An update on the Hurricanes with Alex Donno of Locked On 'Canes

During Monday morning's edition of TexAgs Radio, Alex Donno, a Miami expert for the Locked On Network, joined to offer an insider's perspective on the Maroon & White's third opponent of the 2022 season: Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes.

Key notes from Alex Donno interview

• It's fun talking about Miami football these days. There is lot of hype, and people in the area are feeling that hype.
   
• The hire in Mario Cristobal having played at the U. He's a community guy and kept connections in south Florida. He keeps in touch with everyone. The University of Miami has started to invest in the program financially.
   
• There is that feeling, but I'm not sure I'm buying the hype yet. They did get a ton of the transfers. I think they can win the ACC Coastal division. I don't know if they can compete against Clemson. They play in the regular season and maybe again in the ACC championship. The X factor is Miami’s skill position guys. At the line of scrimmage, I don't think they have the depth Clemson has.
   
• I hope Miami ends up in the SEC or Big Ten. The ACC isn't being dismantled, but somewhere in the middle. The SEC would be the preferred destination. With the Florida-Miami rivalry in the same confernce, I would love to see Miami move to a superconference.
   
• The Texas A&M game will be a baptism for the entire team. That is going to be the first test for Tyler Van Dyke. For the first couple of games, he was getting his sea legs, and then for six games, he was putting up video game numbers. I like that he has a short-term memory and bounces back. He talks the talk, so let's see if he walks the walk. He plays fearlessly and is not afraid to challenge tight coverages. If he is too daring against A&M, he may throw some interceptions.
   
• The wide receiver position is one of the biggest question marks. Two of their top guys ran out of eligibility. I feel better about the tight-end room. Xavier Restrepo and Van Dyke have really good chemistry and are roommates. There are a lot of bodies there, but no one has proven anything. They picked up a lot of transfers on the offensive and defensive lines.
   
• Cristobal likes to have two full units of offensive line rotation, and they may not have that for a year or two.
   
• Outside of A&M and Clemson, you circle Florida State on the calendar. They lost that rivalry last year. The ACC Coastal is a landmine, and it's hard to predict because these teams don't jump off the page. There are opportunities for trap games. Miami will be underdogs in College Station and Clemson.