What to look for on offense in UM spring football, including looming battles at WR, OL
UM begins spring football practice on Monday, ready to unveil an up-tempo spread but also needing to sort through questions and concerns on the offensive line and deal with a paucity of healthy running backs.
Where things stand on offense entering spring ball:
QUARTERBACK
Grad transfer D’Eriq King is the clear starter, but UM gets him for only a year. He’s highly driven, not only for all the natural reasons but also because he wants to make a convincing case to NFL scouts who wonder if he’s big enough at 5-11.
His numbers at Houston were exceptional: He completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 3925 yards, threw 50 touchdowns (compared with 10 interceptions) and ran for 1421 yards, plus averaged 5.6 yards per carry and ran for 28 touchdowns.
On an ACC Network signing day special, former FSU quarterback EJ Manuel said: “When you put him in an offense that is led by Rhett Lashlee that puts up a ton of yards, this is a perfect scenario for D’Eriq. If I was him, I’d want to go to Miami, too. … It should be a good match for him.”
Lashlee will tailor some parts of his offense to King’s dual-threat abilities.
“There’s all these things more from a philosophical standpoint we’re going to do that we believe in regardless of who our quarterback is,” Lashlee said. “But if you have a quarterback like D’Eriq, you may run more zone-read or run the ball more at the quarterback position.
“You can turn on the tape and just know he’s made plays at this level, and done it against really good teams. Oklahoma, Game 1 this year, he was doing some things. It’s who he is that’s important. You’ve got to have a leader at that position. You’ve got to have a winner. He’s got to do more than just throw the football or run the football. I think that’s what drew me to him.”
The battle for the No. 2 job should be competitive between N’Kosi Perry (who opted not to follow Jarren Williams out the door) and Tate Martell (who should be better suited for the spread than he was for Dan Enos’ pro style offense). Peyton Matocha and early enrollee Tyler Van Dyke also will compete.
RUNNING BACK
With highly-touted freshman Don Chaney Jr. missing the spring to heal a shoulder injury, the Canes will have just four scholarship running backs available this spring, with Cam’Ron Harris, Robert Burns and freshman Jaylon Knighton (an early enrollee), plus fullback/H-back Michael Parrott, who was recently put on scholarship.
That’s not a lot of depth, and another addition wouldn’t hurt, considering Burns has had injury issues in the past.
But Lashlee likes Harris and Burns and the skill set of the two freshmen. Burns had 29 carries for 116 yards last year, primarily in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, the speedy Knighton could emerge as UM’s third down back next season if he impresses in spring ball and in August.
Chaney ran for 4511 yards and 60 touchdowns, and former Belen coach Rich Stuart has compared his skill set to Todd Gurley’s. It won’t be surprising if Chaney becomes UM’s No. 2 back at some point in 2020. Chaney told me last August that he watches tape of Gurley every other day.
RECEIVER
UM has considerable depth here, with eight scholarship players available for spring practice. The only one missing this spring: Injured early enrollee Michael Redding, who’s dealing with a wrist issue.
The group includes Mike Harley Jr., Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and Jeremiah Payton and freshmen Xavier Restrepo, Daz Worsham and Keyshawn Smith. Marshall Few, who has no career receptions, also is now on scholarship.
The question, though, is whether there’s a legitimate No. 1 receiver or even a high-end No. 2 in the group. It was interesting that Lashlee said that none of the receivers have “done anything” yet.
Harley had some moments last season (38 for 485 yards and three touchdowns) and could fill a need in the slot.
The Canes expect more from Pope and Wiggins, who remained inconsistent as sophomores. Pope continued to struggle with route running and both players had issues with drops.
In Pope’s defense, he caught 15 of 23 passes thrown to him for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
UM people have raved about Payton for the past year, but former receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield (who’s now at Penn State) thought Payton was behind older players early in the season and UM ultimately decided not to burn his redshirt.
Restrepo — who has drawn comparisons to former UM receiver Braxton Berrios — should get a long look in the slot.
Manny Diaz said Worsham “can provide skill sets we have not had as a really good wide receiver.”
