Miami Hurricanes early enrollees making a strong impression. And UM personnel notes
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Tuesday:
▪ UM has only four early enrollees participating in spring practice, and all four have flashed.
During an 11-on-11 session open to reporters, quarterback Jacurri Brown was impressive on Tuesday, delivering a deep throw to Xavier Restrepo and scrambling for a sizable gain.
The 6-4 Brown must become more consistent, but there have been snapshots this spring that suggest the dual-threat freshman from Georgia is going to become a good player.
“Jacurri is amazing,” Restrepo said Tuesday. “His size, arm strength, he’s really good all around.”
Freshman Jaleel Skinner, perhaps the best tight end nationally in the 2022 recruiting class, has made several nice catches this spring.
It’s a spirited competition between Skinner and Elijah Arroyo for the No. 2 job behind Will Mallory, who is sidelined for the remainder of spring ball with a shoulder injury.
Skinner had a long catch from Jake Garcia on Tuesday.
Arroyo is more advanced physically after a year of college football, but Skinner is pushing.
Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe has worked mostly with the second team, but his skill set is evident. He was limited in practice last week with an undisclosed issue.
“He’s a smart kid,” linebacker Keontra Smith said. “He understands the defense faster than other freshmen would. That’s his advantage.”
And edge player Cyrus Moss might be the most impressive of the four. He had a strong scrimmage, and he looks positioned to be a rotation player this season.
“He’s quick and twitchy,” Smith said. “He’s able to rush the quarterback.”
Mario Cristobal has called Skinner and Moss “the two best players at their positions in the country” in the 2022 class.
Two early enrollees are out this spring: defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly and cornerback Khamauri Rogers.
▪ Jalen Rivers, who started at left guard in the first three games last season before sustaining a season-ending knee injury, lined up at left guard in portions of 11 on 11 drills on Tuesday - the first time that has happened in practice open to the media.
Rivers has been listed as limited this spring.
Rivers is at least the third player to line up with the starters at left guard this spring.
Ousman Traore opened spring with the starters at left guard but was replaced last week by Justice Olawaseun, who began spring as the starter at right guard. Traore began Tuesday’s session with the starters before Rivers checked in.
Last week’s lineup changes allowed UM to insert Oregon transfer Logan Sagapulo with the starters at right guard. Sagapulo remained with the starters at right guard on Tuesday.
The Canes are expected to pursue another Oregon transfer, guard/center Jonathan Denis, who’s now in the portal. He missed all of last season with a knee injury.
▪ Cristobal said in February that the Canes might add help at linebacker - which remains an area of concern - but Miami lost out on LSU transfer Josh White, who opted this week for Baylor.
People around the program expect a linebacker or two to be added in the months ahead.
Waymon Steed, Keontra Smith and Corey Flagg Jr. - the three linebackers who played the most last season - continue to get a lot of work with the starters. Is Smith looking at this as a chance to prove to the coaches that UM is just fine at linebacker?
“For me, I’m not running from competition,” Smith said. “I don’t know if they’re looking for anybody, but we’re not going anywhere.”
Smith, incidentally, has been working some at safety. “It’s just part of the scheme,” he said.
Smith had an interception in Saturday’s scrimmage.
▪ Te’Cory Couch, Al Blades Jr., DJ Ivey, Marcus Clarke, Isaiah Dunson and West Virginia transfer Daryl Porter Jr. (who hasn’t yet enrolled) essentially will be competing for two starting jobs - opposite likely starter Tyrique Stevenson - when UM is in nickel.
Gilbert Frierson, the former striker, also is a major factor at nickel corner or the star position in coordinator Kevin Steele’s defense.
“All the guys look forward to competition,” Couch said.
Couch said he was unhappy how he played last season.
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.
“Last year, nothing went well,” Couch said of himself. “I had a good end to the season my sophomore year; I’m just getting back to myself and playing how I know I can play.”
▪ Steele and this UM coaching staff have dramatically changed how tackling is taught. And that’s a good thing, because the Canes were among the worst tackling teams in the country under Manny Diaz the past two years, per Pro Football Focus.
“It is a different technique, but just know we’re tackling a whole lot better,” Couch said.
Keontra Smith also said that the way UM is tackling is much different.
▪ Quick stuff: We hear defensive end Jahfari Harvey had a strong scrimmage…
Restrepo, who has been compared with Braxton Berrios, spent time with the Jets receiver last week, as well as Jets (and former North Carolina running back) Michael Carter…
Defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte and safety Jalen Harrell haven’t been spotted at recent practices...
It will be interesting to see how this staff utilizes multi-purpose weapon Breshard Smith, who’s listed as a receiver but can also play running back. “He has the speed and the routes to do it all,” receiver Jacolby George said…
Edge player Mitchell Agude, the transfer from UCLA, has been attending practice but isn’t available yet to participate.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 1:16 PM.
