Mario Cristobal shares his expectations for Tyler Van Dyke ahead of 2023 season

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal believes there are several factors that led to Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke taking a major step back in 2022.

Van Dyke was viewed as a potential dark-horse Heisman candidate entering last season, before passing for only 10 touchdowns in nine games last fall. Van Dyke battled injuries for a lot of the year, and the Hurricanes also struggled around him.

Cristobal told the ACC Network on Tuesday at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff event that he expects to see a much-improved Tyler Van Dyke this season.

“We expect to be a much more explosive offense. But it starts with protection. And that falls on myself. We’ve gotta protect the quarterback better. We’ve gotta put him in situations, whether it be moving the pocket, making sure our run-pass ratio [is good], and the types of protections and concepts we use are conducive to him having success,” Cristobal said. “And the pieces around him, knowing what they’re doing and being in the right spots, so that the timing and precision of the passing game is on point. But combined with a great running game. We’ve got some powerful guys up front and some improved, mature backs with an influx of some young talent that should make for a really good ground game.”

All of those factors should help Van Dyke and the Miami offense this season.

The Hurricanes rebuilt their offensive line this offseason, bringing in two key transfers in Matt Lee from UCF and Javion Cohen from Alabama. They also hired a new offensive coordinator in Shannon Dawson, who was previously at Houston.

The hope is that those moves from this offseason will help Miami improve after the Hurricanes ranked No. 100 nationally in sacks allowed (36) and No. 95 in rushing yards per game (128.3) last season.

Cristobal believes Van Dyke learned plenty from his own struggles and the struggles of the Hurricanes offense last year.

“Well, I think when you go through something like that, you learn that football, just like life, can be very unforgiving. It can beat you down, and if you don’t find the resiliency and have the support of your people, your teammates, your family to fight back, it can swallow you up,” Cristobal said. “So credit to Tyler and his teammates for putting their foot in the ground and saying, ‘You know what, we’re going to get this right, and getting this right isn’t going to come from a wish. It’s going to come from hard work.’ And he’s done that. We’re excited to watch him be fully healthy and be surrounded by a better supporting cast.