With D’Eriq King rehabbing this spring, Miami Hurricanes QB Tyler Van Dyke is getting an opportunity to show his stuff with the first team offense, and he spoke Tuesday about what his experience has been like thus far.
“I feel like I have a good grasp of the plays, who to read, when they’re blitzing how to flip the protection,” Van Dyke said. “But I’m still learning, still making a few mistakes I have to get back and watch film on… You have to limit those mistakes.”
In UM’s first spring scrimmage two weekends ago, Van Dyke went 10-15 (66.7%) passing for 114 yards and a TD. In terms of where OC Rhett Lashlee has helped him the most, Van Dyke first pointed to his improvement on RPO’s.
“I’d say the RPO game for me, (Lashlee) stressed on me that it’s going to be great for me, when to hand the ball off, when to throw it,” Van Dyke said. “We’ve done a lot of pocket passing stuff where they just really stressed trying to make quick reads and stay in the pocket and make the throw unless you need to escape. They really stressed that.”
Van Dyke started the spring garnering most of the first team reps, but true freshman Jake Garcia is fully healthy now and working in with the ones as well with Peyton Matocha also in the mix.
"It's been very competitive, it's good because we're all pushing each other to be better," Van Dyke said. "To be that guy, I feel it just comes with leadership and doing what you have to do, making the right plays, the right reads."
In Lashlee’s second year at UM, Van Dyke says he has seen the entire offense make a jump in terms of comfortability and familiarity with the system.
“We know more stuff, this is year 2 in the system, we’re clicking better, having better connections with receivers, going at a faster pace than last year,” Van Dyke said. “We have a bright future ahead.”
While King may be off the field this spring, Van Dyke says Miami’s regular starting QB has still made his presence felt in other ways.
“He’s been very helpful,” Van Dyke said of King. “He’s always watching film with us, getting us better, asking us questions to challenge us.”
None of Miami’s other QB’s bring the same dimension to the game in terms of running the ball compared to King, but Van Dyke doesn’t feel like he is a slouch in that area either.
“I’m a 7, maybe a 6 (of 10 as a runner),” Van Dyke said. “I can run the ball. I’m not just going to run around in the back and throw the ball. If the opportunity comes, I’m going to take it, try to score every time.”
His goal for UM’s second scrimmage this weekend?
“I feel like the goal for me is to be better than I did last time, just improve making a throw I didn’t make last time,” Van Dyke said. “My main goal is just to go out and have fun. That’s the biggest thing. If you’re not having fun, playing scared, you’re not going to do well. I feel I need to be more of a verbal leader, feel like I’m working on it and that’s probably one thing that’s my main goal too.”
**While he began spring limited with a foot injury, Canes freshman QB Jake Garcia was cleared to participate in full just a day before UM’s first scrimmage of the spring.
His performance in the scrimmage ultimately impressed head coach Manny Diaz and others, as Garcia finished 15 for 19 (78.9%) passing, netting 188 yards and a TD.
“The biggest part is letting receivers do their work, I trust my receivers… Things are going really well,” Garcia said. “I’ve grasped the offense pretty quickly, feel good with it. I did well in the scrimmage, it was good to put some stuff on film and review, learn from it.”
Garcia is competing with Van Dyke and Matocha this spring to position himself as King’s backup and potential heir as the starting QB at Miami, and he has enjoyed the battle thus far.
“It’s a competitive quarterback room, we push each other, continue to root for each other at the same time… It’s a really good room, everyone comes in ready to work every single day,” Garcia said. “We really push each other from the standpoint of getting mental reps. I feel comfortable asking questions and they won’t give me a wrong answer. We all help each other… Coach Lashlee does a pretty good job of rotating us, there’s not a big drop off between our ones, twos, and threes.”
In terms of what Lashlee wants him to work on the most, Garcia pointed to needing to properly recognize his progressions better.
“Kicking the ball to open space, knowing your options - that comes with time,” Garcia said. “I’ve gotten a good grasp of the offense so far. Being able to practice full speed is huge… Just picking up different coverages, get tells pre-snap.”
Of his running ability compared to King, Garcia admitted that he is nowhere near the former Houston QB in that area of the game, but that he isn’t afraid to tuck it and run either.
“I’m going to do everything I can to win, whether that’s running 10 yards for a first down or getting out of the pocket and throwing it,” Garcia said.
It was a long journey for Garcia to finally end up at UM, and he mentioned both his first early morning lift and the first day in helmets during spring ball as “Wow” moments.
