STATE OF THE U 2024: Miami Hurricanes 2020 recruiting class analysis

In today’s installment of our annual State of The U series, CaneSport starts breaking down the Miami recruiting classes that are part of the roster Mario Cristobal inherited and built … and that still would have players eligible to play this year based on NCAA rules.

We’re starting with the Class of 2020, i.e. players that would be in their fifth year of eligibility for the coming season. In an ideal worlds, it would have been a key class that would have provided the backbone of talent for the program when Mario Cristobal first took over. As we now know, that didn’t turn out to be the case. The class was ranked No. 17 in the nation and it’s highly questionable whether it was really that good.

Gary Ferman’s series introduction overview as Miami looks to turn around program

Looking at this class helps show some of the issues Cristobal faced when he began trying to rebuild this Miami roster. And, for reference, the only players that would still have eligibility to play at Miami from the Class of 2019 were Jared Harrison-Hunte, Keontra Smith and Jahfari Harvey (all transferred out after last season) and OL Zion Nelson (major injury history, still on team).

So let’s get to this Class of 2020, look at the players, what transpired and then the analysis:

GRADUATED MIAMI / LEFT FOR NFL (3)

* PK Jose Borregales arrived from FIU in 2020, and all he did was win the Lou Groza Award after making 20 of 22 field goal attempts in his one year at Miami. He was an undrafted free agent who signed with Tampa Bay, didn’t see any playing time there and then wound up with the XFL’s Orlando Guardians (made six of nine attempts with a long of 52 last season). Most recently he was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

* QB D’Eriq King arrived as a Houston transfer and starred in 2020 in Rhett Lashlee’s offense, hitting on 64% of his throws for 2,686 yards and 23 touchdowns with five interceptions. He added 538 rushing yards and four more scores. He suffered a torn ACL in the bowl game, returning in 2021 for the first three games but then suffering a season-ending injury. He had four interceptions and three TD passes before being sidelined, and Tyler Van Dyke took over from there and earned ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. King was an undrafted free agent signed by the New England Patriots but was cut, then was picked up by the Carolina Panthers and cut. He is now with the XFL’s DC Defenders. In a situational role in 2022 he hit on 17 of 25 passes for 184 yards and four TDs with one INT, adding 101 rush yards and five more scores. This past season he played in seven games for DC and hit on eight of 10 passes for 75 yards with three TDs, adding five more rushing scores.

* DE Quincy Roche arrived from Temple in 2020 and had 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in his one year at UM. He was selected in the sixth round of the draft by the Steelers as a linebacker, was released and picked up by the Giants – in 2021 he had 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. He only played in three games in 2022 for the Giants, then didn’t play last year and is now with the Minnesota Vikings.  While he was overshadowed his one year at Miami by Jaelan Phillips, the Canes benefited from his leadership and steady play.

TRANSFERS OUT FROM MIAMI / DEPARTED (NOT FOR NFL) WITH ELIGIBILITY REMAINING (18)

* LB Tirek Austin-Cave was mired down the depth chart and entered the transfer portal late in the spring of 2021. He wound up at West Virginia and came off the bench in 2022, playing in nine games with one tackle. This past season he saw action in three games and had three tackles

* RB Don Chaney transferred to Louisville this offseason after running for 478 yards and two touchdowns last year as a third- and fourth-teamer. He had 322 yards rushing and three touchdowns as a true freshman in 2020, adding 143 receiving yards, then suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the 2021 season and missed all but one game of 2022 injured.

* CB Marcus Clarke started four of the final six games in 2021, passing by Te’Cory Couch on the depth chart. Clarke finished with 24 tackles and an interception, but in spring ball of 2022 he was with the backups. So he wound up entering the transfer portal and landed at Missouri. He played in eight games off the bench in 2022 and ended with five tackles, then last season played in nine games and had 12 tackles with two INTs. 2024 is his final year of eligibility.

* CB Isaiah Dunson worked at nickel at Miami, playing in six games off the bench two years ago before entering the transfer portal. After three years as a UM backup he transferred to Baylor prior to last season and only played in three games before a season-ending injury (he started Game 1 and had four tackles, one for a loss).

* LB Corey Flagg, Jr. was a two-year starter at Miami before backing up Francisco Mauigoa last year, and he transferred to Missouri this offseason. He ended 2023 with 48 tackles, seven for losses. In 2022 he started nine games and had 56 tackles along with 10.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. 2021 was a breakout season for him – he started every game and had a team-high 60 tackles, seven for losses and three sacks.

* Jalen Harrell was mired down the depth chart in three seasons at Miami and moved from safety to cornerback in 2022. He wound up transferring to UMass and played in 11 games off the bench there last season, ending with eight tackles.

* RB Jaylan Knighton had a strong 2021 season but then took a huge step backward in 2022. In 2021 he was suspended the first four games but then took over the starting job after Cam Harris went down with a season-ending injury and responded, rushing for 561 yards in eight games and adding 280 receiving yards. He had 11 total touchdowns. So that has set the stage for him to be the starter again in 2022 … except Mississippi transfer Henry Parrish won the job and Knighton had injury and fumbling issues. He transferred SMU before last season with UM former coordinator Rhett Lashlee, and had a team-high 745 rush yards and seven TDs, adding 13 catches for 89 yards and another score. He was an All-AAC second team selection.

* TE Dominic Mammarelli ’s dealt with injury issues at UM, including missing the 2021 season. He never wound up getting back on track and left the team.

* DL Elijah Roberts was a backup in his three years at Miami other than one spot start, and he entered the transfer portal after 2022 and landed at SMU under Miami’s former offensive coordinator, Rhett Lashlee. This past season he started all 14 games there and had 37 tackles while leading the team with 10 sacks, second-most in the AAC and 17 ^th most in the NCAA. He was an All-AAC Second Team selection.

* WR Key’Shawn Smith wound up transferring to SMU after the 2022 season to join former coordinator Rhett Lashlee. Smith had a promising 2021 season, starting every game and finishing with 33 catches and 405 yards. But he lost his starting job in 2022 and ended with just 199 yards and two TDs. Last year at SMU he started six games and ended with 25 catches for 392 yards along with three TDs.

* QB Tyler Van Dyke burst onto the college scene in 2021 after D’Eriq King suffered a season-ending injury in Game 2. He was named the ACC Rookie of the Year as a second-year freshman after throwing for 2,931 yards with 25 passing touchdowns compared to just six interceptions. But in 2022 he struggled in a new offense under Josh Gattis and also essentially missed the last half of the year injured. Van Dyke ended with 1,835 passing yards and 10 TDs with five INTs. Then in Year 1 of Shannon Dawson in 2023 Van Dyke was interception-prone and ended with 2,703 passing yards, 19 TDs and 12 INTs. The writing was on the wall that he wouldn’t start for Miami in 2023 and he transferred to Wisconsin.

* OL Issiah Walker signed with Florida, quickly transferred to Miami in 2020, had some personal issues, was mired down the depth chart and left the program in 2021 for Butler Community College. After playing one season there he briefly transferred to Purdue, then was at Texas State last season. He’s now looking for a new home.

* OL Chris Washington was a bit of a project when he came in, needing to gain weight and strength, and he played in 12 games off the bench in his time at UM. He entered the transfer portal in April of this year and is seeking a new home.

* Safety Keshawn Washington never made a move up the depth chart and entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season. He never found a new home.

* Safety Avantae Williams was a former highly touted recruit who missed 2020 due to injury, then in 2021 was suspended the first six games due to a legal issue. After spending 2022 as a backup behind Kam Kinchens, James Williams and converted cornerback Al Blades (Avantae had 9 tackles), he transferred to Maryland. He played in four games there last season, making three tackles, and entered the transfer portal again. He has yet to find a new home.

* DE Chantz Williams was in the rotation in 2021 and had 2.5 sacks, but then Miami brought in transfer ends Akheem Mesidor and Mitchell Agude in 2022 and he wound up down the depth chart and had 13 tackles, 2.5 for losses. This past season he again played sparingly, ending with eight tackles. He is transferring to Charlotte for the coming season.

* DL Quentin Williams entered the transfer portal after UM’s eighth game of 2021 when he wasn’t getting reps, and after deciding to transfer to Marshall he instead wound up playing at Hutchinson Community College. In three games there in 2022 he had four tackles. This past season he had 12 tackles, and he is again on their 2024 roster.

