Miami Hurricanes: Brad Kaaya Closing in on School Passing Records

The Miami Hurricanes Brad Kaaya passed the 9,000-yard mark in career passing yards in Saturday’s win against Virginia. He is currently at 9,004 yards passing in his career.

Kaaya needs 561 passing yards with three games remaining in the season to become the school’s all-time passing yardage leader. Kaaya is chasing Ken Dorsey’s school record set between 1999-02.

Dorsey played on much better Miami teams. In his three seasons as the full-time starter, Miami went 35-2, won one national championship, finished second in the country in 2000 and had the national championship taken from them in 2002. The Hurricanes are 20-16 in Kaaya’s three seasons under center.

Dorsey played in six games in 1999 throwing for 807 yards ten touchdowns and two interceptions. Kaaya started from the outset as a Freshman. Kaaya followed Stephen Morris, the Hurricanes fourth all-time leading passer. Morris was preceded by Jacory Harris who is third.

Kaaya has 2,568 yards this season. On his way to the career yardage record, Kaaya can also move into the top ten for yards in a season with 527 yards passing. His 2014 season is the eighth-best in school history and his 2015 season is tied for sixth with Heisman Trophy winner Vinnie Testaverde’s 1985 season.

The feat of getting into the top ten for the third time is exceptional. At a school known as Quarterback U, no one else has more than one season in the top ten. Kaaya 19 touchdown passes this season have vaulted him into third with 61.

He has an outside chance to catch Jacory Harris’ 70 by the end of the season. Dorsey holds the school record with 86. If Kaaya somehow decided to come back next season, the TD record is easily in reach. Kaaya’s 26 touchdown passes in 2014 are a school freshman record.

Other school records within Kaaya’s reach are completions in a season (he currently has 193, Bernie Kosar holds the record with 262 in 1984), and completions in a career (Kaaya 652- Harris 703, 2008-11).

If Kaaya returns for his Senior season, he will hold virtually all the career passing records. Kaaya was once projected as a top-five pick in next spring’s draft. The consensus projections now have him dropping to the late first round at the earliest.