# 2021 Miami Hurricanes football team

The 2021 Miami Hurricanes football team (variously "Miami", "The U", "UM", "'Canes") represented the University of Miami during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hurricanes were led by third-year head coach Manny Diaz, who was dismissed on December 6. They played their home games at Hard Rock Stadium, competing as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Hurricanes finished their regular season with a 7–5 overall record and accepted a bid to play in the Sun Bowl, where they were scheduled to face the Washington State Cougars. On December 26, the Hurricanes announced their withdrawal from the bowl, due to COVID-19 issues; organizers stated that they would try to secure a replacement team to face Washington State. The following day, the Central Michigan Chippewas were named as the Sun Bowl replacement team.

## Offseason
### Position key

| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Place Kicker | PK | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Split end | SE | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |

### Coaching changes

Blake Baker former defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes, accepted a position as a linebackers coach for the LSU Tigers after Manny Diaz announced he would start taking over play calling duties for the Hurricanes.

### Players
#### Transfers

Outgoing
The Miami Hurricanes lost six players via transfer from the 2020 season.
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Year | New school |
| Christian Williams | #4 | CB | 6’1 | 186 | Daphne, AL | Sophomore | USF |
| Patrick Joyner | #52 | LB | 6’2 | 223 | Homestead, FL | Freshmen | Utah State |
| Tate Martell | #18 | QB | 5’11 | 193 | Las Vegas, NV | Sophomore | UNLV |
| Robert Burns | #4 | HB | 5’11 | 219 | Miami, FL | Sophomore | Connecticut |

### 2021 NFL Draft

The following Hurricanes players were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Team |
| 1 | 18 | Jaelan Phillips | DE | Miami Dolphins |
| 1 | 30 | Gregory Rousseau | DE | Buffalo Bills |
| 5 | 147 | Brevin Jordan | TE | Houston Texans |
| 6 | 216 | Quincy Roche | LB | Pittsburgh Steelers |

## Preseason
### Award Watch Lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Heisman Trophy | D'Eriq King | QB | RS Sr. |
| Maxwell Award | D'Eriq King | QB | RS Sr. |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | D'Eriq King | QB | RS Sr. |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Bubba Bolden | S | RS Jr. |
| Biletnikoff Award | Mike Harley Jr. | WR | Sr. |
| Bronko Nagurski Award | Bubba Bolden | S | RS Jr. |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Alabama* | No. 14 | Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game / SEC Nation) | ABC | L 13–44 | 71,829 |
| September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Appalachian State* | No. 22 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPNU | W 25–23 | 45,877 |
| September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State* | No. 24 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ABC | L 17–38 | 46,427 |
| September 25 | 12:30 p.m. | Central Connecticut* | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCRSN | W 69–0 | 44,019 |
| September 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Virginia | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPN | L 28–30 | 37,269 |
| October 16 | 3:30 p.m. | at North Carolina | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCN | L 42–45 | 50,500 |
| October 23 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 18 NC State | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPN2 | W 31–30 | 43,293 |
| October 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Pittsburgh | | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCN | W 38–34 | 46,977 |
| November 6 | 12:30 p.m. | Georgia Tech | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCRSN | W 33–30 | 48,161 |
| November 13 | 3:30 p.m. | at Florida State | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL (rivalry) | ESPN | L 28–31 | 71,917 |
| November 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL (rivalry) | ACCN | W 38–26 | 40,839 |
| November 27 | 12:30 p.m. | at Duke | | Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC | ACCRSN | W 47–10 | 17,391 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
Source:

## Game summaries
### Vs. No. 1 Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Crimson Tide | 10 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 44 |
| No. 14 Hurricanes | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, GA
* Date: September 4
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,829
* TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color), Todd McShay and Molly McGrath (sideline)
| Statistics | ALA | MIA |
| First downs | 28 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 77–510 | 64–266 |
| Rushes–yards | 38–156 | 31–87 |
| Passing yards | 354 | 179 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 28–39–0 | 23–33–2 |
| Time of possession | 37:02 | 22:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Alabama | Passing | Bryce Young | 27/38, 344 yards, 4 TD |
| Alabama | Rushing | Brian Robinson Jr. | 12 carries, 60 yards |
| Alabama | Receiving | Jameson Williams | 4 receptions, 126 yards, TD |
| Miami | Passing | D'Eriq King | 23/30, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Miami | Rushing | Cam'Ron Harris | 12 carries, 37 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Xavier Restrepo | 3 receptions, 55 yards, TD |

