The Miami football program post-spring rankings vary from 11th by the Athletic, 15th by CBS Sports and 25th by ESPN entering next season. Miami returns 19 starters and added three key players through the transfer portal for the 2021 season. Miami is generally the third-ranked team in the ACC entering 2021.
Clemson is in the top five and North Carolina a consensus top 10 pick. The Tigers and Tar Heels were the only two losses the Miami football team had in the 2020 regular season. Miami does not play Clemson this season. The Hurricanes play October 16 at North Carolina after more than two weeks off.
Miami opens the season on September 4 against Alabama in Atlanta. Other highlights on the 2021 Miami football schedule are hosting Michigan State on September 18, the ACC opener on September 30 against Virginia at home and at Florida State on November 23. The game at UNC is the likely defacto ACC Coastal Championship game.
Miami improved from 6-7 in the first season under Manny Diaz as head coach in 2019 to 8-3 in 2020. The 2021 Miami football season will depend largely on how well quarterback D’Eriq King recovers from his torn ACL. The CBS Sports ranking was summarized by their partner site 247Sports.Com.
"15. Miami HurricanesThe skinny: The Hurricanes showed a lot of progress in year two under head coach Manny Diaz. As long as star quarterback D’Eriq King makes a full recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in Miami’s bowl game, the Hurricanes could be a strong challenger in the ACC."
ESPN went into more depth in their profile of the 2021 Miami football team. Replacing defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche will be critical in 2021. DeAndre Johnson transferred to Miami from Tennessee and Zach McCloud was moved from linebacker to help at edge rusher.
On offense Will Mallory is the only player replacing a departed starter. Brevin Jordan was a fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2021 NFL Draft. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson from Georgia and wide receiver Charleston Rambo from Oklahoma also signed with Miami as transfers during the 2021 offseason.
"25. Miami Hurricanes2020 record: 8-3 (7-2 ACC)Projected returning starters: nine offense, seven defense, one special teamsKey losses: DE Jaelan Phillips, DE Quincy Roche, TE Brevin Jordan, K Jose BorregalesKey additions: WR Charleston Rambo, DE Deandre Johnson, S Avantae Williams, CB Tyrique Stevenson, LB Chase Smith, S Kamren Kinchens, DT Leonard Taylor, LB James Williams, QB Jake GarciaPrevious Way-Too-Early ranking: 25Outlook: The Hurricanes’ best news coming out of the spring was that quarterback D’Eriq King, who tore an ACL in the first half of the Cheez-It Bowl, was “smashing every benchmark” in his return and remained on track to be ready for the state of the season.Miami coach Manny Diaz told reporters that King was running again and throwing from a stationary position. Still, Miami worked to get freshmen Tyler Van Dyke and Garcia ready to go in case King isn’t available. Van Dyke played in two games in 2020; Garcia was the No. 23 prospect in the 2021 ESPN 300 and enrolled early.Former starter N’Kosi Perry transferred to Florida Atlantic, and Tate Martell entered the transfer portal (again). Three highly regarded transfers — Johnson from Tennessee, Stevenson from Georgia and Rambo from Oklahoma — had big impacts during the spring."
Miami took a positive step in 2020 by improving by three games overall. The Hurricanes next step is winning the big games. Miami won at Louisville when the Cardinals were ranked in September, but the losses to Clemson, North Carolina and Oklahoma State proved the Hurricanes still have to continue to develop as a program.