Miami Hurricanes football will be better this season. Let us count the ways

The Miami Hurricanes are better this year, and we picked 10 reasons the Canes should prove it.

Normally, that wouldn’t be a stretch after a depressing 6-7 2019. But 2020 is obviously much more tenuous because of the coronavirus pandemic and how it might affect not only the Hurricanes’ health in 2020, but UM’s entire revamped schedule.

Besides, we haven’t seen even one practice.

But we believe if UM stays healthy and gets those games played, the Canes should have a fighting chance to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game, even with quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s preseason No. 1 Clemson (at Clemson) and gifted quarterback Sam Howell’s North Carolina (at UM) on the slate.

Here are the 10 reasons:

1. Quarterback D’Eriq King: He is proven. He is a record-holder. He can throw and run and make something beautiful out of something potentially ugly. King is a graduate transfer out of Houston. While there, he threw for 4,925 yards with 50 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 1,421 yards with 28 touchdowns. In 2019, King set the FBS record for consecutive games (15) with a passing or rushing touchdown, breaking former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s record. In 2018, King set the American Athletic Conference record with 50 total touchdowns — 36 passing and 14 rushing.

2. Spread offense: New offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who came to Miami from SMU, is considered one of the college game’s brightest offensive coaches. With him has come his “air raid” spread that drops the huddle, uses lots of receivers and keeps defenses panting. Lashlee has simplified UM’s offense, which was too complicated for many of the players last season. At SMU, his 2019 offense finished ninth nationally in average yards per game (489.8) and seventh in points (41.8). Does he like to throw the ball? For sure. But he will use the running attack plenty.

3. Coaching additions: Lashlee’s on board, and so is new offensive line coach Garin Justice and new receivers coach Rob Likens. Like Lashlee, Justice and Likens have substantial experience in fast-paced spreads, and both are highly respected. Justice, 38, spent the past two seasons at UNLV, last year as its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He is smart and energetic and has a good rapport with his players — and they produce. Justice was the offensive line coach at neighboring FAU in 2016 and ‘17, and was the only assistant retained when Lane Kiffen was named head coach. Three of the Owls O-linemen in 2017 were named first-team All-Conference USA, and the Owls were 12th nationally for fewest sacks allowed in the regular season (16).

Likens, 53, is a prolific coach who served as Arizona State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past two seasons and before that in 2017 as its receivers coach. Under Likens, the Sun Devils had five different receivers with 100-plus-yards games in 2017. And ASU receiver Brandon Aiyuk was ranked 15th nationally this past season in receiving yards, with 1,192. Likens has played as many as 10 receivers in a game in a decades-long career, and the simpler offense should help foster a big improvement in 2020.

4. Defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche: UM coaches knew they struck gold when the nation’s 2017 No. 1 recruit Phillips joined the team last season, and Roche transferred from Temple for his final season in 2020. Phillips, who previously played for UCLA, sat out last season to rebuild his strength after sustaining various injuries playing football and as the result of a scooter accident in which he was hit by a car. He now has 270 pounds on his 6-5 frame and is a wrecking ball of a player.

Roche, listed as 6-3 and 245 pounds, was the 2019 American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. In three seasons, he had 137 total tackles, 39.5 tackles for loss and 26.0 sacks, seven pass breakups, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks. A couple more gems: he ranked fifth in the FBS with 13 sacks and 11th with 19 tackles for loss last season.

Had the Canes not obtained these two stars, who knows what they’d be thinking after national phenom Gregory Rousseau chose to opt out this season and train for the NFL Draft.

5. Linebacker depth: Veteran standouts Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney are gone, leaving senior leader Zach McCloud, who took a redshirt in 2019, to help solidify a formerly thin unit that has endured countless injuries. The return of formerly injured Bradley Jennings, now playing in the middle with McCloud moving to the weak side, has helped immeasurably, according to coach Manny Diaz. Also back from injury is redshirt junior Waynmon Steed. But it’s the youngest linebackers who are making coaches most hopeful, including sophomore Sam Brooks and freshmen Corey Flagg and Tirek Austin-Cave.

6. Offensive line: How can you not be better when you’re a year more experienced with a supposed upgrade in coaches after allowing 51 sacks in 2019, one of the worst showings in the nation by an extremely young line? Center Corey Gaynor, guard D.J. Scaife and graduate transfer Jarrid Williams at right tackle are all considered the strongest talent-wise, with redshirt sophomore John Campbell expected to start at left tackle and redshirt sophomore Ousman Traore (Hutchinson Community College in 2018) getting first-team snaps at guard. Jakai Clark is backing up Gaynor and also playing guard. Among several others expected to see action is sophomore Zion Nelson. The spread should help these guys, but we won’t know for sure until kickoff.

7. Freshman running backs: Yes, 2019 leading rusher and all-around athlete DeeJay Dallas is now in the NFL. But the addition of two nationally heralded rushers in Belen Jesuit’s Donald Chaney Jr. (4,511 career rushing yards) and Deerfield Beach’s Jaylan Knighton (5,150 career rushing yards) behind starter Cam’Ron Harris (594 yards and five touchdowns; 5.1 yards per carry) will make this unit a force — that is, if it can stay healthy.

8. TE duo (Brevin Jordan is back): 2019 Mackey Award finalist Brevin Jordan, UM’s second-leading pass catcher in receiving yards (495 and two touchdowns on 35 catches for a 14.1-yard average) is back after missing nearly four games with a foot injury that required surgery. Fellow elite junior Will Mallory had a “fantastic’’ August, Diaz said. Together, they will be trouble for defenses.

9. Receiver carousel: The UM receivers collectively were underwhelming last season, and the top producer, K.J. Osborn, is now in the NFL. So, this is an area of which we’re a bit wary, but still optimistic. We’re thinking the spread and constant rotation will help highlight several prospective playmakers, including veterans Mike Harley (485 yards and three touchdowns in 2019) and Dee Wiggins (335 and four) and yet-to-emerge speedy Mark Pope (266 and two). The talented youth includes redshirt freshman Jeremiah Payton, freshmen Xavier Restrepo and Michael Redding. This group has to be an upgrade. If not, UM will have another disappointing season.

10. Kicking game: No-brainer here. UM had a horrendous kicking situation last year, making 12 of 20 field-goal attempts with 10 of the 12 good ones from inside 40 yards. Jose Borregales, who played for FIU last season and hit field goals of 29, 50 and 53 yards against UM in a 30-24 FIU victory, has thankfully transferred to Miami for his final season. His 281 career points set FIU’s school record for scoring. And UM’s 6-4, 220-pound punter Lou Hedley? Money. He ranked 26th nationally in punting (43.9-yard average).

This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 10:00 AM.

Susan Miller Degnan

Miami Herald

305-376-3366

Miami Herald sports writer Susan Miller Degnan has been the Miami Hurricanes football beat writer since 2000, the season before the Canes won it all. She has won several APSE national writing awards and has covered everything from Canes baseball to the College Football Playoff to major marathons to the Olympics.