Manny Diaz assesses Hurricanes’ newcomers at key area that must produce difference-makers
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ The Canes welcomed eight of the 21 members of their freshmen class to campus over the past week, but aside from early enrollees Thomas Davis (the Georgia-based defensive end) and Deshawn Troutman (the Orlando-area linebacker), most of UM’s incoming front seven help won’t be on campus until later this spring or the summer.
For this program to become top-10 caliber, it’s vital that at least four of these six freshmen defensive linemen/linebackers become quality starters within two or three years and that at least two become real impact players.
Of the six, the one with seemingly the best chance to achieve that is Leonard Taylor, the Miami Palmetto defensive tackle who is rated by 247 Sports as the 10th-best player nationally in the 2021 recruiting class and by Rivals as the 40th-best player.
Manny Diaz loves what the program is getting in Taylor.
“When you think about all the great Miami Hurricanes’ defenses of the past, you think about the disruptive defensive tackles,” Diaz said. “And Leonard Taylor’s got a chance to be another one in a long line of great disruptive defensive tackles at the University of Miami. What he did this past year at Miami Palmetto was special. On a very talented team, a very well-coached team L.T. took his game to a different level.
“He lives in the backfield. His ability to make tackles for loss, to make sacks, get his feet across the line of scrimmage, and cause disruption. He is almost an impossible person to single block. I wouldn’t recommend not blocking him at all. You see the great get-off, the great pad level, and his ability to finish in the backfield. Just a very special young man, very special talent. He’s able to shut the guard and that’s what makes him so special. He’s got such a great motor, a great ability to make a play when he gets back there.”
▪ Diaz recently assessed UM’s other front-seven additions, including three-star Miami Killian outside linebacker Tyler Johnson.
“The last name should sound familiar, the production will look familiar, the position is just different,” Diaz said. “How cool. The younger brother of Jaquan Johnson, who had such a great career for us and is now playing for the Buffalo Bills. Tyler’s not a safety like his brother was. Tyler likes to play close to the line of scrimmage and he likes to come off that edge and terrorize offensive linemen and then in turn, quarterbacks.”
Diaz said Johnson is “a very, very explosive hard-hitting football player and he has been that way his entire career at Miami Killian. Just a really, really dynamic presence even in the run game. Tough, physical, you would expect that. Jaquan wouldn’t have it any other way. Tyler, like Jaquan, just a ball guy.”
Before departing for Utah State, former UM co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda tweeted: “People really DO NOT UNDERSTAND how good this young man really is! But WE DO! One of the best defensive players in the country mark my words.”
Johnson was rated by the 20th-best outside linebacker in the 2021 class by 247Sports, which rated him much higher than other services.
▪ Diaz said defensive tackle Allan Haye, the 6-2, 300-pounder, “is very dynamic versus the run, but can still finish in the pass game and terrorize the quarterbacks like we love to do here.
“Great part of our recruiting class from Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna High School, which has been a great pipeline to the University of Miami over the past couple of years. If you think about the 4-3 defense it always starts with defensive tackle play and Allan is another in the line of disruptive defensive tackles. He’s got great get-off and then disruption, runs through contact, great hand placement on the inside, and can finish a play in the backfield. If you want a tackle for loss, sack-type operation like we do, you’ve got to be able to finish and Allan’s got the athletic ability to be able to finish.”
▪ UM also has high hopes for Miami Columbus defensive end Jabari Ishmael, who was rated by Rivals as the 13th best strong-side defensive end in the 2021 class and the 223rd-best player overall.
“The last name Ishmael has been a pillar of Miami Hurricane football,” Diaz said. “Victor Ishmael has been outstanding in our weight room for generations of Hurricane players to come through and to have his son Jabari Ishmael join our program is really neat to have an Ishmael in the weight room and also on the field. Jabari has really developed into an outstanding player. Great length, great ability to move, and get after the quarterback.
“Able to swallow up [offensive linemen] with his length, relentless, quarterback going back and forth across the field and Jabari’s able to put him on the ground. You just see the type of length and speed that our defensive end play here has become known for. Also the ability to get out and into the flat and we can drop our defensive ends into coverage, make plays in space when needed. Just a very, very versatile athlete, a great young man, really excited to get him on our campus.”
Here’s what Diaz had to say about Davis and Troutman, the two defensive ends or linebackers who are enrolling early.
▪ Basketball notes: There had been thought last summer that UM small forward Earl Timberlake could follow Lonnie Walker as a one-and-done player at Miami. But Timberlake, who has been out with a shoulder injury, is not nearly as far along as Walker was as a freshman and it would be stunning if he didn’t return to college.
Careless ballhandling has been one problem; the 6-5 Timberlake has 23 turnovers and 17 assists in seven games.
He’s averaging 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds but must develop his three-point game for the NBA level; he’s 2 for 7 on threes....
Even if Chris Lykes is able to get back from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since early December, he still must get back in shape....
UM hoops — reeling at 6-10 and 2-9 in conference and still short-handed — has back-to-back ESPN-televised Big Monday games: against Duke this week (with Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas on the call) and at North Carolina Feb. 8.
▪ Quick stuff: Former Auburn co-defensive coordinator Travis Williams, who we wrote about last week, is considered the front-runner for UM’s linebacker coaching opening vacated by Blake Baker’s move to LSU. (UPDATE: Williams has been hired by UM as inside linebacker coach.)... UM’s Quincy Roche had a good week of Senior Bowl practices and appeared to improve his draft stock... Catcher Adrian Del Castillo and first baseman Alex Toral were named to Baseball America’s Preseason All-America first team.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 11:49 AM.
