Will the Miami Hurricanes Return to a Powerhouse in 2014?

Offense

As a unit the Hurricanes scoring offense was pretty good last year, averaging just under 34 points per game. The problem is that it was mostly done through the air, with when you lose your quarterback and your top receiver, it’s always going to be hard to replicate that. Offensive coordinator James Coley will have a group of quarterbacks to chose from, transfers and recruits, with a lot of stars by their names, and there will have to be new receivers stepping up. Also, the running game will have to improve if the offense is to stay successful.

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With quarterback Stephen Morris gone, Ryan Williams was supposed to be the starter his senior season this year, but an offseason injury opened up competition. There’s a chance Williams could still be the starter, but he’ll have to fend off a few more heralded players. Jake Heaps’s transfer from Kansas, where he transferred to after two years at BYU, and his seeming determination to win the starting job in his final college season is in the mix. He may have fallen off but he was a 4-star on Rivals coming out of high school. Gary Crow is a sophomore who was a 3-star on Rivals that could also compete for the job. If none of those guys work out, then the job will go to a freshman. But resdhirt freshman Kevin Olsen and true freshman Brad Kaaya were both 4-stars on Rivals and have lots of talent, so there’s no reason to think one of them can’t be the guy for the future of the program. It should be noted that Morris’s numbers, throwing for 3,044 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions aren’t Jameis Winston numbers that are impossible to replace. But he was still a pretty efficient player who had a good command of the offense. One of the five guys that are at the position now is bound to be able to provide those same qualities, though.

Although the Hurricanes didn’t rack up a lot of yards on the ground, starting running back Duke Johnson was very efficient when he did carry the ball. He’s back for his junior season after rushing for 920 yards and 6 touchdowns on only 145 carries, good enough for a 6.3 yards per carry average. Without backup running back Dallas Crawford this year, Johnson could potentially become a superstar, living up to his 5-star hype, with the offense more revolved around him. Gus Edwards will be his new backup as a sophomore, and together, with Johnson getting the bulk of the carries, they should make for a great running game that will hopefully take the pressure off whoever the new starter is at quarterback. Whatever is lost in the passing game should be made up for on the ground.

At wide receiver, Allen Hurns will be extremely tough to replace after he put up 1,162 yards and 6 touchdowns last year. However, Stacy Coley was highly recruited as a 4-star on Rivals and saw plenty of action as a freshman last year, finishing second on the team with 591 receiving yards and first on the team with 7 receiving touchdowns. He should be able to step up and take a lead role this year as a sophomore and potentially could become a star. Herb Waters is back as a junior in the slot after putting up 406 yards and 5 touchdowns last year, so he should be able to have a larger role as well. Phillip Dorsett should see a larger role as the other outside receiver entering his senior year after he had 272 yards last year, and Rashawn Scott could have a larger role as he enters his senior year. Malcolm Lewis has struggled with injuries, but he’s another guy in the slot who could make an impact as the Rivals 4-star enters his junior year. Perhaps the most important returning starter though is tight end Clive Walford, who turned down the NFL Draft to come back for his senior season. Walford was third on the team in receiving with 454 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he will probably have even a larger role this year. Beau Sandland is the other tight end and is entering his senior season, and although he’ll have a lesser role, he can be effective too after seeing action in all 13 games last year. The receiving corp. as a unit has plenty of players that can still step up and make an impact, but there is nobody on the roster that can do what Hurns did, which often times was bail the quarterback out of a busted play. However, there are still some good enough players where the unit shouldn’t see too much of a dropoff.

The offensive line returns a good bit of talent, but it took a big hit with the loss of All-ACC right guard Brandon Linder. Linder was the most experienced starter on the team, and losingright tackle Seantrel Henderson, who was the third most experienced starter on the

Nov 2, 2013; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) runs the ball past Florida State Seminoles defensive back Lamarcus Joyner (20) during the first half at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

team, will be hard to deal with as well. However, guard Jon Feliciano has plenty of size at 6’5 320 pounds and experience with 33 starts, so he should be very good as he enters his senior season. Center Shane McDermott is also entering his senior season and has 23 career starts, and left tackle Ereck Flowers is entering his junior year with 18 career starts and standing at 6’6 322 pounds. Those three together will be very good and have a lot of experience playing together, so for the most part the line should be fine. However, filling the other two spots will have to go to players who’ve never started a game with the Hurricanes. Junior Hunter Wells and Sophomore Danny Isidora provide lots of potential at guard at 6’6 312 pounds and 6’4 316 pounds respectively, and redshirt freshman Sunny Odogwu provides incredible size at tackle at 6’8 324 pounds. Alex Gall is 6’5 306 pounds and should be able to back up McDermott at center. And finally, two incoming freshmen could make an immediate impact. McDermott’s younger brother, K.C. McDermott, is a 4-star tackle who stands at 6’6 308 pounds, and incoming freshman guard Trevor Darling is also a 4-star who stands at 6’5 315 pounds. One or both of those guys could see action immediately. The incoming talent, experience, and potential for other players in this unit all suggest that it should not be any worse than last year, and it could possibly be better.

As long as the Hurricanes find a quarterback, this offense may not be as high scoring as last year, but it should be more efficient. The running game has the potential to explode and will be the cornerstone for the unit, the offensive line returns enough talent and has some talent coming in, and the receiving corp. shouldn’t fall off as much because there are enough playmakers returning to have an impact. So the most important thing is to make sure that the starting quarterback can play. If he can, this offense could be better all the way around than last year. If not, well, the Hurricanes will have to rely more heavily on the running game. I would bet that at least one of the five can play, so look for the offense to be better than last year as a whole.