# 2017 Miami Hurricanes football team

The 2017 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Hurricanes' 92nd season of football and 14th as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes were led by second-year head coach Mark Richt and played their home games at Hard Rock Stadium. They finished the season 10–3 overall and 7–1 in the ACC to finish in first in the Coastal Division. They advanced to the ACC Championship Game where they lost to Clemson, 38–3. They were invited to the Orange Bowl where they lost to Wisconsin, 34–24.

## Turnover Chain

Before the season Diaz suggested rewarding defensive players who recover fumbles or interceptions. Jeweler AJ "King of Bling" Machado created the Turnover Chain—a 36-inch, 5-5 pound, 10-karat gold Cuban link necklace with a large "U" charm covered with orange and green sapphires—in August 2017. Its gaudiness amazed the team and coaching staff, with one saying that "it's supposed to be larger than life".
ESPN described the chain as "quintessential Miami: flashy, swaggy, in your face, loud and flamboyant". Malek Young became the first to wear the chain, after intercepting a Bethune-Cookman pass in the end zone. Counterfeit shirts depicting the chain became available for sale within a week. Richt said, "It's good, clean fun. If we were 4-5 and had six turnovers, I think people would probably make fun of it. But when you win, things become cool sometimes".

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
| Mark Richt | Head coach | 2nd | Miami (1982) |
| Manny Diaz | Defensive coordinator/linebackers | 2nd | Florida State (1995) |
| Thomas Brown | Offensive coordinator/running backs | 2nd | Georgia (2008) |
| Craig Kuligowski | Defensive line | 2nd | Toledo (1991) |
| Jon Richt | Quarterbacks | 2nd | Mars Hill (2012) |
| Ron Dugans | Wide receivers | 2nd | Florida State (2002) |
| Stacy Searels | Offensive line | 2nd | Auburn (1990) |
| Todd Hartley | Special teams coordinator/tight ends | 2nd | Georgia (2008) |
| Mike Rumph | Cornerbacks | 2nd | Miami (2002) |
| Ephraim Banda | Safeties | 2nd | Incarnate Word (2004) |

### Support staff

| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
| Gus Felder | Strength & conditioning | 2nd | Penn State (2002) |
| Alex Devine | Graduate assistant | 2nd | Mississippi State (2015) |
| Matthew Gazzillo | Graduate assistant | 1st | Florida State (2014) |

