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Portal Alert: Miami set to host Indiana transfer center Zach Carpenter this weekend with decision coming afterward

On3 imageby:Matt Shodell•12/13/23•

canesport

Zach Carpenter
Indiana's Jaylin Lucas (12) runs behind Zach Carpenter (50) during the first half of the Indiana versus Indiana State football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

With Matt Lee headed to the NFL, the Miami Hurricanes have a need at center. And a potential replacement from the portal will be on campus this weekend for an official visit – Indiana senior transfer Zach Carpenter.

Carpenter has already taken official visits to North Carolina and Maryland and is expected to announce a decision on Sunday off his UM trip. The experienced and talented 6-5, 295-pounder has been in regular contact with Miami coaches Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal since Lee’s decision to head to the NFL, and Mirabal was in Bloomington, Ind. on Wednesday visiting the family. The visit to Miami is expected to begin on Thursday.

Carpenter originally signed with Michigan in the Class of 2019, redshirting that year and serving as a backup in 2020, then transferred to Indiana where he started five games at right guard in 2021 before becoming a full-time starter in 2022. He didn’t allow any sacks that year playing center and guard – he began the season playing center, missed two games due to surgery for a torn hand ligament and then played guard with a club protecting his hand before moving back to center (he taught himself to snap lefty while the injury was affecting him, and he can still snap effectively with either hand).

This past season Carpenter allowed 10 quarterback pressures in 445 pass blocking reps, and his 2.3 percent pressure rate was third-best in the Big Ten. Per PFF in 804 overall reps this past year he graded out at 64.4 percent overall (was 53.3 percent in 2022) with a 71.8 percent pass block grade (54.6 in 2022) and 61.0 run block grade (49.7 in 2022).

He has started 27 games in his college career, and now the hope from a Miami perspective is he will be starting next season in Hard Rock Stadium.

CaneSport’s Take

Replacing Lee with a quality player like Carpenter is of paramount importance for Miami, which otherwise only returns inexperienced Ryan Rodriguez and Antonio Tripp, who redshirted. The Canes will have back starting LT Jalen Rivers, RT Francis Mauigoa and RG Anez Cooper, and it’s also expected that 5-star signee Samson Okunlola, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the season, will factor into the lineup with Matthew McCoy another lineman that has gotten some experience and appears able to make a big impact.

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