QB D'Eriq King Confirms Transfer to Miami Hurricanes from Houston
Jan 19, 2020
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 19: D'Eriq King #4 of the Houston Cougars throws the ball during the first half of a game against the Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium on September 19, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Miami received a significant boost for the 2020 college football season Monday as D'Eriq King confirmed he will transfer to the Hurricanes.
The Athletic'sManny Navarro first reported the decision Sunday.
King enjoyed a breakout junior season at Houston in 2018. He completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 2,982 yards with 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions across 11 games. He added 674 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground for the Cougars.
The 5'11", 195-pound King suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery in November of that season. While he made it back for the start of the 2019 campaign, he made only four appearances before announcing he was going to redshirt after the team's lackluster 1-3 start.
"I'm staying here," King told reporters in September. "If I wanted to leave Houston and go somewhere else, I could have. I think me being here is what I want to do, and it's the best opportunity for me. I don't think anybody will reach out to me [to convince me to transfer]. Even if they do, they should know I'm staying here."
The Texas native's tune changed in January when he entered the NCAA's transfer portal:
He immediately became one of the most coveted players available for Power Five schools that had an unsettled quarterback situation into 2020.
King finishes his time at Houston with 81 total touchdowns (50 passing, 28 rushing and three receiving) in 35 games for the Cougars.
His decision to join the Canes sets up an intriguing battle with incumbent starter Jarren Williams and potentially also N'Kosi Perry for the starting job.
TheMiami Herald'sBarry Jacksonwrote on Jan. 12 that head coach Manny Diaz was looking to bring in a transfer who could immediately step into the starting QB job.
According to Jackson, Diaz's decision was driven in part because of how negative aspects of the team's locker room "infiltrated the quarterback room": "And the other issue is that a few players felt players could get away with some things without being punished, such as Jarren Williams not showing up for a practice and then playing (off the bench) the following Saturday. One player said there were multiple missteps with Williams regarding maturity."
Jackson concluded by saying Miami was "prepared to move ahead with Williams, Perry, Tate Martell and newcomer Tyler Van Dyke if it cannot find an upgrade on the grad transfer market." Now, that won't be a problem for the Hurricanes.
If King makes a quick transition and can match the upside he showed in 2018, it's a game-changing addition for Miami that could shake up the ACC race next season.
Report Details Miami Football's Issues with Partying, Failed Drug Tests
Jan 12, 2020
MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Head coach Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes reacts against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In addition to being a mess on the field, Miami was apparently dealing with some off-field problems as well.
The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson provided details on some of the Hurricanes' internal strife in Manny Diaz's first season as head coach:
"That player - and other sources around the team - say a few players seem more concerned with partying than focusing on football and that a handful (including a prominent one on offense) broke curfew the night before the FIU loss to go out.
"It didn't help that players are aware that UM's drug policy does not call for a suspension for a first failed drug test; that policy was taken advantage of, according to numerous sources."
Poor production at the quarterback position was one reason Miami won just six games in 2019.
Tate Martell arrived with a lot of hype from Ohio State and was granted immediate eligibility. He failed to win the starting job to start the year and took a leave of absence for personal reasons midway through the season.
Jarren Williams and N'Kosi Perry combined to throw for 3,232 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
According to Jackson, the negative aspects of the team's atmosphere "infiltrated the quarterback room":
"And the other issue is that a few players felt players could get away with some things without being punished, such as Jarren Williams not showing up for a practice and then playing (off the bench) the following Saturday. One player said there were multiple missteps with Williams regarding maturity.
"That's one reason - combined with the quarterbacks' erratic play - why UM is pursuing a grad transfer quarterback to be the potential starter in 2020."
If nothing else, Jackson's report underscores the breadth of Diaz's rebuilding job at Miami.
The fact that the Hurricanes pursued Martell in the first place illustrated how neither Williams nor Perry developed much under former head coach Mark Richt. Now, Diaz appears to be looking for another quick fix.
Following what proved to be Richt's final game—a 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl—the players were also openly critical of the team's effort. Richt explained that "things got to get fixed," providing little depth beyond saying the offense had to improve.
Jimbo Fisher guided Florida State to a national championship in 2013. By the time he left in December 2017, however, the Seminoles were left in a state of disarray. Two years after Fisher's departure, the 'Noles have won 11 games and look no closer to catching up to Clemson in the ACC.
Many have acknowledged the difficulty in returning Miami to the heights it enjoyed during the 1980s and '90s and then again in the early 2000s.
With more information on how the Hurricanes operated behind the scenes, Diaz has an even harder job than fans realized.
Ex-5-Star RB Lorenzo Lingard Announces He's Transferring from Miami to Florida
Jan 3, 2020
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 22: Lorenzo Lingard #1 of the Miami Hurricanes runs with the ball against the Florida International Golden Panthers at Hard Rock Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Running back Lorenzo Lingard announced Friday he will transfer from Miami to Florida.
