The CaneSport On3: Predicting Miami’s biggest surprise player on offense

Last year the only surprises on the Miami offense were the not-so-good kind.

There were numerous injuries: QB Tyler Van Dyke essentially missed the last half of the year, WR Xavier Restrepo was never the same coming off an early-season injury, TE Elijah Arroyo missed most of the season, and several starting offensive linemen missed time (Jalen Rivers missed 3 games, Zion Nelson all but one, Jakai Clark was out two games, Jon Denis five, Justice Oluwaseun seven and Logan Sagapolu four).

Another not-great surprise: Josh Gattis’ plodding offense. Miami ranked No. 85 in the nation in offense (367.1 yards) and No. 96 in scoring offense (23.6).

If that doesn’t cry out for new coordinator Shannon Dawson’s attack this year to have a “surprise” or two emerge, nothing does.

So who is most likely to emerge as a guy who has never really produced at a high level before but can really put an imprint on this team? Heck, there are a ton of options including true freshmen like speedy WR Ray Ray Joseph or talented RB Mark Fletcher. Maybe even Don Chaney could emerge at running back after an injury-riddled career. None of the receivers last year really stepped up, so maybe a returner like Colbie Young, Jacolby George or Isaiah Horton is ready to be that go-to threat. At tight end Arroyo was Will Mallory’s backup and is expected to be the next guy up at Tight End U.

There are a lot of options.

But in the end maybe the guy who becomes that major weapon is a transfer. And it’s not OG Javion Cohen or C Matt Lee – those guys are EXPECTED to do well after starting at Alabama and UCF last year.

The pick for surprise player of the season: WR Tyler Harrell.

There’s a reason a top Alabama program used a roster spot on Harrell last season after he entered the portal out of Louisville. Harrell was just starting to show his explosive ability with an 18-catch, 523-yard season (29.1 yards per catch) for the Cardinals.

He was timed at a blazing 4.24 seconds in the 40 at Louisville’s Pro Day.

In the ‘Bama system a guy like this could push past 1,000 yards fairly easily, right? Well, that didn’t happen. But it was as much due to a foot injury that cost him the chance to be an impact. Harrell missed the first half of the year, and by the time he came back he wasn’t able to work to the top of the depth chart. In 33 reps he had two catches for 18 yards.

But, again, we’ll come back to why Nick Saban wanted Harrell.

You can’t just find guys with this kind of speed and explosiveness at 6-0 and 194 pounds.

Will Harrell need to beat out a bunch of other Miami receivers in a wide-open battle to start that includes JUCO arrival Shemar Kirk and a room that has 10 receivers looking to man one of the 3-4 starting spots in Dawson’s QB-friendly offense?

Sure.

But Miami didn’t bring in Harrell for his one remaining year of eligibility to sit on the bench.

Per Pro Football Focus, in 2021 Harrell graded out at 70.4 overall (70 is considered a good grade) with a 70.9 receiving grade. He caught 18 of 36 targets that year with 11 reps in the slot. Of his 523 yards, 176 came after the catch (9.8 yards per catch) and included a 92-yarder vs. Virginia.

He’d never emerged prior to that – as a freshman in 2018 he caught two passes, then redshirted in 2019 and only played nine reps in 2020. Then there was the 2021 season where he flashed and caught Alabama’s eye.

You can see Harrell’s ability in the highlights below gleaned from his 2021 season. Can you picture him making these kinds of plays for Miami this season?

We sure can.

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