Miami Hurricanes OC Rhett Lashlee great offensive mind per CFB analyst

The hiring by Manny Diaz of Rhett Lashlee as the new Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator was a massive hire and added one of the greatest offensive minds in college football according to ESPN college football analyst Dan Orlovsky.

Rhett Lashlee was hired by Manny Diaz to overhaul an underachieving Miami Hurricanes offensive in 2019. Lashlee is one of the rising offensive minds in college football and a massive hire for Miami according to ESPN college football analyst Dan Orlovsky as told to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

In speaking with Jackson, Orlovsky states that Lashlee is on pace to become one of the best offensive minds in college football. With experience under Gus Malzahn at Auburn and Arkansas State, Randy Edsall at UConn and Sonny Dykes at SMU, Lashlee has learned multiple systems.

Lashlee has also proven throughout his career as an offensive coordinator the ability to adapt to his personnel. At Auburn, Lashlee worked with dual-threat QB Cam Newton and Nick Marshall who was a run-first QB. At SMU, Lashlee mentored Shane Buechele who is a traditional pro-style QB.

Orlovsky lays out the way that Lashlee understands tempo, pace and how to use formations. Orlovsky praises Lashlee as really smart and creative and credited Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes for his hire. The former UConn and NFL QB also credited Lashlee for being aggressive and called QB D’Eriq King a freak.

"“Lashlee is a massive hire…I think Lashlee could be on the fast track to being one of the great offensive minds in college football. The way he understands the game, the tempo, the changing of tempo, matchups, pace, formation use. He’s really, really smart, has got a very creative mind. It’s a really, really good hire for Miami.Lashlee is a coach that’s an aggressive mind….And D’Eriq King is a freak…We thought he was going to LSU. That’s a big time signing, fits the offense perfectly. They will utilize his athleticism as well as anyone. Well yeah…Can Miami be a 2020 top 20 team?Yeah, absolutely. With the young talent that’s there, and if the defense continues to play really good football, and if the young skill players take a step forward. Really, the offensive line will be a big part of it as well.”"

Orlovsky usually at least one Miami football game per season if not a few. His summary of what the Hurricanes need in 2020 is accurate. Some of the younger skills position players, particularly freshmen running backs Jaylen Knighton and Don Chaney Jr. need to emerge in 2020. The offensive line needs to improve drastically.

If the Hurricanes get production from their young skill position players offensively for Lashlee and the offensive line gels Miami can have an outstanding season. The schedule is more challenging with the addition to two more ACC games, one of which is Clemson, but the progress should come on offense.