QB, WRs Finding Their Identity in Josh Gattis' New Miami Offense
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Since the first day of fall camp, the Miami Hurricanes have been going at it, especially on Thursday as they were full pads and the thumping was going.
For the Canes' offense, building on last year's chemistry is a major point of emphasis. Wide receiver Key'Shawn Smith's chemistry with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, specifically, has continued to progress, and he shared on Thursday that he's seen improvement in that respect between all of the passers and pass-catchers.
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"Most definitely, the chemistry is stacking up," Smith said. "We're just, after practice, getting throws in and getting the timing down. It's only getting better and better by the day."
Miami's offense was in desperate need of big-bodied wide receivers going into spring and they improved the size of the room by adding multiple receivers fitting the bill through the transfer portal and the high school ranks.
One addition, Frank Ladson, carries veteran experience including competing on the biggest stages during his time at Clemson, which has Smith picking his brain in practice. Smith notices the difference in having the bigger receivers whereas last year, Miami had relatively none.
"I ask Frank questions all the time," Smith admitted. "It's nice to have a big type of receiver like him because we don't have that. We've got stretch the field speed and to have a big receiver like him for like the red zone and stuff like that is a good thing to have on the team."
The diversity of size and speed in the room is something that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has taken advantage of in fall camp.
His approach to coaching his offense is one that's different than the typical offensive coordinatior. Gattis was a defensive back at Wake Forest in his playing days, meaning his style is influenced from seeing things on the other side of the ball, This is an asset for the Canes, helping members of the offense process what might be going through the opposition's mind.
"Coach Gattis used to be a defensive player, so he teaches us the game from the defense perspective," Smith noted. "Having that is actually like a win-win for us because we get both sides of the ball, from his coaching."
Just under a month until the season kicks off, Smith is unsure of what the wide receiver rotation will look like. But the competition in the room seen throughout fall camp means there could be significant rep-sharing at wideout in 2022, considering the talent the room has to offer and how often individuals move around the lineup.
"We honestly don't know yet, we're still competing, but we're just having fun right now," Smith commented on the potential rotation. "We get to move around, so that's a big difference. we get to move into the slot, we move to outside, we didn't get to do that last year.
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