Which Miami Hurricanes Have The Most Pressure And Opportunities This Spring? | Donno Podcast
The Miami Hurricanes have compiled enough talent to be considered among the favorites to win the ACC in 2024.
In the overall rankings that take both recruiting and transfers into account, Miami has the 6th overall class of 2024 per 247Sports. Fanduel Sportsbook set Miami's 2024 win total at 9.5, tied with Florida State and Clemson atop the conference.
Spring practices kick off at Miami on March 4th. On my Locked On Canes podcast, Bruce Warner and I discussed players with pressure to step up and opportunities to land prominent roles.
Pressure:
Cam Ward- His pressure comes with the territory of playing the game's most important position. The Washington State transfer also brings major expectations with him after opting for Miami over entering the NFL Draft.
Zach Carpenter- The Indiana transfer center will be asked to fill the shoes of NFL-bound Matt Lee, who anchored Miami's offensive line last year.
Rueben Bain- The ACC defensive rookie of the year set a very high bar for himself heading into his sophomore campaign.
Mishael Powell- The Washington transfer DB was a regular starter for the national runners up last season. He'll likely be a starting safety at Miami and will need to stabilize the defensive backfield after the departure of All-American Kam Kinchens.
Mario Cristobal- I believe in the overall direction of his rebuild, but year three is time to start winning. Nine to eleven wins seems to be the expectation this year.
Opportunity:
Chris Johnson Jr- The second year running back is arguably the fastest player on the team. He was seldom used in 2023 as a true freshman, but can carve out a spot in Miami's rotation this year. With Mark Fletcher being injured this spring, Johnson can earn extra reps in practice.
Damari Brown- The former American Heritage standout can land a starting role in Miami's defensive backfield this season.
Elijah Alston- The former Marshall standout was graded by Pro Football Focus as the top transfer edge rusher in the country. Miami has a deep rotation on the edge, but he has an opportunity to put himself on the map.
Multiple wide receivers: Isaiah Horton could be best suited to take the starting job left behind by Colbie Young. Others, like Ray Ray Joseph, Robby Washington and Joshisa Trader, just to name a few, can carve out significant playing time.
Offensive linemen: Matthew McCoy, Tommy Kinsler and Louis Cristobal Jr will be among the competitors to earn the starting left guard job left by Javion Cohen. I'm also not sleeping on Markel Bell and Samson Okunlola.
