Despite no traditional media access being locked down for fall camp, the CanesInSight daily crew of @DMoney and Ahmmon Richards have been on the ground for every practice — providing EXCLUSIVE insight from behind the scenes. With the season exactly three weeks away, the duo broke down five stock-up players apiece. And while it’s still early, here are the names catching eyes heading toward the opener against Stanford on the offensive side of the ball.
From returning kicks and breaking off explosive runs, Pringle draws praise as the fastest player on the roster in terms of track speed, change of direction, and acceleration. Unlike a pure scat-back, Pringle can run between the tackles in a traditional manner while also winning in space, which makes him unpredictable for defenses. He's viewed as the guy who can take pressure off Malachi Toney as a home-run threat in an offense built around limited possessions.
Comparisons to former Cane Chris Johnson Jr. consistently come up, but it’s worth noting Pringle is actually more of a between-the-tackles runner than Johnson was, giving him more versatility and making him harder to defend on early downs. Managing touches across a deep backfield will be the challenge for Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson.
Coming off a sophomore season derailed by a Week 1 injury, Lyle is putting together a productive, healthy camp and looks primed to contribute in Miami's offense, where explosive backs who maximize eight-to-ten touches matter more than volume rushers. He's described as more versatile than a pure inside runner — able to block, run out of the backfield, and catch passes. At roughly 20 pounds heavier than Pringle, Lyle profiles as more of a north-south, physical option.
@DMoney addresses the latest surrounding Lyle here
At roughly 6-foot-8 and over 330 pounds with long arms and rare flexibility for his size (credited to a wrestling background), he's worked mostly at right guard with the versatility to kick out to tackle. He's often mentioned alongside fellow lineman Jackson Cantwell, with the two viewed as working in tandem rather than pure competitors — Congdon projecting more as a guard with tackle ability, Cantwell more tackle with guard ability.
Where Cantwell's power comes through his hands, Congdon's comes from bending his knees and getting leverage under bigger defenders. Ohio State reportedly offered him late, after Miami already had him locked up — a decision that looked worse in hindsight given Ohio State's offensive line struggles against Miami in the playoff.
He's added size that's helped his confidence working over the middle (around 230 pounds), and is viewed as a vertical threat who can stretch the field, drawing a favorable comparison in versatility to a mix of downfield tight ends and shiftier route-runners. With his college debut set to come relatively close to his hometown, it's a potential breakout game early in the season with plenty eager to see what he can do with the ball in his hands.
After an injury-plagued, disappointing sophomore campaign, Lofton is drawing renewed buzz in camp.
He’s brought back his home-run ability after the catch after taking care of his body and getting back to a healthy weight — returning the kind of contact balance and burst that flashed on a fake-punt conversion against Iowa State and a catch-and-run against Florida last season. If opposing defenses focus on taking away Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate and other options, Lofton is the player who can make them pay working over the middle, an area of Miami's passing attack considered underused last season. His practice tape is said to be trending up week over week, and a healthy Lofton is viewed as a real weapon for QB Darian Mensah in the passing game.
Watch the full breakdown below:
1. Girard Pringle Jr. (RB)
Pringle missed most of spring with a lower extremity injury, and now fully healthy, he's been the biggest riser in camp.From returning kicks and breaking off explosive runs, Pringle draws praise as the fastest player on the roster in terms of track speed, change of direction, and acceleration. Unlike a pure scat-back, Pringle can run between the tackles in a traditional manner while also winning in space, which makes him unpredictable for defenses. He's viewed as the guy who can take pressure off Malachi Toney as a home-run threat in an offense built around limited possessions.
Comparisons to former Cane Chris Johnson Jr. consistently come up, but it’s worth noting Pringle is actually more of a between-the-tackles runner than Johnson was, giving him more versatility and making him harder to defend on early downs. Managing touches across a deep backfield will be the challenge for Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson.
2. Jordan Lyle (RB)
Lyle draws a Saquon Barkley comparison for his thick lower body, which helps him break tackles while still finding home-run plays.Coming off a sophomore season derailed by a Week 1 injury, Lyle is putting together a productive, healthy camp and looks primed to contribute in Miami's offense, where explosive backs who maximize eight-to-ten touches matter more than volume rushers. He's described as more versatile than a pure inside runner — able to block, run out of the backfield, and catch passes. At roughly 20 pounds heavier than Pringle, Lyle profiles as more of a north-south, physical option.
@DMoney addresses the latest surrounding Lyle here
3. Ben Congdon (OL)
Congdon is quietly emerging as one of the camp's biggest evaluation wins — a lower-rated evaluation who now looks like a potential day one starter.At roughly 6-foot-8 and over 330 pounds with long arms and rare flexibility for his size (credited to a wrestling background), he's worked mostly at right guard with the versatility to kick out to tackle. He's often mentioned alongside fellow lineman Jackson Cantwell, with the two viewed as working in tandem rather than pure competitors — Congdon projecting more as a guard with tackle ability, Cantwell more tackle with guard ability.
Where Cantwell's power comes through his hands, Congdon's comes from bending his knees and getting leverage under bigger defenders. Ohio State reportedly offered him late, after Miami already had him locked up — a decision that looked worse in hindsight given Ohio State's offensive line struggles against Miami in the playoff.
4. Israel Briggs (TE)
A true freshman tight end out of Visalia, Calif., Briggs has become more consistent as fall camp has progressed, showing he can catch the ball in a variety of situations — over the middle, underneath, and down the field — with reliable hands.He's added size that's helped his confidence working over the middle (around 230 pounds), and is viewed as a vertical threat who can stretch the field, drawing a favorable comparison in versatility to a mix of downfield tight ends and shiftier route-runners. With his college debut set to come relatively close to his hometown, it's a potential breakout game early in the season with plenty eager to see what he can do with the ball in his hands.
5. Elija Lofton(TE)
After an injury-plagued, disappointing sophomore campaign, Lofton is drawing renewed buzz in camp.
He’s brought back his home-run ability after the catch after taking care of his body and getting back to a healthy weight — returning the kind of contact balance and burst that flashed on a fake-punt conversion against Iowa State and a catch-and-run against Florida last season. If opposing defenses focus on taking away Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate and other options, Lofton is the player who can make them pay working over the middle, an area of Miami's passing attack considered underused last season. His practice tape is said to be trending up week over week, and a healthy Lofton is viewed as a real weapon for QB Darian Mensah in the passing game.
Watch the full breakdown below:
