Miami College Football Preview 2024: Key Players, Game Schedule, Season Predictions

Miami College Football Preview 2024

Let’s go there.

Miami has been a massive clunker in its 20-year run in the ACC.

It was so, SO big when the school made the move from the Big East to the ACC back in 2004. Miami and Florida State were going to be the ACC’s Michigan/Ohio State, Oklahoma/Texas, Alabama/at the time, LSU. The conference was about to be defined by the two Florida schools, and then …

Meh.

Miami won ten games or more 14 times in 21 years from 1983 to 2003. In the 20 years since joining the ACC, it has one ten-win season and one ACC title appearance - both in 2017, partly because the schedule was sort of light until reality hit hard in an ACC Championship whacking from Clemson and a double-digit Orange Bowl loss to Wisconsin.

Everyone wanted Larry Coker gone because he only went 9-3 for two years in the ACC before a 7-6 2006. He still has two of the program's six nine-or-more win seasons with Miami as an ACC school.

Randy Shannon couldn’t restore the glory. Al Golden didn’t have any luck. Mark Richt was good in his three seasons, Manny Diaz struggled, and now Mario Cristobal is 12-13 in two seasons.

The reality is that this isn’t like trying to revive a place like Florida State, or Texas, or Michigan - Miami is a comparatively small private school. It’s more like trying to crank up Syracuse than the University of Florida.

But for people of a certain age - few current Hurricanes were alive in 2001, the last time the program won a national title - Miami has to matter. It just has to.

It’s THE U. It was the coolest college football program ever when it was rocking and rolling, and now Wake Forest is on a better run - it knows what it’s like to win an ACC Championship.

This year’s Miami team should be stronger, the talent is there, the production last year was better than 7-6, and Cristobal knows how to crank up the players and get the parts in place.

The glory era will never return like THAT, but Miami should start being important again.

Miami Football Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense was fine, and it’s about to be better. It wasn’t always consistent, and the three games with a ton of turnovers were disastrous, but it produced. If you’re second in the ACC in total offense, you’re doing something right.

But again, there could be more, and it starts with always pounding out more rushing yards. It helps that …

- The offensive line will be terrific again. Head coach Mario Cristobal is an offensive line guy, and it shows with a unit that was great in pass protection and blasted away for over five yards per carry.

A few key pieces are gone, but Jalen Rivers is a strong veteran left tackle, the bulk depth is there, and Indiana's Zach Carpenter is coming in to take over for Matt Lee in the middle—you’re doing something right if you’re Cristobal’s center.

Leading rusher Henry Parrish left for Ole Miss, but the Hurricanes upgraded by landing Oregon State’s Damien Martinez - 2,167 yards and 16 scores, averaging over six yards per carry in two years - to go along with veteran Mark Fletcher. Ajay Allen scored five times on his 60 carries.

- Miami got better at quarterback, too. Tyler Van Dyke was good. He was accurate, had his moments, and made a slew of big plays, but he’s off to Wisconsin.

It’s possible Washington State’s Cam Ward was the best quarterback in the transfer portal. The veteran can run, makes quick decisions, and is deadly when he gets into a rhythm.

Xavier Restrepo is back after leading the team with 85 catches, Jacolby George averaged over 15 yards per catch with a team-high eight scores, and Samuel Brown is a flash from Houston who’ll work on the outside.

Miami Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The pass rush will still be great, the run defense is a rock, and there’s talent coming in. The overall production, though has to be better after allowing 27 points or more five times, losing four of those games. By comparison, the 2017 Miami team that went 10-3 allowed more than 27 twice in the regular season.

Basically, the Miami defense was fine. It can be better, but …

- The D line is undergoing an overhaul. Rueben Bain was the team’s best playmaker in the backfield from the front three with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. It’s all about the transfer portal to fill things out with six new parts coming in.

Tyler Baron from Tennessee made 13.5 sacks over the last four seasons, and Michigan State’s Simeon Barrow should be a huge factor right away on the inside.

Francisco Mauigoa is one of the nation’s best linebackers - he led the team with 82 tackles with 7.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He’s a terror in the middle, Wesley Bissainthe should come up with at least 50 stops on the inside.

