Tyler Van Dyke after Friday practice: "The way we’re coached and way we go about our days is just different than it was last year"
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What does fall camp look like for star Miami Hurricanes QB Tyler Van Dyke and his teammates. Well, as Van Dyke said after the team’s closed Friday practice, the 6 a.m. till after 8 p.m. daily routine of fall camp is tiring “but you have to find a way somehow to get that juice.”
Van Dyke and the Canes hope to have a lot of juice tomorrow night.
That’s when the team will hold its first fall scrimmage.
“My expectation is the offense to win, go out there and make plays,” Van Dyke said. “The defense will challenge us. It’s all about adversity and fighting back against them. When you have that bad play, forget about it and move onto the next play. I’m excited to get out there with the guys.”
If there is a sure thing on this Miami Hurricanes team, it’s Van Dyke. This fall he’s been on point with his passes … and leadership … and is on preseason Heisman watch lists.
The big question for Van Dyke and this Miami team, though, is more about the other offensive pieces. Who will emerge at wide receiver? How will the run game fare and can there be a successful power rushing attack in 2022, unlike the past couple of years? How will the offensive line perform after inconsistency issues have played the unit in recent seasons?
Those questions have started to be answered this first full week of the fall, and more clarity will come at tomorrow night’s scrimmage.
“I told the offensive guys `We have to get this going,’” Van Dyke said. “Sometimes we’re quiet out there and we’re not making plays, are just here. That’s not good.
“Today we started off practice well and it sort of faded. We have to practice hard, always be on each other’s butts.”
With that said, Van Dyke called yesterday’s open practice “our best day as an offense.”
Aside from that open session, there’s a lot of secrecy surrounding everything from the depth chart, to where guys are lining up and the type of plays being run. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, that’s totally understandable. But there also are still a lot of question marks about personnel decisions and what kind of execution level players will have later in the fall.
What is known is the culture Mario Cristobal and his staff is building.
“The discipline – you have to do everything right,” Van Dyke said. “How you do anything is how you do everything. Always do everything on the field right, off the field right. Just the discipline aspect to things. The way we’re coached and way we go about our days is just different than it was last year.”
Van Dyke, of course, has garnered some preseason Heisman talk, and he’s coming off a season in which, in 10 games, he threw 25 TDs with six INTs, hitting on 62.3 percent of his passes. He passed for 300 or more yards in the final six games, really hitting his stride, and averaged 293.1 passing yards per game on the season. Heck, as a first-year guy he even outplayed what many were calling a Heisman candidate last year in Pitt’s Kenny Pickett – Van Dyke threw for 426 yards with 3 TDs in that game. He finished 13th nationally with 26 completions of 30 or more yards. After the season he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.
That was despite starting the year as a backup to D’Eriq King. This year he has that experience to rely upon as well as a full offseason getting starter reps and work under his belt.
And taking on more of a leadership role.
“I’m poised, let the guys do their thing and make the plays,” Van Dyke said. “When we’re down, we need a bump up from someone. As a quarterback you have to do that and lead the guys.”
Van Dyke will need his receivers to step up, of course. He’s called Xavier Restrepo (373 yards, 2 TDs) his safety blanket, and Key’Shawn Smith is a returning starter (405 yards, 3 TDs) who looks like he’s really stepping up his play. Oft-injured Mike Redding was getting first team reps yesterday and looks like he can have a role, and Clemson transfer Frank Ladson (former top recruit had injury issues with the Tigers), JUCO arrival Colbie Young, Jacolby George (183, TD) and Brashard Smith (199, 2 TDs) are among others looking to step up at WR. Mario Cristobal called for more consistency from them Friday.
“They’re doing a great job,” Van Dyke said of the wide receiver group. “Improving every day, one day at a time. A lot less drops today than yesterday. They’re making progress.”
Van Dyke said “a few” receivers are standing out, but declined to name them.
The tight end room is also stacked. Will Mallory (347 yards) is a returning starter, plus Elijah Arroyo in Year 2 is poised for a solid season. There’s an expected pass catching role for top freshman prospect Jaleel Skinner, and Kahlil Brantley was working in as an H-back yesterday.
The run game? Jaylan Knighton (280 receiving yards, 3 TDs) and Ole Miss transfer Henry Parrish (553 rush yards, 173 receiving) are excellent pass catching backs. And the team has some power guys with Don Chaney off injury, Thaddius Franklin and a touted freshman TreVonte’ Citizen.
The backs are running behind a line that Van Dyke says is more physical than a year ago and has “a lot of gap schemes, pulling guards, pulling tackles, and I think that’s great to have those fast, physical linemen, guards go out and bang at the end.”
He adds “The run game looks a lot better, more physical.”
Add all of the above up, and new coordinator Josh Gattis has his pick of weapons.
So it’ll be interesting to hear in tomorrow’s closed scrimmage how the offense fares.
“I just love the pro-style aspect of (Gattis’ offense),” Van Dyke said. “The play-action pass … I’m excited to see how coach Gattis game plans for certain teams. Can’t wait for that.”
