Baby Canes already feeling the ‘adrenaline’ in their veins: ‘I got up talking trash’
University of Miami freshman linebacker Corey Flagg was impressively polite and mature Wednesday in his first interview with the local media.
On the field during his one assisted tackle Saturday in Miami’s 52-10 wipeout of Florida State?
Pure fiery Hurricane.
“I know you had one assist on a tackle at FSU,’’ the 5-11, 228-pound Flagg was told by a reporter during the Zoom session. “As soon as you made that tackle, what were you thinking?”
“A lot of stuff rushed through my veins as far as adrenaline and just feeling good,’’ said Flagg, a former three-star prospect out of Houston North Shore High. “When I got that first tackle, man. I got up talking trash. I was just so excited getting that first tackle — FSU game at that. I was pretty lit up, pretty excited.
“Then, I was looking at the guy and I turned around and seen the sideline was ecstatic, [defensive coordinator] [Blake] Baker was ecstatic. It really got me going. meant a lot to me with all the hard work I put in, just getting the tackle in the FSU game.
“That’s one for the books.’’
Thrilled to play
Flagg, cornerback Isaiah Dunson and receivers Michael Redding III and Xavier Restrepo all had their turns to answer questions Wednesday, and for the most part seemed thrilled to already be making their marks in college — if even on a very limited scale.
Redding caught his first college touchdown against FSU with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game. Backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry hit Redding for 7 yards, backup kicker Camden Price split the uprights for the extra point, and the Canes surpassed 50 points with the score.
“It was amazing,’’ said Redding, who has risen up the depth chart as one of the first rotation players after starters Mike Harley, Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins. “Just watching the ball come all the way into my hands knowing I was in the end zone, knowing we just put put a 50-burger up. It was just really, really exciting. The most exciting part was probably my teammates, being there with them. celebrating together, all of us together, celebrating the 50 points.”
Redding’s other critical play was his first-quarter, 6-yard catch on third-and-five from the Seminoles’ 48. The catch extended the 68-yard drive that led to Cam’Ron Harris’ touchdown to make it 14-3 Miami.
‘Yo,’ nice catch
“On that play right there it brought a lot of confidence,’’ Redding said. “ In that situation I knew the ball was coming to me. Just being able to come in and make a big play like that, even the older guys like Mike Harley, he was like, ‘Yo, if you didn’t make that play we wouldn’t be able to score that touchdown.’ So it just did a lot for me and [quarterback] D’Eriq [King].
“And me, myself, I bring a lot of physicality and hard work to be able to make contested catches — make the tough catch.’’
Dunson, a 6-1, 184-pound corner listed on the depth chart behind starter DJ Ivey, has three tackles — two solo — in two games. He also played against FSU, but was more low key Wednesday than the other three freshmen.
“I feel confident in my ability,’’ the former four-star prospect out of Tucker, Georgia, said. “I just come to practice to work every day. Just trying to be a good teammate...Before I got here I worked on my technique a lot. When I got here I got stronger— way stronger.”
Feeley appreciated
Regarding UM’s strength program, headed by strength and conditioning coach David Feeley, Flagg praised Feeley, saying that “of course I’m going to get stronger and bigger and faster’’ and that “I’m pretty much huge now so he’s developed me in that aspect.’’
But what impresses Flagg the most about Feeley is “him as a man, him feeding in tips for our minds and character as a man, because we’re still human. The strength thing takes care of itself. “The biggest thing is him as a person. He’s a great guy and I really appreciate him.”
‘Work our butts off’
Restrepo, the former Deerfield Beach Bucks star who played on both sides of the ball in high school as well as on special teams, said the 5:45 a.m. strength workouts for UM freshmen have helped.
“We have some great leaders,’’ said Restrepo, who returned a punt 8 yards against FSU and made a tackle on special teams. “We wake up every morning and work our butts off. We don’t stop working. We’re motivated by each other. Coach Feeley is doing a great job with us.”
Restrepo changed his jersey number from 80 to 7 before the opener to honor former Deerfield star Bryce Gowdy, who died in December, said the Hurricanes’ motto is ‘play the next play.’
“Our minds are not really on last year,’’ Restrepo said. “We’re a whole new team... The mindset has changed. We’re doing a great job of forgetting the past and executing and preparing for the future — and the present.”
UM is off this weekend, but meets No. 1 Clemson on the road at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 (ABC).
“Playing college football, whether it’s UAB, Louisville, Florida State, Clemson, they’re all a blessing. It’s just all the same feeling when I step on that field,’’ Restrepo said. “As a kid, I’ve been dreaming about playing for the University of Miami. And to put on the colors and go out there and compete nationally and just [play ] teams like we are, is just a blessing.”
Restrepo’s Deerfield Beach teammate Jaylan “Rooster” Knighton is also a Canes freshman. But Knighton has already attained future-star-in-the-making status, as he has played in all three games and is averaging 5.3 yards a carry with 96 yards and a touchdown rushing, and 110 yards and a touchdown receiving.
“Seeing my boy Rooster running down the field just gives me excitement,’’ Restrepo said. “All the things we’ve been through that are off camera, off media, we just put in the work so much and it’s all paying off now.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:02 PM.
