The CaneSport On3: Ranking the top 10 most impactful new faces

Today we aren’t just ranking returning Miami players who have the most talent. We’re looking at the new faces on the roster … and there are a lot of them (14 transfers, 25 signees including JUCO arrivals) … and breaking it down by the impact they can have this coming season.

Which means this isn’t a list of the most talented, biggest NFL future guys.

This is a list of new faces (transfers/true freshmen) that due to the depth chart or other reasons we expect to have a major impact this season.

Without further ado, your top 10 and the rationale for each:

10 TRUE FRESHMAN DL RUEBEN BAIN

Bain is likely to have a pretty good-sized role as a true freshman working at end or tackle. His pass rush skills will not leave him on the bench during games – there’s a reason he had 77 sacks in his high school career and earned the 2022 Nat Moore Trophy as South Florida’s top player. He had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU … name your major program, he had it. At 6-3 and pushing past 270 pounds he has an NFL future and his college future is going to start in 2023. Miami needs him to be productive with not a ton of depth up front.

9 TRANSFER CB JADEN DAVIS

Davis won’t have the starting job handed to him after transferring in from Oklahoma, but he plans to make his last year of eligibility count. Davonte Brown and Daryl Porter, Jr. were the first-teamers in the spring, but it speaks volumes that coaches added Davis as well as Ja’Dais Richard out of Vanderbilt and JUCO corner Demetrius Freeney. Davis may not have fared particularly well in his time at Oklahoma, but he did start 22 games there and that experience is invaluable. He has big upside, just has to really hone in on his craft under a new coaching staff. We think it’s likely he is a starter, probably opposite Davonte Brown.

8 TRANSFER CB DAVONTE BROWN

See above. We have Brown and Davis penciled in as the likely starting corners, although there will be plenty of competition this fall with 11 cornerbacks on the roster (last year the team carried nine). The 6-2, 185-pounder comes in with 36 games of playing experience, and in his time at UCF he had 91 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 21 pass deflections and a forced fumble. He had 30 tackles, two INTs and four PBU this past season, and he also started every game as a sophomore in 2021 and ended with 13 PBU and an interception. In 2020 as a freshman backup he had 23 tackles while starting five games. So he’s got experience and just needs to go out and show a bit more consistency.

7 TRUE FRESHMAN OL SAMSON OKUNLOLA

Okunlola spent the spring as the second team left tackle behind Jalen Rivers, but you can tell by his inclusion on this list that we are going out on a limb and projecting him emerging as the starting left tackle. The 5-star has all the physical tools you want, just has to get a bit more used to the speed of the game/strength of opponents at this level. Zion Nelson’s recurrent knee issues are also a wildcard, of course, but we think Miami prefers to move Rivers back to his more natural guard spot. Which leaves a door wide open for Okunlola to squeeze through.

6 TRANSFER WR TYLER HARRELL

Harrell had a 500-plus yard season at Louisville, his first real productive year, then transferred to Alabama following that for the 2022 season. But he missed the first half of the year with a foot injury, then was on the bench. Now it’s on to Miami. Think Shannon Dawson can put his 4.24-second 40 time to use (timed at a Louisville Pro Day)? Given Miami’s WR issues of last year we think it’s just a matter of time before Harrell earns the starting job given his ability to beat corners down the field and make big plays. It’s going to be a very important fall for him as he looks to fulfill his tremendous potential.

5 TRUE FRESHMAN RB MARK FLETCHER

Fletcher just arrived this summer and in Year 1 we think he can become the No. 1 back over returning starter Henry Parrish fairly quickly. But he’ll have to prove himself in fall camp. The transition should be smoother for him considering he’s arriving from a top American Heritage program. And this speaks volumes, from American Heritage coach Mike Smith (who has worked with Sony Michel and Khalil Herbert): “The first person you want to go to (for a Fletcher comparison) is Derrick Henry because he’s a bigger, taller back. He’s the kind of guy that has his own unique running style. … He is a Derrick Henry to a certain extent. Maybe in that category a little bit.”

