Dawson's Air Raid Will Make Positive Impact on Miami Players

The Miami Hurricanes have been hitting the practice fields for spring ball, and it’s time to discuss how the air raid will impact the offensive talent at The U.

To be clear, this should be considered a preliminary status report. The pads have just come on. This would be information from the practice fields themselves, interviews with coaches and players, and intel overall.

1) This offense fits Van Dyke, and there’s the right mix of wide receiver talent.

With Shannon Dawson coming to Miami, it was a fantastic way for Tyler Van Dyke to progress for the Canes, as well as add to his NFL Draft profile.

He's a pocket quarterback known for throwing the football all over the gridiron, and that's certainly what the air raid will allow him to do.

Last season as Houston’s offensive coordinator, Dawson helped the Cougars be the No. 8 passing offense in the nation. 314 yards per game was impressive, and imagine what Miami can do this upcoming season with the number of talented skill position players that Van Dyke can throw to.

Of course there’s wide receivers Colbie Young and Xavier Restrepo that have plenty of experience, but there’s been quite a bit of buzz around younger receivers like Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George as well.

Most importantly, the overall receiving corps has big-bodied receivers, slot receivers, and players that can play multiple spots. That means defenses will have a hard time projecting where the Canes will line up for any one given play.

That’s critical, especially during money downs like third and five.

All of the pieces combined with the air raid, yes, that’s reason for optimism about Miami’s passing attack.

2) Offensive Line has options thanks to new players coming to The U.

Last year’s offensive line struggles were often blamed on injuries. Fair enough. It was ridiculous to see so many of the players joining the walking wounded on the Miami sidelines, that’s for sure.

Those injuries had Miami quarterbacks often running from defenders soon after the snap. That’s just not a winning situation. At one point, three starters were on the sidelines and backups were also among the injured.

Cristobal and his staff brought in transfers like Alabama’s Javion Cohen and UCF’s Matt Lee, plus added talent from the high school ranks with five highly-touted recruits like Samson Okunlola and Francis Mauigoa among others.

Those additions will help offset potential injuries this fall. Miami will be much deeper and more talented than last season. Further, Miami's athleticism up front will allow Van Dyke the time needed to pass the ball even when its an obvious passing situation.

Of course there’s still chemistry to work on when combining the top talent with the air raid.

Even at the conclusion of spring ball with all the new talent, do note, it will be too early to completely project where Miami has progressed to with its offensive line. That stated, having all the extra help will surely help next fall.

Bottom line, this Miami offensive line will be better equipped to keep Van Dyke upright, as well as run the football more effectively, with the air raid.

3) The running backs will be true playmakers in the passing game.

Yes, the air raid will definitely move the ball on the ground. Dawson has mentioned that during a press conference already. Also of note, the running backs will be better used in the passing game moving forward.

This last point was gathered from seeing players like Henry Parrish, Jr. last fall, as well as knowing how open-minded Dawson has proven to be about getting his playmakers the football in a variety of ways, i.e. see Houston’s statistics the past three seasons for proof.

For the Cougars in 2022, Ta’Zhan Henry caught 21 passes for 246 yards and a score. He wasn’t the biggest player at 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds, but his speed and moves made defenders miss tackles.

Dawson found ways to best use Henry’s skills. With a multitude of skills not all that different from Henry, players like Parrish tend to make plays in space.

That’s why he will thrive – as will other returning Canes running backs and incoming recruits Chris Johnson and Mark Fletcher – with the air raid.

Most defenses sit back in zone against the air raid in an attempt to make the offense earn its way down the field. Against Miami, that’s an option, but there’s significant risk.

A simple swing pass to the flat will often give a running back like Johnson plenty of room to set up his first move against a zone defender. Good luck to him. Same thing when other running backs like TreVonte’ Citizen, Jr., Don Chaney, Jr., or either of the freshmen catch the ball.

In short, this offense gives the Canes a chance to be explosive even with a generic pass. That’s talent, that’s depth. Miami’s running back room has both, and the air raid will help maximize their overall abilities.

One last point about the air raid with the running backs. Dawson has been clear that offenses like the air raid evolve.

He will find new ways to be creative with each of his talented running backs within the passing game. Each player will have passing plays that suit them best and that’s when they will get into the lineup.

Dawson has proven he will adjust with their skills instead of forcing players to accomplish something they simply do not do well (too many college coaches have done that for decades). Keep an eye on Miami’s running backs within the passing game. It truly could be a special group combined with this offensive system.

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