Miami Hurricanes wide receiver ruled out with injury against Alabama

The Miami Hurricanes continue to get bad news.

While trailing 41-13 against Alabama, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson reported Miami wide receiver Mike Harley is out at least the remainder of this game with an upper extremity injury.

Harley had three receptions for 23 yards when he exited the matchup.

For a Miami Hurricanes team that entered Saturday with massive expectations and a national ranking, the hits just keep on coming.

Miami captain ejected for Targeting

Miami Hurricanes safety and defensive captain Bubba Bolden was called for targeting in the first quarter of the season opener against Alabama. With just two seconds remaining in the opening period, Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran the ball six yards before colliding helmet-to-helmet with the Miami defensive captain.

The loss of Bubba Bolden on the targeting call is a major hit to the Miami secondary. The team is playing without Avantae Williams, who was recently suspended after being reinstated to the team in August. Bolden’s backup on the Miami depth chart is four-star freshman James Williams, who ranks No. 64 in the On3 2021 recruiting rankings.

The Hurricanes gave up a touchdown to tight end Cameron Latu later in the drive, putting Miami down 17-0 early in the second quarter. Former Miami star and current Chief of Staff Ed Reed was seen mentoring the young safety after the ejection.

Ed Reed’s return to Miami Hurricanes

When it comes to Miami Hurricanes football legends, it’s tough to top Ed Reed. He’s widely known as one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game of football.

“I like to call him our culture coordinator.” Miami head coach Manny Diaz said. “Ed is a legend. Probably the best safety to play football at any level anywhere.”

Reed brings accountability and culture to the Hurricanes locker room in the form of a Hall-of-Fame mindset. When Ed Reed speaks, they listen, since he’s accomplished so much on the football field.

One area Diaz said Reed is particularly good at is reading the body language of players in practice.

“The way he can impact our practice by watching practice, reading the non-verbal of a player, and maybe go up and have a conversation with them,” Diaz said.

Reed will need to somehow pull out some of that old-school Miami Hurricanes magic if this 2021 team is going to change the narrative.