Miami could land an All-American WR this week. His coach explains why UM is a contender
Historically, the Miami Hurricanes and Alabama Crimson Tide have plenty in common. Dazalin Worsham knows all this.
Both have had multiple historical runs of dominance in the past 40 years. Both are on the short list of teams with five national championships. The two both have exactly eight former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and consistently are among the schools with the most players in the NFL. On Friday, Worsham will commit to one of the two. Miami offers him something his hometown team doesn’t right now.
“I think he wants to be part of building something, and obviously Miami has a great history and great past,” said Josh Floyd, who coaches Worsham at Hewitt-Trussville in Alabama, “so I think he’s excited about trying to get them back going in that direction.”
The two programs’ trajectories right now are wildly different, of course. Alabama is once again a College Football Playoff contender, while the Hurricanes have spent most of the year battling just to be better than .500. The Crimson Tide is in the throes of a dynasty, while the Miami is, for lack of a better word, still rebuilding.
Worsham was once committed to Alabama. On Friday, he’s slated to make an oral commitment once again, and the final choice is coming down to the Hurricanes or the Crimson Tide. Miami’s situation — a rebuild now showing promise with a three-game winning streak — is uniquely appealing to Worsham, as is the coaching staff.
When Worsham was committed to the Crimson Tide, offensive coordinator Dan Enos was Alabama’s quarterbacks coach, so he knows what Enos can do when working at his best. When he came to Coral Gables for an official visit in June, Worsham got to know wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield well, so he has faith in the way he would be developed.
The relationship with Enos is what first drew him to the Hurricanes. Worsham committed to the Crimson Tide in 2018 and became a target of the Hurricanes’ new coaching staff when it came together in January. Enos knew Worsham from his time at Alabama and liked him enough to bring him down to South Florida for a visit. A few days after his official visit wrapped up, Worsham decommitted from the Crimson Tide, although the assumed pledge to Miami never followed.
For a while, Alabama appeared to reassert itself as the favorite before the Hurricanes climbed back into serious contention. After fellow four-star wide receiver Marcus Fleming decommitted from Miami on Monday, Worsham would be a critical addition for the Hurricanes heading into the early signing period next month.
“The first thing was probably the relationship with Coach Enos, just since he had been committed to Alabama, and Coach Enos is proven to be a great offensive mind and has shown to throw the ball around quite a bit,” Floyd said. “I think that’s what initially started it, and then when he came down he just had a great time. I know he likes the receivers coach down there, also. He just had a great time on his trip.”
The No. 50 wide receiver in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2020, Worsham is considered one of the best route-runners in the country, and he has had a wildly productive career in Trussville. An Under Armour All-American, Worsham finished his senior season with 54 catches for 427 yards and six touchdowns after he had 87 catches for 1,022 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2018.
“The best thing is his route-running,” Floyd said. “He does a great job getting in and out of his breaks. He’s obviously a guy that can run and everything, beat people deep and all that, but I think what separates him from a lot of guys is just his route-running. And he’s just gotten better and better at that over the years.”
It theoretically could make the 6-foot, 185-pound receiver a plug-and-play option for next year when K.J. Osborn’s eligibility is exhausted and fellow wide receiver Jeff Thomas could enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
Recent elite wide receiver prospects such as sophomore Mark Pope, a five-star recruit in the Rivals.com rankings for the Class of 2018, and freshman Jeremiah Payton haven’t seen consistent playing time as freshmen, usually because of some combination of unpolished route-running and difficulty grasping the playbook.
If Thomas leaves, Miami could be looking at a starting wide receiver trio of Pope, Dee Wiggins and Mike Harley, with Payton as one backup. Worsham and fellow four-star wideout Michael Redding III could be in line for early playing time, and Worsham would be a logical option in the slot.
“I think he’s obviously an athletic kid, so that helps his route-running, but I think it’s just something he spends a lot of time on himself, too,” Floyd said. “We obviously try to do a great job coaching him, as well, but he’s kind of a guy that will spend a little bit on that in his own time and I think that’s what’s helped him with his craft over the years.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 11:54 AM.
