certainly helped that Brown has been a three-year starter at UCF. In addition to Brown’s experience, his long and rangy frame will help keep wide receivers from the football, too.
There’s a good chance that Brown could be the No. 1 cornerback for Miami this fall. Without question, he has a great chance to be a primary reason the Hurricanes improve this next season.
Colbie Young - Wide Receiver
Talk about coming out of nowhere! That was Young in 2022. He emerged in the North Carolina game with 3 receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, and then went for 9 catches, 110 yards and a touchdown versus Virginia Tech, as well as 6 more catches for 127 yards and a touchdown versus Duke.
With a healthy Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, Young could put up monster numbers and be a primary reason Miami’s passing game takes off this season. Young could even be Miami’s best offensive player now that he has more chemistry with Van Dyke, making him a great pick for this vote.
James Williams - Safety
Most physically talented player on the team? Probably. Williams came into his own last season. As a junior this fall, he has a chance to be an All-American if he plays assignment-correct football and just allows his athleticism to show out.
Look for Williams to improve on his lone interception from last season, as well as improve upon his 6 pass breakups. Williams has the talent to go to an entirely different level of play this fall.
Javion Cohen - Offensive Guard
After starting for Alabama and coming to Miami from the Transfer Portal, talent was not in question for Cohen. Now it’s more about fitting in with his new teammates, being comfortable in helping lead a unit, in addition to being a physically dominant player himself.
Offensive line has always been different from any other position because it’s five players attempting to play as one. That’s a lot of reps to even come close to doing it.
A veteran like Cohen can be a central figure in helping with that (Matt Lee's addition to Miami's roster will help as well).
Miami needed more size and power for the 2023 unit up front. How well he gels and leads, however, should still be considered the most valuable commodity. That final point places him in strong contention to be a key reason the Canes play better in 2023.
Overall, there could be several Canes that change the course of the 2023 season. The above four players were just some of them. It's a fascinating debate to think about no matter which player(s) a Miami fan believes will change the record the most.
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