### Appalachian State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| No. 22 Hurricanes | 9 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 25 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 87 °F (31 °C) •
* Referee: Kyle Olsen
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), Tiffany Blackman (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −7.5
| Statistics | APP | MIA |
| First downs | 19 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 74–326 | 80–367 |
| Rushes–yards | 41–130 | 44–167 |
| Passing yards | 199 | 200 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 21–34–1 | 20–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:12 | 27:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Chase Brice | 21/34, 199 yards, TD, INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Camerun Peoples | 17 carries, 95 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Corey Sutton | 7 receptions, 60 yards |
| Miami | Passing | D'Eriq King | 20/33, 200 yards |
| Miami | Rushing | Cam'Ron Harris | 18 carries, 91 yards, TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Key'Shawn Smith | 4 receptions, 70 yards |

### Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
| No. 24 Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) •
* Game attendance: 46,427
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −7
| Statistics | MSU | MIA |
| First downs | 23 | 29 |
| Plays–yards | 72–454 | 84–440 |
| Rushes–yards | 41–193 | 24–52 |
| Passing yards | 261 | 388 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–31–0 | 38–60–2 |
| Time of possession | 31:15 | 28:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan State | Passing | Payton Thorne | 18/31, 261 yards, 4 TD |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Kenneth Walker III | 27 carries, 182 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Jalen Nailor | 4 receptions, 82 yards, 2 TD |
| Miami | Passing | D'Eriq King | 38/59, 388 yards, 2 TD , 2 INT |
| Miami | Rushing | Cam'Ron Harris | 11 carries, 44 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 12 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TD |

### Central Connecticut

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Devils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hurricanes | 21 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 69 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 87 °F (31 °C) •
* Game attendance: 44,019
* Referee: Jerry Magallanes
* TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme (play-by-play), Charles Arbuckle (analyst)
* Pregame line: Miami −46
| Statistics | CCSU | MIA |
| First downs | 11 | 31 |
| Plays–yards | 63–198 | 70–739 |
| Rushes–yards | 27–29 | 45–322 |
| Passing yards | 169 | 417 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–37–1 | 21–25–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:01 | 26:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Connecticut | Passing | Romelo Williams | 15/28, 132 yards, INT |
| Central Connecticut | Rushing | Nasir Smith | 12 carries, 22 yards |
| Central Connecticut | Receiving | Tyshaun James | 4 receptions, 49 yards |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 10/11, 270 yards, 3 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Cam'Ron Harris | 10 carries, 100 yards, 2 TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Brashard Smith | 5 receptions, 91 yards, TD |

### Virginia

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cavaliers | 9 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 30 |
| Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) •
* Game attendance: 37,269
* TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −5.5
| Statistics | UVA | MIA |
| First downs | 23 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 79–449 | 69–372 |
| Rushes–yards | 35–181 | 40–169 |
| Passing yards | 268 | 203 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–44–1 | 15–29–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:24 | 25:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Virginia | Passing | Brennan Armstrong | 25/44, 268 yards, TD, INT |
| Virginia | Rushing | Wayne Taulapapa | 11 carries, 63 yards, TD |
| Virginia | Receiving | Billy Kemp | 9 receptions, 81 yards |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 15/29, 203 yards, TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Cam'Ron Harris | 14 carries, 112 yards, TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 5 receptions, 99 yards |

### North Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 10 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 42 |
| Tar Heels | 14 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 45 |
at Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina
* Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) •
* TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst)
* Pregame line: North Carolina −7.5
| Statistics | MIA | UNC |
| First downs | 30 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 79–421 | 74–382 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–157 | 48–228 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 154 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 20–45–3 | 17–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:09 | 33:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 20/45, 264 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylan Knighton | 17 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Jaylan Knighton | 7 receptions, 73 yards, TD |
| North Carolina | Passing | Sam Howell | 17/26, 154 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| North Carolina | Rushing | Ty Chandler | 18 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD |
| North Carolina | Receiving | Josh Downs | 11 receptions, 96 yards, TD |

### No. 18 NC State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Wolfpack | 3 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| Hurricanes | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, October 23, 2021
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind: NE 9 mph (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 43,293
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), Taylor McGregor (sideline)
* Pregame line: NC State −3.5
| Statistics | NCST | MIA |
| First downs | 18 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 64–421 | 70–415 |
| Rushes–yards | 22–111 | 38–95 |
| Passing yards | 310 | 325 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 24–42–0 | 25–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:30 | 31:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NC State | Passing | Devin Leary | 24/42, 310 yards, 2 TD |
| NC State | Rushing | Ricky Person Jr. | 9 carries, 54 yards |
| NC State | Receiving | Emeka Emezie | 3 receptions, 75 yards |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 25/33, 325 yards, 4 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylan Knighton | 21 carries, 83 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 9 receptions, 127 yards, 2 TD |

