The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a tough loss against North Carolina and are preparing to face Clemson in Week 8. Star quarterback and future NFL Draft prospect Tyler Van Dyke’s status came into question after the Hurricanes’ loss to the Tar Heels.
We have the latest on Van Dyke’s injury status.
Tyler Van Dyke Injury Status vs. Clemson
Van Dyke has a right leg injury, according to the Miami Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan. Van Dyke was seen with his “right leg wrapped up in an ace bandage all the way up to above his knee” and limping around with his leg completely stiff as he walked, per the report.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said on Monday that Van Dyke was ready to go against Clemson.
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“I don’t talk about injuries,” Cristobal said. “He’s ready to go. You have to write what you have to write.”
Van Dyke has thrown for 1,721 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions for a QBR of 83.4 this season.
Clemson will play Miami on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium. The line has shifted from -2.5 to -3.5 due to Van Dyke’s leg injury.
During Miami’s 41-31 loss to North Carolina, Van Dyke was sacked three times and threw two interceptions due to the Hurricanes’ struggling offensive line against North Carolina’s pass rush.
Miami’s true freshman quarterback Emory Williams has served as the primary backup this season. In relief of Van Dyke, Williams has completed 12 of 15 passes, accumulating 144 yards.
In an emergency, Miami also has the option to turn to Jacurri Brown, who played in relief of an injured Van Dyke in 2022. However, the Hurricanes intend to redshirt Brown this season.
Van Dyke’s Scouting Report
Read Van Dyke’s full scouting report here.
Strengths
- Boasts an ideal prototypical build with excellent height, mass, and play strength.
- Possesses a visibly strong arm that generates high levels of velocity with ease.
- Sports a crisp, fluid release that consistently produces tight spirals, launching pace.
- Velocity carries to all ranges and can be channeled through arm angle adjustment.
- Extremely elastic arm allows for free-functioning angle manipulation at release.
- Has decent vertical speed in open field and has enough mobility to sidestep rushers.
- Arm elasticity enables him to both work off-platform and elongate throwing windows.
- Flashes the ability to keep his eyes up while rolling out, creating chances off-script.
- Has shown he can keep his eyes forward on the dropback to hold defenders in place.
- Able to snap his back foot into place and place his front foot accurately in sequence.
- Has shown he can use controlled shoulder tilt to add loft on boundary passes.
- Keeps his off arm tight to his body to maximize rotational freedom and torque.
- Generally has good feel in the pocket, sensing rushers and sidestepping accordingly.
- Has the wherewithal to throw the ball away when nothing is there and when cornered.
Weaknesses
- Tall, high-cut build naturally leads to stiffness when changing directions and evading.
- Visibly lacks great freedom as a lateral athlete and is a leggy mover in space.
- Lower-body mechanics still have considerable room for improvement in Year 3.
- Sometimes fails to roll his base uniformly through rotations, leading to width volatility.
- Incongruent, unstable mechanics cause shoulder misalignment and bouts of inaccuracy.
- Can have scissor feet on the dropback at times, tying him up when he needs to adapt.
- Sometimes jolts too much when navigating in-phase and can be too staggered.
- Pressure can bait him into leaving pockets prematurely and hesitating on throws.
- More often than not, is an area thrower who struggles with situational precision.
- Still seeking a more consistent balance of arc and energy on passes to the deep third.
- Stares down targets in the zone and can be quicker as a processor and a triggerman.
- Hesitation and delays between stimulus and response can increase turnover risk.
- Will sometimes seek to force ill-advised throws with his arm.