Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
’Canes to get first crack at Tide in ’21
The 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide completed one of the most impressive seasons in college football history Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dismantling Ohio State 52-24 for the College Football Playoff title was the culmination of a never-before-seen campaign, going 13-0 through an SEC-only 10-game regular-season schedule, an SEC championship game victory over Florida and semifinal win over Notre Dame before Monday’s blowout.
The next game the Crimson Tide play will be against the Miami Hurricanes. The two teams kick off the 2021 season Sept. 4 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
While it’s a game already at the forefront of UM fans’ minds, it hasn’t been anything near that for Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“I really don’t know much about Miami at all,” said Saban on Tuesday morning after winning his record seventh title. “Obviously, we had a big game [Monday] night, had a big game last week, had a big game before that in the SEC championship game.”
Alabama will lose much of its talent that was on the Hard Rock Stadium field Monday night, with a number of potential first-round picks that could rival Miami’s record of six set in the 2004 NFL draft.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have had pleasant offseason news in players opting to return. Quarterback D’Eriq King — albeit having to recover from an ACL tear in his right knee — running back Cam’Ron Harris, wide receiver Michael Harley, tight end Will Mallory and safety Bubba Bolden are key players who have indicated they will remain in college for the 2021 season.
Even if Alabama standouts such as receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, quarterback Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, defensive lineman Christian Barmore and cornerback Patrick Surtain II declare for the draft as expected, the Crimson Tide just reload talent.
The Miami Hurricanes were in need of a boost at wide receiver, and they picked up a premium transfer Tuesday afternoon.
Former Oklahoma wideout Charleston Rambo announced he’s transferring to UM.
“I have decided to transfer to the University of Miami,” Rambo said in a statement posted on his Twitter account, “to close out this chapter of my collegiate career and move forward into the next chamber of my life.”
Rambo, from Texas like Miami quarterback D’Eriq King, gives King another playmaker to throw to after he recovers from surgery on his torn ACL in 2021. The 6-foot-1 target should immediately factor into the Hurricanes’ passing game in a wide-receiver corps that was plagued by drops in 2020, largely from juniors Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins.
Rambo broke out for 43 receptions, 743 yards and five touchdowns in the 2019 season for the Sooners. In 2020, he had 25 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
UM’s leading receiver last season, senior Michael Harley, announced he would return to college over the weekend. While standout draft prospect Brevin Jordan is heading to the NFL, fellow junior tight end Will Mallory will be back with Miami.
Behind the veteran receivers at Miami, Jeremiah Payton, a redshirt freshman, will look to take a leap forward, along with the four true freshmen at the position — Michael Redding III, Keyshawn Smith, Xavier Restrepo and Dazalin Worsham.
The Hurricanes added three four-star receiver recruits in December’s early signing period in Miami Northwestern’s Romello Brinson, Plantation’s Jacolby George and Miami Palmetto’s Brashard Smith.
Rambo was a four-star prospect in OU’s 2017 recruiting class out of Cedar Hill High, which is in the Fort Worth area, whereas King’s Manvel High is near Houston.