Four Miami Hurricanes earn invites to NFL Combine
The Miami Hurricanes have four players that received the official invite to the NFL Combine . On Wednesday, the league announced the full list of the 324 collegiate players who were selected for one of the top showcase events as coaches and GMs finalize their boards ahead of April.
Here are the four Miami Hurricanes that will have the coveted opportunity to make an impression that could make or break their NFL future at the event that runs from March 1 to March 7 in Indianapolis.
Quarterback D’Eriq King
After transferring from Houston with massive expectations into 2020, a barrage of injuries plagued the talented signal caller’s entire time in Coral Gables. D’Eriq King was as one of the first athletes to land big-time NIL deals and many believed he would be the reason the Miami Hurricanes broke through in 2021. Instead, the 6-year college QB played in just three three game in his final collegiate campaign to a shoulder injury.
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In 2020, after the star quarterback transferred from Houston to join the Miami Hurricanes, he threw for 2,686 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions before tearing the ACL and meniscus of his right knee in his 11th game of the year. He also rushed for 538 yards and four scores. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes and had 3,224 total yards..
When healthy, King has proven he has all of the tools NFL evaluators seek in a quarterback. In 2018 at Houston, the high school phenom exploded with 2,982 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. He also ran for 674 yards and 14 touchdowns. King was a Maxwell Award finalist, an Earl Campbell Award finalist, and challenged Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins for Heisman recognition
A team will give him a shot, but it’s difficult to predict where he will land. Much like Kenny Pickett, teams will have to take King’s age into consideration — and it’s impossible to know if it’s viewed as positive or negative — but the Miami Hurricanes QB turns 25 in August, just before the start of the 2022 NFL season.
WR Charleston Rambo
Rambo’s raw athletic ability is what landed him at Oklahoma, but inconsistency and a reputation for dropping passes led to an up-and-down career in Norman. Fortunately, the transfer portal allowed the former four-star prospect a change of scenery and his 2021 campaign gave NFL scouts a glimpse of his potential at the next level. On a Miami Hurricanes’ offense that didn’t have King to throw the rock to a WR with a ton of upside, Charleston Rambo still hauled in 79 receptions for 1,172 yards and seven touchdowns. Those 79 receptions are the most ever in a single season in program history. It’s difficult to see where teams will peg the WR who may be a bit of a project, but provides a ton of potential upside.
Safety Bubba Bolden
After committing to USC coming out of high school, the 6-foot-3 big-bodied safety caught eyes in 2020 where he was trending toward becoming one of the top safeties in the country. In his first season as the Miami Hurricanes starting safety, Bubba Bolden played in all 11 games in the regular season, making nine starts and finishing with team-best 74 total tackles. He’s built like Kam Chancellor and finished 2020 with 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and team-high four forced fumbles. The production was enough to earn second-team All-ACC honors and he semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award honoring nation’s top defensive back during the shortened COVID year.
Similar to King, Bolden’s NFL stock fell in 2021 after playing in only seven games due to a shoulder injury that haulted his final campaign for the Miami Hurricanes.
While there are question marks, Bolden has proven to thrive against the run and his touted as an above-average tackler with an eye for the ball carrier. He’s been knocked by some experts for inconsistency against the pass, but he feels like the type of player who could help himself in a major way in Indianapolis. As of now, he’s slated as a mid-round selection.
DT Jon Ford
While there’s no denying the depth at defensive line in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ford’s size is going to get him noticed. The former 3-star prospect chose the Miami Hurricanes over offers from major programs like Ohio State, Michigan, USC and others. He’s been reliable and played every season since joining the program as a true freshman in 2017. Ford isn’t superior at any one skill, but he’s a massive force who has proven he can contribute on a consistent basis. His best outing came in 2019, starting in all 13 games on interior of the Canes’ defensive line. Ford totaled 18 tackles (seven solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks while adding a pass breakup and forced fumble.
In his last two seasons for the Miami Hurricanes, it appears Jon Ford had a role change or his production dropped for another reason. Still, he’s proven he can contribute at a high level and is the kind of player a NFL team could snag late and hope to develop.