Miami Football questions for ACC Kickoff

Head coach Manny Diaz, quarterback D’Eriq King, wide receiver Mike Harley and safety Bubba Bolden will represent the Miami football program at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday in Charlotte. The Hurricanes have a lot of questions entering the 2021 season. Miami returns 19 starters, 10 on offense and nine on defense.

King will likely be named All-ACC when those teams are released later this week. The ACC is the best conference in the country for QBs in 2021. Six ACC QBs are on the Davey O’Brien Watch List as released on Tuesday. King will be the main focus of ACC QBs in Charlotte with Sam Howell of North Carolina and D.J. Uiagalelei of Clemson.

Howell should be expected to be named the first-team All-ACC QB with Uiagalelei and King competing for second-team. King and Harley getting to work together for a second season will be one of the focuses for the Miami football team. Harley had a breakout season catching passes from King in 2020.

Harley will have some of the focus of opposing defenses taken off of him in 2021 with the addition of Charleston Rambo at WR as a transfer from Oklahoma. Rambo provides the Miami football team a consistent deep threat they lacked in 2020. Harley operating out of the slot provides good balance for King.

Bolden is part of a Miami defense with the nine returning starters, but has to replace Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche at defensive end. Jonathan Patke who moved from strikers to inside linebackers coach is the only returning coach on the Miami defensive staff. Working with the new coaches is a question for Bolden.