How UM’s two blue-chip grad transfers fared against better competition
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ If transfers were ranked as NFL free agents are, then the Hurricanes landed arguably the best quarterback available in D’Eriq King and the best defensive end available in Quincy Roche.
But since neither played in a Power 5 conference, it’s natural to wonder how they did against the best competition. Here’s the answer:
King, as a member of the Houston Cougars, played four games against Power 5 teams and had a very good 106.6 passer rating in those games, with Houston averaging 37 points in those games and King throwing 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. So that’s very encouraging.
In 2019, in a 49-31 loss to then fourth-ranked Oklahoma, King was 14 for 27 for 167 yards and two touchdowns and ran 15 times for 103 yards (6.9 average) and one touchdown.
Also last season, in a 31-24 loss to 20th-ranked Washington State, he was 13 for 24 for 128 yards and a touchdown, and ran 17 times for 94 yards (a 5.5 average) and two touchdowns.
In 2018, in a 45-18 win against Arizona, King was 17 for 34 for 246 yards and four touchdowns, plus ran five times for 31 yards and two touchdowns.
And in a 63-49 loss to Texas Tech in 2018, King was 30 for 51 for 431 yards and five touchdowns while running 11 times for 47 yards (a 4.3 average) and one touchdown.
So King’s passer rating against Power 5 teams was barely below his overall passer rating.
As for Roche, he has 26 sacks in 35 games for Temple. And in seven games against Power 5 teams and Notre Dame, he had five sacks. Two of his three highest tackle games came against Power 5 teams — nine against Boston College and eight against Duke. And he had a sack in a game against the Fighting Irish.
And in Greg Rousseau, Roche will be playing opposite a rusher of higher quality than any teammate he had at Temple. That will assuredly help Roche next season.
For the season, PFF gave Roche a 93.3 pass rushing grade; only Ohio State’s Chase Young earned a higher grade.
▪ UM so far has fixed everything except personnel on the offensive line, though: 1) There’s still time to add players. 2) New position coach Garin Justice should be an upgrade over Butch Barry, from the feedback I’ve received from people I trust and 3) Freshman Jalen Rivers is a better recruit than Zion Nelson was a year ago.
Count Larry Blustein, the dean of local recruiting, among those bullish on UM’s hiring of Joseph. (And Blustein has been critical of UM when appropriate.)
“I know him from when he played at West Virginia,” Blustein said. “Quality person, knowledgeable. Good teacher, a technician. He can relate to a lot of people. A former NFL offensive line coach told me he’s the perfect hire, technically sound, and that’s what Miami needs.”
One thing that will help is this offense will get the ball out more quickly. And King is historically better against pressure than Jarren Williams.
Last season, per Pro Football Focus, Williams faced pressure on 131 dropbacks and had the nation’s third-lowest grade under pressure and completed 33.7 pressure of his passes when under duress.
The Canes continue to pursue several offensive linemen, including prep players (Georgia-based three-star tackle Philip Wilder reportedly will visit in late January) and grad transfers (the Canes remain in contact with Vanderbilt starting offensive tackle Devin Cochran, among others).
▪ Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins visited his alma mater, Suffield Academy in Connecticut in October, and got an up-close look at UM freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
“He’s got some really good ability,” Wilkins said. “Once he gets into a college system and gets proper tutelage, he can be a great talent. He’s got the size, the arm strength. He’s got some good tools and he’s a tough kid. I’m excited for him.”
▪ UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee already has offered at least three 2021 quarterbacks: Mission, Hills, California-based Miller Moss, Houston-based Damatrius Davis (a Virginia Tech nonbinding commitment) and Flower, Mound-Texas-based Garrett Nussmeier. Lashlee, from his experience at Arkansas and SMU, knows Texas has some of the best quarterbacks.
Rivals rates Davis the No. 6 dual-threat quarterback and 175th best Class of 2021 prospect; Nussmeier as the No. 6 pro style quarterback and No. 66 overall prospect; and Moss the No. 7 pro style QB and No. 74 overall prospect.
▪ UM director of recruiting David Cooney is among several candidates for the open wide receiver position coach job, with Taylor Stubblefield having left for Penn State. Former Hurricanes standout receiver Lamar Thomas was told he was on a short list but has not been brought in for an interview. He coached last season in the shuttered Alliance of American Football and was previously receivers coach at Louisville and Kentucky.
One other bit of staff news: UM senior analyst and former standout player Joel Rodriguez is expected to join Butch Davis at FIU as the Panthers’ offensive line coach. Rodriguez worked on both sides of ball at UM the past few years, for Mark Richt and Manny Diaz.
▪ We’re told that a handful of players not only broke curfew before the FIU loss, but before the Pittsburgh game as well. That’s one of many reasons UM knows it must be more proactive with discipline....
Though the injury-ravaged UM men’s basketball team is 2-6 in conference after being drubbed Tuesday at Duke, keep in mind that five of their first eight ACC games were against top-10 teams (Duke twice, Louisville twice and FSU). The second-half schedule isn’t as grueling, and if power forward/center Keith Stone comes back in early February as hoped, there could still be a push for an NIT bid....
UM sophomore catcher Adrian del Castillo and junior first baseman Alex Toral were named preseason third team All Americans by 2020 D1 Baseball. UM — ranked as high as fifth in some preseason polls — opens at home Feb. 14 against Rutgers.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
