Miami football should have expected Robert Burns transfer
With only 47 carries in three seasons and 16 in 2020, the Miami football program should have expected the announcement that running back Robert Burns transfer on Wednesday. Burns was stuck behind junior Cam’Ron Harris and freshmen Don Chaney Jr and Jaylan Knighton in 2020 and Miami added 2021 signee, Thad Franklin.
Burns was a redshirt junior in 2020 and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at his new school. With Chaney and Knighton cutting into his carries, Burns ran for 63 yards in 2020 and added two receptions for 26 yards. With Harris and DeeJay Dallas injured, over a third of Burns carries came in 2019 against Duke.
Burns carries 18 times for 48 yards and caught two passes for 21 yards in his best Miami performance in a 27-17 Hurricanes loss to the Blue Devils. Burns fell from the third-team RB in 2019 to fourth in 2020 with the additions of Chaney and Knighton. The majority of Burns‘ playing time in 2020 was on special teams.
Burns is the second Miami football player that was reported to have entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. Former Hurricanes quarterback Tate Martell also entered the portal on Wednesday according to multiple reports. Martell never made an impact for Miami after being a highly publicized transfer in 2019.
UM running back Robert Burns, who had just 16 carries this past season and 47 in his career, has entered the transfer portal, per 247. Was looking at likelihood of being fourth on the depth chart (behind Harris, Knighton, Chaney) or possibly 5th (if freshman Thad Franklin is 4).
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 27, 2021
Miami was one of 24 programs to offer Burns a scholarship out of high school. All but five of those programs were Power Five. The Group of Five programs to offer Burns out of high school are worth watching as possible destinations. Cincinnati, FAU, Middle Tennessee State and USF are the G5 schools Burns was offered.
Next. Miami can move on with Tate Martell entering transfer portal. dark
Miami will move on and another scholarship opens up in the future for Miami. With Harris, Chaney, Knighton and Franklin, the Hurricanes have will have enough depth at RB to absorb the transfer by Burns. Replacing him on special teams can be made up throughout the roster. More transfer could happen after spring practice.