Lingard appeared in two games in 2019 but didn't receive any carries. He will use the year as a redshirt season, which gives him three more years of eligibility with his new team.
The Florida native was a 5-star recruit in high school, ranked the No. 2 running back and No. 25 overall recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports.
Lingard burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 with four carries for 82 yards and two scores against Savannah State, including a 64-yard run. He totaled 136 rushing yards on 8.0 per carry before a leg injury ended his season.
He was working his way back to full strength this season but didn't see much playing time and reportedlyentered the transfer portalearlier this week, per Garrett Stepien of 247Sports.
The running back will leave a team that has gone 13-13 the past two years and join one that has put up a 21-5 record in this stretch.
Florida could use help at the position after ranking107thin the country in rushing yards per game. Lamical Perine led the team with 677 rushing yards, while Dameon Pierce (305 yards) will be the only returning running back with more than 100 yards on the ground last year.
If Lingard can reach expectations, he can be a much-needed playmaker for the Gators as they try to compete with the best in the SEC.
Miami Shut Out 14-0 by Louisiana Tech in 2019 Independence Bowl
Dec 26, 2019
Louisiana Tech's J'Mar Smith (8) directs his team against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs notched their sixth straight bowl victory by outlasting the Miami Hurricanes 14-0in the Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
It was a win, but it was ugly.
The Bulldogs and 'Canes combined for the most punts ever and the second-fewest points in an Independence Bowl.
The contest remained scoreless through the first quarter—the first scoreless opening quarter at this bowl since 2010—before Louisiana Tech quarterback J'Mar Smith found running back Israel Tucker for a 26-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Smith later ran in an eight-yard score in garbage time.
Miami showed signs of life when Gilbert Frierson intercepted Smith early in the fourth quarter, but the Hurricanes offense squandered the opportunity with a six-play, 11-yard drive that ended in yet another punt:
HISTORY: Louisiana Tech ties the Shreveport Bowl record with nine punts.
The Hurricanes regained possession still down just 7-0 and were driving when redshirt sophomore N'Kosi Perry, the team's third quarterback of the evening, threw an interception with Miami at midfield and 3:25 left in regulation to seal it.
Miami hasn't been shutout in a bowl game since the 29-0 loss to Arizona in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl. Last shutout -- regular season or bowl game -- was 58-0 to Clemson. #Memories
Louisiana Tech put together a successful 2019. The Bulldogs rode an eight-game winning streak before losing two of their last three but finished at 10-3, their first 10-win campaign in program history.
Miami, meanwhile, ended a wholly disappointing season with a thud. The Hurricanes dropped their final two regular-season contests to unranked Florida International and Duke to land at 6-6. This loss put them at 6-7 to end a year below .500 for the first time since 2014.
The Hurricanes were without lead running back DeeJay Dallas after he suffered a season-endingdislocated elbowagainst FIU on Nov. 23. Tight end Brevin Jordandid not dress, as he had been out with aleft foot injurybefore returning for the regular-season finale andaggravatingit.
Wide receiver Jeff Thomas and linebacker Michael Pinckney also skipped the game to prepare for the 2020 NFL draft.
Manny Diaz could not have foreseen his first season as head coach going this poorly.
A bolded and underlined question mark at the quarterback position is the main reason the Hurricanes have so grossly underperformed, and that was on full display against Louisiana Tech.
Redshirt freshman Williams started the game but proved inaccurate and ineffective enough that redshirt sophomore transfer Tate Martell, who had not taken a snap at quarterback all season and was brieflytransitioningto wide receiver, came in for a series in the second quarter. Martell didn't look any better:
Tate Martell's first series: 6 snaps. 1 pass for 7 yards. 5 runs that covered 65 yards, but actually picked up 5 yards
The 'Canes entered the locker room at halftime with 135 yards of total offense, continuing a worrisome trend:
Miami has been shutout in the first half in two of its last three games. The Hurricanes have had 15 scoreless quarters this year. They trail Louisiana Tech, 7-0, at halftime.
Miami finished the night with 227 yards of offense.Tim Reynoldsof the Associated Press reported that offensive coordinator Dan Enos and the team "are expected to part ways" after the Independence Bowl, and Enos' offense did not do much to change Miami's mind.
Even heralded Hurricanes alumnus and NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed felt compelled to disavow Miami's performance:
When Jarren Williams threw a deep ball to KJ Osborn I started to hear some cheering in the Miami AD press box coming from Michael Irvin. It ended with... "ahhh!"
