What Canes fans should be excited about after adding receiver Brown, running back Martinez

During the past three months, the Miami Hurricanes have pulled off the impressive trick of improving their offensive skill positions despite losing their starting quarterback (Tyler Van Dyke), two of their three leading 2023 rushers (Henry Parrish Jr. and Don Chaney Jr.), a receiver (Colbie Young) to perhaps the nation’s best team in recent years (Georgia) and two top recruits from their coach’s first recruiting class (TreVonte Citizen and Jaleel Skinner).

Despite all of that, this UM group of quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and tight ends looks deeper, more talented and more explosive than a year ago, after a handful of several key additions.

Two weekend portal pickups — former Houston receiver Sam Brown and ex-Oregon State running back Damien Martinez — give the Canes an 800-plus yard No. 3 receiver (something the program hasn’t had this century) and a 1,000-yard, 6-plus per carry rusher (something the program hasn’t had since Duke Johnson in 2014).

In former Washington State star Cam Ward, they have a quarterback who was fifth in the country in completions and eighth in passing yards last season.

And they have added freshmen weapons who looked mature beyond their years in spring practice: receivers Jojo Trader and Ny Carr and Elija Lofton, who can play tight end, H-back, running back and receiver.

Where UM stands at the four playmaking positions on offense:

QUARTERBACK

▪ Who’s on the roster now: Ward, Reese Poffenbarger, Emory Williams, Judd Anderson.

▪ Who’s arriving this summer: Nobody.

▪ What’s to be sorted out: The No. 2 job. Poffenbarger seems to be a slight favorite over Williams, with UM having the opportunity to redshirt Williams this season. But Williams could overtake him if he outplays him in August.

▪ Who departed: Van Dyke (to Wisconsin) and Jacurri Brown, who remains in the portal.

▪ Comment: Ward was very much as advertised in the spring, impressing with his arm strength, ability to deliver passes into tight windows, mobility and big-play capability. He looks like the total package but must improve on his penchant for fumbling, an issue at Washington State. UM coaches love how he handles himself off the field, in terms of leadership and work in the film room…

Ward has a very good 100.8 overall NFL passer rating this past season, compared with 94.7 for Van Dyke, who transferred to Wisconsin…

Poffenbarger, the Albany transfer, impressed the staff throughout spring ball with his accuracy and ability to improvise in the pocket.

Williams’ play remains uneven; he’s prone to streaks of inaccuracy but also can step up and make solid throws in the pocket. He’s a natural leader and can inspire teammates. His toughness, already obvious, was evident in his rapid return from a painful and significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder in the FSU game. This should be an interesting competition for the starting job in 2025, with Ward moving onto the NFL after next season.

RUNNING BACK

▪ Who’s on the roster now: Martinez, Mark Fletcher Jr., Ajay Allen, Chris Johnson, Chris Wheatley-Humphrey.

▪ Who’s arriving this summer: Jordan Lyle.

▪ What’s to be sorted out: Whether Fletcher can return for the opener — off a serious foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl — remains the most pressing question. Mario Cristobal has said that a return before the opener is realistic.

▪ Who departed: Parrish (Mississippi), Chaney (Louisville) and Citizen.

▪ Comment: Martinez was the best back in the portal after rushing for 1,185 yards on 6.1 per carry last season. The last Canes running back who ran for 1,000 yards and averaged that much per carry? Johnson in 2014. Against the best team that Martinez faced last season, he ran 26 times for 123 yards and two TDs against national runner-up Washington…

Fletcher — if healthy — has the inside track for the No. 2 job. It will be interesting to see who emerges as the next most-used back among Johnson, Wheatley-Humphrey, Allen and Lyle.

Johnson, fastest of the backs, looks like a change-of-pace runner. Don’t overlook Lyle, who was rated the nation’s No. 3 back out of Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and picked UM over offers from Alabama, Georgia and many others.

WIDE RECEIVER

▪ Who’s on the roster now: Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Brown, Isaiah Horton, Jojo Trader, Ny Carr, Ray Ray Joseph, Robby Washington, Shemar Kirk and Michael Redding III.

▪ Who’s arriving this summer: Chance Robinson, the four-star prospect out of St. Thomas Aquinas.

▪ What’s to be sorted out: The No. 4 and No. 5 jobs; Horton and Trader could be front-runners, presuming Brown beats them out for the No. 3 job. And Joseph and Carr had some good moments this spring.

▪ Who departed: Young (Georgia), Frank Ladson (Massachusetts) and Brashard Smith (SMU).

▪ Comment: Brown spent two years at West Virginia and was a backup at Houston in 2022 before blossoming for the Cougars last season, catching 62 passes for 815 yards (13.1 per catch) and three TDs.

Before last season — when Restrepo had 1,092 receiving yards and George 864 — UM hadn’t had a season with two 800-yard receivers this century. (Obviously, the college game has become more pass happy.) Now UM has three who did it last year.

George said he knows he cannot commit any more mindless personal foul penalties. Trader caught practically every pass thrown in his area code this spring. Joseph seems to have taken another step. Carr is immensely talented.

TIGHT END

▪ Who’s on the roster now: Elijah Arroyo, Riley Williams, Cam McCormick, Lofton, Jackson Carver.

▪ Who’s arriving this summer: Nobody.

▪ What’s to be sorted out: Lofton showed this spring that he warrants playing time this fall. The fascinating subplot is whether those snaps come at tight end, H-back, receiver, running back or a combination of the four.

▪ Who departed: Skinner (Louisville).

▪ Comment: Arroyo’s return to health (after battling a knee problem for two years), Williams’ clear improvement and the emergence of Lofton should lessen the need to play McCormick nearly as much this season.

UM tight ends combined for just 18 receptions for 154 yards last season – the Canes’ lowest output at that position in at least 45 years.