Miami football lucky having Tyler Van Dyke amidst mass QB transfer portal exodus
Amidst a mass exodus from quarterbacks in Division I College Football the Miami football program is fortunate to have the stability of Tyler Van Dyke. Miami has benefitted more from the transfer portal at quarterback than they’ve been hurt by it. The addition of D’Eriq King at QB in 2020 ungraded the Miami QB unit.
According to 247 Sports, 24 FBS starting QBs with 14 from Power Five programs have transferred during the 2022 offseason. That is 18.5 percent of the FBS starting QBs. That doesn’t include prominent backups like Connor Bazelak, Quinn Ewers and Spencer Rattler. Rattler began the 2021 season as a Heisman Trophy favorite.
In recent seasons, Miami lost former starting QBs N’Kosi Perry and Jarren Williams to the transfer portal. Williams transferred from Miami shortly after King arrived from Houston. Perry remained at Miami as the backup to King in 2020. Williams has not had success since leaving Miami and has transferred twice from his new schools.
Perry had mild success for FAU in 2021. In 12 games, Perry set career-highs completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,771 yards, 20 touchdowns, seven interceptions and added 167 rushing yards and a career-high four TDs. Williams did not attempt a pass for South Florida in 2021 after transferring from junior college.
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In two seasons for Miami, King completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 3,453 yards, 26 TDs, seven interceptions and ran for 634 yards and another four TDs. A season-ending shoulder injury to King after he suffered a torn ACL in 2020 accelerated the Van Dyke era early. Van Dyke took advantage in a brilliant season.
Van Dyke will stabilize QB for Miami through at least 2022. With another big season, Van Dyke could leave for the 2023 NFL Draft. Van Dyke completed 62.0 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards, 25 TDs and six interceptions in 2021. Over his last six games, Van Dyke threw for at least 300 yards and three TD passes.
According to 247 of the 248 four and five-star QBs in the classes from 2010 through 2019, 63 percent transferred at least once during their careers. Perry was a four-star signee with Miami in 2017 and Williams 2018. Van Dyke was a 2020 four-star signee. King was three-stars when he signed with Houston in 2016.
The 2016 class that were in their third college season when the transfer portal was instituted in 2018 saw 20 out of the 21 blue chip QBs transfer at least once during their careers. From 2016 through 2019 68 percent of blue-chip QBs transferred at least once. Those classes could still have more transfers.
Van Dyke was one of 27 blue chips QBs in 2020. Ten of the 2020 QBs have already transferred. Even five out of the 31 2021 blue chips QBs have transferred after one year. The future of the Miami QB corps will likely depend on what Van Dyke decides. The Miami football team could lose a QB if Van Dyke stays beyond the 2022 season.
Signing Jake Garcia in the Class of 2021 and Jacurri Brown in 2022 were huge additions to the Miami football roster. With a new staff coming in and the offensive coordinator still to be determined the future of Garcia and Brown will be determined. How well they connect with the new OC will be important.
The playing time that Garcia and Brown receive in the future and how well their skill sets fit in the new offense will impact the decisions they make. Either or both Garcia and Brown seem like typical of QBs that transfer. Miami keeping them to compete to succeed Van Dyke whenever he leaves Miami will be critical for the future.