Louisiana Tech's best defensive performance this season was a 35-7 win over Bowling Green in which it gave up 290 yards. Bowling Green was 3-9 this season and finished 128th in scoring. Miami has 149 yards of total offense and trails 7-0 with 11:09 left in the 3rd quarter
Diaz commented on his disappointment in an article published by the Sun-Sentinel'sDavid Furones on Dec. 2:
"We had to correct the offense, and what we had to correct, specifically, was the quarterback position. I think that’s the most disappointing part here in the last few weeks because of the inconsistencies. ... When you step back and look at us, you say, 'Well, who are we? What are we on offense? Are we the bunch that scored 52 points and set school records against Louisville and the way that we looked at Florida State?' And then you look at the way we finished the final two weeks—not being able to score in the first half against FIU, starting the game with all the three-and-outs at Duke and not being able to—all we needed was a touchdown in the third quarter Saturday and nothing may have turned into a rout because, defensively, we were in complete control of the game.
"Quarterback play, which was very inconsistent—we had guys in and out of the lineup—that's the part that's the biggest disappointment, the biggest letdown. And that’s where my attention is because it's our responsibility to get it fixed and I will get it fixed."
The way Williams, Martell and Perry looked Thursday creates additional pressure on incoming freshman Tyler Van Dyke.247Sportshas Van Dyke ranked as a 4-star, pro-style prospect.
Beyond quarterback, however, Pinckney has expressed confidence in Diaz's ability to restore Miami to its 1990s and early 2000s lore:
Michael Pinckney makes his case for why he has faith in Manny Diaz in the future.
Diaz, meanwhile, expected the Independence Bowl to be the start of the transformation.
"It has to start somewhere and that is what this game is all about," he said on Christmas Eve, according to 247Sports'David Lake. "We have talked about this game being a bridge to the 2020 season. ... We are trying to set the expectation of how to prepare for a bowl game and how to win a bowl game. How to win a trophy. That is a learned behavior."
Zero points later, the Hurricanes will instead want to forget this bowl and start completely over next year.
Manny Diaz's 1st Season at Miami Is a Thorough Mess
David Kenyon
Oct 25, 2019
Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz in action during an NCAA college football game against Central Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Manny Diaz entered a situation in which his new team was built to win immediately.
While the Hurricanes were never a national title contender, they reside in the ever-flailing ACC Coastal Division. Despite the offseason turnover that saw Mark Richt retire and a new offensive staff hired, Miami still had clear advantages with an experienced defense and the highest-recruited skill-position talent in the division.
First-year coaches sometimes get a pass while adjusting to a new situation, but Diaz had spent the last three seasons as Miami's defensive coordinator. He knew the personnel. He saw the weaknesses and addressed them as much as possible through the much-discussed transfer portal―and he did an excellent job of that.
And, yet again, the Hurricanes aren't going to win the Coastal. Most remarkably, that's already clear in October.
The frustrating season has included four one-possession letdowns, starting with a wasted opportunity against Florida (24-20) and a road collapse at North Carolina (28-25). Then in October, Miami lost at home to Virginia Tech (42-35) and Georgia Tech (28-21).
As you'd expect from a head coach, Diaz has recently taken the "glass half-full" approach.
Diaz: "We're four plays away from being 7-0, but we're not. ... And regardless of what our record says, we have to win today. ... When we look at who we are at our core and how we're building as a program ... the foundation of what we're trying to be, those things have shown up."
More realistically, it's a confluence of errors that has guided Miami to a dismal 3-4 record and questions of whether "The U" will even qualify for a bowl.
In the season opener, Florida committed four turnovers, yet Miami only scored one touchdown in three red-zone trips. Trailing 24-20 late in the fourth quarter, the 'Canes put together a mind-numbing drive that covered four yards on 10 official snaps despite a couple of penalties bailing them out.
An earlier missed 27-yard field goal prevented Diaz from considering a game-winning attempt, which, in hindsight, doesn't appear would've gone well anyway.
Miami's special teams has been a nightmare this year.
Bubba Baxa missed that kick against Florida, then had a game-tying extra point blocked and left a potential 49-yard winner wide at UNC. He missed a go-ahead extra point against Virginia Tech and a go-ahead 27-yard field goal opposite Georgia Tech. Overall, Baxa has missed five field goals and two extra points this season.
Diaz also recently tried Turner Davidson, who missed a pair of short kicks (34 and 25) in the horrible loss to Georgia Tech.
Return man Jeff Thomas fumbled a punt that gifted the Gators a go-ahead score. For good measure, Georgia Tech's Pressley Harvin III threw a 41-yard touchdown on a fake punt.
That's a nauseating collection of mistakes.
With regard to the kicking game, it's a complementary issue. The Hurricanes are 125th nationally with a 67.7 red-zone scoring percentage, and their 55.9 red-zone touchdown rate is 85th. That's also a product of a putrid 29.6 third-down conversion clip, which ranks 125th in the country as well.
So, the offense does a horrible job extending drives and, if it does manage to sustain a possession, breaks down in scoring territory.
