Why UM is giving a lot of time to incumbent linebackers. And coaches dish on personnel
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on the eve of Saturday’s opener against Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium (3:30 p.m., ACC Network):
▪ We strongly suspect UM’s defensive line will be much improved. We know UM’s safeties will be among the best in the country.
But can a defense that ranked 75th among 130 FBS schools last season improve appreciably with potentially the same veteran starters at linebacker?
For those who had hoped UCLA transfer Caleb Johnson would overtake undersized Corey Flagg Jr. at middle linebacker, that apparently hadn’t happened, at least not by the start of the week. Flagg, who started every game last season, went into this past week as the starter. (It’s unclear if that changed.)
For those who had hoped freshman Wesley Bissainthe or promising Chase Smith (or Keontra Smith) would unseat Waymon Steed, that hadn’t happened either. Steed, who started eight games last season, remained in line to start, barring a change in the past few days.
Ask linebackers coach Charlie Strong who his best linebacker has been in camp, and he doesn’t need to think about it.
“Of all the backers, Cory has had the best camp,” Strong told WQAM’s Don Bailey Jr. “He’s a student of the game, says, ‘Coach, do you have a few minutes for me?’ That’s what I like about him. He puts so much time into it. He has an idea what’s going on. He studies it so much.”
Meanwhile, Steed — who has been a Cane since 2017 — has held off competition at the other linebacker spot.
There’s no question about the work ethic and preparation of either player. The question is whether Flagg (5-11, 230) and Steed (6-0, 225) can hold up physically against bruising rushing attacks.
Flagg, fully aware that his group is heavily scrutinized, told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki that Strong “has taken our game to a whole other level. I can’t wait for you guys to see it.”
Flagg said that instead of watching cartoons growing up, he studied football tape with his family, something that has given him a leg up in this fall camp competition.
“I can see my game is better,” said Flagg, who had 60 tackles — including seven for loss — and three sacks a year ago. “I see my game changing. They’ve coached me up and gotten me better. Coach Strong sees something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself. He’s taken my game to another level.”
Flagg’s ability to stick with the first team through much of camp is more a compliment toward him than a negative about UCLA transfer Johnson.
“He’s progressed very nicely,” defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said of Johnson. “He’s a physically gifted guy, can run. He can play with power downhill, knock people back. That’s hard to find in linebackers anymore because it’s a space game.”
What about Bissainthe? “He can play on line, can play off the ball,” Strong said. “He has very good awareness. He’s going to be able to help us.”
▪ Running backs coach Kevin Smith, with Zagacki, praised Jaylan Knighton’s maturity and said of Thad Franklin: “Thad is a very, very smooth runner. He has a really good feel for the game. He brings a lot of power and strength and good natural balance.”
▪ A couple of points from quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce, to Zagacki and Bailey: He said Tyler Van Dyke “is getting to his second and third progressions really fast.”
He said with backup Jake Garcia, there are “a couple things he needs to get better at, a couple concepts we’re working on. He’s working in the film room.”
▪ Defensive line coach Rod Wright told Zagacki: “Chantz Williams has been outstanding from spring to now. I challenged him to play hard all the time even when he’s tired. Akheem Mesidor and Mitchell Agude bring credibility, veteran guys in the room who have been there. They just want to win.”
▪ Former UM coach Jimmy Johnson on WQAM’s Joe Rose Show: “It would be fantastic if they can win the Coastal. As excited as everybody is right now, they need to temper it a little bit. The real benefit will be a year from now. The real recruits aren’t here until a year from now. A year after next is when we can really say, ‘now we have a shot.’”
▪ Quick stuff: Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal made an interesting point, noting that the ongoing facility upgrades (including lengthening the field of the indoor practice bubble to standard dimensions), has made a difference with players.
“You’ve got to go fight for a new locker room, for more food,” Mirabal told WQAM of Cristobal’s involvement in the efforts to spend more money on the program, something to which the highest levels of the UM administration agreed to. “When they [players] see your coach is out there fighting for you, you fight for them. That’s why they buy in.”
… Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said the biggest change in the program, since he has arrived, “is coming off the ball, displacing defensive linemen, really embracing that physical mindset.”...
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit includes UM among his mystery teams: “Can’t wait to see what Miami is and who they are with Mario Cristobal, but it remains to be seen who they potentially are going to be by the time we get into the season.”...
Betonline has moved Van Dyke up to sixth on its Heisman Trophy odds leaderboard, at 25 to 1. Van Dyke should be very, very good. But UM needs to win at Texas A&M or Clemson - and all the other games - to make this more realistic.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 4:31 PM.
