An offseason of change has the Miami Hurricanes football team hopes that the 2019 season will look more like 2017 than 2018.
Miami Hurricanes fans look back in disgust on the 2018 season. It was an all-out failure for a team that had the best preseason ranking in over a decade. An abrupt retirement from Mark Richt has led “The New Miami” being coached by Manny Diaz. He and his talented staff will look to build off of a down year and get back to being an ACC title contender in the coming year.
- 2018 record: 7-6 (4-4 ACC)
- Spring game: April 20, 12 p.m. EST from Orlando, FL
Bad quarterback play and a stale offense get a face-lift
Head coach Manny Diaz made a few hirings this offseason when he took over control. There was none more important than bringing on Dan Enos’ to run the offense and coach the quarterback. A spot where Mark Richt previously installed his son, the quarterback coach was getting little out of the talented players they brought in. With last year’s starting quarterback Malik Rosier graduated the next in line would be N’Kosi Perry. He was given the first shot last year when Rosier struggled.
Arriving on campus this spring was Ohio State transfer, Tate Martell. A new offense in place shrinks the gap Martell needs to make up to overtake Perry for the starting job. Enos fast-paced, quick-hitting offense seems like the perfect match for Martell. Granted a hardship waiver, Martell will be able to play in 2019 and has a good shot at winning the job.
Don’t sleep on sophomore Jarren Williams. A former four-star recruit, Williams almost transferred away from the program before being convinced to return by Diaz. He was short-changed by not getting a chance to play last year in meaningful minutes. He may have the best arm of the bunch but this competition will go as far as the mental side of the game takes these players. Enos has stressed the pace of play for the position and making the right throw. That is something all three struggle with and will ultimately be the deciding factor in who wins the gig.
A tough start to the schedule will set the tone for the season
Miami in 2019 is not going to be a team that starts with cupcake games. Instead, they open the season in college football’s much-discussed Week 0. Miami will face the Florida Gators on August 24th in Orlando. That is one way to start a season; playing a tough in-state rival on a neutral field. That game will go a long way to determine how Miami fares.
After Florida, Miami schedule softens up with their first ACC action against North Carolina two weeks later. They enter out-of-conference play again with back-to-back games against Bethune-Cookman and Central Michigan. A crucial bye week looms prior to welcoming the Virginia Tech Hokies to town. Their toughest test will be on the road at Florida State. That game is always a toss-up and Tallahassee is not an easy place to play.
Replacing defensive talent
Miami’s defense the past two years have been one of the best in the nation. It is one reason why fans were thrilled when Diaz was announced the head coach. The architect of that defense is going to continue to have these guys ready to play. He’s got his work cut out for him this year. Diaz must replace an All-ACC defensive tackle in Gerald Willis, defensive end Joe Jackson, corner Michael Jackson and a pair of starting safeties in All-ACC’s Jaquon Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine.
Diaz has some young guys to lean on. Joe Jackson will be replaced by Jonathan Garvin who projects as a high draft pick when he declares for the NFL. Michael Jackson’s replacement, Trajan Bandy, was the team’s best corner a year ago and will need to find someone opposite him. The safeties and Willis are the toughest to replace. Getting four-star recruit Bubba Bolden to transfer in from UCLA certainly helps.
Here is an early look at how the depth chart could shake out.
Transfer portal is a big boost
No coach in college football used the transfer portal like Manny Diaz did at Miami. Already in this article two prominent transfers were mentioned.
High school teammates Bubba Bolden and Tate Martell both joined Miami through the new transfer portal. Martell comes via Ohio State after losing the starting quarterback job last year to Dwayne Haskins and seeing five-star transfer Justin Fields enter the fold next season. He’ll compete for the starting spot right off the bat.
Bolden left UCLA and joins Martell and fellow Las Vegas teammate Brevin Jordan with the Hurricanes. He’s got an easier track to playing time with Miami losing both starters at safety to the NFL.
Diaz was not done poaching UCLA players. He was able to land the biggest transfer of the entire 2019 offseason in UCLA defensive end Jaelan Phillips. The former number one overall recruit adds to an already deep defensive line and should be an impact player whenever he sees the field.
Coach Diaz did not stop there. Another UCLA grad-transfer joined the fray on the defensive line in Chigozie Nnoruka. Virginia Tech defensive end Trevon Hill should see the field as well as a dynamite pass rusher off the edge. Tommy Kennedy came over from Butler to man a tackle spot on the offense and protect whoever is playing quarterback. K.J. Osborn at receiver from Buffalo gives Miami an exciting veteran presence on the outside and a mentor to the many young players on the roster at receiver.
Best game to look forward to: Virginia Tech at Miami on Oct. 5
If Miami is going to repeat as ACC Coastal champions the matchup with Virginia Tech will be crucial. The Hokies were down last year for their standards and took a big loss to Miami mid-season in Blacksburg. Now they must travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes again. Coach Justin Fuentes will have the team ready to go and based off the 2018 season, Miami struggled in the middle of the year. This game could decide who wins the ACC Coastal and a chance to play Clemson in the ACC title game.