College Football

FOX Sports Top 25: No. 22 Miami (FL)

Published Aug. 7, 2020 2:42 p.m. ET

Welcome to the FOX Sports preseason Top 25, where we’re breaking down college football's standout squads for 2020. We polled our roster of FOX College Football talent to get the most comprehensive results and provide a consensus list as of Aug. 3. Join us as we count down from 25 to 1, revealing a new team each day. Previous teams can be found at the end up this writeup, which focuses on …

No. 22 Miami (FL)

Miami started 2019 with a pair of narrow losses before settling in at home at Hard Rock Stadium for a spotty midseason run. Ultimately, the season was a disappointment for first-year head coach Manny Diaz as the Hurricanes finished out 6-7 for the year and .500 in conference play. Picked to finish second in the ACC’s Coastal Division in the preseason media poll, Miami ended the year third in the division.

Matt Leinart’s thoughts: "When I think of Miami, I think of one name: D'Eriq King, the transfer from Houston. … One of the most talented football players in all of college football the last couple of years. He put up a lot of numbers at Houston, just a terrific football player. And you look at Miami, where they've struggled in the last several years is having that consistency at quarterback. Well, I think they're going to get it with D'Eriq King. … So, keep an eye on Miami this year to increase their win total ... this is team that could get to eight to nine wins, maybe even 10 if they can put it together early in the season.”

Key players incoming/returning: The Tate Martell transfer experiment didn’t work out, but Diaz went back to the well and scooped King to lead the offense. King will have a nice outlet in TE Brevin Jordan, and RB Cam’ron Harris is expected to carry a larger load out of the backfield.

Miami’s defense will lean heavily upon 2019’s American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Quincy Roche. The transfer from Temple led the AAC with 13 sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 2019. The secondary welcomes back DJ Ivey at corner, who led the team with 3 picks last season. Safeties Gurvan Hall and Bubba Bolden shore up the back end.

Key players lost: Leading rusher DeeJay Dallas is off to the Seattle Seahawks, while K.J. Osborn, the team’s top wideout, will be playing on Sundays with the Minnesota Vikings. Mike Harley, Jeff Thomas and Dee Wiggins, who combined for 89 catches last season, all depart.

The biggest blow for Miami came when DE Gregory Rousseau decided to opt out of the season due to the pandemic. He piled up 15.5 sacks last season, second in the nation. A trio of linebackers in Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Romeo Finley are also gone, with Quarterman hearing his named called in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Biggest win of 2019: Miami 27, Florida State 10

Following Miami’s win at Doak Campbell Stadium, FSU did away with head coach Willie Taggart. Beating your rival is always nice, especially in an otherwise forgettable season, but being the final nail in the coffin for a head coach adds even more flavor.