Responsibility for that inefficiency partly falls on quarterbacks Jarren Williams and N'Kosi Perry, but largely on coordinator Dan Enos.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 14: Offensive coordinator Dan Enos of the Miami Hurricanes looks on against the Bethune Cookman Wildcats at Hard Rock Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Miami has the athletes to spread the field, yet the offense has regularly used tight formations. If the right personnel is there, that's fine. Williams is capable of running that pro-style attack, so the system itself is not a massive problem.
However, the Hurricanes' blocking unit is not capable of consistently winning in congested spaces. They've already ceded 60 tackles for loss (125th nationally) and 31 sacks (127th). Williams' shoulder injury forced Perry into the lineup, yet Enos only slowly adapted to a quarterback best suited for a spread.
In fairness, he's not been a disaster. The 'Canes are legitimately among the more explosive teams in the country; they've totaled 41 gains of 20-plus yards, which ranks 25th nationally. That's pretty good! Simultaneously, it shows the unstable all-or-nothing identity Miami has created for itself in 2019.
The "nothing" part has crushed Miami too often, leaving the defense in a situation where it must be absolutely perfect.
That, quite evidently, has not happened.
In the last decade only 4 P5 teams have lost 5+ games in which they were tied or ahead in the 4Q (’16 ND, ’10 Iowa, ’15 Neb, ’15 AzSt).
Overly criticizing the defense is foolish; it generated four takeaways and allowed 304 yards against Florida. Virginia Tech needed just 91 yards for three touchdowns after Miami turnovers. Georgia Tech's offense only scored once in regulation.
Yet UNC sliced through the defense for a rapid 17-3 lead. The 'Canes apparently had no idea how to cover Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene and then missed 29 tackles against Georgia Tech. All four losses include a winning touchdown from the opponent in either the fourth quarter or overtime.
Despite allowing only 4.7 yards per play (23rd) and 20.4 points per game (27th), the defense and first-year coordinator Blake Baker are not without blame.
Miami literally is not good at any phase of football. Not a single one. Complete failure that lays at the feet of Manny Diaz. Put away the chains, the props and the hashtags. Focus on fundamentals... #canes
— Steve Kim - the Thomas Sowell of Boxing (@SteveKim323) October 19, 2019
Looking at the entirety of the current performance, very little has gone right for Diaz in his head coaching debut. His promises of "The New Miami" are nothing but an offseason memory.
Yes, the team is regularly close. That's better than a weekly blowout, right? Sure, a totally botched review prevented the Hurricanes from extending the game against Georgia Tech. But to even be in that situation―in overtime, at home, against a 1-5 Georgia Tech team in the process of the most difficult offensive system overhaul possible―is atrocious.
Is there hope for a turnaround? In theory, yes.
Diaz's defensive background is excellent, and even an average offensive line would help the Hurricanes dramatically.
Relative to its Coastal competition, this is the most talented roster. Miami usually brings in top-25 recruiting classes and is headed for another in 2020. While the division may be improving, it won't hit an unreachable level for the 'Canes.
However, that's the same old story―one that hasn't changed for a decade. And in 2019, we're watching the same old Miami.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
Look: Miami Football Reveals New 'Turnover Chain' Containing 2,027 Grams of Gold
Aug 24, 2019
ORLANDO, FL - AUGUST 24: A fan of the Miami Hurricanes displays The U flag as the team arrives at the stadium before the game between the Florida Gators and the Miami Hurricanes for the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The Miami Hurricanes bedazzled their regular-season opener against the No. 8 Florida Gators by introducing the third iteration of their Turnover Chain on Saturday at Camping World Stadium.
Hurricanes who force turnovers this season will don the city of Miami around their necks, as Miami-Dade County's 305 area code is encrusted in diamonds:
This is the third season Miami has had the Turnover Chain. Which one is your favorite? pic.twitter.com/hV7xG6aEBF
Miami defenders couldn't wait to get their hands on the new bling. Defensive end Scott Patchan recovered a fumble in the second quarter to be the first to earn the Turnover Chain this season, and linebacker Shaquille Quarterman recovered another fumble on the Gators' next drive:
AJ Machado, a local jeweler who has made the three Turnover Chains, told David Furones of the Sun-Sentinel that rookie head coach Manny Diaz, a Miami native, wanted the area code featured on this year's chain.
The tradition began in 2017. Two weeks before the start of the season, Hurricanes cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph asked Machado to make a chain for his players to wear after they force turnovers, the Sun-Sentinelreported at the time.
The first player to ever wear the Turnover Chain was Malek Young, who secured an interception in the 2017 season opener against Bethune-Cookman.
And now, the Turnover Chain will be complemented by the Touchdown Rings. The 'Canes revealed the new bling following Jarren Williams' 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brevin Jordan to give the team a 13-7 lead at halftime:
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 25, 2019
It's only right that the offense get in on the flex.
