Early Scouting Report: Florida A&M
Fall camp is off and running at the Carol Soffer Football Training Facility as head coach Mario Cristobal begins his 3rd fall camp at Miami. The 2024 college football season is right around the corner. We are getting ready for the season by previewing each opponent on Miami’s schedule at CT.
For the first time, I will be providing weekly scouting reports on and off for Miami’s upcoming opponent that will include an in-depth look at personnel, advanced stats, scheme background, betting information, series history, program profile, and keys to victory. That is just around the corner.
But it’s never too early to start getting some homework done. We are now pumping out some early scouting reports as we research and take a closer look at the foes on Miami’s schedule. Next up is a program that is in the same state as Miami and plays at Hard Rock one game a year.
Week 1: Early Scouting Report: Florida Gators
FAMU offense
They had a decent quarterback last year however he is gone and looking for another quarterback to step up into his spot. FAMU just added Joseph Henry to be their next offensive coordinator
- Scoring: 31.4 (No. 25 overall in FCS)
- Yards Per Play: 6.0
- Yards Per Rush: 43
- Yards Per Pass: 7.7
- Red Zone TD Percentage: 56%
FAMU will have a new starting quarterback this season.
The Rattlers quarterbacks are currently in a quarterback battle, with Junior Muratovic and Daniel Richardson as the main contenders.
The team made significant changes not only by switching quarterbacks but also by changing coordinators, essentially revamping the entire offense. Despite these changes, the team can rely on a solid group of running backs, with Kelvin Dean at the forefront. Dean assumed the starting role after the departure of Terrell Jennings from FAMU last season. Jennings concluded the season as the leading rusher, amassing an impressive 673 yards.
Dean performed exceptionally as the second leading rusher on the FAMU’s offense. celled as the primary target for running back passes, accumulating an alright 136 receiving yards.
Thad Franklin, who played for Miami in the 2022 season, is someone to watch as the second-string player. Despite his sophomore season at Miami where he rushed for 202 yards, Franklin decided to transfer to ULM due to certain circumstances. However, his performance didn’t improve there as he only managed to run for 47 yards. Franklin now looks to join FAMU, and is working towards improvement and aiming for more playing time. It will be interesting to see how his journey unfolds at FAMU.
FAMU’s wide receiver position faced a setback last year when their top receiver signed with the Jets. As a result, the FAMU Rattlers are eagerly looking towards Jah’Marae Sheered to step up and fill the void. The team is optimistic that he can take on the role of a 600-700 yard receiver, an important position to fill. Last season, he came close to reaching 500 yards, demonstrating his potential to take on a more prominent role in the upcoming season.
In the critical area of the football field known as the trenches, the team’s offensive line stands out as the strongest and most vital position.impressive lineup, with over 13 returning players, including a potential NFL draft pick. Of notable mention, Jalen Goss is making a return as a 2022 All-American and All-SWAC member, while Ashton Grable is set to make a comeback as a 2023 All-SWAC member. These returning players are expected to be key assets for the team in the upcoming season. Their offensive line boasts an
FAMU defense
The offense for FAMU had a pretty decent season in 2023. But this year it will probably seem like the defense will take that as they look really good.
- Scoring: 15.15
- Yards Per Play: 4.2
- Yards Per Rush: 2.9
- Yards Per Pass: 5.6
- Team Sacks: 37
- Takeaways: 17
Defensive coordinator Milton Patterson enters his fourth season with the Rattlers and first as the defensive coordinator for Florida A&M after joining the staff in the spring of 2021.
The 4-2-5 scheme defensive did a really good job last year in stuffing the run and stopping the pass however they do lose some big-time contributors to the team.
Last season, FAMU’s ‘Dark Cloud Defense’ finished third in the nation for tackles for loss and 10th in sacks on the way to landing the Football Championship Subdivision’s second ranking for total defense.
Donald and Westmoreland join the disruptive defensive line, including the Rattlers’ top returners James Ash and Allen Smith Jr.
Outlook
FAMU might not be the best non-conference team that Miami will face in the first three weeks of the season — but they are the most dangerous.
James Colziie lll has a case, as of now, to be the best defensive run game out there.
The offense will struggle. Don’t be surprised if a lot of points are scored by the Miami defense however I think the Hurricanes offense will and could score more than 50 when they play them in the home opener at Hard Rock in Week 2.
Trinton is the owner of CanesToday. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, he is a freshman in high school and wants to graduate from the University of Miami
