The Most Important Question For The Miami Hurricanes At ACC Media Days
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On Tuesday, the Miami Hurricanes will take center stage in Charlotte during the first of four media days at the ACC Football Kickoff.
Miami is sending head coach Mario Cristobal to meet the media along with starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, All-American safety Kam Kinchens and transfer center Matt Lee.
The most important question I would ask to all four of them is the following:
What are you doing to make sure what happened last season does not happen again?
Going 5-7 last season was painful and embarrassing, but all can be forgiven if the Hurricanes can get things back on track in 2023.
I can offer a cheat sheet to Cristobal, Van Dyke, Lee and Kinchens on how to answer this. I've observed them all during spring and in the offseason. Based on how hard each of them is working, it's no surprise why they were chosen to represent The U in Charlotte this week.
Let's start with the head coach. What is Mario Cristobal doing to make sure 5-7, or worse- doesn't happen again?
He's turned over roughly half of the roster. Miami has more than 40 new scholarship players- out of 85- between incoming transfers and true freshmen. Several players who didn't fit the culture or didn't play up to Miami's standards were encouraged to find a new place to play. Miami's biggest problem are last season was the offensive line. They plucked two of the best available through the transfer portal and signed a pair of 5-Star freshmen.
Cristobal turned over more than half of his coaching staff. Part of that staff overhaul involved hiring a more progressive offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson, to step up the passing game.
Tyler Van Dyke
TVD dove head first into learning his new offensive playbook. During spring football, coach Dawson was extremely complimentary on how quickly Tyler picked up the new system. Van Dyke's understanding of Dawson's offense should create a fast transition for his teammates, too. The starting quarterback can lead by example. He made a strong effort during spring football to mentor fellow quarterbacks Jacurri Brown and Emory Williams.
Van Dyke assisted in recruiting center Matt Lee to transfer to Miami from UCF. Tyler was back home in Connecticut when Lee decided to visit, but he flew down to help lead Miami's pitch.
Matt Lee
Lee was not part of the problem last year, but he transferred to Miami from UCF to become part of the solution.
I’ve been around Lee a few times since he arrived at Miami and he oozes leadership. He and Van Dyke have gotten to know each other well. Their communication will be important, and Lee’s calls at the line of scrimmage from his center position will be key.
Kam Kinchens
He’s al All-American. He's the best player on this football team. Not only does he lead by example but he leads with his words.
Kam Kinchens gathered the Hurricanes before he left the locker room and basically threw down the gauntlet, Mario Cristobal said. Either be in, or be out.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) November 27, 2022
"Miami will be a championship program," Cristobal said.
At the end of Miami’s 5-7 season, Kinchens challenged anyone who doesn't want to a Hurricane to find someplace else to play. He believes in his teammates but wanted everyone to know that only hard work and dedication can bring Miami back. Kam is among the hardest workers you’ll find, and he’s already adapting very well to Lance Guidry’s new defense.
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