UM will face unprecedented roster challenge in coming years. And latest on Brevin Jordan
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the 2020 season, forcing schools to postpone dozens of games, coaches to occasionally lead their teams remotely and players to miss important contests. Even once there’s a vaccine and the coronavirus no longer is significantly affecting daily life, the virus will still alter the college football landscape for years to come.
The COVID pandemic prompted the NCAA to give all athletes an extra year of eligibility, which means roster sizes could balloon in the coming years. If everyone returns to the Miami Hurricanes who can, Miami could be looking at a scholarship roster larger than 100 in 2022 and as big as 125 in 2024.
Rivals.com crunched those numbers, and one of the site’s reporters presented them to Manny Diaz on Wednesday. The coach admitted he has yet to dive into the virus’ long-term implications on roster construction.
“I haven’t even dared to touch that,” Diaz said. “That is quite an undertaking to say the least.”
At this point, the permutations are possible to account for. The Hurricanes (4-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) have 111 players on the roster — scholarship and walk-on — and 45 draft-eligible players. Miami also has 22 players orally committed to its Class of 2021, and Diaz fully expects to the NCAA to approve a new transfer rule, allowing any player to transfer one time without sitting out a season.
It’s an unprecedented situation for Diaz and coaches across the country, and it’s likely to lead to unprecedented roster churn in the coming years. Even with players transferring and entering the NFL Draft, teams will also simply have to tell older players there’s no room on the roster once they have completed their degrees and exhausted their traditional — although not necessarily enforced — four or five seasons of eligibility.
The No. 11 Hurricanes, for example, typically start eight juniors and seniors on offense, and 11 on defense. They could be forced to replace anywhere between 19 of 22 starters next year and none at all.
“College coaches — we’re all looking for a little bit of direction,” Diaz said. “It is such an unknown frontier that we’re venturing toward. It’s very hard to have a concrete plan on what we’re going to do going forward because I don’t know if anybody really knows what it’s going to be like.”
Brevin Jordan remains limited
Miami could once again be without its leading receiver Saturday when it hosts the Virginia Cavaliers at Hard Rock Stadium.
Star tight end Brevin Jordan was “imited” in practice once again this week and may not be ready to suit up this weekend as he continues to nurse an undisclosed injury
Jordan, who leads the team with 18 catches and 243 receiving yards, did not play in the Hurricanes’ 31-19 win against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday because of an apparent right arm or shoulder injury. Although he didn’t wear any sort of sling or brace on the sidelines in Miami Gardens, Jordan went down with an injury in the third quarter of the Hurricanes’ blowout loss to the No. 1 Clemson Tigers on Oct. 10, and trainers were checking on his right shoulder area when he came off the field.
“Brevin’s still the one that’s the most limited in terms of his ability to help us out right now,” Diaz said, “but I’m not ruling him out yet.”
With Jordan out, fellow tight end Will Mallory started for the second time in 2020 and caught two passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns. The two juniors share the team lead with three receiving touchdowns this season.
If Miami holds out Jordan once again this weekend, the receiver will also have a bye week to recover before the Hurricanes return to action in November against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Offensive lineman Jarrid Williams, however, is making progress after he also missed the Pittsburgh game. Williams did dress, although he didn’t play because of “a hand issue,” Diaz said, and he was only available in an emergency situation.
Williams started the first four games of the year at right tackle. Fellow offensive lineman Zion Nelson started at right tackle in Williams’ absence.
“Williams has been taking more reps this week than he did a week ago,” Diaz said, “which will be good for us up front.”
