Quarterback is one of the most stable positions for the Miami football program. Tyler Van Dyke projects to be one of the best QBs in the country in 2022. Van Dyke broke out in 2021 by completing 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions with one rushing TD.
Van Dyke became the starter four games into the 2021 season. Following the season-ending shoulder injury to D’Eriq King, Van Dyke and Jake Garcia shared snaps against Central Connecticut State. Van Dyke was 10-11 for 270 yards, three TDs and no interceptions against Central Connecticut State.
Garcia was 11-14 for 147 yards, two TDs and no interceptions against the Blue Devils. After suffering an ankle injury against Central Connecticut State Garcia did not play the rest of the 2021 season. Entering spring practice, Garcia projects solidly as the number two QB for the Miami football program in 2022.
The competition to be third on the depth chart this spring should be competitive. Fourth-year sophomore Peyton Matocha, former walk-on Ryan Rizk and 2022 signee Jacurri Brown will compete for snaps behind Van Dyke and Garcia. New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and QB coach Frank Ponce have a lot to work with.
Spring will be a time for the Miami QBs to learn the Gattis system and work with Ponce. Van Dyke is safe as the starter and Garcia is the clear backup. The biggest questions entering spring practice are how quickly can the Miami QBs grasp Gattis’s offense, and how much will the backups push those ahead of them.
Garcia and Van Dyke were considered equally behind King as the second-string QB early in the 2021 season before his injury. Van Dyke secured his place as the starter in 2022 with how he performed last season. Garcia was rated higher coming out of high school. Brown is the prototype dual-threat QB.
Matocha and Rizk add depth for Miami at QB. The present is Van Dyke, the future for Miami at QB will be Brown and Garcia. Miami has significantly upgraded their depth at QB in the last three recruiting cycles. The scrimmages this spring will provide the coaching staff to analyze where their QBs are at in the new offensive system.