‘This year’s going to be the year’: Why Miami’s Van Dyke believes in a bounceback in 2023
Tyler Van Dyke strode off Greentree Practice Fields for the first time in the spring Saturday with the same sort of quiet confidence and easygoing demeanor he rode to an out-of-nowhere, star-making freshman season in 2021. He took his place in front of a throng of reporters, just like a franchise quarterback usually does.
He had plenty to talk about because it had been a long time since the quarterback had last gotten to go through a practice. When last seen, Van Dyke was grimacing and grabbing at his right shoulder as he left the field at Hard Rock Stadium in the early stages of a season-ending blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers. It was the moment his once-charmed career truly took a detour into the calamitous. It was his third time leaving a game with a shoulder injury and sealed the Miami Hurricanes’ fate. They missed out on bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007.
“I’m feeling good,” Van Dyke said, more than three months after his season finally ended with the injury. “Game tomorrow, I’d play. I’d probably say I’m like 90-95 percent.”
It was the most important place to start with Van Dyke, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2021 and then only finished six games last season with his production plummeting in nearly every category.
It was not all there was to discuss, though.
He had tough decisions to make in the offseason and so did the program. Van Dyke could have entered the 2023 NFL Draft or even the transfer portal and opted not to. Miami had to figure out how to fix their offense and made wholesale changes, firing former offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and replacing him with Shannon Dawson.
“This year’s going to be the year,” said Van Dyke, still not lacking any confidence.
He came back to school, he said, because he felt he still needed “to develop in some ways and ... felt like here was the right place.” He believes this year will be better, he said, because “guys are tired of losing and being 5-7.” There were lessons to take from last year and he believes adversity will make him better.
“I think that’s maybe not what I needed, but something that just helps me grow in many ways,” Van Dyke said. He angled his arm to make an upward, diagonal line — like the stock market when the economy is really humming — and used it to make his point. “Nobody’s career is going to be like this. There’s always ups and downs, and I think I’m just going to grow from it.”
Success will be in his hands, but also his new coordinator’s.
The Hurricanes’ major regression on offense last year — certainly due in part to Van Dyke’s injuries — ultimately cost Gattis his job after just one season. It also prompted a somewhat astonishing philosophical shift for coach Mario Cristobal. For the first time, a pass-happy air raid offense — or at least an offense largely inspired by it — is coming to Coral Gables. It’s poised to be a major departure from Gattis’ power spread offense, with an emphasis on the power.
Optimism abounds in South Florida and for good reason, given the prolific passing attacks Dawson orchestrated at Houston. There are challenges: Dawson will be Van Dyke’s third OC in three years as a starter. As confident as the quarterback is, there’s still a long way for Miami to go.
“It’s just communication, honestly,” Van Dyke said. “Football is football. Everybody runs the same routes and high-lows the linebackers, read the safeties, so it’s all communication and how you communicate with that person. That’s pretty much the challenge, but Coach Dawson’s a great guy, and we connected well early and continue to grow.”
Nelson, Cohen miss Miami practice
The Hurricanes started their spring practices without perhaps their top two offensive linemen, although one will be back Tuesday for their next practice.
G2uard Javion Cohen was spending the weekend in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine to attend a symposium intended for highly regarded underclassman. He’s expected back on the field next week.
Tackle Zion Nelson, however, is still dealing with an injury after he missed nearly all of last season. Nelson, who will now be a redshirt junior, played in only one game last year after undergoing knee surgery last offseason and suffering a setback after his lone early-season appearance
“He’s doing well. He’s on the mend and right now doctors prefer that he continue to heal up until we get to a point where he can really, really go,” Cristobal said. “We’re going to be patient with him. He feels good about it. Doctors feel good about it, so we’ll stay the course.”
With its two star offensive linemen missing, Miami’s first offensive line group lined up, from left to right, as Jalen Rivers, Laurance Seymore, Matt Lee, Anez Cooper and Chris Washington. Freshman offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, both five-star tackles in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2023, both lined up as the tackles in the second group.
This and that
- Tight end Kahlil Brantley entered the transfer portal, announcing his decision on Twitter a few hours before practice began. Cameron McCormick, a transfer from Oregon, was the first tight end in drills, as fellow tight end Elijah Arroyo was missing from practice.
- Defensive linemen Akheem Mesidor and Leonard Taylor III are both dealing with injuries. Mesidor should be back by the midpoint of the spring, Cristobal said, and Taylor will miss the entire spring. Corey Flagg Jr. is dealing with a foot injury, although he was on the field for at least part of practice Saturday, lining up next to fellow linebacker Wesley Bissainthe.
- Safety James Williams is also sidelined after undergoing surgery late last season.
- Quarterback Peyton Matocha is no longer on the roster. Jacurri Brown, unsurprisingly, was the second quarterback in line, with freshman Emory Williams third.
- Running back TreVonte’ Citizen is still out after he missed all of last year with an injury. Henry Parrish Jr. was running as the first-team running back.
- Wide receivers Colbie Young, Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George went through drills with Van Dyke on the de facto first-team offense.
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 3:58 PM.
