Miami football rising in offseason rankings behind transfer additions

The Miami football program has had a productive offseason by adding several key transfers to upgrade needed positions. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson brings the potential of a shutdown player at the position. Defensive end DeAndre Johnson provides Miami with much-needed experience as an edge rusher.

Wide Receiver Charleston Rambo brings a deep threat in the passing game the Miami football program needed. The other big boost for the Hurricanes is the return of multiple players for the extra season provided by the NCAA and several others that could have entered the 2021 NFL Draft.

The biggest win of the offseason for Miami is the return of quarterback D’Eriq King for his second season with the Hurricanes and sixth of college football. King changed the culture for Miami and gave the Hurricanes their best play at QB since Brad Kaaya left following the 2016 season. Miami returns 19 starters in 2021.

The addition of the transfers and return of all but four players from the 2020 roster had Miami move up seven spots by 247 Sports in their article “An update on the mid-spring college football Top 25” by Brandon Marcello on Friday. Marcello summarized the outlook for the Miami football program in 2021.

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"7. MIAMIMiami has quickly rebuilt itself into a contender thanks to the transfer market, and is stacked across the roster this spring. Quarterback D’Eriq King is back, but he is sitting out the spring while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in the bowl season.Manny Diaz and his staff managed to convince a handful of players to return thanks to a free year of eligibility rewarded to all college football teams.“With so many guys coming back, this is as a competitive spring as I can remember anywhere in my coaching career,” Diaz said recently during an appearance on Packer & Durham on the ACC Network. “You have your first and second teams as pretty functional units. A lot of guys have game experience.”Miami returns its top eight offensive linemen, including seventh-year (!) player Jarrid Williams at tackle, and added Oklahoma transfer Charleston Rambo at receiver. I have Miami seven spots higher than the 247Sports aggregate poll released in February."

Starting the season ranked seventh is a large task for Miami with the season opener against Alabama in Atlanta on September 4. The Hurricanes will have depth unprecedented for them in recent memory. The addition of Rambo with three 2021 signees arriving this summer makes the Hurricanes 12 deep at WR.

Stevenson gives Miami four CBs entering at least their third season in college. Miami has often had to play inexperienced players in the secondary and on the offensive line. The 2021 Hurricanes have depth and experience. The competition this spring can only help the Miami football team develop for the 2021 season.