Miami football has two among top 100 impact freshmen

Two Miami football 2021 signees have been named as part of “The 100 true freshmen who will impact the 2021 college football season.” Kicker Andres Borregales and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor are expected to have a big impact for the Hurricanes per 247. Five-star safety James Williams was surprisingly not named.

Taylor linked with Williams gave the Miami football program its first pair of five-star signees in the same class since 2008. Taylor is the top-ranked DT and Williams the top-ranked safety in the Class of 2021. Borregales is the second-ranked kicker in 2021 and expected to pick off where his brother Jose left in 2020.

Taylor joins an already deep Miami DT rotation. Jon Ford, Nesta Jade Silvera and Jared Harrison-Hunte provide the Hurricanes with a deep and versatile rotation on the interior of the Miami defensive line. Taylor will have to earn playing time for Miami as a true freshman in 2021.

Harrison-Hunte showed a lot of promise last season with 17 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks in eight games with only 264 defensive snaps. Silvera had 35 tackles, eight TFLs and one sack last season. Ford is more of a run-stuffer in the middle of the Miami defensive line and had 19 tackles and one TFL in 2020.

"Leonard Taylor, DT247Sports Composite: No. 10Five-star freshmen defensive tackles play. They don’t usually start, but they tend to see plenty of rotational snaps…Not enrolling early and an upperclassmen-heavy depth chart in Coral Gables will likely prevent Taylor from making a huge early impact, but he’ll certainly be in the Hurricanes’ rotation right away.Given Taylor’s talent, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him push into the starting lineup at some point this year alongside 2020 all-ACC selection Nesta Jade Silvera."

Borregales is expected to continue the legacy at kicker started by his brother last season. Playing for Hialeah Champagnat Catholic in High School Borregales finished his prep career making 67 of 69 extra points and 15 out of 20 field-goal attempts with a long of 57 yards. Borregales has an advantage as a kicker.

Compared to Taylor and Williams. Borregales enters Arizona knowing he will be an immediate starter. Playing in his brother’s footsteps and as a highly touted signee, Borregales has a lot of expectations immediately in his career. Playing his first college game against Alabama, Miami will need Borregales to be accurate.

"Andres Borregales, K247Sports Composite: No. 1673The younger brother of 2020 Lou Groza Award winner Jose Borregales, Andres projects to step in exactly where his brother left off as the Hurricanes’ starting kicker. He has a leg, too. Andres hit a 57-yard field goal during his junior year at Chaminade-Madonna Prep.“Andy coming in is such an experienced kicker to be an early enrollee,’ special teams coordinator Jonathan Patke said, per Inside The U. “He feels like he’s an older guy because he’s been around his brother for so long and has kicked for so many years through camps. He’s kicked off the ground in high school.He’s really above his time.”"

Williams being left off the list of the 100 best freshmen will likely come back to prove 247 Sports wrong. At 6’5, 218 pounds, Williams is one of the most versatile 2021 signees. With the size to be an edge rusher and skills to play on the back end, Williams will be lined up throughout the Miami defense in 2021.

Once he gets acclimated to playing in college, Williams is expected to become an impact player on the Miami defense. Miami is deep at safety and striker, the two positions Williams is best suited to play. Head coach Manny Diaz who is resuming running the Hurricanes defense in 2021 will find a way to get Williams on the field.