Podcast: More COVID developments, Navaughn Donaldson redshirts and UM recruiting optimism
Case counts of COVID-19 are climbing across Florida, outbreaks are popping up within college football teams all across the United States and the Miami Hurricanes aren’t giving us any insight into how they’re faring in their battle against the coronavirus.
Yes, it’s another COVID segment at the top of the latest episode of the Eye on the U podcast as David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Miami Herald’s Hurricanes beat writer, sort through all the latest pandemic developments and how they might affecting the still-scheduled-to-start-on-time 2020 season.
The questions are more complex than just figuring out how to keep Miami’s players healthy and away from potential risks. Will the Atlantic Coast Conference mandate some testing policy to make sure contagious players aren’t on the field? What happens when the Hurricanes play nonconference games against smaller-conference teams like the UAB Blazers and FCS Wagner Seahawks? The NCAA has stayed away from mandating too many COVID policies, but it feels like it might need to come up with something if the season is going to go on as planned later this summer and into the fall.
If you’re tired of virus talk, skip ahead to the midpoint of the episode where we dive into some actual, real-life football topics. Offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson said he plans to redshirt for the 2020 season. What will it mean for the Hurricanes’ offensive line this season and into the future? It’s the sort of move which could work out for all parties, even if it makes Miami slightly worse off in 2020.
We even get to some recruiting talk in this episode as the Hurricanes continue to find success recruiting Miami Northwestern, which could shape the outlook of their Class of 2021. Degnan, who admittedly doesn’t get excited about recruiting until National Signing Day or the early signing period, wants to know: Is the buzz around the Hurricanes and four-star quarterback Jake Garcia really worth latching on to? Wilson explains all the reasons Miami might be able to pry Garcia from the Southern California Trojans.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
