A Vikings Fan’s Guide to CFB: The Rebuilt Miami Hurricanes
Just like the NFL season is fast approaching, we are nearing the day where college football teams will arrive on campus and begin their own preseason work. As a self-proclaimed NFL Draft nerd, I get almost as excited for the college football season as I do for the NFL season. Because of that, I am putting together guides for many of the notable college football programs ahead of the 2022 season. Whether you’re a seasoned college football viewer, or just getting into it for the first time, there is something here for everyone.
We’ve already gone through many of the major contenders in the AAC, and now we are in the thick of it with the ACC. Unfortunately, today brings to an end our time in the ACC. Our final team that we will be taking a look at in the conference is the Miami Hurricanes.
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Overview
2021 was supposed to be the year of D’Eriq King for the Miami Hurricanes before he left for the 2022 NFL Draft. Things quickly changed when King suffered a season-ending shoulder injury just three games into the year.
In came Tyler Van Dyke, and the Hurricanes closed the season 6-3 as the redshirt freshman threw for nearly 3000 yards, 25 TDs, and just six interceptions. He also completed 62% of his passes. Now that King is gone from the program, the job should be Van Dyke’s from the start in 2022, and Miami is hoping he leads them to a bowl game after their 8-year streak of playing in one was snapped in 2021.
That said, much of this roster and coaching staff is brand new in Miami. Between coaching changes and the transfer protal, this is not even close to the same Miami team that took field last fall. Will they be able to overcome the growing pains in a competitive ACC?
2022 NFL Draft Prospects
- DT Jonathan Ford, Round 7, Pick 234, Green Bay Packers
Notable Transfers In
- RB Henry Parrish (Ole Miss)
- WR Frank Ladson (Clemson)
- IOL Logan Sagapolu (Oregon)
- CB Daryl Porter (West Virginia)
- LB Caleb Johnson (UCLA)
- DL Darrell Jackson (Maryland)
- DL Akheem Mesidor (West Virginia)
- DL Mitchell Agude (UCLA)
- DL Jack Lichtenstein (USC)
- EDGE Antonio Moultrie (UAB)
Notable Transfers Out
- RB Cody Brown (Virginia)
- WR Dazalin Worsham (Auburn)
- IOL Corey Gaynor (UNC)
- LB Tirek Austin-Cave (West Virginia)
- DL Nesta Jade Silvera (Arizona State)
- S Gurvan hall (Utah State)
2022 Schedule
- 9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman
- 9/10 vs. Southern Miss
- 9/17 @ Texas A&M
- 9/24 vs. Middle Tennessee State
- 10/8 vs. UNC
- 10/15 vs. Virginia Tech
- 10/22 vs. Duke
- 10/29 @ Virginia
- 11/5 vs. Florida State
- 11/12 @ Georgia Tech
- 11/19 @ Clemson
- 11/26 vs. Pittsburgh
Keys to 2022
A Rebuilt Defense
Take a look at the transfers in and out of the Miami program, and you’ll see that this program is a revolving door along the defensive line. All five of Jackson, Mesidor, Aude, Lichtenstein, and Moultrie should see playing time in the trenches. These players will surround sophomore lineman Leonard Taylor who recorded 8.5 tackles for loss during his freshman season.
Miami’s defense as a whole was very mediocre in 2021, giving up 28.4 points per game, and they are hoping that new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will change that. Steele has seen just about everything throughout his coaching career, spending time at places like Clemson, Auburn, and Baylor. He gets a Miami defense with a lot of talent on paper, but they will need to find a way to make them meld into a cohesive unit.
Improving the Offensive Line
2021’s offensive line was horrendous in Miami, and like the defense, they are relying on transfers and a coaching change to change things. Alex Maribal has a track record of turning talented offensive lines into elite groups, and with some strong veterans in place along with Oregon transfer Logan Sagapolu, who reunites with new head coach Mario Cristobal, this is a unit that should be much better in 2022.
The biggest impact from the offensive line will be seen in the running game. This aspect of the offense was very inconsistent last year, with just four games over 100 yards rushing. In their blowout loss against Michigan State, the Miami Hurricane offense finished that game with just 52 rushing yards on 24 carries. They finished the year averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. They will need to be able to become more dynamic in this area of the offense behind Ole Miss transfer RB Henry Parrish if they hope to compete in 2022.
My “Purple Player to Watch”
Alexander Mattison enters a contract year in 2022, and it feels unlikely that Minnesota is going to want to pay him an exuberant amount next offseason. With that, Vikings fans should keep an eye on the aforementioned Ole Miss transfer, Henry Parrish, for a potential breakout in his junior season for the Miami Hurricanes. During two seasons at Ole Miss, Parrish racked up 816 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry against SEC defenses.
In limited opportunities, Parrish displayed terrific burst in the backfield while also proving to be a receiving threat. He caught 21 passes from QB Matt Corral for 173 yards in 2021. With the Vikings offense apparently being pass-first now, a running back with solid receiving hands should be on their radar whether it be in the 2023 or 2024 draft.
