Miami football: Bubba Bolden, Mike Harley, D’Eriq King ACC Kickoff representatives

The Miami football program will be represented by safety Bubba Bolden and wide receiver Mike Harley who are entering their fifth collegiate seasons and quarterback D’Eriq King who is entering his sixth at the 2021 ACC Football Kickoff, July 21-22 in Charlotte, North Carolina. All three earned All-ACC in 2020.

Bolden was a second-team All-ACC safety in 2020 after recording 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups. Bolden is one of nine returning starters on the Miami defense in 2021. Defensive end Jaelan Phillips, one of the lost starters was also second-team All-ACC.

King was honorable mention All-ACC in 2020 behind Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, Sam Howell of North Carolina and Ian Book of Notre Dame. Only Howell returns among those three. King is likely to not be worse than third-team preseason All-ACC in 2021 behind Howell and Lawrence’s replacement, D.J. Uiagalelei.

In the second year under offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, King and the Miami offense can put up bigger numbers in 2021. King is one of 10 returning starters on the Miami offense in 2021. King completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,686 passing yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2020.

King put pressure on opposing defenses in 2020 with 538 rushing yards and four TDs. The returns King and Harley provide Miami with their best-returning tandem at QB and WR since Brad Kaaya and Stacy Coley in 2016. Harley had his best collegiate season in 2020 with 57 receptions for 799 yards and seven TDs.

Harley was named third-team All-ACC. Bolden, Harley and King will all earn spots somewhere on the 2021 preseason All-ACC team. Several other Hurricanes will join that list. Offensive tackle Zion Nelson and punter Louis Hedley and potentially transfers, WR Charleston Rambo and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson could get nods.

King will be one of the most intriguing players at the 2021 ACC Football Kickoff. By all reports from the Miami football staff, King, in their words, has smashed all his milestones in rehab from a torn ACL. Out-of-town beat reporters and national media will center around the rehab King has worked on throughout the offseason.

Harley will likely field questions centered around King’s rehab and where the Miami offense is entering its second season under Lashlee. Bolden as the lone representative will likely discuss the changes Miami made on its defensive coaching staff during the offseason. Bolden has a new position coach, Travaris Robinson.

Robinson was hired in the offseason as the defensive backs coach. Ephraim Banda who was formerly the safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator left to run his own defense at Utah State. Head coach Manny Diaz is going to assume defensive coordinator responsibilities for the Miami football team in 2021.

When Diaz was the defensive coordinator for Miami from 2016-2018, safeties Jamal Carter and Jaquan Johnson led Miami in tackles. Bolden is headed for a big season with the responsibilities that Diaz will expect of him. At 6’3, 204 pounds, Bolden is the prototype safety in the Diaz defense.