Where Canes stand on offense entering spring practice: Five questions and what we hear
Five questions to be answered on offense when Miami Hurricanes spring football begins on Saturday:
▪ How will players adapt to new coordinator Shannon Dawson’s offense?
Look for the new scheme to include lots of new offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s Air Raid and spread elements but also an evolved running game. In some ways, it will resemble Rhett Lashlee’s UM system in 2021, but with more balance and more power running.
Though Dawson’s Houston team threw nearly 100 times more than it ran last season, the UM offense is expected to be more balanced. But head coach Mario Cristobal is comfortable with UM spreading the field more than it did under ousted coordinator Josh Gattis.
Dawson’s system will allow quarterback Tyler Van Dyke “to utilize the best players around him,” said former UM quarterback Malik Rosier, who has coached Van Dyke as Florida director for Quarterback Country.
“Coach Dawson can create spacing, understands how to attack defenses,” Rosier said. “The offense that coach Dawson brings is perfect for Tyler.
“I think this year will be a little more spread than last season. The reason Mario bought [Dawson] in was to upgrade the pass game and give them something a little more cutting edge.”
Rosier said Cristobal will tell Dawson the runs that he likes to use and will ask Dawson to incorporate his own favorite running plays. UM’s run game should be improved behind a significantly augmented offensive line.
“The thing I like with Dawson is he can be creative with the quick game and using motions to create challenges for the defense,” Rosier said. “One thing I like is he free releases the back. I like how [he often has] a lot of people in the flat, which stretches you vertically. He uses the backs and tight ends to create passing lanes.”
▪ Will someone wrest the starting running back job from Henry Parrish?
Parrish was decent last season, averaging 4.7 per carry (down from 5.3 in 2021 at Mississippi) and rushing for 616 yards. But he probably would be a No. 2 on a very good team.
The hope is that Don Chaney Jr. or TreVonte’ Citizen — both coming off 2022 knee injuries — can regain their high school form.
Citizen reportedly isn’t ready for full practices. Chaney’s father told the Miami Herald that his son is fine after a February car accident.
Don’t be surprised if freshman Mark Fletcher pushes for playing time in August. But neither he nor fellow freshman running back Christopher Johnson is enrolled this spring.
▪ Will starting boundary receivers emerge?
Xavier Restrepo is considered Miami’s best receiver, but he’s at his best in the slot.
Cristobal has said he wants to add two outside (boundary) receivers, but the Canes have come up empty so far in the portal. Another two-week window to enter the portal begins May 1.
The question is whether Brashard Smith and Jacolby George can take the step from decent college receivers to very good ones; Cristobal praised them recently and said last season that he believes Smith can become one of the best receivers in the country.
George, who led UM in average yards after catch last season, remains a slight front-runner for one starting boundary job, unless UM can add someone better in the portal.
Keep an eye on three young players. Second-year receiver Isaiah Horton has improved considerably and has impressed in voluntary offseason workouts.
And highly regarded freshmen playmakers Robbie Washington and Nathaniel Joseph are enrolled and will participate in spring ball. Those two do some of their best work in the slot but shouldn’t be pigeonholed there.
UM has solid rotation players in Frank Ladson and Colbie Young and a decent depth player in Michael Redding. But those are No. 4- to No. 6-caliber receivers on a great roster.
▪ How will the offensive line sort out?
Both former Alabama guard Javion Cohen and ex-UCF center Matt Lee are enrolled and very likely will step into the starting lineup.
“Javion, he’s a big man,” offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told Josh Darrow on his UM podcast. “Javion started 20 games at Alabama. You put on the tape, and Javion has whupped tail on SEC 3-techniques…. And in the run game, he’s a bully. He’s been in big ball games.”
And Lee “has played 40 games and started 36,” Mirabal said. “He’s a really good athlete. His urgency matches coach Cristobal’s and my urgency.”
Three of the five freshmen offensive linemen are enrolled and ready for spring football: five-star tackles Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, plus guard Antonio Tripp.
Zion Nelson — if healthy — and the two five-star freshmen are likely the best options at tackle. But Nelson’s knee issues remain an ongoing concern, and he reportedly isn’t ready to fully participate in spring practice. He played only 61 snaps last season.
The question is whether either or both five-star freshmen tackles will be ready to be starters this fall.
Speaking of those five-star freshmen, Mirabal told Darrow: “Francis brings power, brings work, brings pride. He’s as advertised. He’s a guy that has position flexibility whether it’s on the left side or right side; that will shake itself out. You see he’s big, fast, strong, has twitch, but the intangibles are just as ‘five-starrish’ as the tangibles he brings.”
And Okunlola, Mirabal added, “has always been self-taught. Five star talent that everybody can see. Big, he comes up on you and everybody’s initial reaction is `Man, I didn’t know he was that big.’ But his work ethic is elite. That’s what makes Samson and Francis different from others.”
Jalen Rivers and Anez Cooper figure to compete at one guard spot, but that’s fluid. Rivers remains an option at tackle, too.
Cooper had some good moments as a late-season starter, and Rivers has a lot of talent but hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
Logan Sagapolu, Laurance Seymore, Chris Washington and Ousman Traore also will be in the mix.
Two young tackles — Matthew McCoy (from the 2022 class) and Michael McLaughlin (2021 class) — will challenge for backup roles and potentially something more than that if the two five-star freshmen have growing pains and if Nelson remains sidelined.
Ryan Rodriguez will compete for the backup center job behind Lee, whose addition led to the departure of previous starting center Jakai Clark, who’s now at SMU.
Freshman tackles Frankie Tinilau and Tommy Kinsler arrive later this offseason.
John Campbell (portal) and DJ Scaife and Justice Olawasuen have moved on.
▪ How will the tight end depth chart sort out?
Elijah Arroyo is the front-runner to replace Will Mallory, but Arroyo needs to work off any rust after sustaining a season-ending injury on Sept. 24.
A role likely will be carved out for Oregon transfer Cam McCormick, who’s a competent receiver and skilled blocker; PFF ranked him in the top 10 percent of tight ends as a run blocker last season.
Sophomore Jaleel Skinner — who was recruited by Alabama and many others — will have every opportunity to earn playing time, but he must improve his blocking and eliminate drops (he dropped two of the 16 passes thrown to him last season).
Kahlil Brantley and Dom Mammarelli will see if they can crack the rotation; they’re potentially portal possibilities if they emerge from the spring believing they’re no better than fourth or fifth on the depth chart.
Both new tight ends — top recruit Riley Williams and freshman Jackson Carver — are enrolled, and it will be interesting to see how they stack up against the older Brantley and Mammarelli. Carver could end up redshirting.
NEWS NOTE
Though a report earlier this week linked UM analyst Jason Taylor to a job on the Dolphins staff, the expectation is that Taylor will remain with the Hurricanes, according to a source. He’s likely to land a job on UM’s coaching staff, according to a second source.
UM’s defensive end coaching position is open after Rod Wright left for the Houston Texans. Taylor has interest in coaching; he did some of that informally in his role as a UM staff analyst last season.
Taylor, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, has enjoyed his first year working at UM, and coach Mario Cristobal values him.
Here’s my Tuesday piece on where Van Dyke stands.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 1:26 PM.
