Manny Diaz: Miami freshmen will ‘get an opportunity’ this week as veterans struggle

The definition of insanity, the cliche goes, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The Miami Hurricanes are eager to prove they’re not insane.

After getting outscored 105-55 in its first three games, Miami has not improved from Week 1 to now. If anything, the Hurricanes have regressed. Missed tackles and turnovers are piling up. Reliable veterans are dropping passes and costing Miami points. All the hallmark issues that have, at times, plagued head coach Manny Diaz’s tenure in Coral Gables are rearing their head every weekend.

Diaz knows he’s at a pivotal moment — it’s why he referred to the week of a game against the FCS Central Connecticut State Blue Devils as “a big week for our program” — and he has to fix what ails the Hurricanes before they begin Atlantic Coast Conference play Sept. 30.

It starts with four things. None are exactly revelations, but they are what Diaz spotlighted for this week: turnovers, missed tackles, dropped passed and red-zone offense. Miami (1-2) will try to fix it on the practice field this week and if the starters can’t, “then you’ve got to go on to another guy,” Diaz said.

“That’s four real, measurable things that we can just put a major emphasis on this week,” Diaz said, “and adjust our playing time to people who can win in those four different situations.”

Manny Diaz’s quandary at Miami

So far, the only significant noninjury depth chart changes have come on the offensive line. The Hurricanes benched offensive lineman DJ Scaife in Week 1, benched fellow offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson after Week 2 and then benched Jarrid Williams, Scaife’s replacement at right tackle, midway through their 38-17 loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.

Now, Diaz is at least threatening more changes. Players Miami recruited in its Classes of 2017 and 2018 — the fourth- and fifth-year players — have largely underwhelmed so far in 2021. Tight end Will Mallory dropped a touchdown Saturday and wide receiver Mike Harley dropped multiple passes, too. Safety Gurvan Hall Jr. nearly gave up a touchdown when he whiffed a tackle on a screen, and running back Cam’Ron Harris is averaging just 57.3 rushing yards per game.

All four are starters and former four-star recruits, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. In all four cases, the Hurricanes have blue-chip underclassmen behind them on the depth chart, and Saturday was always going to be the best chance to give them game action.

“That’s absolutely on the docket for this weekend,” Diaz said. “That’s on the docket for tomorrow. Those guys are going to get an opportunity tomorrow at practice and we’ll see.”

Miami freshmen push for snaps

In some cases, players from Miami’s highly touted Class of 2021 are already seeing expanded roles. Wide receiver Romello Brinson had his first three catches Saturday, tight end Elijah Arroyo got targeted in the end zone, and safeties James Williams and Kamren Kinchens are firmly entrenched in the rotation.

From the Class of 2020, defensive end Chantz Williams has helped create multiple turnovers, defensive lineman Elijah Roberts saw his first meaningful playing time Saturday, and wide receivers Xavier Restrepo and Key’Shawn Smith have both passed veterans on the depth chart.

As for who could come next, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, the highest-ranked player in the Hurricanes’ last two recruiting classes, is “in a position group that’s just super deep,” defensive line coach Jess Simpson said, but “he’s getting closer, for sure.”

Elsewhere, Cody Brown is now the backup running back, Brashard Smith got his first touch Saturday and fellow wide receiver Jacolby George also drew praise from offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

“Guys like Brashard, I think, will continue to come along,” the offensive coordinator said. “Brown will continue to come along. Jacolby George is another guy that we have a lot of confidence in and has done a lot of nice things, so I think as the season goes on you’ll continue to see those guys get more snaps.”

Of course, Diaz has talked about underclassmen pushing veterans before and it hasn’t always actually played out. Last year, the wide receivers were struggling, so Diaz and Co. listed nine players, including five freshmen, as co-starters, but the Hurricanes ultimately still stuck with Harley, and fellow wide receivers Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins to play the vast majority of snaps.

Diaz has never been so open about the threat of playing time, though.

“There’s no emotion involved in this,” Diaz said. “This just simply is what it is and pass-fail, then it has to come down to playing time because if we’ve invested all these reps, if you’ve been in our program for four or five years ... and we’re still struggling from this standpoint, then you’ve got to go on to another guy.”

This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 4:50 PM.