Miami Hurricanes player changes position. And a surprise venue for UM spring game
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ Sophomore Keontra Smith, a well-regarded safety prospect, has been moved to striker in advance of the start of spring practice next week.
Smith, one of seven children, was a four-star prospect coming out of Hollywood Chaminade Madonna. He was rated the 188th best prospect in the 2019 class by 247sports, and Rivals rated him the 25th best cornerback in the 2019 class.
He finished his senior year in high school with a team-high 122 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and nine sacks while leading Chaminade-Madonna to a second consecutive state title.
UM moved Smith to safety when he arrived; he played in seven games.
With Romeo Finley’s eligibility having expired, UM needed depth at striker, a pseudo safety/linebacker position that Manny Diaz added to the defense two years ago. Smith now will compete with Gilbert Frierson for striker duties; Frierson was Finley’s backup last season.
Miami believes Smith has the coverage skills needed to thrive in that position; the striker often must cover running backs and tight ends in the passing game.
UM already has plenty of depth at safety, with Gurvan Hall, Amari Carter, Bubba Bolden and three natural freshmen.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker remarked last summer how Smith occasionally “pops up out of nowhere and does something really well.”
▪ UM has informed select people around the program that the spring game has been scheduled for April 11 at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
Asked why Miami opted for Traz Powell instead of Hard Rock Stadium, UM athletic director Blake James said Hard Rock was not available that day.
Traz Powell, which has hosted UM scrimmages in past years, is on the campus of Miami Dade North Community College, at 11380 NW 27th Ave.
That will be the only Canes spring scrimmage open to the public.
Unlike some years in the past, the spring game will not conflict with the first Saturday of the NBA playoffs, which open April 18 this year.
▪ UM hopes its move to the spread offense could help Tate Martell, who will compete with N’Kosi Perry for the backup quarterback job behind D’Eriq King.
“Since I got here, I sat down with all those guys and I told them, ‘It’s a fresh start. You’ve got a clean slate with me,’” new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. “So far, they’ve been great. Look, they’re both going to be juniors, so if they don’t have some urgency, then that’s probably going to be tough on them.”
▪ Former UM assistant coach Don Soldinger, at a Hurricanes Sports Hall of Fame event on Monday night at Sunset Place, told me that former offensive line coach Art Kehoe, who’s recovering from a stroke, “is going to be all right. It was a mild stroke, but still a stroke. Anything like that is serious.
“He has a little bit of dexterity problems with his left hand. His speech is not really that bad. He’s going down to Homestead for some rehab and he’s going to be fine.”
How are his spirits?
“You can talk to him now; he’s a little more subdued,” Soldinger cracked.
“His hips are a problem; he fell at an awards ceremony at the Gusman Center and ripped his quad off his left knee and his right hip compensated; he needs an operation on the hip.”
▪ Despite the 6-7 season, UM - from a season ticket renewal standpoint - says the Canes are pacing about 10 higher than they were last year at this point. New sales are also pacing about five percent higher than last year.
The move to a spread offense and the signing of quarterback King have caused a jump in sales in recent weeks.
But merchandise sales remain flat at area retailers that sell Canes clothing.
▪ Diaz said UM’s 2020 schedule - featuring only one bye, at the exact midpoint of the season - is “a much better schedule than a year ago in terms of spacing of games. Six games and a bye and six. Starting with three at home gets people excited to see D’Eriq King play and see the style of offense [that UM is implementing].”
UM starts spring practice on Monday (two days later than originally planned) and then will have sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday before adjourning for spring break. Those practices next week are closed to the public.
Then UM will have four more practices before players get another eight days off.
▪ Quick stuff: Former UM great Alonzo Highsmith, who was let go by the Cleveland Browns after the team made changes above him, has resurfaced as a draft consultant with the Seattle Seahawks and could end up there in a full time role. Highsmith, of course, spoke to UM about a front office job in January but said he never received an offer...
UM hoops, now at 6-11 in the ACC after Sunday’s loss at Notre Dame, would need to win its final three regular season games (at Georgia Tech next Saturday, then home to Virginia and Syracuse) and two ACC tournament games to finish .500 in the conference and bolster its chances for an NIT bid... UM (4-3) dropped from first to seventh in the DI baseball Top 25 poll after getting swept by the Gators at home. UF moved from second to first.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 10:01 PM.
