Here’s what’s changed with UM in recent days. And the one irrelevant Diaz/Cristobal change
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday, heading into Saturday’s opener against Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium (3:30 p.m., ACC Network):
▪ Hurricanes receivers, plagued by drops throughout camp, appeared to turn a corner in the past week.
“Early in camp, I was very clear that we were inconsistent,” Mario Cristobal said on the debut of his WQAM radio show this week. “There were flashes but [also] play that was not good enough. Over the last four days, there has been a tremendous amount of progress.”
Who in particular has emerged?
“Brashard Smith since the end of spring to all of camp has really jumped out,” Cristobal said when I asked him on Wednesday. In practice, “Key’Shawn Smith, [past] four or five days has made explosive plays.
“Xavier Restrepo has been our most consistent receiver [this offseason]. Certainly progressing is Romello Brinson; has shown some big play ability the last couple of days.”
Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. that the message to receivers, in recent weeks, was “Do it right or we’ll find somebody else who can.”
Jacolby George was relegated to the scout team this week after working with the starters through most of spring ball. Cristobal said players take turns on the scout team.
Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has seen a clear jump from the receivers in recent days.
“Completing more balls, catching the ball a lot better than we have been in fall camp,” Van Dyke said. “The timing is better. It’s all about them knowing what to do during that play, just getting there and making the catch. A lot more focus. Those guys are getting on the JUGS machine a lot more and just working harder at it. They’ve been doing a great job.”
▪ When left tackle Zion Nelson returns to an every-down role after knee surgery, an interesting decision awaits: Do you move fill-in left tackle John Campbell to right tackle and shift DJ Scaife from right tackle to right guard?
Cristobal declined to answer directly when I posed that question this week, but added that every player is cross-trained.
It ultimately comes down to this: Does UM believe Oregon transfer Logan Sagapolu or Campbell is its fifth-best offensive lineman? And part of that answer will be based on UM’s belief in whether Scaife is as good a guard as he is a tackle after playing both in his career here. (One UM person who attends practice insists he’s a better guard than tackle, even though he has been playing right tackle.)
The answer will be obvious by the Sept. 17 Texas A&M game.
▪ This much is clear: The offensive line is starting to look like Cristobal envisioned.
“The offensive line has taken on the demeanor of a physical group,” Cristobal told Zagacki and Bailey. “They have a lot of pride. They have been around some good times and tough times.
“Their belief in [offensive line coach Alex] Mirabal is really strong. We have a unique and high level system for developing offensive linemen. We’ve put an extraordinary amount of guys in the NFL.”
Of this group — led by Nelson, Jalen Rivers, Scaife and Jakai Clark — Cristobal said: “Their ability to communicate has improved dramatically. We’re schematically very different [than previous UM team].”
▪ Quick stuff: Van Dyke on tight end Will Mallory, who has been cleared to play Saturday against Bethune-Cookman after more shoulder problems this offseason: “Will is a special playmaker. You have to almost double cover him to stop him. That’ll help receivers make plays. They’re going to try to game plan for him especially.”...
UM has its biggest football staff ever assembled (including analysts and support staff), and Cristobal indicated this week that his experience at Alabama sold him on the bigger-is-better notion.
Going to Alabama “reaffirmed and confirmed a lot of things I knew,” he said. “A monstrosity of a staff and being able to take that over to the west coast [at Oregon was beneficial]. Now that we’re investing in the program the way we’re investing in it, it’s exciting.”....
Cristobal said receiver and defensive back are among the difficult remaining decisions regarding playing time.
▪ Cristobal has emphasized discipline more than Manny Diaz ever did; one player said Cristobal was particularly adamant in emphasizing that drug tests are to be taken seriously.
Overall, it’s a more serious, businesslike approach, and here’s one way that has manifested itself: Players no longer can play video games at the team hotel.
Van Dyke’s view on that: “It’s all about focus. It’s about what we worked on during the week, thinking about that and also trying to clear our minds, get a good night’s rest. No distractions anymore.”
▪ It’s clear from his words that Cristobal had no use for the harmless gimmicks and social media creativity that was a mark of the Diaz regime — from the turnover chain (which has been buried) to the swirling hurricane storm emojis when UM landed a big commitment and all of the other slick packaging that Diaz believed helped sell his program.
“You’re not going to see a tweet or proclamation,” Cristobal reiterated on the debut of his radio show this week, with no mention of Diaz, obviously. “We just don’t do that.”
But here’s the thing: None of that matters toward winning or losing. The turnover chain, the Category 5 storm emojis — it doesn’t make a bit of difference whether Canes coaches and players do that or don’t do that. So eliminating them, in my view, is neither good nor bad; it essentially accomplishes nothing. It’s trivial.
What matters is that this team tackles better and commits fewer turnovers and mindless errors (such as the coverage breakdown on 4th-and-14 against FSU, a play that ultimately sealed Diaz’s fate). That’s where Diaz’s teams fell woefully short.
And what matters most is that the Canes secure more NFL-caliber talent, the type of blue chippers that form the foundation of the perennial title contenders: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State.
Cristobal is on his way toward accomplishing that with a strong close to the 2022 class and a strong start to the 2023 class.
The fact Canes fans are “not going to see a tweet or proclamation” anymore?
That doesn’t make a darn bit of difference.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
