Hurricanes’ Manny Diaz updates injuries, who’s impressing and a freshman who will play
A 12-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes after practice on a Thursday night:
▪ Offensive tackle Zion Nelson and defensive tackle Nesta Silvera - two key pieces of UM’s lines - haven’t been spotted during practice media access this week, but there’s apparently no cause for concern.
Coach Manny Diaz said neither had surgery and both are on track to play in the Sept. 4 opener against Alabama.
“Both guys are experiencing soreness from a previous situation,” Diaz said. “Being held out, precautionary. Both guys have a lot of experience. I would expect when we start game prep next week, I would expect both to be back with us.”
Asked if everyone will be available for the Alabama game, Diaz said: “We’ll have pretty much a full complement of our guys.”
Nelson has not participated in at least the past four practices attended by media, going back to early last week. He was not at Tuesday’s and Thursday’s practices during the media’s 40 minutes of viewing.
Nelson, 6-5 and 316 pounds, started seven games last season at left tackle, including the last six of the season. He has been projected by various college football analysts as a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Only a third-year sophomore, he could also choose to return to Miami.
The fourth-year junior Silvera, who started 10 games and saw action in all 11 games last year, also was missing Tuesday and again Thursday night.
Silvera led all interior linemen last season with 35 total tackles and eight tackles for loss. He also had a sack, forced fumble and pass breakup, and tied for the team lead with five quarterback hurries. Now playing first-team defensive tackle are Jonathan Ford and Jared Harrison-Hunte.
▪ DJ Scaife, a fourth-year junior who started all 11 games last season at right guard, has been playing at tackle -- the last two practices on the right side as usual right tackle Jarrid Williams slid over to left tackle in place of Nelson.
Scaife was initially projected to be the sixth offensive lineman, but now could see a new role at tackle, depending on Nelson’s status.
▪ The positive news at practice Thursday was that defensive ends Deandre Johnson and Chantz Williams, who were working out off to the side Tuesday, were back with the others. Diaz said Williams will be “full go” by next Monday and hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s scrimmage.
▪ Defensive end Jahfari Harvey returned to practice on Wednesday after a minor injury issue.
Also back was linebacker Tirek Austin-Cave, who was seen in a boot Tuesday.
Two players working out in the sand pit in the distance on the sidelines near Mark Light Field were freshman defensive lineman Quentin Williams and running back Thaddius Franklin. Chantz Williams was with them a bit later.
Also, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who worked with the second team, had his left wrist and hand wrapped in white tape.
None of the players were wearing red, non-contact jerseys.
The first team offense was led by second-year freshman Tyler Van Dyke, with freshman Jake Garcia leading the third team.
▪ UM has a very competitive cornerback battle with Stevenson, Te’Cory Couch and DJ Ivey. Al Blades Jr., back from an offseason injury, also will be a big factor.
“It’s highly competitive,” Diaz said. “DJ played great in the spring, hasn’t really put a foot wrong this camp. Te’Cory Couch and his competitiveness is still showing up. Tyrique is learning the scheme, maybe doesn’t have the background in the scheme the other guys have, but he brings different dimensions, different tools. And Al getting back - not only what Al has done at corner - but his position flexibility, being able to help out at nickel. We can never have enough corners. We always seem to run out. So having those guys.”
▪ Diaz said UM’s roster is now 87 percent vaccinated. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday that teams that do not have enough players to play a game on its scheduled day - because of COVID-19 - will be charged with a loss. The other team will be awarded a win.
“The number of [unvaccinated] guys we have left is a small number of guys and we’re trying to chip away at it,” Diaz said. “Our behavior can’t change from the way it was a year ago, regardless of vaccination status. We have the student body coming in this weekend. It’s important for our guys to continue to protect the program any way they can.”
▪ Diaz loves how Keontra Smith has adjusted in his move from striker to weakside linebacker, and how Amari Carter has done in his shift from safety to striker.
“Amari brings us an added dimension of physicality to that spot,” Diaz said. “That’s never been questioned, his toughness. He’s obviously very intelligent. He will still have a hand at safety...
“[Smith] you probably wouldn’t be surprised by his performance. In the six days where we threw him at WILL in the spring, he looks so natural there.... And now after a summer of meetings, he shows up every day in practice; it’s fun to watch him play.”
▪ Asked what freshmen will contribute this season, Diaz said: “There are a bunch. The thing you never know with freshmen is at what point [they will help] We think very highly of this class. The tight end, Elijah Arroyo, shows up every day in practice. He will certainly have a role. [Running back] Cody Brown had a role on Saturday. We like the young linemen on both sides of the ball.”
Diaz also referenced the freshmen receivers (Jacolby George, Brashard Smith, Romello Brinson).
▪ Jared Harrison Hunte - who started one game last season - said working with new defensive line coach Jess Simpson will pay dividends.
“Last year, I didn’t know football; I was going off instincts,” he said. “Now [Simpson] is teaching me the game. Now I have to use my tools.”
Harrison Hunte, Silvera, Ford and Jordan Miller figure to play a lot -- and five-star freshman Leonard Taylor is pushing for time. With Silvera out, Taylor played with the second team on Thursday.
“Starting is not important to me,” Harrison Hunte said. “I just want to play.”
In the wake of last December’s North Carolina debacle, Harrison Hunte said he believes UM’s run defense will be better because the Canes coaches have made adjustments in the way UM defends runs to the perimeter and taught them how to read and react better.
▪ Diaz said he’s treating Saturday’s scrimmage as a third NFL preseason game, “where this is the one you’re trying to peak for. After Saturday, we’ll assess the roster for 48 hours and then get into ‘Bama prep.”
▪ Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope are trying to fend off the young receivers for playing time. To this point, Key’Shawn Smith appears appears ahead of them.
And Michael Redding and Xavier Restrepo might ultimately end up ahead of them, too. The three freshmen receivers - particularly George - have impressed everyone.
“You have to teach them how to handle adversity,” receivers coach Rob Likens told WQAM when asked about Pope and Wiggins. “You have to get them to think about that in the right way - people are going to fail, you’re going to fail in life, but you can’t allow the outside opinions of people to affect you. You have to stay off social media and can’t listen to other people’s opinions. … You can’t get caught up in that as a person, have to believe in yourself. They have to know I believe in them, we believe in them. and they have to go out and do it.”
▪ UM says it expects season ticket sales to be in the 30,000 range.
UM says it has had “a handful of requests to opt out” - because of COVID-19 - “but not a significant number.”
What happens to fans who have bought tickets but don’t want to attend because of concerns about COVID?
UM says that “once final guidelines are announced if fan’s aren’t comfortable, we will offer the options to: roll over funds paid-to-date to next year’s season tickets; reallocate their credit to a student-impact donation, or request a full refund.”
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 9:22 PM.
