Insight on the Hurricanes’ offensive personnel from someone allowed at practice
Few have a better handle on the Miami Hurricanes’ personnel than longtime radio analyst Don Bailey Jr., who was one of very few people (beyond coaches and UM staffers) who were permitted to observe spring practice.
Bailey’s thoughts on the team’s offensive personnel (aside from tight end, which is the Will Mallory Show), in our continuing series soliciting feedback before the opening of practice on Friday:
QUARTERBACK
Bailey said this is the “best I’ve felt about quarterback in a very, very long time. When have we had a bonafide starter like D’Eriq King with such promising quarterbacks behind him in the future? We’re not just looking at it that we have King; we have a quarterback room now. The room is filled with quarterback potential. They’re very promising.”
On Tyler Van Dyke, Bailey was struck by “how comfortable he is, how efficient he was. He proved to us he’s got enough arm talent; he can make every single throw. During the spring, he looked like he was running his football team [with King healing from a torn ACL]. Neither of those quarterbacks - Tyler or Jake [Garcia] - ever looked lost, and that’s a huge credit to Rhett Lashlee.”
Is the fact that Van Dyke is not a dual threat quarterback a concern? Bailey doesn’t think so.
“As far as the run game goes, you know what you got when you signed him up,” Bailey said.
On Garcia, Bailey said: “How somebody that young could grasp an offense that fast was impressive. He wasn’t even involved in the first couple days of practice. It’s obvious he’s got a great mind for football. I look for how smooth the operation was and both Jake and Tyler passed the test. Garcia doesn’t have any issues with accuracy.”
He said Garcia’s and Van Dyke’s performance in the spring game was reflective of how they fared throughout spring practices. “Consistent,” he said.
RUNNING BACK
Bailey is eager to see if Don Chaney Jr. heals quickly enough from a shoulder procedure to inject himself in the starting competition before the Sept. 4 opener against Alabama. Chaney said he’s ready for the start of camp this week.
“If Chaney is in the equation, he’s a legitimate contender because he’s faster than most people realize,” Bailey said before Chaney clarified his status. “He’s more powerful than we saw last year. He’s very, very natural at what he does.”
Though Lashlee has spoken of having a bell-cow back, Bailey is curious to see how it plays out.
“Rhett Lashlee wants a 20-carry back. But they normally run the ball 30 to 40 times. That still leaves a bunch of carries. It’s important for Miami to come up with success in the running back spot to take pressure off” King from needing to run the ball as much as he did last year.
Can explosive Jaylon Knighton hold up for 15 to 20 carries a game?
“It’s unclear because we haven’t seen it,” Bailey said. “The only one we know can hold up 15 to 20 carries is Cam’Ron Harris because we have seen it. Everything else is speculative.”
But Bailey warns not to underestimate Knighton.
“Remember, Jaylon Knighton earned a starting spot last year; he started against Duke. I like the fact he wants to be 205 pounds. He runs hard. He’s not afraid of contact. He’s fast. He’s explosive.
“Cam’Ron Harris has had some very good games. He gave us our two highest rushing outputs in Game 1 and 2 last year. You can’t beat his experience. He has given us big games throughout his career.”
The question with Harris remains consistency.
Bailey cautions not to rule out freshmen Thad Franklin and Cody Brown.
“You’ve got two different styles of back coming in as freshman. They may look fantastic. That’s one heck of a competition in that room. That will go to the week before” until a starter is named.
WIDE RECEIVER
To Bailey, there are three players who definitely will get playing time this fall: Mike Harley Jr., Charleston Rambo and Xavier Restrepo, with eight others competing for rotation spots.
It’s interesting that he puts Restrepo in that group.
“Restrepo will be on the field,” Bailey said. “He’s earned it. Every practice I went to and every time I saw him, he produced plays and he caught the football. He has the confidence of all of the quarterbacks. Those three guys are for sure - Restrepo, Harley, Rambo.”
