Miami had seven players selected in the latest NFL draft. That's four more than Georgia Tech, the team that represented the ACC Coastal Division in the last conference title game, and five more than Duke, the 2013 champ.
Talent isn't a problem in Coral Gables, but winning is, as Al Golden has one season with more than seven wins in his four years at the helm. The pressure is on this fall and these five players figure to be key in the Hurricanes breaking through.
1. Brad Kaaya, QB, Soph.
The offense is sans its leading rusher (Duke Johnson), its top three pass-catchers from last year in Phillip Dorsett, Clive Walford and Johnson and three starters along the line, but the good news is Kaaya is back after a breakout freshman season. He threw for 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while completing 58.5 percent of his passes in earning ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Kaaya did struggle with his accuracy late in the season with a rate of less than that season average in four of his last six games, including 48.9 against Pitt, 47.1 vs. Florida State and 43.8 at Virginia Tech. With so many players needed to step up, it's imperative that Kaaya take the next step in his development. But keep in mind, he didn't arrive on campus until last summer and still started all 13 games. With his first spring practice under his belt and more time to digest the playbook after getting an abbreviated version in '14, comfort should lead to improvement.
2. Stacy Coley, WR, Jr.
A Freshman All-American when he caught 33 balls for 591 yards and seven TDs in '13, Coley all but disappeared last season with just 184 yards on 23 receptions and he never reached the end zone. Granted, he missed two games against non-AQ programs (Florida A&M and Arkansas State) with a shoulder injury that could have helped to pad those stats, but the 6-foot-1, 187-pound speedster simply floundered as a sophomore, and considering all this offense lost, he may be the most important player to the Hurricanes' success this fall. He was a visible contributor this spring with two catches in the first scrimmage and receptions of 29 and 27 yards in the spring game.
3. Joseph Yearby, RB, Soph./Gus Edwards, RB, Jr.
Yes, technically this is two players, but the task of replacing Johnson, who left school as the program's all-time leading rusher, isn't going to be done by one running back alone. Yearby is the top returning runner with 509 yards on 86 carries in '14 with one TD, while Edwards ran 61 times for 349 yards and six scores. Yearby has breakaway speed and Edwards is the power back that could see the ball in short-yardage scenarios, giving the Hurricanes a strong complement of runners (along with incoming freshman Mark Walton). How the newcomer impacts the veterans will be an intriguing summer storyline, but the Hurricanes shouldn't struggle in the running game, even if they'll be moving forward with a whole lot less star power than they had with Johnson as the center of attention.
4. Jermaine Grace, LB, Jr.
It's a scary thought for defenders that the 6-foot-1, 208-pound weakside linebacker is the fastest player on the team in running a 4.38 40-yard dash after spring practices. Second on the team with 60 tackles last season (including six for loss) while playing backup minutes, he'll be counted on to lead a unit that is down second-round draft pick Denzel Perryman at middle linebacker and ranked 14th nationally in total defense in '14.
5. Deon Bush, S, Sr.
The leader of what figures to be one of, if not the best secondaries in the ACC with a combined 67 starts, Bush has played with heartache with his father battling cancer and his uncle in need of a kidney transplant. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound started 11 games as a junior with 53 tackles, including four for loss, with two sacks, five passes defended and two interceptions. He also forced five fumbles on defense and in special teams.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
