The Miami football program benefitted from the transfer portal more than anyone in college football. The Hurricanes have also lost their share of players to the portal in the last year. Head coach Manny Diaz discussed how to balance playing time with potentially losing players.
The Miami football program added several key players in the transfer portal during the 2019 offseason. Wide receiver K.J. Osborn is tied for the Hurricanes lead with 16 receptions and tops the team with three receiving touchdowns. Defensive linemen Chigozie Nnoruka and Trevon Hill have been a key part of the rotation.
Miami football head coach Manny Diaz was asked during his weekly press conference on Monday about balancing 85 players on scholarship with playing time. Diaz made a key point than in no other sport are 11 players in the game with 74 watching them on the sideline. Everyone wants to play.
Diaz stated that athletes are concerned with playing time when they begin playing sports at six years old. Parents often complain to youth coaches about the lack of playing time for their children or why they are not starting. That does not change much when the athletes get older. Being honest with a player is critical.
Players also need to be patient and realize their time will come. Many of the current Miami football players had to sit a season or more before earning playing time. Current Miami starting quarterback Jarren Williams nearly transferred last season because of how true freshman season was handled.
Diaz spoke about the contrast between the past and the present about what players expect their playing time to be. The Hurricanes first-year head coach also used the six-year-old analogy, the importance of hard work to earn playing time and how the elite teams are two deep at every position.
"“I don’t think it’s any more than what’s happened in the past…Look, you’ve got 85 on scholarship and only 11 play can play at a time. There’s no other sport where you have 74 watching 11 play. If you go back to when you played sports as a six-year-old, everybody wants to play.I think the most important thing as coaches is to be honest and upfront as far as why they’re not playing. What things they can do to improve their performance to get more playing time. Whether it’s showing them on tape ‘Look here’s the difference.’We grade every practice like it’s a game. So whether it’s missed assignments or a lack of effort or technique errors, you can sit there (grab the paper and say) right here, you’ve got seven more technique errors than the guy that’s playing. I mean – you control this.Ideally what you want as a coach – and we’re improving in this regard – is more guys that can play. Let’s stop worrying about who the starter is – let’s push more guys onto the field. That’s something we’re trying to do at all spots.So, we may not have an offensive lineman that has to play all 75 snaps. One guy is getting in position to play 20 snaps. Guess what that means we can do? We can play harder. Again, that’s what always separates. The teams at the top of college football have a two-deep come at you with no drop-off.Miami’s had that in the past. We have to get that, develop our guys to get to that point.”"
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are the consensus best team in the history of college football. Their depth cannot be disputed. It is part of what made them so great. Players like Willis McGahee and Frank Gore at running back, Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle and Sean Taylor at safety all had to wait their turn to play.
It is what has made Miami great. The U will truly be back when as Diaz said Miami is able to develop their guys to that point again. The Hurricanes continue to have great depth at some positions like tight end and running back. Others like the offensive line are thin. The Miami coaching staff still has work to do.