Former 4-Star QB Tate Martell Taking Reps at WR After Transferring to Miami
Aug 24, 2019
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 13: Tate Martell #18 of the Miami Hurricanes warms up before the annual Spring Game at Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium on April 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The Miami Hurricanes' 2018-19 season begins Saturday night against Florida, and Tate Martell might find himself in a different role than what he envisioned when transferring to The U from Ohio State in January.
The former 4-star quarterback was warming up at receiver, wearing gloves and running routes, according to 247Sports' Andrew Ivins. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams won the starting job over Martell and N'Kosi Perry.
Tate Martell wearing WR gloves and catching passes during pregame warmups 👀
Per Ivins, Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz assured that Martell is open to the idea of playing receiver instead of quarterback. "Just like anybody else we have," Diaz said Wednesday. "Anybody will help by doing anything that's available."
Martell spent his first two collegiate seasons behind Dwayne Haskins, who departed the Buckeyes to enter the 2019 NFL draft where he was selected 15th overall by Washington. However, Martell was again pushed aside when Justin Fields transferred to Ohio State from Georgia.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had reported on Aug. 16 that Martell "was given the opportunity to play wide receiver.
"Even if Martell moves to receiver, it's questionable whether he would get meaningful playing time because wide receiver might be UM's deepest position, along with defensive end," Jackson wrote.
While perhaps frustrating for Martell, 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons disclosed on The College Football Daily podcast (h/t Ivins) that Martell could excel at receiver:
"It's just one of the many directions someone can go when they're an undersized quarterback who is also really athletic. [National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins] has seen Tate more than anybody. He was talking about how he's seen Tate running around catching passes at quarterback camps. He's got natural pass-catching ability. The ball skills are there. He is very athletic. He is sudden and has some twitch and body movement to his game. That short-area quickness was one of the best qualities he had.
"As a slot guy that could create space and get separation as a route runner, there's a lot of those guys with success in all levels of football right now. I'm not saying that's where he needs to go, but in the spectrum of options, you have to include that as one of them."
While backing up Haskins, Martell showed his ability as a dual-threat by recording 128 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 269 passing yards and a passing touchdown last season. In Miami, the definition of what it means for him to be a dual-threat may have just shifted.
Prominent college football quarterbacks to successfully switch to wide receiver include Julian Edelman, Terrelle Pryor and Braxton Miller.
The 'Canes and the No. 8 Gators kick off at 7 p.m. ET from Orlando's Camping World Stadium.
The Return of Swag at the U
Aug 22, 2019
In his left hand, Manny Diaz clutches a comically massive Cuban-link chain necklace. In his right, he clings to another comically massive Cuban-link chain necklace. A local newspaper photographer's shutter snaps, again and again and again, until a relieved Diaz lays all that gold—roughly 13 pounds of gaudy South Florida bling, with green and gold sapphire pendants at the ends of each—on a table.
There's something about the pose that almost veers into self-parody, and Diaz, the 45-year-old first-year head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, is utterly aware of that. As he hurries down a hallway inside Miami's expanding football complex—past several lighted photos of a who's who of Hurricane alumni, from Ed Reed to Michael Irvin to Warren Sapp—he admits it still feels weird to be posing with these flamboyant creations of his, known as the Turnover Chains. It's not exactly his style, but it's part of a narrative, and there may be no coach who's more understanding of the power of a good story than Diaz.
Before the 2017 season, when he was the defensive coordinator at Miami under former coach Mark Richt, Diaz devised the idea for a Turnover Chain. He had one created with the assistance of a local jeweler—and the advising of former Miami nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who just happened to be in the store when the call came in from one of Diaz's defensive assistants. Maybe a rope-chain, the assistant said.
"Naw, man," Wilfork said. "We gotta do the Cuban link."
Wilfork understood the chain had to be over the top, a reflection of South Florida's Tony Montana-esque penchant for extravagance. It was meant to serve as a public reward for players who forced a fumble or interception on defense, but it was also an homage to the swaggering ethos of both this football program and this city. After it became the biggest off-field hit in college football in 2017, a new one was designed for the 2018 season.
Diaz insists he never imagined the Turnover Chain would immediately become such a glaring symbol, the most recognizable marketing tool for a program that is a generation removed from its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. But at the same time, he understands the power of symbols, particularly in a day-glo city such as Miami, which has long embraced sweeping gestures and big personalities. Diaz's cheeky Twitter account reflects that, as did his grand entrance to Miami's spring tour with boosters on a $7 million yacht. "It gives you an avenue," Diaz says of social media, "where you can create and control narratives."
In terms of narratives, it's possible that no coach in Miami history has ever been tied in so deeply to the melting-pot image of this city as Diaz is. Not only did he grow up there as the grandson of a Cuban immigrant, but his father, Manny Diaz Sr., was an attorney who served as the mayor of Miami from 2001 until 2009.
