Grading the Hurricanes: What are Miami’s strengths and weaknesses for the 2023 season?

The Mario Cristobal era began last year with boundless hype, and Year 1 was a dud. The coach, however, took his lumps and made some changes, and now the Miami Hurricanes expect — as they almost always do — to climb back toward the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

There’s still room to grow, but Miami certainly has the talent to finish near the top of the league, starting with the Hurricanes’ best offensive line in years and a returning All-American on defense.

Miami’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses, and even those less established units have a chance to significantly improve in 2023 with a new-look coaching staff and an influx of transfers.

Quarterbacks | C+

If he’s healthy, Tyler Van Dyke should still be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The concerning part is the “if.” Behind Van Dyke are Jacurri Brown and Emory Williams, who have a total of two starts on their belts. Williams is a freshman with some nice potential, while Brown is a physical force, albeit one who completed just 60 percent of his passes last year with as many interceptions as touchdowns. Van Dyke, who got hurt three times last year, needs to stay healthy or Miami’s quarterback situation will get really dicey really fast.

Running backs | B+

Running back Henry Parrish Jr. quietly put together a strong debut season for Miami last year, rushing for 4.7 yards per carry and finishing in the top 10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing yards, despite the Hurricanes’ season-long offensive struggles. He’s back and Miami, which watched just about every one of its running backs miss time with injuries last year, could have its deepest backfield in years to support him. Donald Chaney Jr. is back and looking strong after missing nearly all of the last two seasons with serious lower-body injuries, and fellow running backs Mark Fletcher and Chris Johnson give the Hurricanes two really exciting freshmen in the mix, too. Running back TreVonte’ Citizen, who was a top-10 running back in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2022 and then missed his entire freshman year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, should also be back at some point this year, giving the Hurricanes five former top-300 prospects to work with in their backfield.

Wide receivers | C+

Miami struggled to replace former wide receivers Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo last season, although the Hurricanes never really got a fair shot, either. Xavier Restrepo got hurt in Week 2 and missed more than a month. Fellow wide receiver Colbie Young came out of nowhere with back-to-back 100-yard games in the second month of the season, and then Van Dyke got hurt and Young didn’t even have 100 yards in the rest of the season. If those two can play up to their potential with Restrepo as Van Dyke’s security blanket in the slot and Young as the big-play threat on the outside, Miami’s offense should be in good shape. Wide receiver Jacolby George also had a strong spring and the Hurricanes are predicting a break-out year for the junior. They also expect freshman wide receiver Nathaniel Joseph Jr. to contribute in some capacity after he also dazzled in the spring.

Tight ends | C

For the first time in almost a decade, Miami’s situation at tight end is a major question mark. Former tight end Will Mallory closed out his career by leading the Hurricanes with 538 receiving yards last season — and then getting drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft — and no other tight end on the roster topped 129 yards. Part of the reason is Elijah Arroyo, who began last year at No. 2 on the depth chart, injured his knee and missed more than half of the season, but it still means there’s no proven playmaker at the position. Miami addressed this uncertainty by adding Cam McCormick, 25, via the transfer portal from Oregon and also remains excited about the potential of fellow tight end Jaleel Skinner, who was the No. 3 tight end in the 2022 recruiting class and finished last season as the starter.

Offensive line | A

Cristobal came to Coral Gables with the promise he would build up the Hurricanes’ offensive line to the level he was used to seeing when he was an All-Big East Conference offensive lineman and national champion at Miami, and he has already gotten the Hurricanes close. The Hurricanes’ line could be one of the best in the country if everything works out, with Matt Lee coming to Miami from UCF after grading out as one of the three best centers in the nation by Pro Football Focus, star guard Javion Cohen transferring in from Alabama, freshman offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa gunning for the starting job at right tackle after he was a five-star tackle in the Class of 2023 and offensive lineman Jalen Rivers set to start somewhere — either left tackle or guard — after blowing just 1.0 percent of his blocks last year. The wild card is star tackle Zion Nelson, who still has the potential to be an early pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but still hasn’t fully recovered from a knee surgery more than a year ago. If Nelson can’t make a full recovery to step in at tackle, Anez Cooper will be the favorite to be the fifth starter, with fellow offensive linemen Laurence Seymore, Jonathan Denis and Samson Okunlola, another five-star tackle from the 2023 recruiting class, as other potential contributors.

Defensive line | A-

While it doesn’t have one sure-fire quarterback-crushing terror, this defensive line does have quite a bit of depth and a few players with the potential to rank among the best at their position in 2023. It starts with star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III, who’s trying to harness flashes of greatness — 19 tackles for loss and five sacks in his first two seasons — into a complete campaign. Alongside Taylor on the edges, Akheem Mesidor earned All-ACC honors last year despite playing most of the season with a torn ligament in his right foot, Nyjalik Kelly had 4 1/2 tackles for loss and four sacks last season after he was a top-100 prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, and fellow defensive lineman Jahfari Harvey has more than a dozen starts under his belt. Branson Deen will also give the Hurricanes a veteran interior presence after he played five seasons at Purdue and then transferred to Miami, and fellow defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte remains on NFL scouts’ radars after breaking out with 6 1/2 tackles for loss in 2021. Freshman defensive lineman Jayden Wayne and Rueben Bain Jr. are worth monitoring, too, as top-100 recruits in the 2023 class, and new defensive coordinator Lance Guidry expects at least Bain to contribute right away.

Linebackers | C+

Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe was a revelation last year, racking up 30 tackles and starting three games as a freshman to revitalize one of the Hurricanes’ weakest position groups. With Francisco Mauigoa also coming in via the transfer portal from Washington State, Miami has its best linebacker situation since Shaquille Quarterman earned first-team all-conference honors in 2019. Keontra Smith and Corey Flagg Jr., both with starting experience, provide some depth, but none of those four have yet proven to be a star, never once receiving even an all-conference honorable mention.

Defensive backs | A-

Miami’s starting safety tandem might be the best in the country, with Kamren Kinchens coming off an All-American season and fellow defensive back James Williams still bursting with potential after he was the No. 1 safety in the Class of 2021. The problem in the secondary is everything else: Former cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey are both gone after getting picked in the NFL Draft, and every safety in the mix other than Kinchens and Williams combined for just one tackle. The Hurricanes are hoping they built enough depth in the secondary to fill these holes, with Davonte Brown and Jaden Davis both coming to Miami via the transfer portal to try to start at cornerback, and fellow defensive backs Te’Cory Couch and Daryl Porter Jr. providing some more experienced depth after both started at times last year. At safety, the Hurricanes need at least one of defensive backs Brian Balom, Markeith Williams and Jadais Richard to step up, and become a reliable reserve, especially since Guidry wants to use James Williams some at linebacker.

Special teams | B+

Freshman punter Dylan Joyce takes over after former punter Lou Hedley finally ran out of eligibility and he’s a question mark, but Andres Borregales has a chance be the best kicker in the ACC, both because of his field-goal ability and his kickoff prowess. Miami also has some fun options in the return game, including wide receivers Brashard Smith, Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington.