Mario Cristobal evaluates Tyler Van Dyke's game as fall camp gets underway

Year 2 of the Mario Cristobal era in Miami is underway in Coral Gables as the Hurricanes have officially kicked off fall camp. A lot of Cristobal’s success in his second season at the helm will be determined by quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, whose year last season was riddled with injury following an impressive freshman campaign.

But Van Dyke is reportedly feeling like himself again, as Cristobal detailed how his QB1 looked following their very first practice of fall camp.

“He looks good, he looks really good. He looks comfortable but urgent, does that make sense?” Cristobal asked. “So he understands the offense, he gets after it, he’s very proactive with his teammates, and getting extra work in, making sure everybody’s on the same page.”

Van Dyke drew national attention following his freshman season for the Hurricanes, where he earned ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He took over the reins of the offense following an injury to D’Eriq King early in the season, throwing for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just six interceptions as the teams starter in the final nine games of the season.

He’d thrown just nine touchdowns and four interceptions through the first six games of the season leading Miami to a disappointing 3-3 start to the season. But things would get worse when he’d sustain an upper-body injury in the second quarter of their Week 8 matchup versus Duke that would cause him to miss the remainder of the game.

He attempted to play in two more games last season following his injury versus Florida State and Pitt, throwing just eight pass attempts in each and failing to finish both games. But according to Coach Cristobal, Van Dyke is in a much better place heading into the 2023 season.

“And he’s practicing with a lot of just … intense. He looks very intentional in everything he does which is always a blessing when your quarterback takes that type of initiative. So very pleased, fired up, happy for him, all that stuff,” Cristobal said.

Van Dyke was viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects for the NFL Draft before his sophomore slump, and it will be interesting to see if he can reassert himself back into that conversation this season and potentially lead the Hurricanes back to their winning ways.

The Hurricanes share namesake with their first opponent of the year, as they’ll take on Miami of Ohio in their first game of the season on September 1.