Miami Football: How Much Did Recruiting and the Transfer Portal Help?
With Miami Hurricanes redshirt sophomore Laurence Seymore entering the Transfer Portal per On3, it opens up a question about depth and talent, as well as Miami winning games.
Mario Cristobal and his Miami coaching staff have done a tremendous job of adding top-rated recruits and transfers during the past year. That probably contributed to Seymore leaving, but that’s okay because the Canes have been trending in the right direction.
Take a look at a few of the players that have been brought into the Miami program and what they have already done and/or projected to do.
On offense, true freshman Francis Mauigoa has been a starter at right tackle since spring practice. He was a 5-star-plus recruit, meaning all four of Rivals, 247, On3, and ESPN ranked the former Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy prospect as a 5-star prospect.
As All Hurricanes writer Alex Donno already mentioned during his podcasts, another freshman, slot receiver Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph, has shot into the conversation for playing time.
He’s not necessarily going to beat out incumbent Xavier Restrepo, but getting more reps and competing with Brashard Smith for the No. 2 slot receiver spot, could be the long-term outcome.
The Hurricanes need a bigger running back to emerge. While it’s a lot to ask, recruit Mark Fletcher has not only added the size to play right away at the Power 5 level, but he’s a cerebral young man that should adjust quickly to the playbook. Hard to imagine Fletcher not at least having an impact during at least a few key moments during the 2023 season.
There’s also been discussion about quarterback Emory Williams making strides behind center. No, he’s not beating out Tyler Van Dyke, but he could be in a serious battle for the starting job come 2024.
For him to be successful, Williams needed to be able to gain the trust of offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and his teammates. So far, Williams has accomplished that task quite well based on numerous reports from Donno and other members of the Miami beat.
Much like with Williams, defensive end Rueben Bain, Jr. has made noise since his official arrival in Coral Gables this past January. He recorded three sacks in the spring game, just for starters.
Miami’s defensive end depth was good before Bain came to campus, but he’s still pushing his way towards playing time. Again, that’s the definition of improving the roster; the best players have been awarded the opportunity to play.
Moving to the Transfer Portal additions, it’s a long list of candidates to discuss. Just at cornerback, Davonte Brown has been projected to start at one spot, and Vanderbilt Transfer Portal addition Jadais Richard has started off fall camp well. So too did former Oklahoma player and now Cane Jaden Davis.
Considering that Cristobal and his staff needed to all but totally revamp the cornerback room, it’s incredible what was acquired in one off season, just at the cornerback position.
Similar to cornerback, defensive tackle needed more bodies with the ability to make an immediate impact. Purdue transfer Branson Deen has reportedly made strides to battle for a starting spot. Even if he’s in a consistent rotation with other defensive tackles, that’s a step in the right direction.
Same deal with Georgia State defensive tackle transfer Thomas Gore. He’s another quick and athletic defensive tackle that can get to the signal caller, as noted by his five sacks and six quarterback hurries this past season.
On the other side of the football, it’s expected that former Alabama offensive guard Javion Cohen and UCF center Matt Lee will be starters for the Canes. Hard to argue against the offensive line not being the weakest link of Miami’s 2022 unit, so picking up two players with NFL talent was tremendous for Miami.
Of course there’s been buzz regarding former Louisville and Alabama wide receiver Tyler Harrell coming home as well. From his prep days, Harrell played for Miami (Fla.) Columbus.
The speedy receiver could be that extra dimension for Van Dyke. The deep threat was missing for much of last season, but Harrell has proven to be a flat out burner.
There’s also an eagerness to see freshmen Jackson Carver and Riley Williams potentially making noise this season, and one or both of them could see significant action.
That being the case, Oregon tight end transfer Cam McCormick should be one of the first transfers to hit the field for the Canes and be a key tight end contributor. Miami will likely run some 12 personnel packages, i.e. one running back and two tight ends, providing McCormick ample opportunities to play.
Along with fellow tight end Elijah Arroyo, McCormick will be a major part of the Miami offense come this fall. He’s been known as more of a blocker but do not discount him catching passes either. That’s especially true after the Canes enter the red zone.
At running back, Ajay Allen will be expected to help carry the load with returning starter Henry Parrish, Jr. Allen came to Miami after playing for Nebraska for one season. He’s a shifty runner with a burst to take it the distance.
From the players listed above, that’s a long list. Still, it’s just scratching the surface of how Miami improved its roster from recruiting and the Transfer Portal. There were also several other players that could have been mentioned, too. The 2023 Miami recruiting class alone was sensational! Adding 15 Transfer Portal additions, that was tremendous, too.
Subsequently, those player acquisitions sent now former Canes looking for more playing time of their own at a different school, like Seymore.
So yes, losing talented players may not be great at a first glance, but there’s a reason that Miami players sometimes leave. The Hurricanes improved their roster and some other players lost battles. That means the Hurricanes will be winning more games on the gridiron and that’s a step towards being a big-time program once again.
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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.