New Miami Hurricanes OC Rhett Lashlee utilized transfers at SMU

Led by offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee SMU had its best season in 35 years utilizing transfers in a recording setting offense. Transfer K.J. Osborn led the Miami Hurricanes in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2019, expect more transfers in 2020.

No major college football program went to the transfer portal in 2019 more than the Miami Hurricanes. As the offensive coordinator at SMU, the last two seasons Rhett Lashlee who was just hired in the same position at Miami utilized transfers throughout the Mustangs offense to great success.

Nearly every key player on the ninth-ranked SMU offense was a transfer this season. Quarterback Shane Buechele, wide receiver Reggie Roberson, tight end Kylen Granson, kicker Luke Hogan and kick return specialist C.J. Sanders all transferred to SMU from other FBS programs. Miami is likely to look to the transfer portal again.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported on Monday that quarterbacks Jamie Newman formerly of Wake Forest and Anthony Brown of Boston College have Miami among the final schools they are considering as graduate transfers. Several of the players listed above had exceptional seasons for SMU offensively.

Buechele had a breakout season for the Mustangs after transferring from Texas. The son of former major league baseball third baseman Steve Buechele completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,929 yards, 34 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and ran for 105 yards and two TDs.  Roberson had 43 receptions for 803 yards and six TDs.

Miami Hurricanes Football

Roberson was tied for second on SMU in receptions and was second in receiving yards and third in receiving TDs. The Lashlee spread will fit the current personnel that is on the Miami football roster. Granson tied Roberson for second on SMU with 43 receptions was third with 721 receiving yards and second with nine TD receptions.

Miami rising junior tight end Brevin Jordan would have likely eclipsed the numbers put up by Granson despite the Las Vegas native playing in the methodical Dan Enos offense had he not missed the final four games of the season with an injury. In nine games Jordan had 35 receptions for 495 yards and two TDs.

Jordan was leading Miami in receiving yards when he sustained the foot injury that sidelined him in November for the remainder of the season. In addition to QB, Miami will likely look to add a wide receiver through the transfer portal as they did with K.J. Osborn last year. The former Buffalo Bull was arguably Miami’s offensive MVP.

Osborn led the Miami Hurricanes football team in 2019 with 50 receptions, 547 yards and five TDs. That paled in comparison James Proche who led SMU with 111 receptions, 1,225 yards and 15 TDs. Proche led the nation in receptions, was 13th in yards and fourth in TDs in 2019. Miami desperately needs an alpha receiver.

Lashlee’s boss at SMU Sonny Dykes whose father Spike was the mentor of Washington State head coach Mike Leach at Texas Tech told Feldman that the transfers were vital to the Mustangs’ success in 2019.

"“It’s been a really good thing for us…We had good players when we got here, but we’ve been able to build depth and do some things we’ve never been able to do.”"

One of the ways that SMU has added transfers is from players from Power Five schools wanting to return to play in Dallas where they grew up. That might be a strategy that Miami could use. South Florida has more talent than the Metroplex and as a Power Five school, Miami should be able to add players from the State of Miami.

Howard Schnellenberger built the original Miami dynasty by pillaging Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to build the Hurricanes roster. Miami is not going to dominate South Florida signing high school players as they did in the eighties. Looking at the transfer portal and bringing players home is worth looking into.