## Recruiting
### Position key

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

### Recruits

The Hurricanes signed a total of 24 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Robert Burns RB | Miami, Florida | Gulliver Prep | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | Feb 23, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Waynmon Steed LB | Miami, Florida | Miami Central HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 221 lb (100 kg) | Feb 28, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Navaughn Donaldson OT | Miami, Florida | Miami Central HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 336 lb (152 kg) | Jul 26, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jonathan Ford DT | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Dillard HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Jan 30, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| N'Kosi Perry QB | Ocala, Florida | Vanguard HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | Mar 19, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Brian Polendey TE | Denton, Texas | Guyer HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Mar 21, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Cade Weldon QB | Tampa, Florida | Jefferson HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | Mar 21, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zach Dykstra OT | Spirit Lake, Iowa | Spirit Lake HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Apr 11, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| DeeJay Dallas WR | Brunswick, Georgia | Glynn Academy | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | May 21, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zach Feagles P | Glen Rock, New Jersey | Ridgewood HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jun 28, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zalon'tae Hillery OT | Brunswick, Georgia | Glynn Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Jul 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Evidence Njoku WR | Wayne, New Jersey | Wayne Hills HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jul 18, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| D. J. Johnson DE | Sacramento, California | Luther Burbank HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Jul 25, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Bradley Jennings Jr. LB | Jacksonville, Florida | Sandalwood HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Jul 20, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jonathan Garvin DE | Lake Worth, Florida | Lake Worth HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | Aug 8, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Trajan Brandy CB | Miami, Florida | Columbus HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Aug 8, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Amari Carter S | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | Palm Beach Gardens HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | Oct 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| De'Andre Wilder LB | Miami, Florida | Carol City HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | Nov 3, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Corey Gaynor C | Parkland, Florida | Stoneman Douglas HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 282 lb (128 kg) | Nov 29, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Derrick Smith WR | Jacksonville, Florida | Trinity Christian Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 13, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kai-Leon Herbert OT | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | American Heritage School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 284 lb (129 kg) | Jan 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jhavonte Dean CB | Florida City, Florida | Blinn College | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 31, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Mike Harley Jr. WR | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | St. Thomas Aquinas HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jeff Thomas WR | East St. Louis, Illinois | East St. Louis HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Miami Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Miami Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017. |||||||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:30 p.m. | Bethune–Cookman* | No. 18 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCRSN | W 41–13 | 50,454 |
| September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Toledo* | No. 14 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ACCRSN | W 52–30 | 49,361 |
| September 29 | 7:00 p.m. | at Duke | No. 14 | Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN | W 31–6 | 36,314 |
| October 7 | 3:30 p.m. | at Florida State | No. 13 | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL (rivalry) | ESPN | W 24–20 | 78,169 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Georgia Tech | No. 11 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ABC | W 25–24 | 55,799 |
| October 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Syracuse | No. 8 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPN | W 27–19 | 56,158 |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at North Carolina | No. 8 | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ESPN2 | W 24–19 | 45,000 |
| November 4 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 13 Virginia Tech | No. 10 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL (rivalry) | ABC | W 28–10 | 63,932 |
| November 11 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 3 Notre Dame* | No. 7 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL (College GameDay) (rivalry) | ABC | W 41–8 | 65,303 |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Virginia | No. 3 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ABC | W 44–28 | 63,415 |
| November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | No. 2 | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ABC | L 14–24 | 35,978 |
| December 2 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Clemson | No. 7 | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC (ACC Championship Game / College GameDay) | ABC | L 3–38 | 74,372 |
| December 30 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 6 Wisconsin* | No. 10 | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL (Orange Bowl) | ESPN | L 24–34 | 65,032 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 31 released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
The scheduled game between Arkansas State and Miami originally set for September 9 was canceled in the wake of Hurricane Irma due to travel concerns and was not rescheduled.
    The game between Florida State and Miami, originally scheduled to be played on September 16, was moved to October 7 due to the effects of Hurricane Irma.
    The game between Georgia Tech and Miami, originally scheduled to be played on October 12, was moved to October 14.

## Game summaries
### Bethune–Cookman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 18 Hurricanes | 3 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 41 |

### Toledo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 0 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
| No. 14 Hurricanes | 10 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 52 |

### At Duke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Hurricanes | 14 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
| Blue Devils | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |

### At Florida State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Hurricanes | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Seminoles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 20 |

### Georgia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Yellow Jackets | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| No. 11 Hurricanes | 3 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 25 |

### Syracuse

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Orange | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
| No. 8 Hurricanes | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |

### At North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Tar Heels | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 |

### Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Hokies | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 9 Hurricanes | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### Notre Dame

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| No. 7 Hurricanes | 14 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 41 |

### Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cavaliers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 2 Hurricanes | 7 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 44 |

### At Pittsburgh

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Clemson - ACC Championship

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Hurricanes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 1 Tigers | 14 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 38 |

### Wisconsin - 2017 Orange Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Badgers | 3 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
| No. 10 Hurricanes | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | 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 | Final |
| AP | 18 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 2 (4) | 2 (3) | 7 | 11 | 13 |
| Coaches | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 13 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 10 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | Not released |

## 2018 NFL Draft

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Team |
| Chad Thomas | Defensive end | 3 | 67 | Cleveland Browns |
| Chris Herndon | Tight end | 4 | 107 | New York Jets |
| Mark Walton | Running back | 4 | 112 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| R. J. McIntosh | Defensive tackle | 5 | 139 | New York Giants |
| Braxton Berrios | Wide receiver | 6 | 210 | New England Patriots |
| Kendrick Norton | Defensive tackle | 7 | 242 | Carolina Panthers |