What UM’s defensive metrics reveal about Hurricanes’ pass defense. And recruiting news
Nuggets from the University of Miami’s defensive metrics this past season and what they tell us about the roster’s strengths and shortcomings, with numbers courtesy of the esteemed Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus:
▪ Three defensive backs produced really good numbers in coverage, and anyone who watched the Canes won’t be surprised who those three are: cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams.
All will be key pieces of UM’s 2022 defense.
What’s disappointing is the regression by cornerback Te’Cory Couch, the uneven play of veteran corner DJ Ivey and the inconsistent play of young defensive backs Marcus Clarke (who flashed at times) and Isaiah Dunson. And the linebackers were dismal in coverage. More on all of that in a minute.
First, the good news: Stevenson, the Georgia transfer, was as good as advertised, allowing just a 69.1 passer rating in his coverage area (25 completions in 49 targets for 228 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception).
The two freshman safeties were very good in coverage, too. Kinchens permitted a 70.1 passer rating in his coverage area (18 completions in 35 throws for 211 yards).
Williams led the team in passer rating against at 50.7 (13 for 18 completed but for just 121 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions). But he also had six penalties. It will be interesting to see whether the new defensive staff (not yet hired) keeps him at safety or moves him to linebacker.
Also above average in coverage: departing Amari Carter (86.9 passer rating in 33 targets against) and freshman striker Chase Smith (76 passer rating against in eight targets).
If he stays at striker instead of moving to weak-side linebacker, Smith is poised to challenge Gilbert Frierson, who allowed 23 completions in 27 targets but for only 153 yards (that 6.6 per competition is good) and no touchdowns.
▪ Now the bad news: Couch was very good in the second half of 2020, so his 2021 regression was surprising. He allowed 412 yards in his coverage area (most on the team) and a 104.6 passer rating, yielding 28 completions in 46 passes against him, with two touchdowns permitted and no interceptions.
Ivey also continued his up-and-down career here, yielding a 123.2 passer rating against, with 19 completions in 30 targets for 252 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
If UM doesn’t add a cornerback in the portal, then Couch and Ivey must play a lot better in 2022.
Al Blades Jr. — who missed most of the season with an injury — also plans to return. Blades allowed only one completion in four targets (for just four yards) before his injury.
▪ In addition to the struggles of Couch and Ivey, two second-year defensive backs also permitted bloated passer ratings against:
Clarke, who started at one point, allowed a 124.2 passer rating against, with 15 completions (including four touchdowns) permitted in 19 targets for 182 yards and an interception.
Dunson — who moved from corner to safety in late October after Gurvan Hall left the program — relinquished a 135.4 passer rating, with four completions in eight passes against him for 121 yards and a TD.
And Miami’s linebackers — suspect in run defense — weren’t very good in coverage, either.
Corey Flagg Jr. permitted a bloated 130 passer rating in coverage, allowing 18 completions in 23 attempts for 231 yards and three TDs, plus one interception.
Keontra Smith allowed a 103.2 passer rating, with 10 completions in 15 targets for 84 yards and a TD, plus three penalties.
Bradley Jennings Jr., before entering the transfer portal, allowed all nine targets against him to be caught for 89 yards.
Gurvan Hall was toasted (118.9 passer rating against and 2 TDs) before transferring to Utah State.
Bubba Bolden yielded a 106.5 rating before a shoulder injury ended his season in late October. He’s NFL-bound.
Still to come in this series: Nuggets/metrics on UM’s front seven players, offensive line and offensive skill position players.
NOTABLE
Five-star Seattle-based offensive tackle Josh Conerly, who was being recruited by Mario Cristobal at Oregon, is now considering UM and will visit the Hurricanes’ campus this weekend, after Canes coaches traveled West to visit him on Wednesday.
Conerly then plans to visit Southern Cal and Oregon in the coming weeks. He previously visited Michigan and Oregon and told Canesport that he might not make a decision until March. Signing day is Feb. 2.
▪ Among UM Class of 2022 targets scheduled to visit Miami’s campus this weekend, in advance of signing day, per 247 Sports: Louisiana-based running back TreVonte’ Citizen, Georgia-based defensive lineman Christen Miller and Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons edge player R Mason Thomas, who remains a soft Iowa State commit.
Citizen, who decommitted from LSU on Thanksgiving weekend, is rated by Rivals as the 86th best player in the 2022 class, while Miller is rated 76th overall....
Defensive end Cyrus Moss announced he has enrolled in this first spring semester, joining fellow freshmen Nyjalik Kelly, Jacurri Brown, Jaleel Skinner and Khamauri Rogers.
This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 6:31 PM.