- The transfer portal is helping the secondary, too. Jaden Harris is a veteran safety, but the group needed help with the loss of Kamren Kinchens and James Williams - Isaiah Taylor (Arizona) and Mishael Powell (Washington) are coming in. The corners are set with Damari Brown and Daryl Porter, but the big plays have to be there.

Key To The Miami Football Season

Don’t screw up so massively.
Everyone turns the ball over. It’s the cost of doing business in football, it happens, and sometimes offenses are just off. The mistakes took on a different level for Miami last year.

The Canes turned it over 22 times. That’s a lot, but for the most part they were spread out with eight given away over ten games. There were four turnovers against North Carolina - loss. Four against NC State - loss. There were four against Georgia Tech, and then the fifth was an all-timer in the total collapse.

Since the middle of 2017, Miami is 0-20 when turning it over three times or more.

Miami Key Player

CJ Clark, DT Sr.
Several players have to step up and shine for the Canes, particularly from the transfer portal, but the redone defensive line should get one of the bigger looks.

It’ll be fine - there’s talent among the front four - and it all has to work around 6-3, 305-pound NC State transfer CJ Clark, a sixth-year senior who won’t come up with a ton of stats, but will gum up the works.

Miami Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Cam Ward, QB Sr. Ward was one of the most dangerous players in FCS, throwing for 6,908 yards and 71 touchdowns with just 14 picks in two seasons at Incarnate Word. He seemed perfect for Washington State, and he came through with close to 7,000 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions in two seasons. He could’ve been off to the NFL, but instead, he’s staying in college for one more year.

Top Transfer Out: Colbie Young, WR Sr.
Miami didn’t have any real problems with the transfer portal - the key losses were replaced, and in most cases, upgraded. Young is an exception.

The 6-5 veteran caught ten touchdown passes over the last two seasons as a key part of the puzzle, and now he’ll be part of the rotation in the Georgia passing game.

Miami Key Game

Florida State, Oct. 26
The Canes haven’t beaten the Noles since 2020, and last year were tied deep into the third quarter.

Going to Louisville the week before is a big deal, and the revenge game - for its own screw up - at Georgia Tech will get plenty of attention, but Miami has to take down this home game to realistically be in the ACC Championship mix.

10 Best Miami Football Players

1. Cam Ward, QB Sr.
2. Francisco Mauigoa, LB Sr.
3. Damien Martinez, RB Jr.
4. Xavier Restrepo, WR Sr.
5. Jalen Rivers, OT Jr.
6. Rueben Bain, DE Soph.
7. Jacolby George, WR Sr.
8. Andres Borregales, PK Sr.
9. Anez Cooper, OG Jr.
10. Simeon Barrow, DT Sr.

Miami 2023 Fun Stats

- Sacks: Miami 35 for 241 yards, Opponents 16 for 109 yards

- 2 Point Conversions: Miami 2-for-2, Opponents 1-for-4

- Rushing Yards Per Attempt: Miami 5.12, Opponents 3.33

Miami Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

Can Miami fill in all the personnel gaps right away? Can it avoid the misfires that crept up in the two years of the Mario Cristobal era? If this can all finally mesh, there’s a lot to like about what this year’s team can do.

There’s no Clemson on the slate, and missing North Carolina and NC State is a big deal, too.

There’s a long trip to Cal, but a week off afterward is nice before dealing with the trip to Louisville and the date with Florida State. Overall, the ACC schedule should be manageable enough to do big things, but can the Canes get off to a hot start?

Going to Florida to start the season is a concern, and watch out for the date at USF against a team and program looking to make a giant statement.

It’ll be Miami’s best season since 2017, but one key random loss will make everything seem a tad disappointing.

Set The Miami Win Total At … 9

Likely Wins: Florida A&M

50/50 Games: Ball State, at Cal, Duke, at Florida, Florida State, at Georgia Tech, at Louisville, at Syracuse, at USF, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Likely Losses: No project almost-sure-thing losses

2024 Miami Football Schedule

Aug 31 at Florida
Sept 7 Florida A&M
Sept 14 Ball State
Sept 21 at USF
Sept 27 Virginia Tech
Oct 5 at Cal
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 at Louisville
Oct 26 Florida State
Nov 2 Duke
Nov 9 at Georgia Tech
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 Wake Forest
Nov 30 at Syracuse

Missing: Boston College, Clemson, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Virginia