2011 Miami Hurricanes Preview and Prediction: Golden Looking for Success

Al Golden and a slew of returnees have the faithful in Coral Gables ready for a return to their past successes. Can they overcome the problems of recent history and finally contend?

The Randy Shannon era at the University of Miami can be described with one distinct term, underachievement. The talent has consistently been available to the U, but maximizing that talent was the constant problem for Shannon and his group of disciples. Last season epitomized the aforementioned word. Shannon and Company started the season ranked in the top 15 and possessed a possible Heisman Trophy candidate at the quarterback position. However, as the season progressed, it became evident that Harris was unable to throw the ball to the right team and the train began to derail following a terrible loss to UVA.

Shannon was dismissed following the final regular season game against South Florida, and the team followed the path of the majority of the regular season with a disappointing effort against Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. The Miami coaching search consisted of several flameouts, specifically John Gruden and Chris Petersen, before finally settling on Al Golden, the former head coach at Temple.

Golden enters this season with one goal in mind, which is returning Miami to the rightful place they belong; atop their conference standings. With the return of 14 starters, including several strong players at the skill positions, the outlook appears bright.

Quarterbacks

Jacory Harris returns for his senior season following a year of complete disappointment. Hopes were high for Jacory last season after an extremely successful sophomore campaign. However, things never seemed to truly click for Harris last season, and he struggled severely with turnovers, specifically in big games. His struggles led to him splitting time with the likes of Stephen Morris throughout the season. That experience gained by Morris last season allows for a bit of a quarterback controversy to be brewing with the new coaching staff, but you cannot dismiss talent and Jacory is extremely talented. As long as he can return to the form of his sophomore season and develop into the senior leader that Al Golden so desperately needs, a big year could be in order.  If Harris still continues to struggle then Morris now has the experience needed to come in as a capable replacement.

Running Backs

Miami has been longing for a dominant running back since the days of Clinton Portis, and even though they lost the talent and ability of Damien Berry, the return of Lamar Miller has hopes very high. Miller (5’11″, 212 pounds) is an extremely talented running back who has the ability to be one of the best backs in the ACC. Miller averaged six yards per carry on limited touches last season, and is ready to be the featured back of this offense. He has the ability to produce 1,200-1,500 yards a season. Accompanying him in the backfield will be Mike James. The duo will be one of the most talented groups in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the entire country.  The future appears to be even brighter with the incoming talent of Kevin Grooms, as well. Miami is set at the running back position for the near future.

Wide Receivers

Miami possessed a capable group of wide receivers last season led by the talents of Leonard Hankerson. Hankerson and his 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns have since departed to the NFL, but the squad returns their next four leading receivers. Travis Benjamin is set to assume the role of Hankerson and become Jacory Harris’ go-to target. Benjamin produced 745 yards last season and he expects to have many more opportunities this season. Aldarius Johnson and LaRon Byrd round out the starting wide receivers and both are capable of making big plays when needed. Blake Ayles, a transfer from USC and the former No. 1 tight end in the country, will be eligible immediately and provide instant talent at the tight end position. Harris and/or Morris will have plenty of options to throw the ball to this season.

Offensive Line

The offensive line of Miami showed tremendous improvement last season over the 2009 season, and opened holes that produced 4.8 yards per carry and only allowed seventeen sacks the entire season. They return nine of their top 10 lineman from a year ago and appear to have one of the most potent groups since the early 2000′s. They return the likes of Brandon Washington, 1st Team All ACC, and Harland Gunn, but the most important piece may be the acquisition of Seantrel Henderson. Henderson has transferred from the USC program and is a 6’8″, 345 pound man-child. Henderson earned Freshmen All-American honors last season and is a potential All-Pro at the NFL level. This line will allow Harris plenty of time to throw and open large holes for the running game.

Defensive Line

Miami struggled defending the run last season and that was evident in their 173 yards allowed per game and 4.1 yards per carry. Miami is known for the likes of Warren Sapp and other greats throughout the years and to see the defensive line struggle so profoundly was considered one of the largest disappointments of last season. Al Golden was a master of developing defensive linemen at Temple and has plenty of natural talent available to him this season. If Golden can maximize the talent of the likes of Marcus Forston, Marcus Robinson and Oliver Vernon, this unit could be the most improved on the entire squad. The future appears even brighter with Anthony Chickillo and Jalen Gamble, two of the best defensive linemen in the country, entering Miami as part of this season’s recruiting class.

Linebackers

Colin McCarthy, the Hurricanes leading tackler, has departed and Al Golden will immediately look upon Sean Spence to assume that role. Spence is by far the most talented player on the defensive unit and is primed for an All-American type season. He produced 111 tackles last season, including 14.5 tackles for loss, and will be the stalwart of the defense this season. If Jordan Futch and Ramon Buchanan can continue to improve, this unit will improve upon their points allowed per game and in nearly every defensive category from last season.

Defensive Backs

Brandon Harris earned First Team All-American honors last season and his departure will cause worry within the Hurricanes fan base. Harris produced the kind of numbers that will be difficult to replicate by any member of the current defensive backfield. Then once fans realize that they also lose two of their other top corner backs, Ryan Hill and DeMarcus Van Dyke, the defensive backfield becomes the largest worry heading into the season. JoJo Nicolas, Brandon McGee, Ray-Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque appear poised to run out with the starting line-up, and their production will go a long way toward determining what kind of season Miami produces in Golden’s first year.

Final Synopsis

Miami fans have been waiting and waiting some more. They provided patience with Shannon, but they were all under the realization that the marriage was a failure and it was time to cut their losses. Al Golden, while he did not excite the fan base, is a tremendous hire for this program. He is one of the brightest young minds in the game, possesses an ACC pedigree and also has experience in dealing with a professional sports city. He is the perfect marriage for this program and he has the history of developing and getting the most out of his players. With the talent that is already on board, Miami is poised to return to double-digit victories and fight for an ACC Championship this season.

Last Year’s Record: 7-6

Projected 2011 Record: 10-2