UM coach says this player will ‘shock’ the world. And feedback on every defensive position
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ One of the most-ballyhooed transfers in recent UM history apparently is displaying what made him a five-star recruit out of high school.
Defensive end Jaelan Phillips, who signed with UCLA and transferred to Miami in 2019 and then sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules, “has had a phenomenal camp, one of the best camps of anyone on the defensive side of the ball,” defensive coordinator Blake Baker told WQAM’s Joe Rose Show on Monday.
And that’s critical, because Phillips is expected to replace NFL-bound Greg Rousseau (who opted out of playing this season) as a starter opposite Quincy Roche.
“Phillips will surprise a lot of people,” Baker said. “I think he’ll kind of shock the world.”
As for the other defensive ends: “Quincy has been very, very steady, what we expected,” Baker said. “He’s had a great camp. Both of them are elite pass rusher.
“Cam Williams is a different guy from last year both mentally and physically. He’s had a great camp. He’s powerful, almost 6-6, has long levers. He’ really come on this camp. Chantz Williams shows a lot of promise. He’s very fundamentally sound, well coached in high school. I’m excited about the future of those two guys.”
Baker likes what he has seen from Jahfari Harvey, the likely No. 3 end.
At tackle, Jon Ford and Nesta Silvera are the likely starters, with Jordan Miller, Jared Harrison-Hunte, Jalar Holley and Jason Blissett in reserve. That group has much to prove.
“I think we’ll be tested especially early — UAB [Alabama-Birmingham] does a great job running the football, Week 2 with Louisville,” Baker said. “Both really, really good at running the ball. Overall with that position we have a lot of depth. You’ll see a lot of guys play — Jade Silvera, Ford, Jordan Miller. Then you have three young guys. A lot of competition in that room and those guys have really created a bond with each other.... You’ll see a good rotation there on the inside for us.”
▪ At linebacker, Zach McCloud will be one starter. Bradley Jennings has been competing with Sam Brooks and others for the other starting position, with McCloud able to play his more natural weak-side linebacker position when Jennings is on the field at middle linebacker.
It sounds like McCloud, Jennings and Brooks all will play, with Avery Huff pushing them.
At striker, UM indicated it plans to rotate players, meaning Gilbert Frierson and Keontra Smith.
“There’s going to have to be a rotation in there [at linebacker/striker],” Baker said. “We keep preaching about it, especially this year. Depth is going to be key. We have quality depth in that room. I can’t be more pleased with Jennings and Waymon Steed, the way they battled back from injury. Both had really good camps.
“McCloud, how much more comfortable he is inside the box and making calls. … I think he’s going to have a phenomenal season for us. I’m really pleased with his progress.
“And Brooks and Avery Huff. Sam has done a phenomenal job for us rotating between Mike and WILL, and Avery has done some good things. We have a lot of depth in that room. I’m really excited to watch this linebacker room continue to grow. They’ve gotten a lot better in the past month. I’m excited about the future.”
He added that freshmen “Corey Flagg and Tirek Austin-Cave have done a phenomenal job.”
▪ At safety, Gurvan Hall, Bubba Bolden and Amari Carter will all play a lot, and freshman Brian Balom has made a strong case for the No. 4 job.
Most encouraging this month: Hall’s improvement and Balom’s rapid evolution among a group of four freshman safeties. (One of those freshmen, Avantae Williams, is missing the season for an undisclosed medical reason.)
“I think Gurvan has had an unbelievable camp,” Baker said. “He is playing his tail off and coming to work every single day with a blue-collar mentality. Bubba and Amari are doing a great job as well. All three of those guys are going to play a ton for us. All three have played a bunch of football through the year. Excited about those three.
“And we have a great mix of youth in there as well with three freshmen — Jalen Harrell, Brian Balom and Keshawn Washington.”
The top four at corner, in some order, will be Al Blades Jr., DJ Ivey, Te’Cory Couch and Christian Williams.
▪ Running back depth is dangerously thin.
We are told Robert Burns has been recovering from knee surgery more than a month ago.
That leaves three healthy tailbacks on scholarship, albeit three excellent ones: Cam’Ron Harris, Jaylon Knighton and Don Chaney Jr. Running backs coach Eric Hickson has suggested Burns will be back soon.
Fullback Michael Parrott is now on scholarship.
▪ In a sense, UM football players are playing COVID-19 detectives to try to expose on-campus violators of the requirement to wear masks.
Manny Diaz has told his players to snap pictures of people on campus who are not wearing masks.
And what are the players told to do with those pictures?
UM indicated the players don’t directly send the photos to the top of the UM administration but instead to the athletic department for further discussion.
“If there is information the athletic department views as important to share with campus officials, we follow the appropriate channels to notify them,” UM told me.
▪ After toiling for years as a backup quarterback in the Canadian Football League, former UM quarterback Jacory Harris has a new job. He’s a Miami-Dade County fireman, as WSVN-Fox 7’s Donovan Campbell reported in an excellent feature on “Sports Xtra” on Sunday.
“It absolutely means everything,” Harris told Campbell. “I never wanted people to see me as just a football player. It made me feel more human, just being able to help somebody and know I made a difference in their life.”
Harris, who spent a few days with the Dolphins on a tryout in May of 2012, attended Miami Northwestern and threw for 8,826 yards, with 70 touchdowns and 48 interceptions in four years with the Hurricanes. As a CFL backup for several years, he completed 13 of 23 passes for 160 yards.
Harris, 30, said his mother suggested this career choice.
“I was always interested in the medical side of things, and being a firefighter still has that athletic, team-bonding thing,” he said. “I do miss [football]. It is something that was special to me... But I’m beyond football right now. I’m on a different path in life.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 10:18 AM.
