Miami football roster management challenging beyond 2021
The recent decision by the NCAA to allow an extra year of eligibility for 2020 fall sport athletes is going to create a challenge for roster management for the Miami football team beyond 2021.
The extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA on Friday will be challenging managing rosters for the Miami football team and other programs beyond 2021. Every 2020 fall sports athlete was granted an extra season of eligibility throughout their collegiate careers. Seniors in 2020 will not count against 2021 rosters.
Miami athletic director Blake James spoke to the Miami Herald on Friday and stated that other than the seniors who return for the 2021 season, the Miami football program and head coach Manny Diaz will be faced with the NCAA maximum of 85 scholarship players per season. That will create a strain on future recruiting classes.
The Hurricanes 2021 recruiting class will not be impacted with roster management with the current commits already accounted for and the 2020 seniors not counting against the 85 scholarship limit. The 2022 recruiting class is where the roster management becomes challenging.
The senior class for Miami is small with only nine scholarship players. Miami currently has about 20 juniors on scholarship. Projecting two seasons out who will choose to return for the 2022 season is difficult. James spoke about the challenges to the Herald and what Diaz and his staff have to consider.
"“The rest of it will be roster management that [coach] Manny Diaz will have to coordinate to make sure we meet the NCAA’s maximum of 85. But for the seniors who stay, they won’t count against your limits.’’"
Some of the juniors on the Miami football roster in 2020 could turn pro or transfer after this season. Other Hurricanes could choose to move on following the 2021 season. With the limit of 85 scholarships and a limit of signing 25 players in each class, it will limit the amount of players college football program can sign in 2022.
Providing current athletes an extra season was a generous move by the NCAA but counting juniors and below against the scholarship limit in their final season is going to hurt players in the class of 2022 through 2025. The players who chose to return for a fifth or even sixth season will count against the 85 scholarships.
Graduate transfer defensive end Quincy Roche and tight end Brevin Jordan will almost definitely enter the 2021 NFL Draft baring injury. With an extra season of eligibility and a limited path to being starting quarterback at Miami it would not be surprising to see redshirt junior Tate Martell transfer following the 2020 season.
Miami in good position with NCAA extra year of eligibility. dark. Next
Several other players could transfer or enter the NFL Draft early following the 2020 and 2021 Miami football seasons. The Hurricanes always lose a few unexpected players to the draft each season. With an extra season of eligibility expect the transfer portal to become even busier across college football over the next four years.