12 Days to Miami football: Jeremiah Payton will be in WR rotation
After a redshirt season in 2019 wide receiver, Jeremiah Payton is ready to be a part of the rotation for the offense on the Miami football team in 2020.
Jeremiah Payton might have the most upside of any wide receiver on the Miami football roster. Behind the expected starters at wide receiver, senior Mike Harley and juniors Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins, Payton should break through and become the fourth WR in the Miami rotation in 2020.
Harley, Pope and Wiggins are the only experienced WRs on the Miami roster. Payton had one reception for 23 yards achieved against Bethune-Cookman as he played in the four-game limit to maintain his redshirt in 2019. Payton should develop well under new WR coach Rob Likens who mentored first-round picks the last two years.
Payton is the highest-ranked WR Miami has according to his 247 Sports recruiting profile. At 6’3 Payton fives Miami the length that the Miami football program likes to recruit throughout the roster. After sitting out in 2019, the opportunity is there for Payton to be a key contributor to the Miami offense.
Likens stated earlier this summer that Payton is as good as any of the WRs he has ever coached. Payton has been told in conversation with Likens that he needs to progress towards the elite talent he has in 2020. Likens is excited about the upside that Payton has and what is ahead of him in the 2020 season.
I have no context for you as far as the design of this play, but clearly, Jeremiah Payton is gaining a lot of yards and DJ Scaife is keeping up with him down the field.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 17, 2020
(📸 Tim Brogdon / Miami Athletics) pic.twitter.com/PdZZUi6xr1
"“His talent level is as good as any I’ve coached…has that talent; he has to get it put all together. He knows that. We’ve had great discussions about that. He has to start progressing toward getting toward [the potential of his] talent level. I’m excited and want him to get there as much as everybody does.”"
Behind Payton, Miami signed four WRs in the class of 2020. Four-star Michael Redding III and three-stars Daz Worsham, Xavier Restrepo and Keyshawn Smith will all be competing with Payton for playing time behind Harley, Pope and Wiggins. In the new offense behind offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, there will be enough snaps.
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The Hurricanes are switching to an up-tempo, spread offense. Both Lashlee and Likens have used a WR committee in the past in the absence of a true number one WR. That could be the case for Miami in 2020. Payton has the talent to be a lead WR in the future. He should settle in this year and then reach his college prime.