Miami Hurricanes Offensive Players to Watch in Week 3 vs Texas A&M

Miami has a new look, albeit dangerous, offensive unit this season

Matt Galatzan | Sep 14, 2022

In this story:

Texas A&M Aggies

The Miami Hurricanes are coming to Kyle Field to take on the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday looking to make a statement under new head coach Mario Cristobal.

The Hurricanes will be returning one of the top passers in the ACC last season in sophomore Tyler Van Dyke, who completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions.

Also back will be starting running back Jaylan Knighton and wideout Key'Shawn Smith, who were key in 2021, as well as one of the nation's top offensive tackles, Zion Nelson.

However, they will have to replace one of Van Dyke's top targets in Charleston Rambo, who had a record year with 79 catches for 1,172 yards to go along with seven scores.

The Hurricanes return seven starters on the offensive side of the ball, including three along the offensive front, while breaking in two new starting wideouts as Van Dyke attempts to cement a new No. 1 target.

With that in mind, here are a few offensive players to watch for the Hurricanes when they head to College Station

Be sure to stick with AllAggies.com as we preview every aspect of the matchup with the Hurricanes throughout the week.

QB Tyler Van Dyke

Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke returns to Coral Gables with high expectations in 2022 after taking the ACC by surprise last season. If he is to be successful, a new top receiving target will have to emerge.

With that said, Van Dyke has all the tools to be the top passer in the conference, and if his offensive line is able to protect him against the Aggies' pass rush, he could be in line for a big Week 3.

OT Zion Nelson

Outside of Van Dyke, the strength of the Hurricanes' offense might be the offensive line, where Cristobal returns three starters from a season ago. The top player in that group is without a doubt offensive tackle Zion Nelson, who is projected as a high draft pick next season.

The Aggies will attempt to pin their ears back and get after Van Dyke early on, and Nelson will be the biggest challenge in that endeavor.

RB Jaylan Knighton

If Van Dyke is going to be successful in 2022, he will have to have a reliable running game to supplement his passing. Sophomore Jaylan Knighton returns as the starter from a season ago and will get the first crack at locking down the job long term.

Knighton is a versatile back who can be utilized in both the running game and the passing game. In 2021, 145 carries for 561 yards and eight touchdowns, while hauling in 20 receptions for 280 yards and three more scores.

You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

Subscribe to the Texas A&M Aggies Daily Blitz Podcast

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the All Aggies message board community today!

Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!

Want More Aggies News? Check Out The Latest In Texas A&M News Here

Published Sep 14, 2022

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.