Just as it is in politics, Manny Diaz Jr. knows that imagery is part of the process of coaching here. It's part of what he recently called "creating value" around the program. People expect a certain attitude to emanate from the Miami sideline, the way it did when the Hurricanes were regularly winning national championships and displaying the kind of swagger that prefigured the social media era. And the question surrounding the program since its last national championship in 2001 has been the same pretty much every year: When will Miami get that level of swagger back?
The answer to that question, for Diaz, begins by recapturing the pulse of the city itself.
"Miami is just a very unique place," Diaz says. "It's a place where people want to come visit so they can dance in the clubs and go to the beaches and listen to the music. And there's a specific way to win here that fits in well with the identity of this community. The way that those Miami teams played fit in exactly with the culture of this town."
It hasn't been easy to find a coach who could re-create that success at Miami. Three head coaches have passed through the university's palm-tree-lined Coral Gables campus since Larry Coker, the last one to win a national title, was fired in 2006. Two of them—Richt and Randy Shannon—were former Miami players who had moderate success (including an Orange Bowl bid for Richt in 2017) but never fully recaptured the bombast of the glory days. The other, Al Golden, was a Penn State graduate who tried to turn Miami into something more vanilla and wound up being disliked by his own alumni base.
Diaz is neither of those things. He didn't play college football at Miami; in fact, he didn't play college football at all. After growing up reading the local sports pages in Miami, he studied journalism at Florida State and got a job as a production assistant at ESPN for several years before taking an entry-level job under FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. His insight and intelligence allowed him to slowly work his way up the ladder, moving from NC State to Middle Tennessee State to Mississippi State.
Eventually, after a high-profile failure as defensive coordinator at Texas (he was fired following a disastrous game against BYU in 2013) and a successful stint as the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State, Diaz wound up back in his hometown. And after briefly taking the job as Temple's head coach following last season, he returned to Miami 18 days later, when Richt suddenly announced his retirement.
Diaz's unconventional path makes him the perfect coach for a program that doesn't fit into any of college football's typical boxes. This is a private university in a major city, two things that are each rare in the upper echelons of the sport. In fact, Miami's program was essentially an afterthought until the 1980s, when coach Howard Schnellenberger elbowed his way into the sport's elite by recruiting local talent, much of it from the city's hardscrabble neighborhoods. It's almost as if the Hurricanes became an extension of Miami's ego as it blossomed into a major American city. And Diaz saw it all unfold firsthand, which is why he's so cognizant of the program's image.
"He brings an awareness of this city that's like no other person I've been around," says Miami cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph, a South Florida native who played on Miami's last national championship team. "He knows what the city is going to react to and what they respect the most. Early on, when he became the head coach, people thought somebody else was running his Twitter. But this man is smart, and he's very witty. Everything he does is calculated, from pulling up on a yacht to the Turnover Chain to social media."
The tagline—the branding, if you want to call it that—Diaz has used with the local media is that he's going to create a "New Miami." That essentially means transitioning the "Old Miami" into the social media era. The players Miami is recruiting weren't even born the last time the Hurricanes won a national title—several current players told me they learned about the past by watching either the ESPN 30 for 30 on those teams or from clips on YouTube. Some of them, such as tight end Michael Irvin II—son of the Hall of Fame receiver—and cornerback Al Blades Jr., whose father and two uncles played for the Hurricanes, have been hearing the stories about those glory years for nearly their whole lives.
"Those Miami teams were relentless," Blades says. "And the thing is, a lot of the people that know those Miami teams don't even know who the coaches were. It was up to the players to run the team and become a championship team."
This is the backbone Diaz is hoping to establish to justify all the boisterousness. Over the years, he and others within the program like to point out, Miami won national championships under four different coaches—Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and Coker. To Diaz, that symbolizes what's long empowered this program to be as in-your-face as it's been: This was arguably the first college football team in the country that empowered its players to take command of the program—and yes, sometimes, that may have led to recruiting violations and excessiveness on the field, but so be it.
That's why so many high-profile alumni tend to come back and speak about the grueling workouts that drove them to win national championships in the first place. Even the Hurricanes locker room was paid for—and is named after—perhaps the most famous Miami alum of all: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Diaz has welcomed those alums, as well asthe former coaches, back into the fold.
Great time with Manny Diaz and his staff tonight..Best I have felt about the U in a long time! pic.twitter.com/bTb3kek3eG
As a reward for players who achieve on and off the field, he sometimes allows them to wear tinted visors on their helmets during practice, the way late Miami safety Sean Taylor did. Former players regularly show up in the weight room and speak to the team; one current player recalled a tearful speech in the weight room from former linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who recounted how much Miami's competitive mentality shaped him as a person.
