Three players from Miami’s 2024 opponents have been ranked in the top 10 at their positions by Pro Football Focus (PFF). These players are California running back Jadyn Ott, Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II, and Florida center Jake Slaughter. The Miami defense will face these standout players for the first time in 2024.
Jadyn Ott is one of the two first-team All-Pac 12 running backs from 2023 who will compete in the ACC in 2024. The other is Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez, who will play for Miami this season. In the 2023 season, Oregon State defeated California 52-40. Martinez had 17 carries for 89 yards, a touchdown, and one reception for 16 yards, while Ott had 13 carries for 84 yards, a touchdown, and one reception for negative three yards. In their 2022 matchup, Martinez had 23 carries for 105 yards and one reception for six yards, while Ott had eight carries for 20 yards and four receptions for six yards.
Ott has impressive stats, with 1,394 yards after contact and 108 forced missed tackles, ranking third among returning Power Five running backs. His 2,201 total rushing yards are fourth, and he has 517 receiving yards over the last couple of years, ranking sixth among Power Five running backs.
Oronde Gadsden II, the son of former Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden, has emerged as one of the top tight ends in college football. As a hybrid tight end/wide receiver, Gadsden has lined up out wide 273 times, in-line 85 times, and in the slot for 553 snaps, according to Max Chadwick of PFF. Despite playing only two games in 2022, Gadsden is second nationally among FBS tight ends with 1,033 receiving yards since 2022. He recorded 61 receptions for 969 yards and six touchdowns in his only season as a full-time starter in 2022. Gadsden will be a challenging matchup for Miami’s secondary, which will feature two new starting safeties in 2024.
Miami’s defense will also be tested by Jake Slaughter, who had a breakout season in 2022 with an 81.2 grade from PFF in 2023, ranking second among Power Five centers. Slaughter was fifth among Power Five centers with an 84.2 run-blocking grade on zone runs and is ranked as the eighth-best center nationally by PFF.
In addition to these players, Miami will face other top-ranked opponents. North Carolina running back Omarrion Hampton, ranked third by PFF, had a standout performance against Miami in 2023, rushing for 197 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown and adding two receptions for another score in a 41-31 Tar Heels victory. Jadyn Ott is expected to be the biggest test for the Miami run defense in 2024, which allowed only 105.62 rushing yards per game in 2023, ranking 12th nationally.
Edge rusher Rueben Bain and linebackers Wesley Bissainthe and Francisco Mauigoa are the only returning starters in Miami’s front seven for 2024. Lance Guidry returns for his second season as Miami’s defensive coordinator, and he will need to strategize effectively to counter the challenges posed by Gadsden, Ott, and Slaughter.
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