CFB National writer Miami football positioned for biggest ACC win jump

Matt Zenitz of On3 named the Miami football team as the representative from the ACC among “The Power Five teams from each conference positioned for the biggest win jumps in 2023.” After finishing 5-7 in Mario Cristobal’s inaugural season, Miami has their win total set at 7.5 for the 2023 season by Fan Duel.

The Miami football team signed 24 freshmen, two junior college transfers and 15 FBS transfers to the 2023 roster. Several position units should be improved for Miami entering the 2023 season. Mario Cristobal has also remade his staff with almost half of the coaches new entering the 2023 season.

Miami hired Shannon Dawson as offensive coordinator and Lance Guidry as defense coordinator. Jason Taylor was elevated from an analyst to defensive line coach, Derek Nicholson is the new linebackers coach, Tim Harris Jr. will mentor the running backs and Kevin Beard as wide receiver coach and Cody Woodiel for Tight Ends.

Miami has added impact transfers at cornerback, linebacker, on the offensive line and wide receiver entering the 2023 season. Miami needs contributions from their transfers in 2023 to have the biggest jump in wins among ACC teams. Zenitz summarized several reasons why he believes Miami will have the ACC’s biggest jump.

ACC: Miami
“Among the several impact transfers that Miami added this offseason are two along the offensive line, former Alabama guard Javion Cohen and ex-UCF all-conference center Matt Lee, who are set to collectively contribute to the Hurricanes being markedly along the line compared to last season.

Five-star freshman offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa is in position to help with that, too. The improvement along the line could make a big difference for an offense that ranked second-worst in the ACC last year in scoring offense versus ACC opponents.

Overall, Miami has at least seven players viewed by NFL scouts as potential top three or four round draft picks, including potential first-round defensive lineman Leonard Taylor and early-round safety prospects Kamren Kinchens and James Williams.

Along the offense line, Cohen and offensive tackle Zion Nelson are both looked at by scouts as third-to-fourth round type players heading into the season. There’s also optimism at Miami that QB Tyler Van Dyke is ready to bounce back from a tough 2022 season.

Van Dyke was 22 of 29 for 288 yards with three touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ spring game.”

Cohen and Lee will anchor the Miami OL in 2023. The returns of Kinchens, Taylor and Williams provide a good foundation with Washington State transfer LB Francisco Mauigoa on defense. The entire key to the 2023 Miami football season with be how well Van Dyke plays in the new offense.

Van Dyke looked more confident in the Dawson offense by taking more shots downfield in the spring game. Nelson and Jalen Rivers being healthy after missing most of the 2023 season can turn what was a weakness for Miami in 2022 into one of the best OLs in the ACC and potentially the country in 2023.