What impressed Bailey about Rambo, the Oklahoma transfer, was “the speed and the size. He’s a different sized guy. He’s stronger than people realize.”
Bailey gives Keyshawn Smith a legitimate chance to earn a rotation spot.
“He missed some time in the spring, but he showed me a lot last year and showed a lot in spring game. He’s smooth, he’s athletic and I think he’s got very dependable hands.
“And I don’t think the towel should be thrown in on Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope. They’re getting coached hard. I believe in the move and understand the move of putting Pope in the slot; it is an easier release for Pope in the slot and my hope is we have found his natural position.”
But are there enough snaps in the slot for Pope behind Harley and perhaps Restrepo?
“The offense plays between 80 and 100 plays per game and Harley is not playing 90 plays,” Bailey said. “He’s not playing 60 plays [at that high tempo]. You need six, seven, eight guys. You are going to have your top three, but you get into a battle and you’re running 80, 90, 100 plays. There are plenty of opportunities” for everyone.
Bailey sees Smith, Wiggins and Pope as the next tier competing for rotation spots behind Harley, Rambo and Restrepo.
Bailey noted during the spring game that Michael Redding “is probably the swing guy” and Daz Worsham “has to understand how to run routes and do what’s necessary to get open.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Bailey sees left tackle Zion Nelson becoming a potential early-round NFL Draft pick in two years, not this season.
“I was on the field for two minutes and I watched him move around and was sold from the first pass rush drill as a true freshman,” Bailey said, before Nelson struggled as a freshman and then improved significantly as a sophomore in 2020.
“I told Joe Zagacki, ‘Remember this guy.’ He’s a great story of how he has been developed in the weight room and film room. He’s living proof that Miami does develop players. I would like him to stick around for all his eligibility [three more seasons] and become someone who can dominate at the next level.”
Bailey loved what he saw from left guard Jakai Clark before his April car accident that will likely sideline him for the opener: “He has started two years at guard and played some center in the spring [behind Corey Gaynor] and looked very good at it. If he was here for five years, which I’m a firm believer in the five-year plan for offensive linemen, he’s a guy that has done a great job with [strength and conditioning coach] David Feeley. He could be a two-year starter at guard and two-year starter at center and be as prepared as anyone to play at the next level. He’s got a great opportunity.”
Nevertheless, Bailey said Jalen Rivers made left guard a very competitive battle with Clark. Rivers is the front-runner to start the Alabama opener in the wake of Clark’s injury, though UNLV transfer Justice Oluwaseun could get in the mix.
“Jalen Rivers is a very good football player,” Bailey said. “He gives you a guard/tackle and Jakai gives you a guard/center. I like everything with Rivers. He found the weight room and it’s paid off. At first glance, you don’t think he’s that athletic but he is.”
Bailey said tackle depth is better. If John Campbell is the fourth tackle, UM would seem to be in decent shape there. “Campbell is turning into one heck of a player,” Bailey insisted.
What about the DJ Scaife/Jarrid Williams competition at right tackle, with Scaife having moved over from right guard this past spring?
“I think it will be a battle until day one of the season,” Bailey said. “Scaife is a pretty darn good tackle. He looks comfortable there. He’s longer than people realize. His arms are long, his legs are long. He really felt comfortable at tackle. He’s turned out to be a heck of a tackle.”
Bailey said “other than the quarterback, [right guard] Navaughn Donaldson is as important to that offense as anyone. I would love to see Navaughn have the greatest year he’s ever had. He can truly dominate a game. I don’t think anybody has any idea how athletic he is for his size. He’s got to make sure that he gets his weight in line.”
Bailey, a former center at UM, said offensive line coach Garin Justice “has done an outstanding job. They’ve become very cohesive. They are communicating well. They play very, very hard. I’m expecting a big year” from the offensive line.
Bailey will assess the defense in a piece on Thursday.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 6:02 PM.
