21. Miami Hurricanes
- Where they were ranked in the 2019 preseason: 29th (70 points)
- Where they were ranked at the end of 2019: unranked (0 points)
- Where they were in our way-too-early Top 25: unranked
- Where they ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll: 34th (58 points)
When Mark Richt suddenly left Miami after the 2018 season, it left the Hurricanes scrambling. Manny Diaz was summoned back from his two-week sojourn as the head coach at Temple. Dan Enos was snatched away from Alabama to take over as offensive coordinator. The Hurricanes pulled together a staff, but last year’s team still felt disjointed as they slumped below .500 in the standings.
A major part of Miami’s issues stemmed from their quarterback play. Ohio State transfer Tate Martell proved incapable of stealing the starting job. N’Kosi Perry had moments of brilliance wrapped in thick layers of mediocrity. Freshman Jarren Williams got the bulk of the playing time, completing more than 61 percent of his passes and throwing for nearly 2200 yards. Williams, though, is out of Coral Gables and off to Garden City Community College.
For Hurricanes fans, the hope is that Houston transfer D’Eriq King can do what Martell failed to do last season. King has the advantage of playing under dynamic offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee from SMU, rather than the staid system implemented by Enos last season. The dual-threat star could instantly improve the offense. King will benefit from an experienced offensive line with all five starters back, but he will have to quickly build rapport with a green group of receivers.
In a year where the Big Ten and Pac-12 were playing, Miami would struggle to reach the Top 25 in the preseason. This is no normal year, which could work in the Hurricanes’ favor.