Who’s behind Miami RB Chaney (out for season)? And LB situation with Keontra Smith out
Hard to believe there’s actually relatively good news for one University of Miami football player who coach Manny Diaz publicly indicated did not have a positive prognosis after Saturday’s 25-23 victory over Appalachian State.
But for the other player about whom he said the same, it is, indeed, bad news.
Diaz confirmed Monday during a Zoom teleconference that UM second-year freshman running back Don Chaney Jr. is out for the season with a major right knee injury.
“Don Chaney Jr. will be out for the rest of the year with a leg injury,’’ Diaz said, later specifying the injury was to his knee. “Keontra Smith we are hoping to get back — perhaps after the bye week [for North Carolina on October 16].
“We’ll know more as the next couple of weeks go bye.’’
Starting third-year sophomore linebacker Smith has been one of the most gratifying surprises this season on defense and has a knee injury.
Chaney, who had just recovered from offseason shoulder surgery sustained in UM’s second scrimmage of spring practice, plunged 1 yard for a touchdown Saturday to open the game’s scoring and record the fourth rushing touchdown of his career. He averaged 5.2 yards a carry on his four rushes Saturday and came into the season with 322 yards rushing (4.7 yards a carry) and three touchdowns in his first year.
“Tough loss for Don,’’ Diaz said.
UM’s starting running back is 5-10, 210-pound fourth-year junior Cam’Ron Harris, who led the Hurricanes in rushing last season with 643 yards and 10 touchdowns on 126 carries for a 5.1-yards-per-carry average.
“Cam Harris made some really good runs on Saturday,’’ the coach said. “This is his time. And Cody Brown and Thad Franklin, two young guys with a lot of promise, will be right behind him to help carry the load at running back.’’
Brown vs. Franklin
Neither Cody Brown, whom offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee indicated Monday was ahead of Franklin, nor Franklin — both freshmen — have a carry this season, though Brown got on the field in both games. Brown, listed as 5-11 and 212 pounds, was a consensus four-star prospect last year, ranked the No. 11 running back by Rivals. He finished with 1,527 yards in his senior season at Parkview High in Lilburn, Georgia, and scored 65 touchdowns in his prep career, according to Max Preps.
Franklin, a graduate of Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, is listed as 6-0 and 240 pounds and also was a consensus four-star prospect. Franklin was ranked the No. 11 running back nationally by ESPN. He had more than 5,000 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns in his high school career.
UM’s other top returning tailback is second-year freshman Jaylan Knighton (209 yards and one touchdown in 2020), who was suspended by Diaz for the first four games this season for an unspecified reason — though a Miami Herald source said it was related to a legal matter. Knighton should be back for the Atlantic Coast Conference opener against Virginia on Thursday night, Sept. 30, at Hard Rock Stadium.
Chaney was seen on crutches and wearing a bulky brace over his right leg on the sideline Saturday in the fourth quarter.
“He’s really disappointed, as we all are,’’ UM Lashlee said of Chaney. “We just got him back to full contact about a week before the first game, with his previous shoulder injury. ...He was really starting to turn it on. The other night he had a really nice, explosive run and we were really looking forward to him starting to get to the form we believe and know he can be at.
“Sometimes, as a player you can feel like, ‘Man, it’s one thing after another.’ We’re supporting him, we’re behind him. He’s going to get through this. We fully anticipate him to come back better than ever.
Regarding Brown and Franklin, Lashlee said, “They’ll be with us all week. When you’re a freshman running back, it’s not just as easy as running the football. You’ve got pass protection involved. You’ve got a lot of other things that often take more time than, ‘Hey, I run the football.’ We’ve been working hard with them and trying to get them ready.’’
Keontra Smith loss
The undersized but speedy and talented Smith, at 5-11 and 212 pounds, had helped improve No. 24 Miami’s ailing run defense with smarts, good tackling skills and a super-charged engine. He had five tackles against No. 1 Alabama and 1 1/2 tackles for loss. Saturday, before he and Chaney were announced out of the game in the second quarter, Smith had four tackles.
Waynmon Steed, a fifth-year redshirt junior who has had multiple previous knee injuries at UM, finished with six tackles against App State. Diaz, who said third-year redshirt freshman Avery Huff would “be in the mix with Waynmon’’ at weak-side, is pleased with Steed’s progress. Steed had 15 tackles (3 1/2 for losses) in seven games last season. Huff had five tackles in nine games last season but hasn’t registered one this year in limited play.
“Waynmon’s had to overcome a lot,’’ Diaz said of his knee injuries, which “weren’t just minor injuries...’’ and almost prevented him from playing football again. “To his credit, he worked himself back...”Keontra did a great job but we really felt comfortable with Waynmon as well. I thought he did a nice job when he was in there.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 1:11 PM.
