College Football: Each conference’s biggest sleeper contender for 2019
ACC: Miami Hurricanes
Following a tumultuous 2018 season, Miami saw overhaul both in the roster and the coaching staff.
Mark Richt resigned as head coach, so former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz stepped into the role. Diaz originally signed on to be the next head coach at Temple but reneged on his contract once the Miami head coaching job became vacant.
Miami has yet to be restored to its former glory of the early 2000s when they played in the now defunct Big East Conference, however, the Hurricanes have the opportunity to usher in a new era beginning in the 2019 season.
The Hurricanes faltered in ACC competition last year, absorbing losses to middle-of-the-pack teams like Virginia, Duke and Boston College.
More from College Football News
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- Ranking college football’s top 10 quarterbacks after Week 3
- Things are going to get much darker for the Houston Cougars
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
The Hurricanes struggled to maintain consistency in the passing game in 2018 and that was in part because of incumbent starter Malik Rosier being replaced by N’Kosi Perry. As the starter, Perry got himself into off-field issues which seemed to mar his play on the field.
One of the biggest revelations was the much-needed addition of quarterback Tate Martell. The former five-star recruit received a waiver to have immediate eligibility to play next year. He should be the favorite to win the job heading into the 2019 season.
Of course, Martell only provided a small sample size while playing at Ohio State. He sat in a reserve role behind Dwayne Haskins last year, and the transfer import of Justin Fields from Georgia most likely prompted his arrival at Miami.
While Martell wasn’t able to showcase his throwing talents, he was mostly used as a runner. This dual-threat option was an element of Martell’s game that was well-advertised, but with Miami, he could unleash its full potential.
As a result of the quarterback shuffling, Miami did not have a very productive passing game in 2018, although that could certainly be revitalized by Martell.
Running back DeeJay Dallas is a player on the rise after a sophomore season in which he picked up 1,260 all-purpose yards as a rusher, pass catcher and a returner.
The defensive lost its leading tackler from last year, Jaquan Johnson, but brings back its second-leading tackler, linebacker Shaquille Quarterman, who racked up 82 total tackles, five sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2018.
The Hurricanes have a much easier route coastal division, mostly because the four-time reigning conference champion Clemson isn’t standing in their way.
Miami will have to compete with division foes like Virginia Tech and Virginia but have a more favorable route to the championship game compared to teams roadblocked by Clemson in the Atlantic division.