Safety shuffle on Day One of Miami spring practice: Bubba, Amari, Avantae and more
Body hurting?
Stress rising?
Here’s the cure: No. 1 Alabama, Sept. 4, in the 2021 season opener at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Miami Hurricanes veteran safety Bubba Bolden reminds his teammates daily about the team, other than his own Hurricanes, that helps drive him when times are tough.
“I mean that’s Game 1, that’s what I say to the guys every day: Bama, first game,’ the redshirt junior said Monday via Zoom video conference after UM spring practice opened at Greentree Field. “Whenever things get tough, think ‘Bama.’’
Bolden, listed as 6-3 and 200 pounds, with an additional 10 coming this winter, quickly added that “the task at hand right now’’ is “learning the new plays’’ this spring. “But at the end of the day, always in the back of your head you think, ‘Alabama.’ That’s prime time right there.”
Safety strength
The Miami Hurricanes are loaded with safety talent for 2021. Bolden opted to return instead of enter the draft, as did fifth-year senior Amari Carter, who also spoke Monday. Add in fourth-year junior Gurvan Hall, five-star freshmen James Williams and Avantae Williams — not to mention other considerable young talent such as newcomer Kamren Kinchens and second-year freshmen Brian Balom and Keshawn Washington — and the Canes should be in good shape in that part of the defensive backfield.
“There is no stable spot, no starters, no this, no that,’’ said Bolden, a 2020 Thorpe Award semifinalist and second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree who led UM in tackles last season with 74. He also had 6 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack, interception, three pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks — with some exceptional performances earlier in the season that tailed off somewhat toward the latter part. “We are so deep at a lot of positions with everybody coming back. Whoever is that guy when Alabama comes, there’s another guy behind him, too.
“So much potential. So much.’’
Bolden said Monday’s practice, in shorts and jerseys with no pads, was “a great day.’’
“We came out and showed good effort today. I’m just trying to be a leader of the defense, but I want everybody on the team to be a leader — you feel me? That’s what we’re trying to build over here.’’
‘Head honcho’ Diaz
Both Bolden and Carter are thrilled with head coach Manny Diaz taking over the defensive playcalling and the defensive coordinator position after former coordinator Blake Baker and co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda left the program — Baker as LSU’s new linebackers coach and Banda as Utah State’s coordinator. UM’s defense struggled greatly as the 2020 season progressed.
“I had the opportunity to be coached by Coach Diaz [as the coordinator] when I first got here,” said the 6-2, 200-pound Carter, tied with striker Gilbert Frierson as the team’s No. 2 tackler, with 53 (and two fumble recoveries). “I feel very comfortable with him calling the plays. Coach Diaz is always like a fire burner. He’s going to get the best out of you one way or the other.
“He’s going to make sure the defense is on point, that we’re running to the ball and
communicating well in all phases of the play.”
Bolden called Diaz “the head honcho of this defense, of this team.”
“Last year he was over there observing. He would come and teach here and there, but he was more of an observer. Now he’s hands on, all in, calling the plays. That’s why what we’re here for.’’
More from Monday
▪ Carter and Bolden expressed gratitude for Bob Shoop, recently hired as Miami’s off-field defensive quality control analyst, saying Shoop is helping each of them. Shoop was initially with Michigan last season as its safeties coach. He is a two-time finalist for the prestigious Broyles Award, which annually goes to the nation’s top college football assistant. He also was the Columbia head coach from 2003 to 2005 and has served as a defensive coordinator for several programs.
“Great guy, so much experience, he’s a mastermind,’’ Bolden said. “I’ve been meeting with him a lot, learning the game, learning new things. I think he’s helped a lot, coming into Day One spring ball.”
“ I meet with coach Shoop a lot actually,’’ Carter said. “We text a lot. I ask him to give me what he sees on certain films we may be watching. We dissect NFL players’ films.
“Me and Bubba have been on the same kind of path with Coach Shoop. He’s a mastermind. I will second that.”
▪ Freshman safety Avantae Williams, who couldn’t play or practice in 2020 because of medical issues that were never specified, had his first on-field practice as a Hurricane. He is wearing jersey No. 15, which recently belonged to NFL-bound defensive end Jaelan Phillips.
“Avantae, he was all over the place today,’’ Carter said. “I was talking to him during practice. ‘It’s a good thing you’re all over the place right now because you’re getting your feet back underneath you. You haven’t really been on the field like that in a long time. Keep running to the ball and being all over the place and that’s when the play is going to come to you.’
He did a great job today pushing himself. ...Avantae, he’s just one of those players that he’s going to be wherever the ball is.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 4:25 PM.
