The CaneSport On3: Miami Hurricanes second team offensive deficiencies that need addressing

The Miami Hurricanes are not a perfect team. We know this coming off a 5-7 season and with gaping roster holes that were left from the Manny Diaz years that saw Mario Cristobal fill up this roster with 25 transfer additions in a two-year span.

When you see that kind of transfer action, it points to either a lack of top end talent or a lack of depth.

As we look at the Miami offense, you can see some top end talent for sure. But a lack of proven depth could be the season’s undoing. So what has to go right depth-wise for Miami to not just thrive in 2023 but also show promise for 2024? Instead of projecting starters, today we’re looking at depth-fillers and who needs to step up where to help out this team.

QUARTERBACK

There may be no more intriguing battle to watch this fall and as the season unfolds (depending on how many backup QB reps are available in-season) than the one between second-year QB Jacurri Brown and true freshman Emory Williams. Brown, of course, struggled with accuracy as a true freshman when he was thrust into the starting mix with Jake Garcia following Tyler Van Dyke’s mid-season injury. We don’t need to rehash the woeful downfield passing effort we saw on Saturdays from him. The good news for Brown is he looked much, much better this spring … until the Spring Game, when he again floundered. That was cause for concern, since with the lights on he tried to be Superman and do a bit too much. Brown has to learn to be nuanced with his passes and quick with his decisions, not forcing balls into tight windows and taking off outside the pocket and trying to launch home run balls. If he plays within the scheme and relies on the technique that helped his accuracy improve, he will be a game-changer behind center. Williams? He played beyond his years in the spring, showing a knack for picking up a new college level system being implemented by Shannon Dawson. Coaches took it slowly with him, though, as his 11 on 11 reps were limited. But behind the scenes there were a lot of people impressed with Williams’ accuracy and his understanding – as a first-year guy – of what opposing defenses are trying to do to him. So no, we don’t think it’s 100 percent a sure bet that Brown will be the No. 2 guy if Van Dyke is shaken up again this season. Regardless, these two guys need to be ready to compete and take over this offense a year from now if Van Dyke goes pro early, as many expect. That’s what depth is all about – get the next guy ready to star when a guy leaves. It’s why Miami coaches of the past used to use the term “reload” and never “rebuild.” The Canes need to be ready to reload at quarterback when Van Dyke’s time is up.

RUNNING BACK

Unlike QB where we feel there is top end depth with the starter, we don’t really see that at running back. The depth here is also questionable considering the only guy who has really played a lot is returning starter Henry Parrish, and he was just so-so in his first starting experience last season. He’ll be fine, especially behind what should be a much better offensive line, but he’s not a guy that will run over you and take it to the house. A guy that can do that? Mark Fletcher. But he’s just a true freshman. Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen has some of those traits, too. But he’s in year 2 and was hurt most of last year. Christopher Johnson has game-breaking flat out speed. But he’s a true freshman. Which brings us to oft-injured Don Chaney and second-year RB TreVonte’ Citizen, who is coming off a major knee injury and may not be ready for the start of the season. Our best guess is Parrish starts with a combination of Fletcher/Allen and Chaney the primary backups. But we need to see quality, breakout depth here starting this season. If Fletcher, for instance, gets a lot of reps under his belt and fares well, that would spell great things for next year in the offensive backfield, right? So we’re not going to be watching the junior Parrish as much this year as the guy behind him. We think one of them will bust out and be a guy that can be a top ACC back in 2024 and beyond.

WIDE RECEIVER

Ray Ray Joseph (photo by Neil Gershman)

Miami knew there were top end talent as well as depth issues here entering last season, which is why the team added Frank Ladson and Colbie Young out of the portal. Young wound up leading the team in receiving yards, but that was just 347 yards and he essentially had only two big games. Now Miami’s added more transfers with Shemar Kirk and Tyler Harrell. Harrell has been timed at 4.24 seconds in the 40, so he’s a burner. Does that give this position depth when you have other returners like Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Brashard Smith and Isaiah Horton and add in true freshmen Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington? Well, not necessarily. This is a spot where you have to see the results to know what you’ve got. And not one of the aforementioned guys has had a breakout season at an ACC-level program. There is no for-sure No. 1 threat out of this group. So there’s not top end talent. Is there depth? Well, that’s also to be determined. This is probably the most concerning of the offensive positions right now. The Canes don’t just need a guy like a Harrell, Young or Restrepo to be the most likely to emerge as starters, the team needs to see flashes from a younger guy like Joseph, Washington or Horton that show the kind of future potential you’re going to need to do that whole “reload” vs. “rebuild” down the line. If those guys can’t crack the rotation without much top end talent here, that’s not going to be a great sign.

TIGHT END

The presumptive starter here with Will Mallory gone is Elijah Arroyo, who was the No. 2 guy last year before he suffered a season-ending injury. But Miami brought in 8th-year transfer Cam McCormick from Oregon who could be a better powerful blocking option and also has some receiving upside. So what about the depth here? We’re hearing great things about the early progress of true freshman Riley Williams, and fellow first-year TE Jackson Carver has a bright future but has to pack on some weight/strength. Which brings us to sophomore Jaleel Skinner. This is a guy who has to really step up this season. He has off the charts athleticism but has struggled to hold onto the ball. If Skinner can step up the depth at tight end this year and into the future is really, really good.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Just as a reminder, today’s item is about depth and not top end talent. And let’s not get the two confused. Are we happy with the top end talent (ie the projected starters) here? Absolutely. It’s a reshaped line that’s added transfers Javion Cohen (Alabama) and Matt Lee (UCF), with 5-star signees Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola also showing they could be ready to start from Day 1. It’s likely Jalen Rivers will be the fifth starter, with Anez Cooper also possible depending how Okunlola shakes out. So now to the depth. And there’s just not much of it you can point to right now and say “this guy can go in and the team won’t really miss a beat.” We like Tommy Kinsler from what we’ve heard, but he’s a true freshman. Zion Nelson has recurring knee injuries and there are no signs he’ll be able to last the season. Last year’s transfers brought in with the hope they could compete to start and add depth seemed to flame out – Jon Denis and Logan Sagapolu. Other guys like Chris Washington, Michael McLaughlin, Ryan Rodriguez and Matthew McCoy remain very much works in progress. And the other freshmen arrivals – Antonio Tripp and Frankie Tinilau – are guys that need time to develop. So it’s great that you have a couple of really promising 5-star young linemen on the team, but Miami definitely needs to start building quality depth here.

The bottom line?

When is the last time you weren’t worried about a starter getting hurt because there just didn’t seem to be a capable backup? 2001 or 2002? Mario Cristobal wants to build this roster to last, and that means adding depth guys that are right there competing alongside the starters.

Right now there is too big a gap in that department almost across the board.

It’s something Cristobal is looking to change.

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