Jason Taylor addresses ‘crap’ around Bain narrative and coaches dish on UM players
Some personnel observations offered Thursday by the coaches who are charged with making sure the Hurricanes’ lines play at an elite level:
▪ Defensive line coach Jason Taylor attributed defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.’s diminished production last season to a lower extremity soft tissue injury that was sustained in the opener at the Gators and sidelined him four additional games.
Bain had 44 tackles (13 for loss) and 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2023, then produced 23 tackles (six for loss) and 3.5 sacks in nine games last season.
“Last year, he had an injury on the second play of the [UF] game, so that’s what held him back,” Taylor said. “People talk about sophomore slump and all that crap. The man got hurt second play of the game!
“Bain works at it. Every day, I can’t get him off the field; he’s always the last one out of there because he likes to work. He’s doing a good job of finding little things in his game he feels he’s not efficient at or feels like he’s taking a bad step. We find those things every day and work at it after practice.
“He’s in line to do what we all expect him to do. He’s got attention from everybody, from opponents. He’s got to understand that. He’s not going to have a lot of one on ones. We are going to do things scheming it up. I’m looking forward to Bain having a big year.”
▪ Co-defensive line coach Damione Lewis said Bain and Akheem Mesidor are playing only defensive end for now. Both also are able to play tackle.
▪ Armondo Blount, the second-year defensive end, has been turning heads.
“He turned 18 a few weeks ago,” Taylor said. “It’s crazy. He’s been here a year and just turned 18. He’s gotten bigger, stronger. He’s healthy. He loves contact. He’s violent as hell. All the things you want in a D lineman.
“He’s doing a good job of learning what we’re doing in the system. He likes the [system] because it’s less having to think about stuff and just butt heads with somebody. He’s played inside; he’s played outside. Armondo is going to be a really, really, really good player.”
▪ Lewis, on three players who are expected to be the top three on Miami’s defensive tackle depth chart:
“I see Justin Scott having a great year this year. I’m seeing him get stronger in his upper body and his lower body. He’s going to do a great job for us and he’s got a lot of guys in the room who are going to help him out.”
Louisiana Tech transfer David Blay “is a bigger guy, squattier, stronger.” And Ahmad Moten “is extremely explosive off the ball.”
▪ Freshman defensive tackle Donta Simpson, the Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna alumnus, has made an early impression and is pushing for a job in the two-deep rotation.
“He’s still a puppy,” Lewis said. “What he does well is he gives great effort. Really strong at the point of attack. Trying to clean up little details with his footwork. He’s done a really good job. Proud of him.”
▪ Lewis said second-year defensive end/edge player Booker Pickett “is quick off the ball. [A key is] learning how to use his counter moves in the rush game.”
▪ Taylor, on freshmen edge player Hayden Lowe, one of UM’s most coveted 2025 recruits: “He’s 18. He’s built like a grown man. Obviously he eats a lot of oatmeal; he credits oatmeal for his body being the way it is. He takes care of his body. We are really high on him. Think he’s one of the top [freshman] edge players in the country.
“If you watch Armando and Hayden Lowe run, they look the same. The size of those 18-year-olds, it’s crazy.”
▪ Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal indicated that Markel Bell is the starter at left tackle at this time, as expected.
NFL-bound “Jalen Rivers had 583 snaps last season; Markel Bell had 544,” Mirabal said. “He’s a starter. He’s night and day, a different player when he first came here. He keeps getting better and better. At first, it was always ‘wow he’s big – 6-9.’
“But now people are talking about his level of play and technique. He’s a darn good player who happens to be 6-9. He’s got to work his tail off to play like he’s 6-3, 6-4. He’s doing a great job of doing that.”
▪ Mirabal, explaining why head coach Mario Cristobal called right guard Anez Cooper maybe UM’s best player this spring:
“The invisible stuff that’s only seen to those who watch film. The way he’s finishing in the run game, finishing in the pass game.”
▪ On new center James Brockermeyer, the TCU transfer: “When I was at Oregon, I recruited him. He went to Alabama out of high school. He’s started 12 games at TCU. Father was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, Blake Brockermeyer.
“We had Matt Lee, Zach Carpenter come in [as transfers]. It’s old hat for us. The center needs to be the leader of the room in the classroom and on the field. He’s doing a great job at that.”
▪ Is there enough depth on the offensive line?
“I never feel like we have enough,” Mirabal said. “I probably feel we have 7-8 guys we can roll out there against Notre Dame and play there. .. We have to increase that number in the room. We’ve got Tommy Kinsler who’s now becoming one of those guys.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM.
