Miami football likely to redshirt more players in shortened season

The likelihood of the 2020 Miami football schedule being shortened to no more than 10 games increases the possibility for the Hurricanes to redshirt more players this fall.

The 2020 Miami football schedule is likely to evolve over the next three weeks with the ACC announcing late this week they will have a decision on how to go forward by the end of July. The Hurricanes lost their September 26 game at Michigan State when the Big 10 announced they will only play conference games in 2020.

The ACC is likely to follow the same model. Miami currently has eight games scheduled against ACC opponents. The Big 10 plays nine conference games and is likely to add another conference game to their schedule in 2020. Expect the ACC to do the same. The potential for fewer games could increase players who redshirt in 2020.

The NCAA instituted a rule in 2018 that allows players to participate in up to four games each season and maintain a redshirt. That is about 25 to 40 percent of the season. The amount of games a team plays depends largely on conference title game appearances, bowl games and the college football playoff.

Several Miami players have benefitted in the past two seasons from the new redshirt rule. Greg Rousseau was a medical redshirt in 2018 after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in week two. Wide receiver Jeremiah Payton is expected to have a big season in 2020 after redshirting as a freshman in 2019.

Miami players who could redshirt in 2020

Several players this season would be able to participate in up to four games and redshirt before playing a more prominent role in 2021. Freshman quarterback Tyler VanDyke is a near-certain redshirt but it would difficult to see him playing this season with each game taking on added importance.

With every game likely to be a conference game, they will all count towards the goal of Miami winning the ACC Coastal. The positions to watch for redshirts are the offensive and defensive lines, WR, linebacker and defensive back. Freshman running backs Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylen Knighton are too valuable to redshirt in 2020.

Miami does not have a lot of depth at running back after losing DeeJay Dallas to the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2019 and redshirt sophomore Lorenzo Lingard transferring to Florida. Chaney and Knighton will be contributors behind junior starter Cam’Ron Harris and redshirt junior backup Robert Burns.

Two players to watch are offensive linemen, freshmen Jalen Rivers and Issiah Walker and sophomore Zion Nelson. Walker might have to sit out in 2020 because of NCAA transfer rules after spending the spring semester at Florida. Nelson started all 13 games in 2019 but still has a lot of developing to do.

Multiple other players on the Miami football roster could play in four games and redshirt. In a longer season, those players would have likely participated in more than four games. Manny Diaz and the Hurricanes coaching staff will be able to spread the players’ games out and still maintain their redshirt seasons.