Jon Beason calls almost once a week to remind him ``go hard every play.''

Jonathan Vilma rings his cellphone to make sure No. 31 is ``spending extra time in the film room.''

And his position coach Micheal Barrow tells him every day he could be one of the best linebackers to ever play at the University of Miami if he keeps working at it.

Canes freshman linebacker Sean Spence is only two games into his college career, but consider him well aware he's being looked upon with great expectations. And according to his teammates, roommates and best friend, he's not letting any of it get to his head.

''People call him a ball freak, tell him he'll be out of here in two to three years,'' said freshman defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has been Spence's best friend since the two began playing together at Miami Northwestern High in ninth grade.

``People say he's going to be the next great one, and he should be starting. The thing with Sean is, he's humble. He laughs when people say that. He just smiles.

``He's just playing his role right now like when we were in the ninth grade. He knows his time will come.''

MAKING AN IMPACT

After two games, Spence already has many wishing he was in the starting lineup. Despite coming off the bench, Spence ranks fourth on the team in tackles (7), is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (2) and is one of just three players with a sack. He also has one pass breakup to his credit.

Some might say he also ranks first overall when it comes to big plays. Against Florida, Spence made a highlight-reel sack when he blitzed and yanked Heisman-winner Tim Tebow to the ground by his shoulder pads. Last week when asked about the sack, Spence downplayed it, saying, ``It felt good, but it just felt like a regular tackle.''

His teammates, however, couldn't stop praising him for it -- or the lick he laid on running back Brandon James in the fourth quarter, a replay becoming a big hit on YouTube. Of the hit, Spence said, he didn't celebrate it because the Canes were losing.

''He's a big hitter, a big playmaker,'' starting middle linebacker Glenn Cook said. ``His greatest asset is his knack to get to the ball. He's real instinctive. Sean still has a lot of things to improve on. But like I've been saying, he's a playmaker. He's consistently around the ball. He's going to make plays. We just got to get him on the field.''

Spence's instincts and his smarts are what former Northwestern teammates Jacory Harris and Forston say made Spence special when he was 25 pounds lighter.

Spence has bulked up to 211 pounds since arriving at UM in January, but he still is considered undersized for his position.

''To me, he still is an undersized linebacker, but he knows how to use his size to his advantage,'' Harris said. 'He ducks and dodges and uses his brain to perform. In high school, if an [offense] was lined up a certain way, he'd [call out] it's a draw coming. I'd be like, `How in the world? I didn't see that.' ''

Spence said while it has become harder to pick up ''tells'' in an offense in college, he said he's still spending extra time watching film at UM on his own -- just like he did in high school when he learned to pick up the signs of a run or pass based on the way he said opposing offensive linemen were leaning at the line of scrimmage.

SHANNON IMPRESSED

UM coach Randy Shannon said he is thrilled with how quickly Spence has made the transition from high school to college and compared Spence to Vilma, who was also undersized his freshman year. Vilma didn't start a game as a freshman but laid the foundation down for what turned out to be an All-American season as sophomore.

''It's unbelievable how far he's come,'' Shannon said of Spence. ``The more he can learn, the better off we'll be on defense. You don't depend on a freshman playing. But he's got the knowledge and the game, and he knows the way we play defense at Miami. Vilma was about the same as him: He started as a true freshman when Dan [Morgan] was out a few times. The following year, he took over.''

While Spence says he'd love to start, he's not worried about it. Much like the expectations being placed on him.

''I'm just try to stay focused on one game at a time, not worrying about all the fame and all the hype,'' said Spence, who is listed as the backup to Colin McCarthy at weak-side linebacker.

``I'm just accepting my role. I'm a freshman. All those guys [Ray Lewis, Vilma] had to do it. They had a certain role on the team.

``I'm just taking my role.''

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