Miami Hurricanes Football: Five Juniors That Are Ready to Take the Next Step

Sep 6, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Stacy Coley (3) tosses the ball back prior to a game against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Stacy Coley – Wide Receiver

Stacy Coley’s sophomore year struggles have been well documented, and understandably so. Coley was one of the best freshman’s in the country back in 2013 and was expected to be one of the best players on a Canes team that finished a disappointing 6-7 in 2014. Coley, who struggled to get it right all season, suffered from a really bad case of the sophomore slump, but now he’s trying to right the ship heading into his junior season.

New wide receivers coach Kevin Beard called Coley’s struggles a slump during media day, but he also said that he thinks Coley is ready to get out of that now and return to his freshman year form. If that happens, it makes this team so much better.

With Phillip Dorsett now in the NFL, the Canes will have to replace his speed on the outside to take the top off the defense. Nobody has Dorsett speed, but Coley has good enough speed to fill that role. Coley had seven receiving touchdowns as a freshman and Miami could definitely use some of those in 2015.

Brad Kaaya will be dealing with a lot of new weapons in 2015, but Coley will try to establish himself during camp, and I think he’ll have a much better year than he did last year, both receiving and on special teams. Or at least we hope.

Next: Jermaine Grace