Pro Football Focus believes Miami underrated in preseason AP Poll

Pro Football Focus ranks Miami football as one of the most underrated teams in the preseason AP Poll this season. It is the first time the Hurricanes have been ranked in the preseason top 25 since 2018, when Miami lost the season opener and fell out of the rankings by the end of the season.

Miami returns star quarterback D’Eriq King to the offense and continues to lean on strong defensive play under head coach Manny Diaz. PFF is high on the potential of this team.

“Miami should have been a top-10 team in the AP Poll,” PFF said.

The Hurricanes will get an early chance to prove their worth in a week one meeting with No. 1 Alabama.

Strengths and weaknesses

PFF is high on King’s value in Miami’s underrated offense this season.

“The Hurricanes are poised to field one of the most explosive offenses in college football thanks to quarterback D’Eriq King,” PFF said. “The Miami quarterback is fresh off an elite-graded season in his first year with the program and will replicate that during 2021. On 111 runs — 85 designed and 26 scrambles — King totaled 26 rushes of 10 or more yards. He produced more than 10 yards after contact on 13 of those attempts, the most at the position.

PFF continued: “The 5-foot-11, 202-pound quarterback also rarely put the ball in harm’s way, ranking No. 3 in the FBS in turnover-worthy play rate (1.7%). King did tear his ACL in The U’s final game, but he has made a speedy recovery and will be ready to roll come week one.”

The return from injury will be important as King develops a connection with his receivers.

“Another key area to monitor is the performance of wide receiver tandem Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley,” PFF said. “Rambo was a big-play threat for Oklahoma in 2019 before suffering a drop in play during 2020. But back in 2019, with Jalen Hurts at quarterback, Rambo ranked third in the Big 12 in the percentage of targets that resulted in a 15-plus-yard gain (28.6%).

PFF continued: “As for Harley, something clicked in the middle of his senior year. From 2017 through week seven of last year, Harley had produced a 56.5 receiving grade, 1.14 yards per route and 19 catches of 15-plus yards. From week eight on in 2020, he produced an 83.6 receiving grade, 3.08 yards per route run and 16 catches of 15-plus yards. There’s a lot of potential with the quartet of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, King, Rambo and Harley.”