More feedback on Lashlee and UM’s newest elite commitment. And a Canes COVID-19 update.
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ If major sports are able to begin and finish their seasons uninterrupted in a national pandemic, there is so much I’m curious to see from a South Florida perspective:
Can this Miami Heat team get to the second round of the playoffs and perhaps even beyond?
How will this augmented Dolphins defense look? There are other percolating questions involving the Marlins, Panthers and Inter Miami (Will David Beckham’s team win a game? A single game?)
But this is No. 1 on my “I’m-curious-to-see list,” neck-and-neck with when Tua Tagovailoa will become the Dolphins’ starter: Will the spread offense — run by a skilled, accomplished coordinator (Rhett Lashlee) and quarterback (D’Eriq King) — be the panacea for UM’s middling offense?
We’ve heard for years that UM needed to move from a pro style to spread attack to maximize the skills of South Florida recruits and fix an offense that in recent years ranked in the middle of the pack, or worse, nationally. Heck, I was one of those imploring Miami to make a change to the spread.
And if college football should somehow be played in a pandemic, we’ll get our answers this year. We’ll finally learn if UM can torment defenses with an offense anywhere near as explosive as, say, Oklahoma’s.
There are some around the UM program convinced this UM offense is going to be a smashing success, and not only because Lashlee’s SMU offense last season was seventh of 130 FBS teams in scoring (41.8 points per game), No. 13 in passing offense (309 yards per game), No. 9 in total offense (489.8 yards per game) and No. 12 in first downs gained (322).
Several UM players have marveled to close associates about how few plays/formations they’ve needed to learn, and how that will help them play faster. They love how Lashlee is approachable in a way that temperamental predecessor Dan Enos wasn’t. They love how the spread maximizes the strengths of their speedy playmakers far more than last year’s pro style system.
“Coach Lashlee, there’s a reason he averaged 50-something points a game last year [actually 41.8],” freshman receiver Xavier Restrepo told UM’s web site. “His scheme is ridiculous. He’s a down-to-earth-coach, a player’s coach and he’ll do anything just to see us succeed.
“You know you’re going to get in the end zone with that offense, no matter if you’re first string, second string, third string or fourth string. You’re getting in the end zone and that’s a great feeling.”
Sixthyearsports.com’s Joe Broback had a interesting look at why Lashlee’s offense works. As he noted, the receivers were spaced so far towards the sidelines that it leaves defenses scrambling to cover parts of the field.
If defenses put a safety - plus multiple cornerbacks - toward the side of the field with multiple receivers, it leaves the receiver on the other side facing one defender or leaves the defense vulnerable against runs up the middle or to the side with only one receiver.
▪ One of a zillion reasons it would be disappointing if the season is delayed or canceled, and if Brevin Jordan doesn’t play another snap here:
Lashlee’s offense accentuates the strengths of skilled pass-catching tight ends.
Playing in Lashlee’s system last season, SMU tight end Kylen Granson was fourth in receiving yards nationally among tight ends, with 721 yards on 43 catches, a 16.8 average, and nine touchdowns. The Rice transfer, who was a former receiver, is a mid-round NFL prospect but isn’t as highly-rated a prospect as Jordan, who’s projected by some to go in the second or third rounds.
Jordan last season had 35 receptions for 495 yards, a 13.1 average per catch, and two touchdowns in nine games before injury short-circuited his season.
Besides playing in a more potent offensive system than Jordan did last year, Granson also had a better quarterback throwing him passes in Texas transfer Shane Buechele.
▪ Members of the public aren’t the only people in the dark about which UM players tested positive for COVID-19. So are teammates.
Though one parent said teammates have been able to figure out, in some cases, who tested positive, players aren’t being told which teammates tested positive. And when they’re told they must stay away for two weeks because they’ve been in close contact with an infected player, they aren’t told the infected players’ identity then, either.
This approach by UM is very much in line with how companies conduct themselves because of privacy issues and HIPAA laws. But as one parent said, it’s an odd situation.
UM is informing players how many players have tested positive but isn’t telling the general public.
▪ Recruiting guru Larry Blustein shared his thoughts with us on UM’s newest Class of 2021 commitments: five-star Plantation American Heritage safety James Williams (rated the 11th best prospect in the country by 247 Sports) and four-star Columbus High defensive end Jabari Ishmael, who’s rated by Rivals as the No. 13 defensive end and 196th best prospect in the country:
On Williams, who’s 6-5 and 220 pounds, Blustein said the question is what position he ends up at: “He could become 245, and he may have to put his hand down [as a defensive end]. Not saying that’s going to happen but they have to play it by ear. They will give him an opportunity to play safety; that’s where he will get his first look.
“He looks [physically] like a Steve Atwater type of guy [the former Broncos safety] or [former Bengals safety] David Fulcher or [former Dolphins safety] Louis Oliver. It takes a special player to play that position at that size. He’s physical, very agile kid. It’s rare to have a safety that big. He will help them somewhere, whether it’s safety, outside linebacker, defensive end.”
In coverage, “he’s good against high school kids,” Blustein said. “As we said with [fellow safety commitment Kamren Kinchens], let’s see how he does against Brevin Jordan, because that’s what he’s going to get at the next level. Receivers may be more agile than he is, but he will bring” a physicality to the position.
Williams is rated a four-star player by Rivals and a five-star by 247.
On Ishmael, Blustein said: “He is long like Greg Rousseau, and with weight gain, he has the opportunity to be like him. Very good athlete who just needs to bulk up. Very smart [young man].”
Ishmael is 6-6 and 229 but likely will end up in the 250 to 260 range after getting in UM’s weight room. Ishmael had 46 tackles and three sacks last season.
▪ Quick stuff: Per 247 Sports’ Andrew Ivins, Miami has reached out to Georgia cornerback Divaad Wilson, who’s in the transfer portal. The former four-star recruit from Miami Northwestern started two games for the Bulldogs last season (and intercepted a pass against Notre Dame) after redshirting as a freshman. UF and UCF are also in the mix...
Miami continues to push for uncommitted Miami Palmetto Class of 2021 standouts Leonard Taylor (the five-star defensive tackle will pick UM or UF on Aug. 6 and it’s viewed as a toss up), five-star safety Corey Collier (this week announced UM, UF and LSU as his finalists, with a decision due Aug. 10) four-star receiver Breshard Smith (Miami has a good chance here) and four-star cornerback Jason Marshall (Miami is in his final five but not the favorite).
▪ Hoops notes: Coach-supervised men’s basketball workouts began this week, and no UM player was absent because of COVID-19, according to a source…. A Cayman Islands basketball tournament featuring the UM men’s team - scheduled for Thanksgiving week (Nov. 23-25) - is being moved to Niceville (site of Northwest Florida State College). Kansas State, Nevada and Mississippi are among others in the field.
Here’s my Wednesday Dolphins piece with some news and notes.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 3:40 PM.
