Transfer Portal Season Will Be A Busy One For The Miami Hurricanes | Donno Mailbag
The regular season is over and before you know it, we will be whipped away by the transfer portal whirlwind. The portal opens on December 4th. I expect Miami to be active.
Q: If Miami decides to pursue a QB, who are the top 3 they have in mind? - Jake
A: I don't know who Miami has in mind just yet, but I can tell you a handful of possibilities that make a ton of sense to me.
1- Mississippi State QB Will Rogers. He's already announced his intentions to leave the Bulldogs and he would be an excellent fit at The U. First of all, he's experienced and productive. His 12,315 career passing yards are the second most in SEC history. With one year of eligibility left, Rogers could be the perfect bridge before the Canes hand the reigns to one of their young signal callers.
Secondly, Rogers came up in the air raid offense under the late Mike Leach. He should fit like a glove under Shannon Dawson, who comes from the same air raid coaching tree.
2- Tulane QB Michael Pratt. Reports of him possibly entering the portal have been conflicting, but the idea of Pratt finding a Power Five program for his final year of eligibility seems reasonable to assume. There's also a South Florida tie in. Pratt played his high school ball at Deerfield Beach. Coming home could make a ton of sense.
Like Rogers, Pratt brings experience and poise. He keeps his interception totals in single digits every year. This season he's thrown 21 touchdowns to just 4 INT's while leading the Green Wave to the AAC Championship game.
3- Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman. To this point I haven't heard any reliable reports about him entering the portal. No one would be shocked if he left College Station, though, since his head coach was fired midseason. Every single player on the Aggies roster will be taking time to evaluate their options.
Weigman has potential through the roof and he has the ability to extend plays and run. Having a dual threat quarterback would be such a luxury. He's not nearly as experience as the previous options, so Weigman would present an option for both the present and future. He will be a redshirt sophomore next year.
Q: What positions do we need to address most in the transfer portal -Dominic
A: Quarterback will be the top priority, as I expect to lose Tyler Van Dyke and possibly Jacurri Brown, too. Miami needs to hit the ground running with this, because QB is the most complicated position to recruit in the portal due to NIL bidding wars around the country and the necessity for the player to find the right scheme fit.
Defensive tackle and defensive back, especially safety, will be the next biggest priorities due to a major need for depth. I could see Miami attempting to land no less than THREE defensive tackles through the portal.
Q: Who are the current players Miami must prioritize to keep from transferring or leaving early for the NFL draft? -Jordan
A: First, let me say I do not blame any player for going pro early or even for transferring to find a better situation. Sometimes the grass is greener. That isn't always the case, though.
If Miami can find a way to keep one or both of their top safeties, Kam Kinchens and James Williams, that would be massive. Both are likely to enter the NFL draft. The Hurricanes will be especially thin at safety next year. Assuming both Kinchens and Williams depart, Miami needs to try and keep Markeith Williams from transferring. He's in line to play a prominent role next year.
Do the Hurricanes have any chance to keep Leonard Taylor for another year? The junior D-Tackle will likely go pro, but this is another position that will have virtually no depth next year unless Miami brings in about 3 DT's through the portal.
Miami needs to make tight end Riley Williams a priority. The tight ends were seldom-used in the passing game this season, but trust me when I tell you that Williams could be the next great one at Tight End U. He'll be a true sophomore next year. I don't have any reason to believe he would enter the portal, but Miami needs to make sure the thought never crosses his mind. I watched him dominate at the high school level at IMG Academy and he will likely do the same very soon in college.
I would love to keep Jacurri Brown in the quarterback room. Tyler Van Dyke is likely to move on. A TVD departure would leave Brown and Emory Williams as the only scholarship quarterbacks before the Class of 2024 arrives. I hope Brown has a future in Miami.
Q: Is a top 10 recruiting class still possible for Miami? -Candlegrad
A: It's very possible. Miami currently sits 11th in the 247 Sports class rankings. Still, the road to finishing in the top 10 is more complicated than you might think. Miami's class is almost full with 26 verbal commits (there's not a hard cap, but it's hard for me to imagine more than around 28.) Many of the teams in the top 10 are in the low 20's in terms of number of commits, so they'll likely add more than Miami between now and signing day. Dropping a few spots is as likely as moving up.
The road to a top 10 finish would almost certainly have to include a high profile FLIP. If Miami can steal a 5-Star or highly ranked 4-Star from a team above them, it likely gives them a top 10 class. Rumors have swirled around players like 5-Star CB Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia) and a handful of 5-Star defensive tackles still giving Miami a hard look despite being pledged elsewhere. Perhaps Miami still has a chance, even a slim one, to flip 5-Star WR Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State.
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