Countdown to Kickoff Show: Miami Hurricanes at Florida

Tune in as CaneSport Publisher Gary Ferman and Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online break down the Miami-Florida game:

Miami has plenty of returning weapons on offense, and a defense bolstered by the transfer portal. On offense it’s Year 2 of Shannon Dawson’s system at Miami and the team added a quarterback who led the nation’s No. 4 passing offense at Washington State last year, ACC Preseason Player of the Year Cam Ward. UM also picked up one of the nation’s top tailbacks from Oregon State in Damien Martinez, who ran for 1,185 yards. The team has back three solid starters on the offensive line – All-ACC second team 2023 selection Jalen Rivers, Freshman All-American Francis Mauigoa and All-ACC Honorable Mention pick Anez Cooper – while adding Indiana multi-year starting center and honorable mention All-Big Ten pick Zach Carpenter. At tight end, which had almost zero production in the passing game last year, Elijah Arroyo is finally healthy and looks like a bigtime weapon. The room also has a true playmaking H-back in freshman phenom Elija Lofton, who can line up anywhere from running back to split out wide. Oh, and did we mention the wide receiver position? In addition to top talents Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George and their combined 1,800 yards returning, Miami went out and added Houston speedster Sam Brown, who as his team’s go-to threat down the field in 2023 and had 815 yards. All three are on the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the first time we can remember that happening at Miami.

On defense Miami has a ton of talent up front with returning freshman All-American Rueben Bain plus Akheem Mesidor returning from injury after leading the team in sacks in 2022. Both can play end and work inside as well. Then there are the portal additions of guys that are expected to play key roles like DE Tyler Baron (Louisville/Tennessee), rush end Elijah Alston (Marshall) plus DTs CJ Clark (NC State) and Simeon Barrow (Michigan State). At linebacker the team has back both starters, Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe, and added Louisville starter Jaylin Alderman (expected to back up both positions). In the secondary is where the are some question marks, with the only full-time returning starter CB Daryl Porter, Jr. Opposite him is Jadais Richard (former Vanderbilt transfer was a backup last year), true freshman standout OJ Frederique and D’yoni Hill (Marshall transfer), with Damari Brown likely to start at nickel after he started the final four games at corner as a true freshman last season. Washington transfer Mishael Powell will man one safety spot, with Jaden Harris on the other side (started two games last year and was up-and-down).

For the Gators?

On offense QB Graham Mertz threw for 2,903 yards last season after arriving from Wisconsin and rarely made mistakes with 20 TDs vs. only 3 INTs in 11 games with an SEC-best 72.9 completion percentage. Mertz has a host of top targets – WRs Eugene Wilson III (had 61 catches for 538 yards and six TDs as a freshman) plus the addition of Mertz’s former Wisconsin teammate Chimere Dike (had 47 receptions and 689 yards the last time the two played together) and Arizona State WR Elijhah Badger (866 yards in 2022 and 713 this past season). Then there’s TE Arlis Boardingham, who had 26 catches for 289 yards and four TDs in 2023. Plus three starting OL return, so UF has some talent on offense.

The defense, though, has question marks. It’s a group that struggled last year, ranking 69^th in total defense, 75^th in scoring defense, 79^th in rush defense and 108^th in pass efficiency defense. While the Gators have lost some pieces and also added some, there are few signs it’s significantly improved from a year ago. The top returners are DT Cam Jackson (32 tackles), LBs Shemar James (55 tackles in eight games prior to injury) and Pup Howard (South Carolina transfer had 19 tackles and a TFL last year in 221 reps) along with CB Jason Marshall (26 tackles, 3 TFL, 10 PBU). Of note: DL Jamari Lyons, expected to be a key contributor, is out for the year due to injury suffered in fall camp.