’Canes aim to show more than flair
One of Manny Diaz’s first acts as head coach was signing onto Twitter and introducing everyone to #TNM, or “The New Miami.” The Hurricanes are 17 years removed from their last national-title-game appearance and Diaz understands his responsibility to turn UM into a national-title contender.
As the man who introduced the world to the turnover chain in 2017, Diaz has the flair and swagger typically associated with “The U” and has shown he can get the results. As Miami’s defensive coordinator, he led one of the top units in the nation. Now he must show he can get other facets of the team to the same elite level.
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 FBS teams in the country entering the 2019 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.
Today at No. 31: Miami
Coach: Manny Diaz (0-0 entering 1st season; 0-0 overall)
2018 record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 in ACC; third in Coastal Division
Look back: After coming up just short of a playoff appearance in 2017, Mark Richt’s last year as Miami head coach got off to a strong start but ended in disappointment as the Hurricanes suffered an embarrassing 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl.
The Diaz-led defense was ranked among the top five in the nation, but inconsistent quarterback play was an issue throughout the season.
Diaz accepted the Temple head coaching job on Dec. 13 and was intent on leading the Owls program until Richt stunned many by announcing his retirement on Dec. 30. Miami quickly contacted Temple, which agreed to release Diaz from his contract. He apologized to the Owls before quickly shifting his focus to the Hurricanes.
Offensive starters returning: 6
Offensive starters lost: 6
Defensive starters returning: 5
Defensive starters lost: 6
Key losses: QB Ryan Malik Rosier, RB Travis Homer, WR Darrell Langham, OL Tyler Gauthier, OL Tyree St. Louis, OL Hayden Mahoney, DL Gerald Willis III, DL Joe Jackson, DB Michael Jackson Sr., DB Jaquan Johnson, DB Sheldrick Redwine, P Zach Feagles
Top returnees: QB N’Kosi Perry, WR Jeff Thomas, WR Mike Harley, TE Brevin Jordan, OL Navaughn Donaldson, OL DJ Scaife Jr., DL Jonathan Garvin, DL Pat Bethel, LB Shaquille Quarterman, LB Michael Pinckney, LB Zach McCloud, DB Trajan Bandy, K Bubba Baxa, P Jack Spicer
The defense returns a solid number of members from defense that ranked No. 4 nationally, including LB Shaquille Quarterman. During the ACC Kickoff, Diaz said the linebacker group of Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud and their experience is one of the biggest strengths on the team.
The Hurricanes also have depth at running back, including DeeJay Dallas, Cam’Ron Harris, Lorenzo Lingard and Robert Burns.
Weaknesses:
There
are tools on the offensive side of the ball, but they will still have to get consistency at the quarterback position to move forward. N’Kosi Perry showed promise last season as a redshirt freshman and during the spring game, as did redshirt freshman Jarren Williams. The two will have to overcome their youth and inexperience. Ohio State transfer Tate Martell struggled during the spring scrimmage. While the Hurricanes have the arms, they’ll have to find one who can lead an offense that has been known to stall in the heart of ACC play.
Outlook: The Coastal Division is really anyone’s to win as shown by the media polls released earlier this week. Pitt and Virginia were projected to finish ahead of the Hurricanes, but if Miami can get the offense to match defensive efforts shown during the past two years, the team has a strong chance to play in the ACC title game.