Jake Garcia pushed ball downfield more than Tyler VanDyke during spring
In their first two scrimmages plus the Spring Game, 2021 Miami signee Jake Garcia was more efficient at throwing the ball downfield than freshman Tyler Van Dyke. The competition between Garcia and Van Dyke to be the second-team quarterback for Miami behind D’Eriq King will continue into August training camp.
Jake Garcia completed 52 passes in 71 attempts for 607 yards and four touchdowns while averaging an impressive 8.54 yards per attempt and 11.67 yards per completion. Van Dyke completed 35 passes in 49 attempts for 406 yards with two TDs, 8.285 YPA and 11.6 YPC. The numbers are close on completions.
The advantage for Garcia in YPA is what is looked at more often when judging success. It is difficult to compare those numbers to accomplishments in a regular game when the QB will be getting hit compared to a spring scrimmage when they protected by not allowing them to be tackled.
Entering the fall, Garcia seems to have the edge. The signings of Garcia and Van Dyke in the last two classes have been a big boost to the Miami QB room prior to the arrival of King as a transfer from Houston in January 2020. Miami has a commitment from four-star QB Jacurri Brown in the Class of 2022.
Garcia and Van Dyke competing to be the backup to King in 2021 will be one of the biggest storylines when the Miami football team gets back together for training camp in August. Who the successor will be to King will be the biggest storyline during the 2021 offseason for the Miami Hurricanes.
Miami also has redshirt freshman Peyton Matocha and walk-on Ryan Rizk who was impressive in the Spring Game to add depth at QB. The ability for all of the Miami QBs to learn from King this season should help the Hurricanes future for the signal-callers. Garcia has been labeled a special talent.