Miami football offensive depth chart projection for Pinstripe Bowl versus Rutgers
Due to losses to the 2024 NFL Draft and the transfer portal, the Miami football team will be without several offensive starters for the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday versus Rutgers. Younger players will have an opportunity to play their most significant snaps this season versus the Scarlet Knights.
Quarterback
Quarterback is the most high profile position Miami will have a position change in the Pinstripe Bowl. Emory Williams who started versus Clemson and Florida State suffered a compound arm fracture versus the Seminoles and is out for the season. Tyler Van Dyke announced his entry into the transfer portal after the end of the regular season.
Jacurri Brown who did not play a snap the entire season will start versus Rutgers. Brown played in eight games with two starts as a true freshman. Miami defeated Georgia Tech and lost to Clemson in Brown's two starts. Brown finished the 2022 season completing 60.0 percent of his passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Running Back
The only loss for the Miami football team at running back was Don Chaney Jr. Chaney Jr. elected to enter the transfer portal. Miami's leading rushers, Henry Parrish and Mark Fletcher and fourth-team RB Ajay Allen will share the loss of the carries Chaney would have received versus Rutgers. Chaney had only seven carries in the last two games.
Wide Receiver
Miami lost backup WR Frank Ladson and starter Colbie Young as transfers at the end of the regular season. Ladson did not have a reception in 2023. Ladson had 27 receptions for 298 receiving yards and one TDS in 2022. Young had 47 receptions for 563 yards and five TDs in 2023. Young had 32 receptions for 376 yards and five TDs in 2022.
Although Young is a significant loss, Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George the top two Miami receivers in 2023 will play versus Rutgers. Isaiah Horton will likely start in place of Young. Restrepo has 74 receptions for 993 yards and five TDs. George has 55 for 851 and eight TDs. Expect Breshard Smith to play a lot as the fourth WR.
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Tight end
Sophomore Jaleel Skinner is the only TE Miami will be missing for the Pinstripe Bowl. Skinner had one reception for nine yards in 2023. Expect Cam McCormick and true freshmen Riley Williams to receive the majority of TE snaps versus Rutgers with Elijah Arroyo and Jackson Carver as the backups.
Offensive Line
Miami will be without starters, center Matt Lee and left guard Javion Cohen versus Rutgers. Left tackle Jalen Rivers, right guard Anez Cooper and right tackle Francis Mauigoa will start versus Rutgers and form the nucleus of the 2024 Miami OL. Matt McCoy is expected to start at LG and Ryan Rodriguez at center.
Miami has seldomly rotated OL this season. Luis Cristobal could be another player to watch at center. Jonathan Denis and Logan Sagapolu received playing time for Miami last season. True freshman Tommy Kinsler could also receive snaps versus Rutgers. Expect the starting OL to receive the majority of the snaps.
Next. Miami thin DE rotation in Pinstripe Bowl. Miami thin DE rotation in Pinstripe Bowl. dark
The biggest question for Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl will be how well Brown plays. Expect Miami to rely on its RBs with Brown receiving his first snaps this season. Miami will need McCoy and likely Rodriguez to make their moves into the starting lineup as seamless as possible.