### No. 17 Pittsburgh

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 21 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
| No. 17 Panthers | 10 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Rainy • Temperature: 58 °F (14 °C) •
* TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Jalyn Johnson (sideline)
* Pregame line: Pittsburgh −9.0
| Statistics | MIA | PITT |
| First downs | 27 | 32 |
| Plays–yards | 71–492 | 79–587 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–71 | 23–68 |
| Passing yards | 428 | 519 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 32–42–1 | 39–56–2 |
| Time of possession | 29:55 | 28:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 32/42, 428 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylan Knighton | 17 carries, 80 yards, TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 7 receptions, 101 yards |
| Pittsburgh | Passing | Kenny Pickett | 39/55, 519 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Pittsburgh | Rushing | Vincent Davis | 6 carries, 45 yards |
| Pittsburgh | Receiving | Jordan Addison | 8 receptions, 145 yards |

### Georgia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Yellow Jackets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 30 |
| Hurricanes | 14 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Rainy • Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) •
* TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst)
* Pregame line: Miami −10.0
| Statistics | GT | MIA |
| First downs | 15 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 71–329 | 76–563 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–135 | 41–175 |
| Passing yards | 194 | 389 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 21–38–1 | 22–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:13 | 25:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Georgia Tech | Passing | Jeff Sims | 21/38, 194 yards, TD, INT |
| Georgia Tech | Rushing | Jordan Mason | 8 carries, 75 yards, TD |
| Georgia Tech | Receiving | Jahmyr Gibbs | 4 receptions, 72 yards, TD |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 22/34, 389 yards, 3 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylan Knighton | 32 carries, 162 yards, TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 7 receptions, 210 yards, TD |

### Florida State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Seminoles | 14 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 31 |
at Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, Florida
* Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) •
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Quint Kessenich (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −2.5
| Statistics | MIA | FSU |
| First downs | 20 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 70–359 | 74–434 |
| Rushes–yards | 23–43 | 48–160 |
| Passing yards | 316 | 274 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–47–2 | 18–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 23:51 | 36:09 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 25/47, 316 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylan Knighton | 16 carries, 32 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 6 receptions, 95 yards |
| Florida State | Passing | Jordan Travis | 18/26, 274 yards |
| Florida State | Rushing | Jashaun Corbin | 15 carries, 68 yards, TD |
| Florida State | Receiving | Jakhi Douglas | 4 receptions, 90 yards |

### Virginia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hokies | 3 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| Hurricanes | 14 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: Saturday, November 20, 2021
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Showers • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) •
* TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −7.5
| Statistics | VT | MIA |
| First downs | 18 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 71–375 | 63–411 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–227 | 28–63 |
| Passing yards | 148 | 357 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–28–0 | 19–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:42 | 26:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Virginia Tech | Passing | Braxton Burmeister | 14/17, 109 yards, TD |
| Virginia Tech | Rushing | Connor Blumrick | 20 carries, 132 yards |
| Virginia Tech | Receiving | Tré Turner | 5 receptions, 44 yards, TD |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 19/33, 357 yards, 3 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Thaddius Franklin Jr. | 9 carries, 36 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 7 receptions, 116 yards |

### Duke

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 10 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 47 |
| Blue Devils | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, North Carolina
* Date: Saturday, November 27, 2021
* Game time: 9:30 a.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) •
* TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Wiley Ballard (sideline)
* Pregame line: Miami −21.0
| Statistics | MIA | DUKE |
| First downs | 33 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 91–536 | 69–224 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–140 | 34–62 |
| Passing yards | 390 | 157 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 35–52–0 | 21–35–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:28 | 27:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Miami | Passing | Tyler Van Dyke | 34/49, 381 yards, 3 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Jaylen Knighton | 13 carries, 51 yards, TD |
| Miami | Receiving | Charleston Rambo | 8 receptions 101 yards, 2 TD |
| Duke | Passing | Gunnar Holmberg | 20/33, 148 yards, INT |
| Duke | Rushing | Mataeo Durant | 22 carries, 68 yards |
| Duke | Receiving | Jalon Calhoun | 4 receptions, 33 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 14 | 22 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 16 | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 7 | 234 | Jonathan Ford | DT | Green Bay Packers |