Podcast: 11 thoughts on Miami’s first 11 spring practices under new coach Mario Cristobal
The Miami Hurricanes are more than two-thirds of the way through their first spring season with Mario Cristobal, and the first impressions of the new coach are mostly good.
The coaching staff is gigantic, the quarterbacks look great and the competition pretty much everywhere else on the field is fierce.
After a few weeks of basketball talk, the Eye on the U podcast is back to football, and David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Miami Herald’s Hurricanes beat writer, offer up their thoughts as Miami nears the end of spring practice.
For 11 practices, we have 11 takeaways, starting with some big-picture takeaways about how the Cristobal regime differs from former coach Manny Diaz’s.
Once again, the clearest difference has more to do with the university’s spending than Cristobal: The sheer number of coaches is astonishing, especially when they’re NFL legends such as Jason Taylor and Ed Reed.
Cristobal’s no-nonsense attitude is also evident, as is the level of competition across the field.
There even seems to be a little bit of competition at quarterback. Realistically, Jake Garcia isn’t going to usurp Tyler Van Dyke, but he’s definitely more than a typical backup.
Elsewhere on the field: Wide receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George are both making their case to the No. 1 option, the offensive line is poised to keep improving, freshman linebacker Wesley Bissainthe is making it so coaches won’t be able to keep him off the field and defensive backs Gilbert Frierson, Al Blades Jr. and Te’Cory Couch are all making the most of their fresh starts with a new coaching staff. There’s still at least one clear weakness, though: The Hurricanes are clearly still looking into the transfer portal for some more help in their front seven.
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