Why an NFL Draft analyst doesn’t expect much from Miami Hurricanes. And Ed Reed’s role
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ Some national voices, such as ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, are bullish about the University of Miami’s chances this season.
But draft analyst Tony Pauline?
Not so much.
In his Football Network podcast, Pauline made clear he doesn’t expect much from the Hurricanes this season.
“They are a program that underachieves,” he said. “They lost to Florida International during the regular season. They got shut out by Louisiana Tech. They seem to be a program heading in the wrong direction. Unlike Florida State, who the Hurricanes detest and who is going in the right direction, I don’t see a lot of improvement coming from the Hurricanes this year.”
Among UM’s draft prospects, Pauline said defensive end Greg Rousseau stands well above the rest, and he’s not even playing this season.
“Explosive pass rusher, explosive athlete,” Pauline said. “He needs to get a little bigger and little stronger.”
Pauline rates tight end Brevin Jordan as Miami’s next-best 2021 draft-eligible prospect.
“Brevin Jordan is the next in a long line of pass-catching specialists at the tight end position to come out of the Miami Hurricane program,” Pauline said. “I have him graded as a third-round pick. He’s a terrific athlete, someone who I think will run in the low 4.6s. He’s outstanding in motion.
“Gives effort blocking, but that’s not his primary duty. He is going to have to get a little stronger in that area. He’s someone you want to put in motion before the snap. He will get down the field and make a lot of big receptions.”
Among others who are draft-eligible in 2021, Pauline said: “I like Gurvan Hall, the third-year junior safety. He’s got a little Ed Reed in his game. I’m not saying he’s [Ed Reed] .. He’s a vicious run defender, got solid ball skills, consistently makes solid plays on the ball.”
Pauline also likes junior cornerback Al Blades Jr.: “Obviously bloodlines there. Terrific corner with good size and good speed. Needs to step up his ball skills a little bit but shows a lot of flashes.”
And Pauline said he expects “big things out of” senior defensive end Quincy Roche, the senior graduate transfer from Temple. “He’s a terrific defensive lineman. Miami will set him loose this year.”
Pauline said senior linebacker Zach McCloud “is more of a free agent type and somebody to keep an eye on.”
And what about quarterback D’Eriq King?
Pauline texted me that as an NFL prospect, King is “marginal at best. I gave him a PFA [preferred free agent] grade, similar to the grade scouts gave him.”
▪ UM radio analyst Don Bailey Jr., who has attended some training camp practices, said on WQAM’s Hurricane Hotline that King “is bringing the best out of the other players and that’s something you can’t coach.”...
He said UM football chief of staff Ed Reed has been watching practice and Bailey noticed Reed at least once “shaking his head, like ‘no, we can’t do that.’ I had a couple conversations with him and he sees everything. He talks to the kids, hits them with the wisdom. You know when he talks, you have to listen.”
▪ Starting center Corey Gaynor indicated on Hurricane Hotline that John Campbell has remained the left tackle and Jarrid Williams the right tackle.
He said Jakai Clark and junior college transfer Ousman Traore are competing at the guard spot opposite D.J. Scaife.
Bailey said Traore is a “sleeper” who “didn’t get it” last year. “He’s gotten so much stronger,” Bailey said. “He’s ready to play and he doesn’t get run over. He’s hard to move. He was a steal.”
Bailey said Williams is “legit. We’re so lucky to have him. He’s excellent. He’s earned his starting spot immediately. He looks 6-7, has excellent hands.”
Gaynor said he has been teaching guard Cleveland Reed how to play center.
And Gaynor said freshman guard Jalen Rivers is “strong, powerful, strong with his hands.”
▪ Gaynor said he has “learned a lot” from new offensive line coach Garin Justice and “I’m playing the best football of my life right now.... There’s a sense of pride and redemption in our room” after last season’s travails for the offensive line.
He said with the new offense, “we preach simplicity.” And Gaynor said of King: “The play is never dead with him. He adds a new dynamic. He’s a game-changer.”
▪ Tight end Will Mallory said it’s time for the Mallory/Jordan combo to reach its full potential.
“This is the year for us we really have to break out and show everyone what we can do,” Mallory told Joe Zagacki and Bailey.
Mallory said King’s “leadership is exactly what we need” and “this feels like a different team.”
He said the new offense “lets athletes be athletes and is a perfect fit for this team because we’ve got so much talent. This offense allows us to not have to think much.”
▪ UM athletic director Blake James told Zagacki and Bailey that the NCAA made the right move by allowing this year of eligibility not to count for any fall athletes because “the experience this year won’t be the one any of these kids signed up for.” (For example, juniors this season will be juniors again in 2021. That applies to all classes.)
Speaking of UM’s football program handling the pandemic so well (just a few positive COVID-19 tests), James said: ‘”We hope to be out there competing next Thursday. The hope is we get 11 games in.. But I can’t guarantee we’re going to play 11 games... It’s gone as well as I could hope for.”
James said he expects all 13,000 available seats to be filled for the Sept. 10 UM-UAB opener. That will be capacity for the initial UM and Dolphins home games.
With capacity limited and the game relegated to ACC Network, this likely will be the least-watched UM prime time game in modern history (excluding FCS opponents).
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 1:03 PM.
