Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports followed Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus ranking the Miami football team in his top 10. Treash ranked Miami ninth in the rankings released by PFF last week. In “Marcello’s preseason top 30 rankings” Miami is ranked seventh which is their highest 2021 preseason ranking.
The Miami football team enters the 2021 season with 19 returning starters led by quarterback D’Eriq King. Marcello is high on the ACC in 2021. Clemson is ranked third and North Carolina sixth. Threash has the Tigers and Tar Heels in the same spots. Miami is ranked 14th in AP Top 25 and 16th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
King will be ready when the Miami football team kickoffs its season a week from Saturday against Alabama in Atlanta. Miami lost tight end Brevin Jordan and defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche as the only starters who left after the 2020 season. Will Mallory is ready to replace Jordan as the starting TE.
Deandre Johnson and Zach McCloud lead the edge rushers in the rotation to replace the production lost with Phillips and Roche now in the NFL. Marcello states that the 2021 Miami football season is up to the production of their transfers. Most of the top 2021 Miami players began their college careers elsewhere.
"7. MIAMIMiami is poised to be a contender this season because of its offense, but the defense could hold the Hurricanes back from being a threat against Clemson in the ACC Championship.Quarterback D’Eriq King has made waves on the NIL market in the offseason, but the biggest news is his seemingly quick recovery from ACL surgery.He appears ready to return to form, and as one of the oldest and most mature quarterbacks in the conference, the expectation is Miami challenges Clemson and North Carolina to lay claim as the best offense.The gigantic issue is on defense, where pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche are gone, and the secondary makes you wonder if the ‘Canes will be able to slow the pass-heavy Tar Heels when they meet.The secondary will have a heavier workload without an elite pass rush to help, but adding Georgia transfer Tyrique Stevenson should help. The addition of Oklahoma transfer Charleston Rambo should buoy an already-dangerous passing offense, but he needs to be more consistent after an up-and-down 2020 with the Sooners.However Miami’s long list of transfers perform, so goes the season."
Johnson, Rambo and Stevenson are all key additions for Miami in 2021. King, safety Bubba Bolden and offensive tackle Jarrid Williams joined the Hurricanes in the two previous offseasons. King helped transform the Miami offense in its first season under coordinator Rhett Lashlee. Miami should be improved offensively in 2021.
Rambo is the consistent downfield threat that Miami did not have in 2020. The Hurricanes need Rambo to play how he did for Oklahoma in 2019, not the season he had in 2020. Mallory should exceed the numbers Jordan had last season. The first team Miami offensive line and running back is still being determined.
Most valuable QBs returning this season (PFF Wins Above Avg)
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 22, 2021
1, Sam Howell, UNC
2. Dillon Gabriel, UCF
3. Matt Corral, Ole Miss
4. Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
5. D'Eriq King, Miami pic.twitter.com/hydvVic5kb
The Miami first-team edge rushers are to be determined for the opener. Johnson and McCloud were the projected starters entering training camp. Jahfari Harvey could start opposite Johnson or McCloud. Miami will need all three to generate pressure this season, especially against Alabama.
When Miami added Stevenson the expectation was that he would be a shutdown CB. Over the last week or so, Stevenson has been running with the second-team defense behind Te’Cory Couch and D.J. Ivey. The presence of Stevenson at the very least provides Miami with greatly needed depth at CB in 2021.
Miami has a favorable schedule that validates a preseason top 10 ranking. Miami will almost definitely be favored in every game with the exception of Clemson and possibly North Carolina. The Hurricanes should finish no worse than 9-3 during the regular season with the potential to exceed that.