Miami Hurricanes transfer portal offensive line options dwindling

After adding three high profile players through the transfer portal the projections were the Miami Hurricanes would add an offensive lineman to that list. The options on the offensive line through the portal are dwindling.

The additions of former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King, Temple defensive end Quincy Roche and FIU kicker Jose Borregales through the transfer portal helped significantly improve two glaring needs on the Miami Hurricanes football roster and add depth on the defensive line. Miami needs to add depth to the 2020 offensive line.

Many experts projected Miami to enter the transfer portal once more to add an offensive lineman to help one of the worst teams protecting the passer and run blocking in 2019. Over a month since the season ended for everyone but Clemson and LSU, Miami still has not added an offensive lineman.

The majority of the players that the Miami Hurricanes were thought to be persuing through the transfer portal have signed with other schools. The number of offensive linemen with the skill to play at a Power Five school through the transfer portal has been significantly reduced over the past month.

Offensive tackles Henry Hattis and Devery Hamilton of Stanford and Devin Cochran of Vanderbilt who were thought to be the three most prominent offensive linemen Miami was interested in through the transfer portal have all chosen new schools. The Hurricanes will have to compete against Hamilton and Cochran in 2020.

Hamilton announced on Sunday that he was transferring to Duke shortly after former Clemson quarterback Chase Brice announced he would be competing for the Blue Devils. Hattis previously announced he was transferring to Stanford’s Pac 12 rival Arizona State. Cochran is on his way to Miami’s ACC Coastal rival Georgia Tech.

There have been some claims that the Miami Hurricanes could be hesitant to add another offensive lineman after Butler graduate transfer offensive tackle Tommy Kennedy only received playing time last season against Louisville. That is counter-intuitive to Miami adding King at QB to the 2020 roster.

Tate Martell joined Miami as a redshirt sophomore transfer from Ohio State and only played in five games. Each offseason, team, recruit and transfer are different for every program. The lack of success from Kennedy and Martell will not phase the direction that Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes football staff will go in.

There are only a handful of Power Five offensive linemen left in the transfer portal. Miami could look to Group of Five or one of the lower divisions for a steal. That did not work out with Kennedy, but he was also recruited by Oklahoma. At the time Kennedy was a highly coveted player by Power Five programs.

One player that recently became available in the transfer portal is former four-star offensive guard Donavaughn Campbell from LSU. Campbell played seven of his 15 career games as a backup on the Tigers National Championship team. Campbell’s brother was a DB at Georgia Tech and he considered them out of high school.

Campbell considered Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State and Texas before signing with LSU. Miami is in greater need at tackle than the interior of the offensive line. The Hurricanes need depth and cannot afford to be picky on the offensive line.

Guard Chris Murray from UCLA and Texas OT J.P. Urquidez are the other four-star OL in the portal. Murray was the 232nd ranked player, the ninth-ranked guard and 29th ranked player in California in 2018. Murray started all 24 games for the Bruins in 2018 and ’19. He would likely sit out in 2020 and have two years of eligibility left.

Urquidez was the 232nd ranked player, the 22nd ranked offensive tackle and the 36th player in Texas in 2016. The addition of the 6’7 300 pound Urquidez would likely be another player to add depth to the Miami Hurricanes offensive line. Urquidez played in 11 games in his Longhorns career. Mostly on special teams.