Podcast: 12 hours of Tyler Van Dyke drama and a look at Miami’s 2023 Draft prospects
A whirlwind 12 or so hours last week ended with Tyler Van Dyke still a Miami Hurricane, but only after a day of panic and self-loathing in South Florida.
To recap, Van Dyke was hearing offers from other schools around the country, On3.com reported last Friday, before he ultimately decided to stick with Miami, as the university revealed in a not-so-thinly-veiled Twitter post later in the day.
Even on the week of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Eye on the U podcast had no choice but to start with Van Dyke this week, as David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald, sort through exactly what happened and how the Hurricanes were able to hang onto their quarterback.
It put Miami’s efforts in the world of name, image and likeness (NIL) to the test and the Hurricanes withstood a transfer-portal press.
In the end, this could all be good for the Hurricanes. Canes Connection, Miami’s biggest NIL collective, got its most exposure yet and was able to help the Hurricanes fend off Alabama to keep Van Dyke in Miami.
There’s another good sign for the Hurricanes: If the Crimson Tide wanted Van Dyke, he must be pretty good.
Eventually, Wilson and Degnan get to the NFL Draft and hit on the three Miami players with a chance to get picked.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson leads the way and could go early Friday on Day 2 and tight end Will Mallory should follow him later in the weekend. Both took wildly different paths to the Draft, with Mallory spending five years in Coral Gables and Stevenson two after he left Georgia right before the Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships, and it’s going to pay off for both.
Stevenson got a chance to prove he can play corner and Mallory put together his best season yet as a senior in 2022.
Wilson and Degnan also hit on some potential Hurricanes sleepers, including a look at why teams like cornerback D.J. Ivey, where punter Lou Hedley ranks among the best specialists in the Draft and which other undrafted prospects might have a chance to catch on with a team in training camp.
As always, thanks for listening and please continue to rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