Diaz recognizes that, in order for the Hurricanes to truly recapture that swagger, the first thing they need to do is reinforce the player-driven work ethic that made the Hurricanes so utterly confident in the first place. To do that, of course, you need talent and depth. That's the primary reason Diaz says he relied so heavily on the newfangled contraption known as the transfer portal this year—among the players he lured in was Ohio State transfer Tate Martell, who recently lost out on the starting quarterback job to redshirt freshman Jarren Williams (Martell is reportedly working out as a wide receiver).
And it isn't just Martell. Eight of Miami's scholarship players are transfers, including former UCLA defender Jaelan Phillips, the top prospect in the country in 2017, as well as ex-USC safety Bubba Bolden and former Buffalo receiver K.J. Osborn, who served as one of the faces of the program at the ACC's media days this summer. Six of the top 22 players on 247Sports' transfer-portal rankings wound up at Miami, which allowed Diaz to make up for his late start on the job, the young roster he inherited and a recruiting class that ranked only 27th nationally.
That the transfer portal fits Miami's aggressive reputation, Diaz insists, was more of a coincidence than a strategy. But the idea of stockpiling the right kind of talent wherever you can find it fits into his larger ideal.
"When you really broaden things out to the entire program, it's not about the idea of 'Why can't we bring that swagger back?'" Diaz says. "It's like, 'What is the standard that was set here in the first place?' And the way to do that is often the work that's put in during the offseason and the nature of our guys competing in practice. It's that idea of knowing that if you went out for a day, someone might take your job. And you might never get it back."
That ability to understand both the big-picture narrative of Miami's image—"the 30,000-foot view," as co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda puts it—and the everyday narrative about what drives his players is what Diaz's longtime assistants say sets him apart. At times, they say, Diaz can almost seem aloof, but they insist that's usually because he's lost in thought about something. He's the opposite of brash; he thinks everything through, from the Power Point parables he shares with his team to the practice clips he shares with the fanbase.
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 13: Head coach Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes coaching during the annual Spring Game at Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium on April 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Those assistants also say it bothered Diaz tremendously to have backed out on the Temple job the way he did. Banda and his co-defensive coordinator, Blake Baker, have worked with Diaz dating back to his time at Texas, and both insist he's not the kind of coach who chases his ego from one job to the next. When Richt retired less than three weeks after Diaz took the Temple job, the latter found himself in an impossible position. Once Miami athletic director Blake James contacted Diaz, how could he turn down the one job he'd envisioned holding since he got into coaching?
"I know how hard it was for him, because I know how much he values people," Banda says. "There's a lot of people in this profession that aren't like that."
In order to take his dream job, Diaz was willing to take the hit to his reputation. And now that he's back, he plans to hold on to the job for as long as he can. That won't be easy. There is an unmistakable restlessness here: Despite being a former player and a Miami native himself, Randy Shannon was fired after three consecutive bowl appearances. Diaz has to quickly win football games while also portraying the right image. He has to find a way to marry the idea of the "New Miami" with the idea of the "Old Miami." That means connecting to the past while also allowing his players to find their own way.
"A lot of kids for years have talked about swag, and I always tell the team that we started the swag," says Rumph, the former cornerback-turned-coach. "They can't take that as their own. They have to create their own identity. It has to be unique."
What that looks like—and whether it ever happens—is yet to be seen, but there's little doubt Diaz has a carefully crafted vision for leading his team there. In February, a story spread online that Diaz had pulled an "Old Miami" move at a high school coaching clinic, distracting coaches from attending the Florida State staff's breakout sessions by offering them free beer in a separate room.
In a radio interview a few weeks afterward, Diaz didn't confirm or deny the story. Some of it, he said, was "internet lore," but in a social media-dominated world, maybe the lore is good enough for Manny Diaz and Miami to once again control the narrative of college football.
Miami QB Tate Martell Reportedly Experimenting with Move to WR
Aug 16, 2019
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 13: Tate Martell #18 of the Miami Hurricanes performs drills during the annual Spring Game at Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium on April 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
In the wake of losing out on Miami's starting quarterback job, Tate Martell is looking at possibly playing wide receiver.
Sports writer W.G. Ramirez first reported Martell was considering a position switch. The news was confirmed by Andrew Ivins of 247Sports.
Hurricanes head coach Manny DiazannouncedMonday redshirt freshman Jarren Williams beat out Martell and N'Kosi Perry for the starting quarterback job.
Martellannouncedin January he was transferring to Miami after spending the past two years at Ohio State. The NCAAapprovedhis waiver, making him eligible to play in 2019.
Quarterback is the only position Martell has played dating back to high school. The 21-year-old was a 4-star recruit and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class, according to247Sports.
As Dwayne Haskins' backup at Ohio State last season, Martell went 23-of-28 for 269 yards and one touchdown in six games.