4 TRANSFER MLB FRANCISCO MAUIGOA

Mauigoa arrived as a Washington State transfer before the spring and was an instant impact guy, showing in the 15 practices that he has the quickness and strength to make plays sideline to sideline. Mauigoa supplanted returning starter Corey Flagg in the middle, and last year Mauigoa started for the Cougars and had 60 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks, also forcing three fumbles (tied for the Pac-12 lead) with an interception. So go ahead and pencil Mauigoa in as the team’s starting middle linebacker this season … and as a difference-maker on Lance Guidry’s D. He’s poised for a big year.

3 TRUE FRESHMAN OT FRANCIS MAUIGOA

Mauigoa enrolled in January and spent the spring as the team’s starting right tackle … and looked good doing it. He arrived from a top IMG program, helping him make a smooth transition, and the 5-star has all the attributes you want in a future NFL offensive lineman. At 6-6 and 326 pounds he already has the size, strength and requisite athleticism, and his teammates say his technique is excellent for a first-year guy. So look for Mauigoa to start and help this revamped offensive line do its part in Shannon Dawson’s attack.

2 TRANSFER C MATT LEE

Lee arrives from UCF after starting there the last two years, and he’s an upgrade over Jakai Clark, a multi-year Miami starter who lacked physicality. Lee is one of the nation’s top returning offensive linemen after grading out at 90.6 percent pass blocking last year per Pro Football Focus. He’s already made a name for himself as a hard worker, and maybe a comparison could be made to a K.C. Jones/Brett Romberg/Bobby Garcia type player who does whatever is needed to get things done. He gives the Canes a really solid foundation in the middle of an OL that had plenty of issues last season.

1 TRANSFER OG JAVION COHEN

It’s not a coincidence that the top three guys on this list (and four of the top seven) are all offensive lineman. The position faltered badly last year and Mario Cristobal and OL coach Alex Mirabal set about making it right through the portal and recruiting. Cohen heads this list as a starter the last two seasons at Alabama who is now bringing his skills to Miami, where he’s slated to be the starting left guard.

HONORABLE MENTION

Freshman RB Christopher Johnson could find a role as a speed option running back. He’s a bigtime playmaker with the ball in his hands and has state championship track speed. Also don’t rule out Ajay Allen, who was looking like he’d be having a role at Nebraska this season before transferring to UM.

JUCO WR Shemar Kirk could find a role given the issues with the returning WR depth. But we see Tyler Harrell as the most likely right now to get a starting job of the new arrivals given his game breaking speed. Freshman WR Ray Ray Joseph will also undeniably have a role in this offense, but he’s behind Xavier Restrepo in the slot. Still he’ll get his share of reps and could be a big-play guy.

At tight end Cam McCormick arrived from Oregon this spring and looked like that physical piece Miami wants at that spot. But he will likely work behind Elijah Arroyo, who missed spring off injury, and will also have to ward off talented Jaleel Skinner for reps. But when it comes to blocking for the run game or pass protecting, McCormick will be a guy Miami relies upon. Riley Williams has also stood out as a true freshman, but he has a talented depth chart ahead of him.

On the DL there is the expectation that tackle Branson Deen is the leader for the starting job off the spring, but he wasn’t a “wow” and there will be competition there from Jared Harrison-Hunte off injury and others. Also don’t rule out La.-Monroe transfer Anthony Campbell from finding a role at both end and tackle. He can be a valuable depth piece.

At LB KJ Cloyd is a veteran from Louisville who could work inside or outside.

At cornerback guys that will compete for the job include Vanderbilt transfer Ja’Dais Richard and JUCO arrival Demetrius Freeney. That job is wide open; we just feel that Davonte Brown and Jaden Davis are more likely to be the main options right now.

And on special teams P Dylan Joyce will also be a significant contributor as a first-year starter.

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