Which Miami football starters are returning in 2024

The Miami football team returns five starters on defense and seven on offense from the final regular season game at Boston College. Several starters opted out for the Pinstripe Bowl loss to Rutgers in December. Miami still has question marks at several positions entering Spring Practice in March.

Defensive lineman Rueben Bain and Jared Harrison-Hunte, linebackers Wesley Bissainthe and Francisco Mauigoa and cornerback Damari Brown are the only defensive starters for Miami at Boston College returning in 2024. The departed starters are a mix of early NFL Draft entrants, a transfer and players out of eligibility.

Cornerbacks Te'Cory Couch and Jaden Davis and DL Branson Deen are out of eligibility, DL Leonard Taylor and safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams are NFL Draft early entrants and linebacker Corey Flagg is transferring to Missouri after being a part-time starter for Miami in 2023.

Miami will also return DL Nyjalik Kelly and Akheem Mesidor who started early in the season but were lost with injuries that ended their year in September and early October. Bain, Kelly and Mesidor provide Miami with a good DL foundation entering 2024.

On offense, Miami returns guard Anez Cooper, running back Henry Parrish, tackles Francis Mauigoa and Jalen Rivers, potentially tight end Cameron McCormick and wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Xavier Restrepo. Second leading receiver Jacolby George did not start at Boston College.

McCormick has one more year of eligibility remaining. There has not been any indication that McCormick has made a decision if he will return in 2024. McCormick would be in his ninth year of eligiblilty in 2024. In 2023, McCormick provided Miami with an excellent blocker at TE.

The offensive starters at Boston College not returning for Miami in 2024 are quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and WR Colbie Young who entered the transfer portal and center Matt Lee and guard Javion Cohen who are early NFL Draft entrants. Cohen, Lee, Van Dyke and Young all opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl versus Rutgers.

Flagg, Kinchens, Taylor and Williams also opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl. Several of the Miami starters in the Pinstripe Bowl will remain backups in 2024. Sophomore QB Jacurri Brown could challenge to be the starter in 2024 depending on who Miami might add as a transfer at the position.

The transfer portal will also play a significant role who starts in 2024. Miami has added Indiana center Zach Carpenter, defensive linemen C.J. Clark from North Carolina State and Marley Cook from Middle Tennessee State and Vanderbilt safety Savion Riley. Carpenter will replace Lee as the Miami starting center in 2024.

Clark and Riley will compete to be starters and Cook adds depth. Miami added 17 transfers to its 2023 roster. Expect Miami to get close to that number in 2024. Miami needs to continue adding depth at several positions. Defensive backs and safeties and potentially the offensive line are positions to watch with QB.