* WR Dazalin Worsham struggled with speed issues and was a scout team player in 2020 and 2021. He transferred out after spring practice of 2022 and wound up at Auburn – he played in 11 games with one start against Western Kentucky and had 1 catch for 8 yards. He transferred to UAB for last season and didn’t play; he is no longer on the UAB roster.

ANTICIPATED STARTERS (2)

* WR Xavier Restrepo enjoyed a breakout 2023 season with 85 catches for 1,092 yards and six TDs, and he formed a good bond with new QB Cam Ward this spring and is poised for another huge season. In 2022 Restrepo was hampered by injury and a Josh Gattis offensive system that never got off the ground – he had 21 catches for 240 yards. In 2021 he had 373 yards and two TDs backing up Mike Harley. He is now one of the nation’s most reliable receivers.

* OL Jalen Rivers has started at guard and tackle in his Miami career and last season was solid as the team’s starting left tackle. He earned a 74.1 percent grade from Pro Football Focus in a team-high 878 reps and was noted allowing three sacks and six quarterback hurries. He previously started at guard in 2022, missing three games due to injury. In 2021 he started the first three games before missing the rest of the year injured. Rivers is one of the ACC’s top returning linemen and is considered an NFL prospect.

ANTICIPATED BACKUP (1)

* S Brian Balom is a career backup who had three tackles in few reps last season. He’s been a depth guy throughout his career and is likely to again be a backup this year. In four years he has 14 career tackles.

SOUTH FLORIDA TOP-RATED PLAYERS THAT GOT AWAY (3)

* Donell Harris . 4-star signed with Texas A&M. Played in just 2 games off the bench in 2020 and two again in 2021. He medically retired ahead of the 2022 season, then announced his decision to transfer from the Aggies to Louisiana-Monroe but never landed on their roster.

* Marcus Rosemy . 4-star signed with Georgia. Played in six games in 2020, suffering a season-ending ankle injury vs. UF (he ended that season with two catches). In 2021 he started four games and finished with seven catches for 94 yards, then in 2022 had 29 catches for 337 yards. This past season he started 11 games and had 34 receptions for 535 yards and four TDs.

* Derek Wingo . 5 star signed with Florida. Was a backup in 2020, then in 2021 started once and appeared in every game and had 15 tackles. In 2022 he started the final two games and played off the bench in the prior 10. He ended with 24 tackles and a pair of sacks. This past season he had 17 tackles, 3.5 for losses, with 2.5 sacks.

ANALYSIS

Of the 24 players in this class, who were the difference-makers? Well, in the transfer portal there was Jose Borregales, D’Eriq King and Quincy Roche … for a year each. Of the 18 players that transferred out you got one solid season from Jaylan Knighton and arguably one from Key’Shawn Smith. Corey Flagg had a couple of good seasons, QB Tyler Van Dyke had a great first season and then was inconsistent. As it pertains to this year’s team? Well, only three players remain on the roster – WR Xavier Restrepo, OL Jalen Rivers and S Brian Balom. And Restrepo and Rivers will, of course, be big parts of the offense as starters.

While perhaps you can argue that Knighton or Elijah Roberts could help out this year’s team, it’s still pretty mind-boggling all the guys that just didn’t pan out from this class, right? You can see why Cristobal had such a massive rebuild from Day 1 as you look at all of the above misses in this Manny Diaz class.

Out of all the potential good years this class could have given from the entirety of this 24-strong class, there were a total of 12 seasons that perhaps can be considered fairly good to excellent – one from Restrepo so far, two from Rivers, we will give Van Dyke the benefit of the doubt and say he gave two good years, two from Flagg, one each from Smith and Knighton, and one apiece from transfers Borregales, King and Roche.

That’s out of 88 possible seasons (four years apiece for the 21 signees, four total combined for the transfers). That translates to 13.6 percent quality seasons out of the potential from the group. Take away the transfers and it’s 10.7 percent.

That’s called failure.

It clearly was nowhere near the kind of production you want to see from any Miami recruiting class. And that’s part of how you wind up with a 5-7 season like we saw in 2022 and the 7-6 of last year.

There were way too many recruiting misses. And that is what Mario Cristobal is trying to reverse.

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