As spring football quickly approaches, the Miami Hurricanes football team looks very different than it did just 3 months ago when a disappointing 2022 season ended. The transfer portal saw tons of action, both leaving and heading to Coral Gables, as the Canes flipped close to half of the roster in the months following the season. The roster wasn’t the only thing which saw massive turnover, as Miami replaced both coordinators, as well as many position coaches and assistants. All of these changes have created a lot of question marks going into spring ball, so throughout this week we will go over each position previewing what each position room currently looks like, beginning with the quarterbacks.
Tyler Van Dyke
After a stellar 2021 season where he completed over 60% of his passes and threw for nearly 3,000 yards with 25TDs in 10 games, there weren’t many QBs in the country entering the 2022 season with more hype than Tyler Van Dyke. A change at offensive coordinator, injuries, and poor offensive line play, among other things, all played a part in Van Dyke not looking comfortable. This resulted in a huge drop off in the 2022 season that saw him benched multiple times before being shutdown with a shoulder injury. Tyler will be looking to rebound as he comes back 100% healthy and steps into Coach Shannon Dawson’s offensive system that many believe will more closely resemble the 2021 offense where Van Dyke thrived. Tyler will also have his roommate and safety valve back at full health, as Xavier Restrepo returns after missing much of the 2022 season with an injury. In addition to the new system and improved health, Van Dyke should also be kept on his feet a lot more in this upcoming year as a slew of transfers and incoming 5-star recruits will likely make the offensive line the most improved unit on the team. If Van Dyke can return back to his 2021 form, with these new additions, the Canes offense will take a gigantic leap forward after an abysmal 2022 performance.
Jacurri Brown
With Van Dyke battling injuries and struggling in the 2022 season, Miami fans got their first look at highly touted true freshman Jacurri Brown. Brown helped give the offense a temporary spark and added a new dynamic with his elite athleticism. A chart that circulated on social media last week showed Jacurri Brown, now a 6’4-220lb sophomore, having the second fastest recorded time on the team during conditioning drills. Brown was one of only 2 players to be tracked at over 22mph this year. While his athleticism is undeniable, Brown still has to improve and show more consistency in the passing game to take the next step as a QB. The true freshman showed flashes of his big arm and ability to fit the ball in tight windows but left a lot on the table with accuracy issues. If Jacurri can continue to improve as a passer, while likely backing up Van Dyke this year, he can take the reins in 2024 as one of the more physically gifted signal callers in the country.
Emory Williams
With the departure of Jake Garcia and the Jaden Rashada debacle leaving Emory Williams as the lone QB in the Canes’ 2023 recruiting class, he should see plenty of reps in spring ball behind Van Dyke and Brown. The consensus 3-star recruit committed to the Canes early in the process and stuck with Miami despite a late push from Auburn and others. Williams has prototypical size at 6’4-190 and showed great ball placement and timing while in high school. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Elite 11 QB will likely redshirt this year, but should get plenty of work as the third QB in the spring. Miami’s staff was very high on him throughout the recruiting process and believe he is much better than where many of the recruiting sites had him ranked. Williams has all the tools to be a reliable passer at the college level and should have at least a year or two to develop before seeing meaningful snaps for the Canes.
Although the Miami offense was tough to watch for a majority of the 2022 season, with a healthy Tyler Van Dyke returning, a new system that seems to fit him better, and what should be a vastly improved offensive line, the Canes will look to take a big step forward.
