Miami Hurricanes Stock Report Following Week 7
The Miami Hurricanes got their first ACC victory of the season over the Virginia Tech Hokies, and several players put forward eye-catching performances. The Canes took a commanding 20-0 lead early and then were able to hold on for the win, 20-14. Miami came up big with a W that the Canes desperately needed, ending a three-game losing streak.
Now that they're back on track, let's take a look at which Canes are seeing their stocks change going into this weekend's conference clash with Duke.
STOCK UP
WR Colbie Young
Game stats: Nine receptions, 110 yards, one touchdown
A week after his flash of potential against North Carolina, Young followed up with a dominant 110-yard, one-touchdown performance, including two spectacular one-handed grabs. He was especially effective taking the top off of the defense and in the red zone, but also proved to be a valuable possession receiver even in the short game. His size makes him an ideal target for this offense, and with the tight end group a bit injury-plagued this year, Young's frame will be indispensable going forward.
Young has seen the highest spike in his stock of any Hurricane so far, going from essentially a non-factor to the odds-on favorite for Miami's WR1. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts as opponents shift their gameplan to contain the 6-foot-5 pass catcher.
DL Akheem Mesidor
Game stats: Eight tackles, 3.5 sacks
Mesidor mesmerized us all on Saturday, handing in a dominant 3.5 sack performance with eight tackles in all. That brings his sack total to five on the year, tied for 15th best in the country, despite having missed a game due to injury. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound bulldozer has been an anchor for the front line and his efforts are being recognized on a national scale.
The defensive line may be the best unit on this squad, bolstered by Mesidor and fellow big men like Darrell Jackson Jr. and Jahfari Harvey. Of this group, Mesidor's been arguably the standout so far, but it hasn't been by a large margin. This defensive front line has been the most impressive part of Miami's 2022 season so far and they'll be counted on the continue winning battles in the trenches as the year progresses.
QB Jacurri Brown
Game stats: Two rushing attempts, 22 yards
Is there another quarterback controversy brewing? Fortunately, no. Not even close. Tyler Van Dyke looks as good as ever after another lights-out performance. But Brown did see some field time against the Hokies and proved to be a valuable resource on third-and-short. The freshman picked up two first downs on designed QB runs, his only two plays of the game, and also technically had the highest yard per-carry average for the Canes at 11 yards per.
Don't expect to see Brown taking any full drives down the field, or many first-team reps in practice. But Miami's running game has struggled recently, especially in short-yardage situations. Ball carrier Thad Franklin's 240-pound frame could be part of the solution to that problem, but Brown's ability to move the chains is enticing.
Maybe Brown's rushing ability was just something the Canes utilized to exploit Tech's defense, but offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is known to get creative, and using Brown as a runner could be a nice wrinkle to add to this offense.
STOCK DOWN
RB Jaylan Knighton
Game stats: 10 carries, 27 yards
It's been a rough couple of outings for Knighton these past two weeks. Against North Carolina in Week 6, the sophomore coughed up a costly fumble in crunch time. In Saturday's game, the Hokies bottled Knighton for just 27 yards on ten carries. The only Miami player with a lower yard-per-carry average was Van Dyke, who picked up 13 yards on six carries.
Knighton came into this season as one of the most highly-regarded offensive weapons on this roster, having led the Canes in touchdowns scored last year. He's struggled a bit in 2022, though, and transfer running back Henry Parrish Jr. has looked like the more reliable of the pair.
It's worth noting that Knighton did a lot of his work in the passing game last year, and that hasn't really been the offense's focus until recently. He didn't catch a pass against Virginia Tech, but getting him out in space on routes could be one way to jump-start Knighton's game in the second half of this season.
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