Miami football first-team depth chart no surprises for UAB
The release of the depth chart for the first Miami football game of 2020 did not produce any surprises for players on the first-team.
The first-team depth chart as released by the Miami football program for the season opener against UAB did not produce any surprises.
The starters against the Blazers are as expected with the few starting spots that were still being contested finally made public. Those spots went to more experienced players. Four positions, one on offense and two on defense list co-starters.
Junior tight ends Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory and both safety positions with senior Amari Carter, redshirt junior Bubba Bolden and junior Gurvan Hall list co-starters. Those did not come as a much of a surprise, but Jordan is the first-team All-ACC TE.
Redshirt sophomore Gilbert Frierson and sophomore Keontra Smith are also listed as co-starters at striker. Frierson and Smith are competing to replace two-year starter Romeo Finley who inaugurated the striker position for Miami over the past two seasons.
Canes DC Blake Baker on strikers Gilbert Frierson and Keontra Smith: "You'll see a fair amount of both of those guys."
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) September 7, 2020
The Miami football team enters the 2020 season with a new era on offense. Rhett Lashlee was hired from SMU to bring an up-tempo, power spread offense to Miami to replace the pro-style offense run by the last two Miami football offensive staffs.
Jordan and Mallory are projected to play in tandem often in 2020. Redshirt sophomore Ousman Traore earned the starting spot at left guard as most projected. Traore only played about 20 snaps in two games in 2019.
Sophomores, left tackle Zion Nelson and right guard Jakai Clark lost their starting spots after starting a combined 25 games as freshmen in 2019.
The biggest surprise with the depth chart on offense was that true freshman Tyler Van Dyke is the third-team QB ahead of redshirt junior Tate Martell. With three seasons of eligibility remaining including 2020 due to the extra year granted by the NCAA, it will be worth watching if Martell pursues a transfer again.
"Miami football offensive depth chart QUARTERBACK 1 D’Eriq King (5-11, 202, R-Sr.) 5 N’Kosi Perry (6-4, 190, R-Jr.) 19 Tyler Van Dyke (6-4, 220, Fr.) RUNNING BACK 23 Cam’Ron Harris (5-10, 210, Jr.) 2 Donald Chaney, Jr. (5-10, 210, Fr.) -OR4 Jaylan Knighton (5-10, 190, Fr.) 22 Robert Burns (5-11, 225, R-Jr.) WIDE RECEIVER 8 Dee Wiggins (6-3, 195, Jr.) 83 Michael Redding III (6-2, 202, Fr.) 88 Keyshawn Smith (6-1, 182, Fr.) WIDE RECEIVER 6 Mark Pope (6-0, 172, Jr.) 12 Jeremiah Payton (6-1, 195, R-Fr.) 84 Dazalin Worsham (6-1, 175, Fr.) WIDE RECEIVER 3 Mike Harley (5-10, 180, Sr.) 27 Marshall Few (5-11, 190, R-Jr.) 7 Xavier Restrepo (5-10, 196, Fr.) TIGHT END 9 Brevin Jordan (6-3, 245, Jr.) -OR85 Will Mallory (6-5, 245, Jr.) 81 Larry Hodges (6-2, 230, R-Fr.) 86 Dominic Mammarelli (6-4, 235, Fr.) LEFT TACKLE 74 John Campbell, Jr. (6-5, 310, R-So.) 60 Zion Nelson (6-5, 312, So.) LEFT GUARD 66 Ousman Traore (6-3, 310, R-So.) 64 Jalen Rivers (6-5, 325, Fr.) CENTER 65 Corey Gaynor (6-4, 300, R-Jr.) 53 Jakai Clark (6-3, 320, So.) RIGHT GUARD 51 DJ Scaife, Jr. (6-3, 314, Jr.) 52 Cleveland Reed, Jr. (6-3, 320, R-So.) RIGHT TACKLE 62 Jarrid Williams (6-6, 308, R-Sr.) 72 Chris Washington (6-7, 300, Fr.)"