“When I got out there it was crazy, ‘Now you’re here’,” Garcia said. “It’s crazy, something I don’t take for granted and I want to make the best of my opportunity.”
“I feel like I have a good grasp of the plays, who to read, when they’re blitzing how to flip the protection,” Van Dyke said. “But I’m still learning, still making a few mistakes I have to get back and watch film on… You have to limit those mistakes.”
In UM’s first spring scrimmage two weekends ago, Van Dyke went 10-15 (66.7%) passing for 114 yards and a TD. In terms of where OC Rhett Lashlee has helped him the most, Van Dyke first pointed to his improvement on RPO’s.
“I’d say the RPO game for me, (Lashlee) stressed on me that it’s going to be great for me, when to hand the ball off, when to throw it,” Van Dyke said. “We’ve done a lot of pocket passing stuff where they just really stressed trying to make quick reads and stay in the pocket and make the throw unless you need to escape. They really stressed that.”
Van Dyke started the spring garnering most of the first team reps, but true freshman Jake Garcia is fully healthy now and working in with the ones as well with Peyton Matocha also in the mix.
"It's been very competitive, it's good because we're all pushing each other to be better," Van Dyke said. "To be that guy, I feel it just comes with leadership and doing what you have to do, making the right plays, the right reads."
In Lashlee’s second year at UM, Van Dyke says he has seen the entire offense make a jump in terms of comfortability and familiarity with the system.
“We know more stuff, this is year 2 in the system, we’re clicking better, having better connections with receivers, going at a faster pace than last year,” Van Dyke said. “We have a bright future ahead.”
While King may be off the field this spring, Van Dyke says Miami’s regular starting QB has still made his presence felt in other ways.
“He’s been very helpful,” Van Dyke said of King. “He’s always watching film with us, getting us better, asking us questions to challenge us.”
None of Miami’s other QB’s bring the same dimension to the game in terms of running the ball compared to King, but Van Dyke doesn’t feel like he is a slouch in that area either.
“I’m a 7, maybe a 6 (of 10 as a runner),” Van Dyke said. “I can run the ball. I’m not just going to run around in the back and throw the ball. If the opportunity comes, I’m going to take it, try to score every time.”
His goal for UM’s second scrimmage this weekend?
“I feel like the goal for me is to be better than I did last time, just improve making a throw I didn’t make last time,” Van Dyke said. “My main goal is just to go out and have fun. That’s the biggest thing. If you’re not having fun, playing scared, you’re not going to do well. I feel I need to be more of a verbal leader, feel like I’m working on it and that’s probably one thing that’s my main goal too.”
**While he began spring limited with a foot injury, Canes freshman QB Jake Garcia was cleared to participate in full just a day before UM’s first scrimmage of the spring.
His performance in the scrimmage ultimately impressed head coach Manny Diaz and others, as Garcia finished 15 for 19 (78.9%) passing, netting 188 yards and a TD.
“The biggest part is letting receivers do their work, I trust my receivers… Things are going really well,” Garcia said. “I’ve grasped the offense pretty quickly, feel good with it. I did well in the scrimmage, it was good to put some stuff on film and review, learn from it.”
Garcia is competing with Van Dyke and Matocha this spring to position himself as King’s backup and potential heir as the starting QB at Miami, and he has enjoyed the battle thus far.
“It’s a competitive quarterback room, we push each other, continue to root for each other at the same time… It’s a really good room, everyone comes in ready to work every single day,” Garcia said. “We really push each other from the standpoint of getting mental reps. I feel comfortable asking questions and they won’t give me a wrong answer. We all help each other… Coach Lashlee does a pretty good job of rotating us, there’s not a big drop off between our ones, twos, and threes.”
In terms of what Lashlee wants him to work on the most, Garcia pointed to needing to properly recognize his progressions better.
“Kicking the ball to open space, knowing your options - that comes with time,” Garcia said. “I’ve gotten a good grasp of the offense so far. Being able to practice full speed is huge… Just picking up different coverages, get tells pre-snap.”
Of his running ability compared to King, Garcia admitted that he is nowhere near the former Houston QB in that area of the game, but that he isn’t afraid to tuck it and run either.
“I’m going to do everything I can to win, whether that’s running 10 yards for a first down or getting out of the pocket and throwing it,” Garcia said.
It was a long journey for Garcia to finally end up at UM, and he mentioned both his first early morning lift and the first day in helmets during spring ball as “Wow” moments.
“When I got out there it was crazy, ‘Now you’re here’,” Garcia said. “It’s crazy, something I don’t take for granted and I want to make the best of my opportunity.”
