Manny Diaz gives news on Miami DT Nesta Silvera and clarifies LB Zach McCloud situation

Manny Diaz delivered some news Monday that will please Hurricanes fans, though they’ll know for sure if it transpires after the Canes (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) host ACC Coastal Division nemesis Virginia Tech (2-2, 0-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Diaz said on WQAM that sophomore defensive tackle Nesta Silvera will be back for Saturday’s game, a huge boost for the defensive line should Silvera actually get in the rotation.

The Canes’ defense already is ranked 12th nationally in team tackles for loss, averaging 8.3 a game, and 29th in sacks, with 2.75 a game. Miami also is sixth nationally in rushing defense, allowing only 59.8 rushing yards a game. UM is 13th in total defense, allowing an average of 269.5 yards.

The 6-2, 302-pound Silvera sustained a right-foot injury in late July and had surgery in early August.

Silvera, a former consensus four-star prospect and Under Armour All-American out of Plantation American Heritage, played in 10 games last season and had 13 tackles and 1 1/2 tackles for loss.

Silvera will join safety Bubba Bolden, a 6-3, 200-pounder who transferred to UM this season and played at Southern Cal in 2017 after being selected to the 2016 Parade All-American first team.

This will be Bolden’s first game as a Hurricane.

“Yeah, Bubba will be out there,’’ Diaz told WQAM. “It will be good to see him going and providing more competition in our secondary. He’s been waiting around, he’s working really hard. I’m just excited to see Bubba get out on the field and play.

“Yeah, and [Silvera] will be back as well, which should be great. Again, just allowing our guys to roll up front, which, obviously, everybody knows that we like to do. I think our D-tackles are off to a good start. Obviously they’re pretty stout vs. the run which will be a huge key, I mean every week, but certainly this week with Virginia Tech coming in.

“Again, the more guys we have and the fresher we can stay... That’s supposed to be our advantage in this league as we can wear people down with our depth.’’

WQAM host Joe Rose told Diaz that he was surprised by Diaz’s announcement last Wednesday regarding senior linebacker Zach McCloud likely redshirting this season so he can return as a fifth-year player in 2020. “Did he buy in right away?’’ Rose asked. “How you going to play this with Zach McCloud?”

“We let Zach dictate that,’’ Diaz answered. “Obviously he was in our plans going forward. Zach brought it forward to us that, ‘Hey if it’s possible, can I redshirt this year and come back next year?’

“Certainly that benefits us because obviously when you lose two guys like Shaq [Quarterman] and [Mike] Pinckney next year, to still have a senior in that room would be a great benefit to our team a year from now. You know, it’s hard to take those guys off the field.

“And as you mentioned,’’ Diaz continued, “a lot of times, with our striker position, we do only have two linebackers on the field at a time. But Zach is such a great young man for our program. He’s such a great young man for our university. That was a decision that was going to come from him. He has a game of eligibility left, so if there was ever a situation where we needed to put him in to finish a game, if we had an injury, he could do that.

“And if something happened — knock on wood — catastrophically, he knows that he could…

“We are preparing him every week as if he’s going to go in and play. And he knows that. So, if something unforeseen happens he could still go in and finish the rest of the season this season if his role expanded. But it’s a move that would benefit Zach and it benefits us as well.”

McCloud has played in three games this season and has four tackles in only 21 cumulative defensive snaps.

Other Diaz comments Monday on WQAM:

▪ On if he believes the four-game redshirt rule should be reevaluated: “At its core the rule is a good rule. It helps coaches it helps players. It’s good for everybody and I would prefer for it to not go back to the way it was prior. We’re obviously in an era.. Look, there’s always the law of unintended consequences and there are other things that go on, but I think the rule does more good than bad in terms of whatever reason we would go to eliminating it..”

▪ On Virginia Tech having a poor showing Friday night in losing 45-10 at home to Duke.

“In college football you’re probably not going to see the same team every week, right? Clemson is seeing North Carolina losing back-to-back games to Wake [Forest] and App [State] and they’re saying, ‘OK, we’ve got this.’ We have told our football team in this sport anytime you think something is about to be easy you better duck because you’re going to get whacked in the head.

“Obviously we would expect a wounded team, a very hungry team coming out of that locker room but I can’t worry about what’s coming out of that tunnel, I’ve really got to worry about what’s coming out of our tunnel and make sure we’ve got the right edge to succeed regardless of what Virginia Tech’s mentality is.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 10:03 AM.