And Smith, the late addition to the class from San Diego, is a “very fast, dynamic player,” Diaz said.
Among the returning receivers from last season, Harley had 483 offensive snaps, Wiggins 289, Pope 154 and Payton 25.
TIGHT END
This — along with quarterback, defensive end and potentially safety — should be UM’s best positions.
But starter Brevin Jordan — who had 35 catches for 495 yards in 10 games and was All-ACC — will miss spring ball while recovering from a foot injury.
That should mean plenty of work this spring for Will Mallory, Michael Irvin Jr., Larry Hodges and early enrollee Dominic Mammarelli. Brian Polendey transferred.
Mallory played very well late in the season, with eight catches for 174 yards in the final two games. He caught only 12 of the 28 passes thrown to him, but that was partly because of the erratic quarterback play.
His 18.3 yards per catch led the team, and Lashlee figures to split him out as a receiver, like the Dolphins did with tight end Mike Gesicki.
UM likes the upside of Hodges, who contributed early and then redshirted. But a former player said he would like to see a more serious-minded approach from Hodges and for him not to be distracted by the types of things that can distract first-year college students.
Though redshirting is a possibility, UM also believes Mammarelli could fill a role it needs on offense.
“It’s so hard to find a tight end in high school that can block,” Diaz said. “They’re usually not tight ends; they’re big wideouts. There’s a need for that, but you’ve got to run the football and to run the football, you’ve got to have someone who can control the C gap, the gap outside the offensive tackle, and Dominic is a guy that’s been doing that. He adds something we may not have on campus and thus provides immense value for us.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
There are 2 1/2 new additions to a line that allowed 51 regular-season sacks, fourth most in the country, and blocked insufficiently on a team that averaged just 3.77 yards per rush, 120th of 130 FBS schools.
The two new additions: freshmen tackles Jalen Rivers and Chris Washington.
The half-an-addition is guard Cleveland Reed, who’s not entirely a new addition because he began last season with the team before leaving in September to enter the transfer portal and then returning to Miami after no appealing scholarship offer materialized elsewhere.
The most significant addition might be new offensive line coach Garin Justise, who shared some of his thoughts here.
Left tackle Zion Nelson, who led the nation in sacks allowed with nine, could return as the starter unless UM believes DJ Scaife is the better option there or unless Under Armour All American Rivers seizes the job as a freshman, which is hardly out of the question. That competition begins in earnest Monday.
UM believes Nelson will be better with a year of experience and that its entire line will be helped not only by the quarterback releasing the ball more quickly in this offense, but also because defensive lines tend to tire when they’re competing against no-huddle offenses.
Rivers could challenge for time immediately at right tackle, if he doesn’t win the job at left tackle. Washington might need more time to develop.
Tackle/guard John Campbell and tackle Kai-Leon Herbert thus far have lacked the consistency to be full-time starters, with Herbert particularly having failed to live up to expectations. Perhaps that changes with another offseason in the weight room and a new offensive line coach, particularly in the case of Campbell, who started last year’s opener and still has upside.
So at this point, the tackle starters seem likely to come from the group of Scaife (the 2019 team offensive MVP who might be better longterm at guard), Nelson, Rivers and Campbell. Redshirt freshman Adam ElGammal will also get a lot of reps this spring.
At guard, Navaughn Donaldson likely will continue to start in 2020 but is missing spring ball with a knee injury and has frustrated coaches with his uneven play. He needs to be in better shape.
Campbell replaced Donaldson at one point last season and again for the bowl game, which Donaldson missed with injury, and could emerge as a starter at guard if deemed better than Jakai Clark, who started 12 games at right guard. Don’t rule out former junior college player Ousman Traore in the guard competition.
Clark also will back up starter Corey Gaynor at center. Zalon’tae Hillery hasn’t been much of a factor as a backup.
Meanwhile, UM said Thursday that backup offensive lineman Zach Dykstra has left the program. He appeared in just one game over the past two seasons.
Everyone from this maligned, beleaguered offensive line will get a fresh look with a new position coach.
Here was my Wednesday piece previewing UM’s defense entering spring football.
