The Miami football team lost four starters from its 2021 team. Offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson and Jarrid Williams and wide receivers Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo have moved on. Miami has several candidates to replace Donaldson, Harley, Rambo and Williams as starters in 2022.
Jalen Rivers who began the 2021 season as the starting left guard before suffering a season-ending injury will likely return to his spot replacing Donaldson. Donaldson was the starting LG for Miami in the last game of the 2021 season against Duke. Miami has a few options for who will replace Williams at RT.
Three offensive linemen seem most likely to replace Williams at RT. D.J. Scaife began the 2021 season for Miami at RT and finished the season at RG. Scaife has started on the right side at both guard and tackle throughout his Miami football career. Other possibilities at RT are John Campbell and Justice Oluwaseun.
Campbell missed the entire 2021 season with a knee injury. Oluwaseun played 257 snaps at tackle for Miami in 2021, but can also play guard. Where Campbell and Oluwaseun play for Miami on the offensive line in 2022 will depend on where new head coach Mario Cristobal and OL coach Alex Mirabal decide to play Scaife.
Wide receiver seems more concrete about who will replace Harley in the slot and Rambo as an out wide receiver. Third-year sophomore
will likely receive the first chance to be the starting slot receiver for Miami in 2022. Restrepo had 24 receptions for 373 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
Rising sophomore Brashard Smith is likely to receive the second-team snaps in the slot. Smith had 14 receptions for 199 yards and two TDs and added six carries for 23 yards. Expect Miami to use Smith similarly to how the San Francisco 49ers use All-Pro Deebo Samuel. Smith is an explosive player who is always a threat to score.
Keyshawn Smith is the only returning starting WR. Smith had 26 receptions for 332 yards and three TDs in 2021. Rising sophomores Romello Brinson and Jacolby George will be in the completion to start at WR in 2022. George had seven receptions for 183 yards and three TDs in 2021. George had three for 80 versus Duke.
Brinson had seven receptions for 90 yards and a TD. At 6’2, 185 pounds, Brinson provides Miami with needed size at WR. Miami also recently added Frank Ladson as a transfer from Clemson. Ladson had 31 receptions for 428 yards and six TDs in three seasons with Clemson. Miami has a bright future with its WRs.
With the transfer portal constantly evolving and Miami not finished completing its 2022 singing class, potential starters for Miami on the offensive line and at WR could evolve throughout the offseason. Cristobal has been aggressive in recruiting in the six weeks since he was hired as the new Miami football head coach.