A look at a UM position with an open audition Tuesday. And what 2020 player metrics reveal
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ In some ways, Tuesday’s bowl game against Oklahoma State in Orlando (5:30 p.m., ESPN) is an opportunity to audition for major roles in 2021. And at no position is that more the case than at defensive end.
With senior Quincy Roche and junior Jaelan Phillips opting out of the bowl game to turn pro, two redshirt freshmen backups — Jahfari Harvey and Cameron Williams — are expected to log defensive snaps in Orlando.
Meanwhile, freshman Chantz Williams is expected to play, and Manny Diaz suggested that Patrick Joyner — who has hopscotched between defensive end and linebacker — could play. What’s more, Diaz revealed that linebacker Zach McCloud has been practicing at defensive end and will get work there in the bowl game.
So that’s five defensive ends who could see time in the game.
Redshirt freshman Jason Blissett and first-year freshman Elijah Roberts (who both have the size and skills to play defensive end or defensive tackle) and end Quentin Williams, the first-year freshman from Charlotte, North Carolina, are also competing.
“Jahfari Harvey and Cam Williams have been waiting in the wings,” Diaz said. “They’ve made some plays, but now they really have a chance to show what they can do. Everyone is excited to watch those guys go out there and give it their all.”
Harvey played 174 defensive snaps this season and Cameron Williams 155, according to Daniel Gould, The Miami Herald’s metrics correspondent. Harvey had 15 tackles — including 3.5 for loss — and half a sack and five quarterback hits. Williams had five tackles and half a sack.
Among the others, Diaz singled out Chantz Williams, the first-year recruit from Jacksonville.
“Excited to see what Chantz Williams does,” Diaz said. “He has gotten more reps in practice. Things we saw him do in Oakleaf [have been evident in practice]. His natural instinct to rush the passer is going to come through. Chantz has done some good things in practice this week.”
Per Gould, Chantz Williams played 30 defensive snaps this season, compared with 90 for Blissett, 52 for Quentin Williams and 46 for Roberts. Of those four, only Quentin Williams had a sack in limited playing time; he was credited with a half sack.
Diaz and defensive coordinator Blake Baker believe McCloud — who had an uneven season at linebacker — has the skill set to play defensive end.
“Zach brought it up to me and said, ‘I could go play defensive end,’” Baker said. “It organically happened, so we threw him in there last week at practice and, man, he obviously has experience dating back to his high school days [at Santaluces in Lantana]. He’s done a really nice job for us there. I would expect to probably see him at both. He’s played both — will linebacker and defensive end for us — but I’ve been pleasantly surprised just with his natural instincts there. A guy that is very quick twitch, hard to block, plays with tremendous effort. That always gives you a chance.”
McCloud hasn’t said if he will accept the NCAA’s offer for a sixth season of eligibility at UM.
“Zach McCloud has a future at defensive end just looking at what he’s done in practice coming off the edge, low pads,” Diaz said. “He can do some things coming off the edge that I think can give [Oklahoma State] some problems.”
Incidentally, Roche played 574 defensive snaps and Phillips 536. Both of those players now move on to the NFL.
▪ Al Blades Jr. — who is missing the bowl game because of a cardiac issue related to COVID-19 — and Te’Cory Couch were UM’s best cornerbacks in coverage statistically.
Per Gould, Blades allowed 17 of 38 passes in his coverage area to be caught for 256 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Couch permitted 16 of 30 to be caught for 193 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
As for the other cornerbacks, DJ Ivey allowed 12 of 30 to be caught (a good percentage) for 296 yards (not good), two touchdowns and one interception. That means receptions against Ivey averaged an obscene 24.6 yards.
Per Gould, freshman Isaiah Dunson allowed three of five passes to be caught for 26 yards.
▪ Among safeties, strikers and linebackers, safety Bubba Bolden’s coverage numbers stood out, and not in a good way.
Per Gould, Bolden permitted 21 of 33 passes against him to be caught for 366 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. No wonder he fell out of Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 10 draft-eligible safety prospects in December. Bolden said he hasn’t decided whether to turn pro.
Among the other safeties, Amari Carter allowed 8 of 14 passes against him to be caught for 73 yards and a touchdown. Gurvan Hall permitted 13 of 20 passes to be caught for 167 yards and a touchdown.
Among strikers, Gilbert Frierson relinquished 15 completions in 20 targets for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Keontra Smith allowed 3 of 5 to be caught for 22 yards.
As for the linebackers... Zach McCloud allowed 7 completions in 11 attempts for 93 yards and two touchdowns and Bradley Jennings yielded 9 completions in 10 attempts for 76 yards. Sam Brooks yielded 4 of 8 for 43.
▪ UM has landed perhaps the nation’s best safety prospects in both the 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes in Avantae Williams and incoming freshman James Williams.
But Avantae Williams didn’t play this season with an injury that UM has declined to disclose.
“Avantae has never been cleared for practice, does no pad and no contact stuff,” Diaz said. “But you watch his movement skills, tracking the football and you can see he has the potential to be elite. When we come back in the spring semester he’ll be re-evaluated and see what the medical people say then.”
Williams has been permitted to work in the weight room.
▪ Quick stuff: Diaz told WQAM’s Joe Rose that he showed the end of the Dolphins-Raiders game to his team Sunday because it was a good lesson in “situational football.” He said when the Raiders were opting to run time instead of scoring a touchdown, Las Vegas erred by snapping one of its goal-line plays with 12 seconds left on the play clock…
UM basketball lost center Rodney Miller for the rest of the season with a knee injury. He started 28 games last season…
Kiper has UM defensive ends Phillips and Greg Rousseau 12th and 20th on his Top 25 draft Big Board. Jose Borregales is his No. 1 kicker, Brevin Jordan his No. 4 tight end and Roche his No. 6 outside linebacker.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 5:29 PM.
