With camp opening, chatter on UM’s biggest defensive competitions, with analyst’s view
With full-fledged practices set to begin Friday for the Miami Hurricanes, examining the five most competitive position competitions on defense, with input from longtime Hurricanes radio analyst Don Bailey Jr., who watches most practices:
▪ Who starts at linebacker with Zach McCloud?
Sam Brooks, who had 12 tackles in the Independence Bowl, has a good chance to be the second linebacker when UM opens with only two, which is usually the case. UM values his speed and the fact he’s around the ball a lot.
“It’s got to be Brooks out of the shoot,” Bailey said of the linebacker to pair with McCloud.
But people around the program say redshirt freshman Avery Huff is going to be a very good player and could emerge as a key 2020 rotation piece. He has size (6-3, though only 208), speed, great range and athleticism. One spring observer said he’s raw but is going to be a stud once he develops.
And don’t discount three who have battled injuries — Patrick Joyner Jr., Bradley Jennings and Waymon Steed. Joyner has flashed as a pass rusher, and co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda told me how much he’s looking forward to Jennings’ return. Jennings understands UM’s defensive principles and what coaches expect, as much as anyone on this defense aside from McCloud.
Meanwhile, linebackers coach Jonathan Patke loves freshmen Tirek Austin-Cave and Corey Flagg.
Flagg is “a true thumper, a true inside linebacker that can be a run-stopper very much similar to Shaq Quarterman,” Patke said. Austin-Cave “can absolutely run like nobody’s business, can run sideline to sideline.”
Bailey said: “If we can daydream, it would be nice if these freshmen did what Mike Pinckney and Shaq Quarterman did. They were excellent between the tackles. This group of linebackers is faster, can cover more ground. Early on, this group won’t be as stout at the point of attack as Quarterman and Pinckney were.”
The question, ultimately, is whether any of these linebackers will be as impactful as Quarterman and Pinckney.
▪ Who emerges as the starting safeties?
One of the interesting revelations from my summer conversation with Banda: Of the three veteran safeties (Amari Carter, Gurvan Hall, Bubba Bolden), Carter is the closest to locking up a starting job.
“I’ve got one young man, Amari Carter, that has really done everything right,” Banda said a month ago. “He has been accountable in every phase and he’s earned the right to walk out there and be a starter like [linebacker] Zach McCloud. … Nothing is set in stone. ... I’ve got veterans in Bubba and Gurvan but they’ve got to earn it and be detailed in everything important to me.”
During the regular season last year, Carter gave up 212 yards on just nine completions (in 17 targets). But he’s physical, smart, diligent in preparation and very good in run support.
Hall allowed the most touchdowns (three), while permitting 18 of 32 balls thrown in his coverage area to be caught, for 179 yards. There’s still considerable room for growth with Hall.
UM has said Bolden is fine after months of recovery from last November’s ankle injury in a celebration during the FSU game.
This might be UM’s deepest position, with the three veterans and four well-regarded freshmen (Avantae Williams, Jalen Harrell, Keyshawn Washington, Brain Balom).
“It gives you the feel of what we’ve had in the past where you’ve got a position you feel very comfortable about,” Bailey said. “The competition in that room keeps everyone uncomfortable, which is how it’s supposed.”
▪ Who wins the striker job and is he even on the field as much as Romeo Finley was?
Gilbert Frierson enters as the slight front-runner, but Keontra Smith will be given every chance to beat him out.
As Finley’s backup last season, Frierson — a former cornerback — allowed 133 yards on just five completions.
Smith was rated by Rivals as the 25th best cornerback in the 2019 class and was moved from safety this offseason.
But if Frierson and Smith don’t excel, expect UM to consider using a third safety or a third or fourth cornerback more than a striker.
A case could be made that UM has at least four safeties — Carter, Hall, Bolden and potentially Williams — who are better than any of their strikers. (Many considered Williams to be the nation’s top safety in the 2020 recruiting class.)
The safety room is loaded, and the strikers know they must play well to play.
▪ Do Te’Cory Couch or Christian Williams wrest a starting cornerback job away from Al Blades Jr. or D.J. Ivey?
I would be surprised, but not totally shocked because UM is big on earning jobs.
That said, it’s difficult for me to envision Blades not starting. He allowed just 18 of 41 passes to be caught against him last season for 240 yards and no touchdowns. But he missed eight tackles, and that part of his game must improve.
Ivey had a nightmarish game against Georgia Tech but played better late in the year. He allowed the most receiving yards of any UM defensive back during the regular season (349), on 24 for 41 completions.
Williams lined up with the starters for two of the four spring practices, and cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph said that was based on merit.
“His vertical, broad jump, everything went up this offseason,” Rumph said of Williams. And remember, this was a player who was ranked 141st in the nation among 2020 recruits.
Couch, the front-runner for the nickel corner job, added at least 14 pounds and strength this offseason.
Bailey’s take: “I find it very disappointing that Trajan Bandy left. [He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.] He would have made things a lot easier.
“Both Williams and Couch will push Blades and Ivey. Neither Williams nor Couch have any issues with confidence. They’re very confident guys. They’re quick and capable of playing at a high level. They were important to Miami when they were recruited and they will be in the mix.”
Freshmen Isaiah Dunson and Marcus Clarke are the only other cornerbacks on scholarship; they both figure to play on special teams and could get defensive snaps if injuries or illness affect the cornerback room.
▪ After Jon Ford, what’s the snap-priority order for the other defensive tackles?
Jordan Miller improved enough last season to be given a chance to compete with Nesta Silvera for the other starting job. Both figure to play a lot, and I make Silvera the favorite to start.
Silvera missed the first four games after foot surgery last season and closed with 19 tackles and a sack. Miller, who received a scholarship offer from Miami after sending them his high-school tape, got in better shape and had 12 tackles, including 2½ for loss.
“What has to happen,” Bailey said, “is one of those three guys — Ford, Silvera, Miller — has to have at minimum an All-Conference year, and it would be great if there would be talk of one being talked about as an All-American. Silvera came in with the biggest ratings. In fairness to him, he was hurt much of last year.
“This is year three for a highly touted defensive tackle [Silvera] on a team that won state championships and was recruited by everyone in the country. It’s time for him [to take a big step], and it would be nice for him to be mentioned among those [defensive tackles] who made history at Miami. He’s the guy that is expected to do that.”
The fourth defensive tackle job could go to Jalar Holley or Jared Harrison-Hunte. As Bailey noted, “they’re very athletic” and not merely big bodies. The other defensive tackle from the 2019 class — Jason Blissett — will be used at both defensive end and tackle, defensive line coach Todd Stroud told me earlier this offseason.
To get its three best pass rushers on the field, UM also at times could go to a look with three natural defensive ends on the field (Greg Rousseau, Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillips.)
Here’s my Monday piece examining five competition battles on offense.
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 3:16 PM.
