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Georgia vs. Miami: Which team’s outlook is better in 2016?
By Keith Farner
Published:
Perhaps as long as Mark Richt is the coach at Miami, but at least for the foreseeable future, comparisons will be rampant between Georgia and Miami. The obvious measurement will be at quarterback where Miami returns Brad Kaaya, while Georgia will have a competition featuring five-star recruit Jacob Eason, who Richt recruited.
RECRUITING
Eason and TE Isaac Nauta, two five-star recruits, lead the No. 7 national class that coach Kirby Smart has buttoned up and improved upon since taking over for Richt. Twelve of the 15 commitments or early enrollees are from the state of Georgia, including RB Elijah Holyfield. Eleven of those 15 are four- or five-star players.
Miami has the ACC’s third-best class in the ACC and is 18th nationally as ranked by 247Sports Composite. The class is led by 5-foot-8 WR Sam Bruce, a four-star. Another well-known name is Tyler Byrd, who shined at the Army All-American Bowl. Richt also picked up a quarterback recruit in 6-foot-5, 195-pound Jack Allison. It’s a solid class so far with nine of the 15 commitments rated as four stars.
OFFENSE
The next best quarterback in the ACC after Deshaun Watson is Kaaya, who is poised for a big year in his third season. Kaaya completed 61 percent of his passes for 3,238 yards in 2015, with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Hurricanes return RB Joe Yearby and 10 offensive linemen, including five core players.
The biggest question of the offseason for Georgia will be how quickly Eason is integrated into the offense. Next will be Nick Chubb’s knee injury recovery. There’s hope that Chubb will make a similar return to full strength like former Georgia RB Todd Gurley, who excelled in 2015 in the NFL. Finding multiple targets in the passing game likely will be a barometer for how the quarterbacks fare in 2016.
While Georgia has several pieces for a solid offense, Miami has fewer questions overall, especially at quarterback.
DEFENSE
Both teams bring in new defensive coordinators in Manny Diaz and Mel Tucker, but Miami has more questions, especially in the secondary. Artie Burns, Tracy Howard and Deon Bush left the Miami secondary, but the front seven has five experienced players back.
Where there are questions for Miami, there’s a strength for Georgia, which was the top-ranked pass defense nationally in 2015, and brings in Tucker, who previously coached Alabama’s secondary and was an NFL defensive coordinator before that.
SCHEDULE
There’s little argument that Miami has the easier climate in terms of the conference, division race and the overall schedule. Miami’s never won the Coastal Division title, and there’s an expectation that Richt can put the Hurricanes — coming off of an 8-5 record — over the top given that the last three champions were North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke.
Miami has home games against Florida State and North Carolina, but will travel to Notre Dame, which was ranked No. 11 in the final Associated Press poll. The Hurricanes wouldn’t play Clemson until a potential ACC Championship matchup. One notable matchup will be when Miami plays at Georgia Tech, where Richt is undefeated against Tech, and 13-2 overall.
Georgia, meanwhile, will have to contend with presumed SEC East favorite Tennessee. The Bulldogs open the season against one of the better ACC teams in North Carolina, and then have a tough three-game stretch on the road at Missouri and Ole Miss and at home against Tennessee.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
