The Miami Hurricanes return 138 starts on the offensive line accumulatively. That is the most in the history of college football. Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee told MiamiHurricanes.Com that the biggest thing for the OL entering the 2021 season is that they have confidence.
Six Miami Hurricanes offensive linemen are entering what would be their third season as starters. Left guard Jakai Clark is likely out for the beginning of the season after a car accident this spring. Jalen Rivers entering his second season is expected to be the starter. Navaugn Donaldson is back after missing most of 2020 with a knee injury.
Donaldson is the most experience playing on the Miami Hurricanes OL. A starter on the 2017 ACC Coastal Division Championship, Donaldson should be a leader up front. Corey Gaynor should be locked in a center with Zion Nelson at left tackle. D.J. Scaife and Jarrid Williams are competing to be the starter at right tackle.
Miami has slowly been building depth on the OL. John Campbell can play guard and tackle sustained “a pretty serious knee injury this summer” this summer according to head coach Manny Diaz. Campbell is expected to be out through the remainder of training camp. Miami should have enough depth to absorb Campbell’s loss.
"“We have some returning experience now and that never hurts. That’s a positive. But we don’t have a lot of experience as a unit. We feel like we still have areas where we can improve…We have great competition at the tackle spot and the guard spot and I think there’s a chance we have more depth there, too…I think the biggest thing is that they have confidence, they’re really eager to take the next step and be a more consistent unit and that’s what I want to see in fall camp – that continuity, that chemistry of five guys working together. That’s what we’ve got to get before we play game one.”"
During the offseason, Miami added Justice Oluwaseun as a transfer from UNLV to help the depth on the OL. Issiah Walker who transferred to Miami during the 2020 offseason after initially signing with Florida will likely have a role in the Hurricanes rotation. The depth for Miami is being tested at the outset of training camp.
Cleveland Reed and Ousmane Traore add more depth to the Miami OL. Miami will need Clark and Campbell healthy to maintain good depth on the OL. Training camp without them will provide Diaz, offensive line coach Garin Justice and coordinator Rhett Lashlee a chance to develop more OL during August into September.