In the latest national media ranking the Miami football team is ranked 16th by 247 Sports. The Hurricanes are the third highest-ranked team in the ACC. North Carolina who Miami will compete with to win the ACC Coastal is ninth and Clemson is fourth. Miami plays on October 16 at UNC but is not scheduled to play Clemson in 2021.
The Miami football team enters the 2021 season returning 19 starters. Quarterback D’Eriq King leads the return of 10 starters on offense. Tight end Brevin Jordan is the only starter Miami lost on offense. Defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche were the starters lost by the Hurricanes’ defense.
Miami will open the season against Alabama on September 4 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide have won season openers against Power Five teams by an average of 25 points. Alabama has defeated ranked teams by an average of 23 points in season openers under Saban.
Miami has not fared well in season openers against Power Five teams recently. The Hurricanes lost 24-20 to Florida in Orlando in 2019. LSU defeated Miami 33-17 in Arlington, Texas in the 2018 season opener. Miami will have to be prepared and ready to face Alabama in Atlanta.
"“16. MIAMI HURRICANESMiami did not play with a full deck this spring, but gets its best player, quarterback D’Eriq King, in back in time for fall practice in prep for a title run in the ACC Coastal this season. For now, the Hurricanes are playing second fiddle in the preseason to North Carolina and that’s just fine with Manny Diaz.The most important factor for this year’s success after the quarterback spot is along the defensive front and finding pass rushers to replace Gregory Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips. No team in college football has a bigger opportunity than the Hurricanes during Week 1 against Alabama in Atlanta.”"
King has smashed every milestone during his rehab from a torn ACL suffered in the Cheez-It Bowl loss in December. The injury to King and annihilation by North Carolina last season has the Tar Heels as the rightful favorite entering the 2021 season. DeAndre Johnson and Zach McCloud are the projected lead pass rushers in 2021.
Johnson transferred to Miami from Tennessee during the offseason. The Hurricanes also added cornerback Tyrique Stevenson from Georgia and wide receiver Charleston Rambo from Oklahoma. Stevenson could potentially be the shutdown CB Miami has lacked recently. Rambo has the potential to be a deep threat lacked in 2020.