Travis Homer did a great job taking over the starting job. He nearly rushed for 1,000 yards. DeeJay Dallas became a quality backup after switching to running back.
Ahmmon Richards injury struggles throughout the season hurt the Miami receiving core. Braxton Berrios had a great year but is not the big play threat that Richards is. Other receivers like Darrell Langham and Jeff Thomas had their moments and big plays but lacked Richards consistency.
The biggest loss in 2017 might have been tight end Christopher Herndon IV. Herndon tore his MCL in the loss to Pittsburgh. He missed the games against Clemson and Wisconsin.
Without much depth, at tight end, last season, defensive end Scott Patchan switched from defense to offense. He has since gone back to the defensive line for 2018 and beyond.
Richt spoke to Hale about the depth issues.
"“Before last season started, I thought depth would be the biggest limitation for you. It certainly seemed to catch up with you by year’s end. How much does a strong recruiting class and some valuable playing time for young guys last year help address that going into 2018? Richt: It could be a huge boost. We know we’re still going to need true freshmen to help us win. They’re playing all over America, so it’s not like you’re ever in a position where true freshmen can’t make an impact for you, but we were probably at 73 scholarships or something like that at the end of the year."