Miami Hurricanes Football: Five Reasons for Optimism in 2015
Oct 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Kaaya
For a long time, Miami has not had sustainability at the quarterback position. Most fans remember the ups and downs of Stephen Morris, Jacory Harris, and Kirby Freeman (if you want to take it back that far). However, there is no doubt Brad Kaaya showed promise in his freshman season. But there is a lot of room for improvement. Take a look at his stats from last year:
| Miami QB Brad Kaaya’s Freshman Year Statistics | ||||||||
| Game | CMP | ATT | YDS | CMP % | LNG | INT | TD | Passer Rating |
| Louisville | 17 | 29 | 174 | 59% | 39 | 2 | 1 | 58.7 |
| FAMU | 12 | 22 | 177 | 55% | 32 | 2 | 2 | 73.5 |
| Arkansas State | 16 | 24 | 342 | 67% | 63 | 1 | 4 | 131.9 |
| Nebraska | 28 | 42 | 359 | 67% | 32 | 2 | 3 | 97.2 |
| Duke | 20 | 34 | 223 | 59% | 47 | 0 | 2 | 98.0 |
| Georgia Tech | 16 | 25 | 245 | 64% | 37 | 2 | 1 | 76.3 |
| Cincinnati | 17 | 24 | 286 | 71% | 79 | 0 | 3 | 150.3 |
| Virginia Tech | 7 | 16 | 92 | 44% | 25 | 0 | 1 | 83.3 |
| North Carolina | 11 | 17 | 189 | 65% | 42 | 0 | 3 | 141.9 |
| Floirda State | 16 | 34 | 316 | 47% | 61 | 1 | 2 | 87.4 |
| Virginia | 20 | 33 | 263 | 61% | 47 | 1 | 1 | 83.3 |
| Pittsburgh | 33 | 45 | 296 | 73% | 51 | 0 | 2 | 105.4 |
| *South Carolina | 19 | 33 | 236 | 58% | 48 | 1 | 1 | 77.3 |
| Totals | 232 | 378 | 3198 | 61% | 79 | 12 | 26 | 97.3 |
Kaaya led the ACC in touchdowns with 26 right in front of FSU’s Jameis Winston who had 25 on the season. These stats led the sophomore to be named to the Davy O’ Brien watch list for the 2015 season. Although, Brad Kaaya must take the next step if he wants to have a successful season, personally and for the team. The quarterback has been through a whole off season, and this should lead to a better command of the offense. Most importantly, he needs to become a leader:
Golden on Kaaya: "he's bridging from being a leader to being a commander. ... He's the leader of the offense, if not the team."
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) July 21, 2015
Next: Defensive Line
Miami finally has some sustainability at the quarterback position. This is a good thing, right?