Miami Hurricanes 2021 Player Profile: Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson

Since Manny Diaz became the head coach at Miami, the Hurricanes have perhaps done the best job when it comes to adding players through the transfer portal. Earlier this year, UM struck gold once again, landing cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who spend his first two college seasons playing at Georgia.

A South Florida native and 5-star prospect coming out of Miami Southridge High School, Stevenson was arguably the most important on-field addition for the Canes this off-season. A position that has lacked depth in recent years, Miami isn’t just bringing in another body at cornerback, but a player with an incredibly high ceiling, and one who could change the dynamic for the Hurricanes defense.

In his two years with Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, Stevenson was used in the Georgia defense as a nickel cornerback, totaling 47 tackles, 2 TFLs and 1 sack. Last season, Stevenson was 5th on the Bulldogs defense with 34 tackles, while also ending the year with 5 pass breakups.

At 6-0 and around 215 pounds, Stevenson is tremendously gifted physically, and looks to become CB1 for the Hurricanes. During Miami’s spring game, Stevenson lined up with the first-team Hurricanes defense.

While he lined up in the slot for Georgia, Miami will use him on the outside. Alongside Al Blades Jr., DJ Ivey and Te’cory Couch, the addition of Stevenson gives the Canes solid depth and experience at cornerback.

Stevenson is a cornerback that can do a variety of things at the position. Strong and physical enough to defend the run, while possessing game-changing skills in coverage, Stevenson is someone who has the potential to become a top corner in the ACC.

“He has played in some significant games in the SEC and he has played some big time ball. He is a big time player,” said new cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke about Stevenson.

247 Sports listed Stevenson as the #1 transfer cornerback in 2021, and #8 transfer player overall. Athlon Sports has Stevenson 3rd-team All-ACC conference in their preseason rankings.

So obviously, the talent is clearly there for Stevenson, and personally, I think Miami could have their next star cornerback on their hands. Another reason why I believe Stevenson will excel at UM is the arrival of new defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson.

A proven track record of developing DB’s at the college level, T-Rob recently helped coach cornerback Jaycee Horn at South Carolina, who was the #8 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in this years NFL Draft.

Though he’s only made four career starts in his first two years playing college football, Stevenson is a player who I expect will progress each week as the 2021 season goes on, similar to what Bubba Bolden or Jaelan Phillips did in 2020. I’m not saying Stevenson is going to explode on to the scene and become a first-round pick in next years draft like Phillips, but I do think he’s the playmaker cornerback Miami has been searching for.