Everything You Need to Know About Miami's Starting QB Jarren Williams
David Kenyon
Aug 13, 2019
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 13: Jarren Williams #15 of the Miami Hurricanes in action during the annual Spring Game at Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium on April 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Manny Diaz has established a clear trend heading into his first season as Miami's head coach: He's not wasting time.
After the flashy attempts at shifting the culture and attacking the transfer portal to bolster the roster, the latest occurrence is Diaz announcing Jarren Williams as the Hurricanes' starting quarterback. The redshirt freshman emerged from a competition that included semi-incumbent N'Kosi Perry and Ohio State transfer Tate Martell.
Rather than waiting until the Aug. 24 opener against Florida, Diaz showed his cards now, which allows the Gators to prepare for a specific quarterback instead of wondering about all three.
At least to start the 2019 season, it is Williams' show.
Who is Jarren Williams?
A 4-star talent in the 2018 cycle, he was considered the fifth-best pro-style quarterback and No. 77 overall prospect. Williams flipped from Kentucky to Miami shortly before the early signing period in December 2017 and enrolled early.
During his last two seasons at Central Gwinnett High School, Williams completed 60.7 percent of his 662 passes for 5,633 yards and 54 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He also picked up 950 yards and 19 scores on the ground.
In 2018, he served as the third-stringer behind Malik Rosier and Perry, making one appearance against FCS Savannah State. Williams hit a 17-yard completion and ran for a touchdown.
That was nearly his only playing time at Miami.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 24: Jarren Williams #15 of the Miami Hurricanes looks on against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Hard Rock Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In mid-December, reports that Williams would transfer began to surface. He ultimately changed his mind after Mark and Jon Richt convinced him to stay. However, Richt resigned about 10 days later, and Diaz did not retain Jon.
Williams knew he would be competing with Perry, but Martell joined the quarterback battle after deciding to leave Ohio State.
During the spring, the quarterbacks rotated first-string reps while learning a fresh offense. Dan Enos left Alabama to become the coordinator for Diaz and the Canes. No player had emerged as a front-runner until Williams separated himself in fall camp.
"We believe we can win with all three guys," Diaz said in a school release. "However, we feel like Jarren has the greatest upside due to his passing ability, his instincts and his determination."
What's Next?
Though the program has fallen sharply since its dominance in the early 2000s, expectations are high in Coral Gables. Since the ACC Coastal is one of the weakest power-conference divisions, Williams has a chance to keep Miami in the national conversation.
QB1.
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 12, 2019
He's bearing a heavy burden of proof, though. Last season, "The U" stumbled to 7-6 solely because of the offense.
Between Rosier and Perry, the Canes trudged to a dismal 51.1 completion percentage with 6.1 yards per attempt. Those marks ranked 118th and 116th nationally, respectively. And compared to ACC competition, only Georgia Tech—which ran a triple-option offense—had a lower completion rate.
Rosier was a deeply flawed quarterback, and Perry's inexperience showed while under the constant threat of being benched. What compounded the problem was a stunningly bland and predictable offense under former coach Mark Richt.
The Canes rarely had pre-snap motion beyond a running back moving slightly after the quarterback clapped. They constantly used slow-developing play-action passes on 3rd-and-long. If a fullback entered in a short-yardage situation, it was almost exclusively a fullback dive. They relied heavily on fades when passing in the red zone.
And the list goes on.
Fortunately for Williams, Enos—who also serves as the QB coach—will be more creative and has a reputation of strong development. Most recently, Enos was the position coach for Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts at Alabama.
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 13: Offensive coordinator Dan Enos and Head coach Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes coaching during the annual Spring Game at Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium on April 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
While that reputation alone doesn't guarantee Williams be successful, he's in a considerably improved spot compared to 2018. Williams has a promising group of skill-position weapons, too.
DeeJay Dallas offers experience at running back in front of exciting sophomores Cam'Ron Harris and Lorenzo Lingard. Williams' key targets will be the explosive Jeff Thomas, Buffalo transfer K.J. Osborn, speedster Mike Harley and tight end Brevin Jordan. The Canes could see a couple of Will Mallory, Jeremiah Payton, Brian Hightower, Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope emerge as regular contributors, too.
Is this offense built for national contention in 2019? Likely no. But it is unquestionably talented enough to win the Coastal, which the program has only achieved once in 14 years.
Outside of the showdown with Florida, the biggest games for Williams—provided he retains the starting job—will be opposite ACC teams. His league debut will be at North Carolina (Sept. 7), and then a back-to-back against Coastal contenders Virginia (Oct. 5) and Virginia Tech (Oct. 11) looks like a pivotal stretch. Later, the trip to Florida State (Nov. 2) could be a season-defining matchup for the Canes.
Many questions will be asked and answered before those matchups arrive, however. Right now, the only guarantee is Williams has earned the nod to start against Florida.
And the Hurricanes are hoping that Williams, like his coach, won't waste any time making a positive impact.
