2019 Hurricanes Player Profile: Scott Patchan

Scott Patchan has had a bit of a bumpy career at Miami, as the redshirt senior has made the switch from DE to tight end, and then back to defensive end last season.

Patchan was a talented and highly-regarded recruit out of high school, as he was rated as a four-star prospect at defensive end by ESPN and Rivals. Patchan was ranked as the 19th best SDE in the country, as well as the 53rd best player overall by Rivals.

The defensive lineman comes from the football powerhouse IMG Academy, and received plenty of intriguing offers from other schools. Patchan signed with Miami despite getting offered by Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida State, Ohio State, and Penn State.

One cool thing about Patchan is that he comes from a Canes family. His dad, Matt Sr, played on two of UM’s national championship teams in 1983 and 1987.

As mentioned above, Patchan’s career at The U has not been without a few ups and downs. He redshirted as a freshman in 2015, and also saw action in one game in 2016. Then, in 2017, Patchan was moved from his traditional position to tight end, but only played in five games that season. After the position switch, Patchan moved back to his normal spot at defensive end, and he finally enjoyed sustained game action.

The 6’6,” 255 lb DE had by far his best season in 2018 as a rotational defensive end. He played in 10 games last season, finishing with 29 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and one sack. The DE was a very reliable backup for star defensive end Joe Jackson, who after a stellar junior season was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2018 NFL Draft.

With Jackson now on to the NFL, Patchan has a chance to finally break through and start for the Hurricanes in 2019. It appears star DE Jonathan Garvin and Virginia Tech transfer Trevon Hill will be getting most of the snaps opposite of Patchan.

On the other side, Patchan looks like the starter; however, two very skilled youngsters are lurking behind the senior. Redshirt freshman Gregory Rousseau, and true freshman Jahfari Harvey have both made a name for themselves throughout their time on campus. Although Patchan is slated to start, there will be intense competition at defensive end, as that is one of the most talented positions on Miami’s roster.

Patchan has had some notable moments during fall camp. He had a very impressive interception of Tate Martell on Day 1. Additionally, his leadership shined later in camp during the “Big Cane” drill. Patchan volunteered to go first in drill, which pits one offensive player and one defensive player as they try to put the other on his back. Patchan won the drill over red-shirt freshman John Campbell. Head Coach Manny Diaz “loved” Patchan’s initiative. Patchan commented on his leadership, saying, “I wanted to set a tone for practice.” “I wanted to be aggressive. Coach Diaz is the head coach, and he wants toughness and we’re going to give it to him.’’

Overall, it’s been a bumpy road for Patchan, but the fifth time could be the charm for him, as a starting spot on a very deep defense seems to be in the cards for him.

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Quote from Patchan courtesy of The Miami Herald