The Rundown Take
A Legend Joins the Building: U Talk Welcomes Ed Reed as Chief of Staff
A somber open gave way to real optimism on this U Talk LIVE, as the host paused to send condolences to the families lost in the Kobe Bryant helicopter tragedy before turning to the Miami Hurricanes' newest hire: Hall of Famer Ed Reed, brought in as chief of staff. Between staff news and a full slate of callers, the panel put a number on its 2020 record prediction for the first time.
Key Takeaways
- Ed Reed is officially Miami's new chief of staff, an advisory role touching critique planning, quality control, player evaluation and development, and recruiting.
- The host admits he wanted Alonzo Highsmith for the job but is sold on Reed — a Hall of Famer, Pro Bowler and world champion the current roster actually watched play.
- Prediction locked in: 10-2 on the season, with road trips to Blacksburg for Virginia Tech and the home Florida State rivalry game flagged as the two games to sweat.
- Breakout calls: Dee Wiggins at receiver and a bounce-back year from the safeties, including a freshman-pass-granted Garvin Hall.
- The defensive end room is loaded — returning sophomore Gregory Rousseau (13 sacks, second nationally last year), Temple transfer Quincy Roche, and true freshmen Chance Williams and Elisha Roberts.
Bringing In a Hall of Famer
The Ed Reed hire dominated the front half of the show. The host laid out what the job actually covers — advising Manny Diaz on personnel, mentoring players within NCAA rules, and giving the program a fresh set of eyes the current roster can actually relate to, since most of them grew up watching Reed play.
"We're talking about a Pro Bowler, we're talking about a world champ, we're talking about a Hall of Famer. Soak up all of that knowledge he's gonna be giving you guys."
The bigger point: with Manny reportedly on board with the hire and no offseason chatter or distractions surfacing so far, the host framed this as a program that has quietly gotten more serious, not less, after a rough year one.
Putting a Number on It
Pressed by callers for a record prediction, the host settled on 10-2, calling Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and the home date with Florida State the two most likely stumbles. He admitted 12-0 felt more honest given the offseason buzz but wasn't willing to say it out loud after last year's letdown. At quarterback, the confidence in grad transfer D'Eriq King was total — the read-and-react spread fits him far better than the pro-style scheme that limited Jarren Williams and N'Kosi Perry a year ago, even though King hasn't played a snap in Power Five competition yet.
The Trenches Will Tell the Story
With three true freshmen forced into starting roles on the offensive line last season, the host tied Miami's ceiling directly to how much that group has matured under new line coach Gavin Justice. On the other side of the ball, he's not worried — Rousseau, Roche and the incoming freshman ends give Miami as much size and speed off the edge as it's had in years, even as the linebacker room stays green heading into spring.