Five reasons Miami football should be favored in the ACC Coastal by Alan Rubenstein

The Miami football team had nine players named as preseason All-ACC by Athlon Sports earlier this month. As expected the Hurricanes defensive dominated the list.

Five Miami football players were named first-team preseason All-ACC by Athlon Sports. Four came from the Hurricanes defense and tight end Brevin Jordan was also named preseason all-ACC by the iconic annual.

Defensive end Jonathan Garvin, linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney and cornerback Trajan Bandy were named first-team preseason all-ACC defense by Athlon. Quarterman was named first-team All-ACC in 2018, Bandy third-team and Pinckney honorable mention.

Garvin was inexplicably snubbed from the All-Conference teams in the ACC in 2018. He is the most productive player returning on the Miami football team in 2019. Garvin led the Miami defensive linemen in tackles in 2018 and in third overall among the returnees. He leads the Miami returnees in sacks and tackles for loss.

Garvin finished 2018 with 60 tackles, 17 TFLs and five sacks. He is primed for another dominant season in 2019. Miami will have one of the best defensive end rotations in college football. Trevon Hill, Scott Patchan, Greg Rousseau and Jahfari Harvey will make it nearly impossible for opposing teams to double team Garvin.

No other defensive players for Miami were named preseason All-ACC by Athlon beyond the four players first-team All-ACC. Three other players on the Hurricanes offense and one on special teams beyond the five players on the first team were named preseason All-ACC by Athlon.

Guard Navaughn Donaldson is coming off of an inconsistent sophomore season after shuffling between guard and tackle in 2018. Donaldson was named a true freshmen All-American at right guard by ESPN in 2017. Donaldson was named second-team preseason All-ACC by Athlon. Miami running back DeeJay is third-team all-ACC.

DeeJay Dallas is primed to make a big jump for the second straight season. Dallas ran for 617 yards as a sophomore in 2018 and ascends to first-team running back to replace Travis Homer. Dallas forms an exceptional backfield for the Hurricanes with rising sophomores Cam’Ron Harris and Lorenzo Lingard.

Wide receivers Jeff Thomas and K.J. Osborn were named fourth-team All-ACC by Athlon. Thomas was selected as a kick return specialist. Osborn comes to Miami as a graduate transfer from Buffalo. It is interesting Thomas was named as a kick returner and not a punter returner where he was more prolific in 2018.

Thomas averaged 26 yards on 10 kickoff returns and 24.6 on nine punt returns with a touchdown in 2018. To put those numbers in perspective Savon Scarver of Utah State led the nation averaging 33.73 yards per kickoff return in 2018. Thomas would have been 22nd with enough returns to qualify.

New Mexico defensive back Marcus Hayes led the nation in punt returns with a 21.2-yard average. Thomas did not have enough punt return attempts to qualify. He clearly would have surpassed Hayes by a wide margin. Thomas is poised for a big season for Miami in 2019.

Osborn could be Miami’s leading receiver and compares favorably to what Braxton Berrios accomplished for the Hurricanes in 2017. Osborn’s 2018 numbers would have surpassed what Thomas put up leading Miami with 35 receptions for 563 yards and Lawrence Cager’s six touchdowns.

Osborn had 53 receptions for 892 yards, averaged 16.8 yards per reception and posted seven touchdowns last season. Osborn redshirted as a freshman in 2015. In three years playing for Buffalo Osborn had 96 receptions for 1,490 yards receiving 15.5 yards per receptions and 12 touchdowns.