Miami Hurricanes make position changes, offer injury updates and a new program for fans
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ The Canes are moving ahead with two position switches — Keontra Smith to weakside linebacker and Amari Carter to striker — and both make a lot of sense.
Smith, the former No. 2 striker behind Gilbert Frierson, was impressive in the spring game at linebacker and could offer the best option at that spot if Sam Brooks continues to have durability issues. Brooks missed the spring with a toe injury.
UM’s top five linebackers, in no particular order, could end up being Corey Flagg Jr. in the middle, Brooks, Smith, Bradley Jennings Jr., and either Avery Huff or Waymon Steed, with Tirek Austin-Cave and freshmen Deshawn Troutman and Tyler Johnson also pushing for playing time.
Carter’s move to striker — where he figures to share time with Frierson — could ease the logjam at safety.
Bubba Bolden and Gurvan Hall are clear front-runners to start the opener at safety against Alabama, but the path has been cleared for at least two talented young players to join the safety rotation among Avantae Williams, James Williams, Keshawn Washington, Kamren Kinchens and Brian Balom.
Manny Diaz said that Carter — who started nine games at safety last season — still might be used at that position, adding “that will depend on what our depth looks like early on” in August camp.
Jalen Harrell — moved over from cornerback — and promising freshman Chase Smith also are competing at striker.
▪ Diaz expressed optimism that Don Chaney Jr., working his way back from a shoulder injury, will be ready for the Alabama opener.
“The news has been encouraging considering Don and his availability for the opener,” Diaz said. “We’re trending in a good direction with Don Chaney.”
Chaney didn’t have any protective sleeve on the shoulder at Paradise Camp on Saturday.
Of the three running backs competing for the lead job (Chaney, Cam’Ron Harris and Jaylon Knighton), Chaney might be the most complete and have the highest ceiling. This will be a highly competitive battle in August.
Meanwhile, quarterback D’Eriq King remains on track to play against Alabama. He wasn’t wearing anything on his surgically- repaired knee during Paradise Camp and was walking without any limp.
But left guard Jakai Clark appears unlikely to be ready for the Alabama game in the wake of his April car accident. When asked about Clark and Chaney, Diaz said: “Jakai may have a little further to go” than Chaney.
Jalen Rivers is the top candidate to start at left guard in the opener.
▪ Former UM offensive lineman Joaquin Gonzalez, a two-time first-team All American, offered a blunt assessment of the program after serving as a guest coach at Paradise Camp.
“This is a big year for the program to step up and grow,” he said. “They’ve had a lot of recruiting classes come through here with a lot of talent. Development has always been a question for a lot of years here. If they can put that all together..
“It’s simple: Win the games that we’re supposed to win. Compete in the ones that we know we’re going to have a tough time. We don’t have to win those.
“Lose to Alabama by [expletive] 10, not by [expletive] 35. And compete and show that you belong to play an opponent like that. We haven’t seen that. We have a first test in Alabama. Let’s be realists. I want them to win. I expect them to win. But I feel more importantly right now, given the state of the program the way it’s been the last couple of years, I want them to show some progression, show some balls and [expletive] compete. We have the talent.”
▪ Has the coaching staff been upgraded?
“Being with [offensive line] coach [Garin Justice], I’ve had a lot of time to spend with him, I’m really excited [about] the O-line group. I think he has a tremendous group. They look great. They’re way better than we were when I was here... I think we’re going to be all right. But now the kids have to do the work. If not, it’s going to be a different story.”
Is player development getting back to the point of UM’s glory years?
“It’s too early to tell,” he said. “Greg Rousseau was here. Jaelan Phillips was here for a cupcake and [an expletive] Diet Coke. I think it’s too early to tell the progression with some of these kids. This year will be a good measure.”
Gonzalez said coaching at Paradise Camp was “awesome…. It’s an unbelievable recruiting tool, really showcases the program. Really can see the local talent. I was taken back by how many kids from out of state are here. There’s very few programs that have this much talent that have gone through their doors to be able to have such a thing as a Paradise Camp. You can name a couple of them. This is unreal.”
▪ Ed Reed was conspicuously absent from Paradise Camp — and has not been around much in June — but Diaz said he remains chief of staff. The Canes believe Reed has real value during the season, and they don’t pressure him to be around during the offseason.
▪ The Canes emerged from the final weekend of June official visits without any more 2022 commitments but very much in the mix for several players.
Devon Jackson — the four-star linebacker from Omaha, Nebraska — liked the weekend at UM and told Canesport that it’s “50-50” between the Canes and Arizona State.
Demario Tolan, the four-star outside linebacker/striker from Orlando, left his visit with a favorable impression of UM and a final five of Miami, LSU, FSU, Tennessee and Clemson. He will announce July 8.
Three-star Miami Central offensive tackle Daughtry Richardson said the Miami visit helped UM’s chances. He will announce July 26, picking from among UM, FSU, Arizona State and Kentucky.
Jacob Hood, the four-star offensive tackle from Nashville, emerged from his official visit strongly considering UM, as well as Georgia and others.
And four-star Orlando-based defensive tackle Zane Durant tweeted that he liked his UM visit and told Canesport he will choose among the Canes, Penn State and Indiana on July 4.
▪ UM unveiled a new fundraising program that it hopes will finance a renovated locker room for football and a new baseball scoreboard, among other upgrades.
Donors who commit to a gift of at least $50,000 (which can be paid over five years) become members of a new exclusive group called the Athletic Director’s Society. There are multiple levels of donations, topping out at $1 million-plus.
Members of the new group are eligible to receive Tier 1 priority for postseason and away game tickets, invitations to exclusive events, the ability to request an exclusive away game team travel experience and more.
“If you love baseball, maybe you can come to the dugout before games and say hello to Gino [DiMare] and the team,” Chris Cohen, UM’s senior associate athletic director of development, said by phone. “Maybe [participating] in the Canewalk [for football players entering Hard Rock Stadium]. We want to customize the experience.”
UM hopes to raise at least $10.5 million with this new initiative.
Among the planned upgrades, improving the football locker room “is very important,” Cohen said. “We want our facilities to be commensurate with our brand. Recruits and student-athletes talk and we want to modernize the locker room. The lockers themselves, they’re nice and functional but they’re wooden.”
Some of the new lockers in more modern facilities “recline like a first-class seat, where kids can nap in them,” Cohen said. “We are driving a 2012 car and need a 2022 model. Outlets for iPads weren’t prevalent in 2012.”
And Cohen said that replacing the baseball scoreboard will “significantly improve the overall game day viewing experience by featuring enhanced in-game graphics, promotions and replays to give fans, student-athletes and coaches a first-class stadium experience.”
Other planned upgrades include the team locker room and players’ lounge at Mark Light Field and expansion of the Hecht Athletic Center weight room, enhancements to the swimming and diving program facilities and field replacement at Cobb Stadium.
The beginning of renovations is “contingent on what we raise,” Cohen said. “We plan to be able to do it in this academic year [by May 31, 2022]. The sooner we raise money, the sooner we can get started.”
UM studied how others schools, including Georgia, operate a similar advanced donor program before unveiling this one.
For more information, see MiamiHurricanes.com/ADSociety or contact Parker Poliakoff at the Hurricane Club at 305-407-5794.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 10:06 AM.
