What we’re hearing about Miami Hurricanes players and which have impressed the most
On the eve of Thursday’s opener against visiting UAB, what we’re hearing on the Miami Hurricanes football team, from player feedback shared with parents and the players’ close associates, as well as some comments from Manny Diaz:
▪ The most impressive freshmen?
We keep hearing the same names: running backs Jaylon Knighton and Don Chaney Jr., receiver Xavier Restrepo and safety Brian Balom. And receiver Michael Redding has come on very strong in the past week.
The word on Knighton is that he can be pretty special, as one player conveyed. Besides the speed and explosiveness, he has good vision, the patience to allow linemen to set up blocks and the ability to break big plays.
With Chaney, players commend his toughness and how hard he runs. Both Knighton and Chaney have good hands and are receiving threats out of the backfield.
(Manny Diaz, with WQAM’s Joe Rose on Tuesday, said: “With Knighton and Chaney, anytime you have young guys with so much potential, hype around them, they just need to get in the game, flow of the game. As they get more and more comfortable, their roles will continue to grow. They can do some damage when they’re in there. They have to get acclimated to the speed of the game because they will definitely be factors for us.”)
Restrepo — who caught seven passes for 133 yards in the first two scrimmages and had a 70-yard touchdown run to boot — has an impressive ability to change directions quickly. He routinely converts catches into first downs.
Balom is smart and makes a lot of plays but plays a position with three veterans ahead of him: Gurvan Hill, Amari Carter and Bubba Bolden.
Redding was very good in Friday’s scrimmage (two touchdown catches) and is the only one of the four freshmen receivers who’s on the second team (as opposed to the third). The word on Redding is that he’s a deep threat and consistently catches the ball (reliable hands).
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker has cited linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., Balom, cornerback Isaiah Dunson and defensive lineman Elijah Roberts as the most impressive freshmen on his side of the ball.
And UM players expect Chantz Williams to become a very good player over time; he’s already a skilled pass rusher.
▪ Consider how much players have talked up receiver Jeremiah Payton, I would be disappointed if we don’t see a significant impact, even though Mike Harley, Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins were designated as starters on this week’s depth chart.
Payton had three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s scrimmage.
And this offense is well-suited for the skill sets of Pope and Wiggins; it would be a letdown if they don’t make major strides.
“Mark is a very talented kid; what we’re doing offensively right now is getting guys like him positioned to make big plays,” Diaz told Rose and Zach Krantz on Tuesday. “His confidence level is in a different place than where it was. Let’s let our fast people run fast, and Pope has great speed and that should be a threat to the defense.”
Harley, who showed growth last season, had five catches for 78 yards in Friday’s scrimmage.
▪ A UM administrator said the school has been so impressed with D’Eriq King that it believes he could be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play at Miami, perhaps the best since Ken Dorsey.
“They [UM coaches] are saying he can be another Kyler Murray,” said one person in contact with the UM staff, referring to the former Oklahoma quarterback and No. 1 overall 2019 pick by the Arizona Cardinals.
▪ Here’s one thing that impressed everyone about King: He runs with purpose, not merely to escape pressure. The Russell Wilson comparison has been raised.
Some quarterbacks run scared to escape pressure. King runs with the intent of finding a path to a first down; his athleticism combined with intelligence allow him to do that perhaps as well as any quarterback in the country.
UM also likes how he varies the speed on his throws.
“The play is never dead with him,” center Corey Gaynor said on WQAM. “He adds a new dynamic. He’s a game-changer.”
▪ And don’t gloss over the leadership aspect with King.
As Diaz told Rose and Krantz: “I just love the way he interacts with players on his team. I always see him after practice hanging out with three or four different guys and it’s always different guys. Last night it was offensive lineman, the day before it was defensive players. He’s just a quarterback who seems to draw different people to him. … Just seems like somebody who really brings our team together.”
▪ One player conveyed to a parent some concerns about the defense getting tired at the end of scrimmages. UM’s up-tempo offense seems to be taking a toll, which would be a good thing if this happens to opponents in games.
▪ We’re told No. 2 quarterback N’Kosi Perry has done a good job mentally grasping the new offense, which isn’t complicated.
“He’s been through a lot, had some super highs, beating Florida State, and some not so great moments,” Diaz said on Rose’s show. “He’s really handled his business on the field and off the field. We’ve seen him, N’Kosi can make plays in games. We have confidence in N’Kosi if he’s our quarterback. He loves being a Miami Hurricane and there’s not a lot of people in the country that have a No. 2 quarterback that has done some of the things our guy has done.”
Tyler Van Dyke, third on the depth chart at quarterback, has had some very good plays in camp, including a bomb in a scrimmage that had players buzzing, but there’s no need to rush him.
Tate Martell - who isn’t mentioned on the three-deep depth chart - hasn’t taken a big jump, from what we’ve heard, and he might be best served by changing positions. UM coaches have said he wants to play quarterback.
▪ New right tackle Jarrid Williams and left guard Ousman Traore should be upgrades on the offensive line.
The word on Traore is that he’s really strong and it’s difficult to knock him over.
“Ousman is a unique situation; last year there was a strange eligibility case that forced him on the shelf,” Diaz told Rose and Krantz. “He’s a guy that would have played a role for us certainly down the stretch last year.
“So really probably would have not been such a surprise this year if he was able to play a year ago. …Ousman just continued to come on, get better, has got great toughness and just goes about doing his job. The last week or so Ousman really solidified that left guard spot.”
With Williams, the feedback is he can move people as a run blocker and is stout in pass protection.
“He’s legit; we’re so lucky to have him,” UM radio analyst Don Bailey Jr said about Williams on WQAM. “He earned his starting spot immediately.”
▪ While Jaelan Phillips isn’t necessarily as gifted as NFL-bound Greg Rousseau, he’s very strong and powerful and has a good repertoire of moves.
And UM’s other starting defensive end, Quincy Roche, has been productive throughout camp.
