Can Manny Diaz build on a promising second season with the Miami Hurricanes? The Hurricanes went 8-3 in 2020 with their only losses coming against the best teams in the ACC in Clemson and North Carolina. Those defeats highlighted just how far this program must go in order to actually be elite again though. The Tigers hammered the Hurricanes 42-17 in mid-October, and the Tar Heels dismantled this team 62-26 in Miami in mid-December.
The return of D’Eriq King means the Hurricanes should be one of the top teams in the conference once again, but this could be a make-or-break season for Miami given the program’s inability to develop quarterbacks. The good news is that King seems ready to go for the season opener against Alabama too after tearing his ACL in the Cheez-It Bowl last season.
Miami Hurricanes Season Win Total
Over 9.5 +136
Under 9.5 -169
Miami Hurricanes Preview
D’Eriq King is the best quarterback Miami has had in at least a decade. King’s arrival from Houston immediately improved this offense, and he completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,686 yards (8.2 YPA) with 23 touchdowns and five touchdowns in his first season with the Hurricanes. King was the second leading rusher with 538 yards (4.1 YPC) and four touchdowns on the ground too, but there are concerns about his mobility after his knee injury in December.
If King goes down, this offense is in serious trouble. N’Kosi Perry transferred to Florida Atlantic this offseason, and the quarterbacks behind King are all raw freshmen. That would put a serious limit on Miami’s potential in 2021.
Leading rusher Cam’Ron Harris is back to carry the load, and Donald Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton are going to see a lot of action too. This run game could be much better this season as the offensive line is experienced and improved greatly from 2019 to 2020. Navaughn Donaldson is the only senior, but there are three upperclassmen penciled into starting positions.
The addition of former Oklahoma wide-out Charleston Rambo gives the receiving corps a huge boost. Rambo had a solid 2019 campaign with the Sooners, and he will look to recapture that form after a down 2020 season. Mike Harley was the top receiver last year with 57 receptions for 799 yads and seven touchdowns, but it won’t be easy to replace tight end Brevin Jordan.
There was a lot of shuffling among the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Manny Diaz is known as a defensive mastermind, but Miami’s defense took a moderate step back in 2020 and finished outside the top 30 in SP+.
This secondary is the strength of the defense. Bubba Bolden is the leader on this side of the ball, and he paced Miami in tackles last season. Gurvan Hall Jr. is a decent player alongside Bolden, and Tyrique Stevenson should be an immediate starter after transferring in from Georgia.
Linebacker is a major concern for Miami though. Underclassmen are expected to start across the board, and that lack of experience is likely to hurt the team at one point or another in 2021. That puts a lot of pressure on the defensive line and safeties, and Bolden might play in the box more than usual.
2021 Miami Hurricanes Schedule
September 4 vs. Alabama*
September 11 vs. Appalachian State
September 18 vs. Michigan State
September 25 vs. Central Connecticut State
September 30 vs. Virginia
October 16 @ North Carolina
October 23 vs. North Carolina State
October 30 @ Pittsburgh
November 6 vs. Georgia Tech
November 13 @ Florida State
November 20 vs. Virginia Tech
November 27 @ Duke
Miami Hurricanes Win Total Prediction
Miami will be sacrificed to the altar of Alabama in its season opener, and this non-conference slate might be very tricky. Although the Hurricanes don’t play a road game until mid-October, they have a potentially troublesome game against Appalachian State and Michigan State is unlikely to be as bad as we saw in 2020.
The Hurricanes’ toughest opponents in conference play are likely to be North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Miami won’t find it easy to win in Chapel Hill given last year’s debacle, but they could be favored in their last six games. Still, there’s a good chance this team is 3-3 after the first half of the season, so the under is the right call.
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