Feedback on Hurricanes’ linebackers, defensive tackles, more. And Diaz addresses issues
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Tuesday:
▪ The lack of size and elite talent at linebacker is a concern among some inside the program.
One person in the program wondered how the Canes not only will be able to consistently stop the run with what could be its weakest linebacker group in years, but also if they will be able to slow big, productive tight ends in the passing game.
Alabama’s tight ends are big targets: Jahleel Billingsley is 6-4, and 230 pounds; Cameron Latu — a former defensive end — is 6-5 and 261 pounds; and Major Tennison is 6-5 and 252 pounds. Billingsley last season caught 18 passes for 287 yards (15.9 per catch) and three touchdowns.
The Hurricanes’ top six linebackers — in no particular order — are 5-11, 230 pounds (Corey Flagg), 6-1, 230 (Bradley Jennings) 6-2, 230 (Sam Brooks), 6-3, 205 (Avery Huff), 6-0, 225 (Waymon Steed) and 5-11, 205 (Keontra Smith).
Perhaps striker Amari Carter (6-2, 202) or safeties Bubba Bolden (6-3, 204) or Gurvan Hall (6-0, 192) could be used on tight ends.
The hope is that Flagg and Smith reach or fulfill expectations and that Brooks finally gets healthy after spring toe surgery. (Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz said last week that Brooks’ status for camp is uncertain.) To use a variation of the old Don Shula line, we know (respectfully) who Jennings and Steed are.
Perhaps Tirek Austin-Cave or freshmen DeShawn Troutman and Tyler Johnson will be pleasant surprises. But Jon Vilma, D.J. Williams and Dan Morgan aren’t walking through that door.
▪ For all of the turnover at defensive end this offseason and the concerns at linebacker, Diaz made clear that defensive tackle play must improve.
“It starts with the defensive tackle position; Jon Ford, Nesta Silvera, Jared Harrison-Hunte, Jordan Miller,” Diaz told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki and Joe Rose last week. “The Miami 4-3 always starts with defensive tackle play. I know people like to speak about our linebacker play, but our defensive tackle play has to make as big a jump as anybody. If we’re going to stop the run, it has to start with those two guys.”
▪ As for defensive end, “We never felt like we had an in-shape Deandre Johnson going through spring practice,” Diaz said of the senior Tennessee transfer who had 4.5 sacks in eight games for the Volunteers last season.
“He had a phenomenal offseason getting into great shape. The development of a guy like Jahfari Harvey is really exciting. The leadership of a guy like [former linebacker/now defensive end] Zach McCloud [is helpful].”
With the really good UM teams, “our strength was being able to come at people in numbers [on the defensive line],” Diaz said.
“Nothing empties the tank like rushing the passer. We had to rely on Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche a year ago. [Now] we have more guys we can run at you: four deep at defensive end, four deep at defensive tackle.”
▪ More from Diaz: He said “we have the oldest team we’ve had at Miami since I’ve been here..... For Miami and where we’ve been,... that is really big for our program.”...
On returning to the defensive coordinator role, in addition to serving as head coach, Diaz said: “The ultimate accountability of how we play defense has to rest on my feet. It’s been a pleasure for me. I really enjoy doing it. And the players are enjoying it. Our success will be because of them, not because of me.”...
Diaz told Rose and Zagacki that “there was a guy in this year’s [recruiting] cycle that I don’t know he wanted all the smoke that comes with being a Miami Hurricane. It’s not for everybody. You’ll be held to a very high standard.”...
Diaz said one underrated factor in D’Eriq King’s decision to return for another season is that young quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia “now have a model. D’Eriq makes us better for years to come because he can train [them, show that] this is how it’s done at the U.”
▪ Quick stuff: One player who Canes players have been raving about in offseason workouts: receiver Xavier Restrepo, who has a knack for getting open.... Another player conveyed that tight end Will Mallory is going to have a great year...
Former UM quarterback Tate Martell reportedly transferred to UNLV, putting him back in a city where he was a high school football star... Four-star Class of 2022 Tennessee based receiver Isaiah Horton plans to announce his college choice on Wednesday. UM, Tennessee, Alabama and UF are the finalists.
▪ One UM person expressed respect and admiration for basketball coach Jim Larranaga but said he needs to be a bit less selective about filling scholarships in this sense:
In recent years, UM left some scholarships unused because Larranaga didn’t find a player that he was sure was an ACC-level player. So when UM had a bevy of injuries in recent years, the Canes sometimes were left with six or seven scholarship players.
At the moment, UM has eight scholarship players on the team and hopes to add at least one more (preferably a big man). Two of those eight are freshmen: Jakai Robinson and Nisine Poplar.
There are some things Larranaga won’t bend on in recruiting; for example, he expects players to be willing defenders.
That’s a reasonable expectation. But the question then becomes whether UM should take a chance on a high-level scorer who’s a largely indifferent or ineffective defender, and hope to change that part of his game.
Larranaga also won’t bend on attitude, and that’s one reason he surprisingly bounced Matt Cross from the team. Cross was considered to be too negative, though he didn’t break any rules and he wasn’t a disruptive force. He has since resurfaced at Louisville.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 4:27 PM.
