Canes seeing these building blocks emerge. And Cristobal on players’ parents lashing out
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ Besides trying to qualify for a bowl game, here’s the other significant objective that can be achieved during these final few weeks of the season: Identifying which players are worth building around — and which aren’t.
The UM staff already has a pretty good idea, but players can change minds quickly.
For example, look how Jaylan Knighton changed the perception of himself, from a player prone to fumbles to a dynamic, ball-protecting, highly productive runner during the past six quarters.
Besides many of the freshmen (such as Jaleel Skinner and Nyjalik Kelly), the list of non-draft-eligible players who can form the nucleus of a strong program obviously includes Kamren Kinchens, James Williams, Jacurri Brown, Wesley Bissainthe, Leonard Taylor, Darrell Jackson, Elijah Arroyo, Laurence Seymore and Xavier Restrepo, among others.
You can also include receiver Brashard Smith on that list.
“He can be as good as anybody in the country, and we are going to keep challenging him... to being just that,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. this week. “He’s an awesome young man. He keeps getting better and better. We’re going to keep challenging him because we know there’s more meat on that bone.”
If draft-eligible Tyler Van Dyke moves on after this season, Brown would be the early favorite to be UM’s starting quarterback next season.
“His personality is vibrant,” Cristobal said. “He brings out the best in people around him. When he had his first [throwing] attempt [in a game], he was so nervous. I kidded he him that he killed a couple of ant piles [with throws]. People see what a talent he is.”
Beyond Kitchens’ talent — obvious in his three-interception performance last week and throughout his UM career — Cristobal loves everything else about the sophomore safety: “I love being around guys who grind and are all about this life. He is, and in a humble way, too.
“You never see him brag. He fully understands what it takes and what we want from him is to keep impacting others. He’s going to be really impactful. He’s worked on his body. Look at the way he drops his hips and accelerates. He’s a core special teams guy, too.”
Bissainthe, meanwhile “played really well” in his first start at linebacker, Cristobal said.
“It was the right thing to start him. He earned it. He pops on film. He’s an eraser. Bam he shows [up in a play] and there’s a tackle. He’s a sure tackler, gets there with speed and power. Wesley is going to be an elite player at the University of Miami.”
▪ Arroyo, who had five receptions for 66 yards in four games before a season-ending injury, surprised the staff by paying his own way to Atlanta for last Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech.
A college football’s traveling party is fairly limited, and schools don’t use spots for injured players who aren’t available.
That’s why Arroyo couldn’t accompany the team on the flight.
During pregame warmups, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal said to Cristobal “there’s Elijah Arroyo,’” Cristobal told Zagacki and Bailey.
“There are a limited number of guys you can travel,” Cristobal explained on his radio show. “That guy found a way to get up there and support his teammates. That’s unbelievable. It doesn’t speak — it screams — volumes of what it means to him.”
▪ The father of freshman cornerback Khamauri Rogers lashed out at UM secondary coach Jahmile Addae on Twitter after the Georgia Tech game before deleting the tweet.
The tweet from the account of Marcus Rogers said: “@coachaddae: you are a piece of work but it’s all good. I’m going to pray for you and your family; you obviously have serious issues.”
Several Canes freshmen players got defensive snaps late in UM’s blowout win against the Yellow Jackets, but Rogers did not.
Rivals rated Rogers the No. 16 corner and 165th-best player in the 2022 recruiting class.
▪ This is the second time this season that a UM player’s parent has criticized a coach on social media.
Previously, receiver Key’Shawn Smith’s mother said of Josh Gattis: ““If you [are] an offensive coordinator who walks in [a] meeting [and] tells his team they are the Worst Team ever! Would you still want to play for him[?] I heard of tough coaches but [that’s] just stupid. I wonder if USC coach [talks to] his team like that.”
Smith continued playing in the immediate aftermath of his mother’s comment but hasn’t played the past two games and reportedly is no longer practicing with the team. It wouldn’t be surprising if he moves on after the season.
So how does Cristobal handle parents making comments about coaches on social media?
“I haven’t had a parent do that with me,” he said Wednesday. “I haven’t had somebody come up to me with it. I’m a parent myself, and it’s important to teach our own children to handle stuff like adults in a face-to-face manner.
“As it relates to posting on social media, I was raised very different than anything that would relate to anything such as that. A parent is free and welcome to pick up their son if they’re not happy with their playing time at the University of Miami. That’s my philosophy.”
▪ Here’s where UM’s offense ranks nationally as we near the end of Gattis’ first season as coordinator:
Among 131 FBS teams, Miami is 85th in scoring per game at 25.5 and 67th in average yards per game at 393.
The Canes are 82nd in average rushing yards per game (140) and 47th in passing yards per game (252).
UM is 44th in third-down percentage at 42.7 and 35th in first downs with 220.
Miami has scored 23 touchdowns and hit 11 field goals in 40 trips to the red zone; the Canes’ 85 percent scoring rate in the red zone is 63rd.
UM is allowing 2.5 sacks per game, which is 86th in the country (not good).
“We’ve left a lot on the table, a lot we can do which is the cool thing,” tight end Will Mallory said. “I don’t think we’re close to being all the way there.”
Gattis’ power spread offense seems more effective with a mobile quarterback, presuming Brown can improve his downfield passing.
▪ Former UM quaterback D’Eriq King, cut by the Patriots after minicamp in May, signed with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad this week. King previously signed with the DC Defenders of the XFL, which is relaunching in February.
King went undrafted in April and has told teams he’s willing to play quarterback, receiver and be a returner.
As for King’s top UM targets last season, Mike Harley Jr. remains on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad and Charleston Rambo is out of the NFL.
Rambo was cut by the Panthers before the season and worked out for Green Bay in October. The XFL’s Orlando Guardians drafted him on Wednesday.
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 12:14 PM.
