Striker Frierson follows cousin Gore’s example
Hurricanes’ standout striker Gilbert Frierson, like his cousin, former UM great Frank Gore, graduated from Coral Gables High and is a team leader at Miami.
Hurricanes striker Gilbert Frierson is pure, old-school Cane from the neighborhood.
The redshirt sophomore out of Coral Gables High is UM’s third-leading tackler and his enthusiasm and intensity have seeped from every pore since the day he stepped on the University of Miami campus — actually, before that, since his cousin is Frank Gore, a name you might have heard of in these parts and beyond.
Frierson, who had one of the team’s best performances despite UM’s 42-17 loss at Clemson, has at times not been shy about his exuberance, waving his arms and getting Miami fans stoked on the sideline in Tallahassee after the Canes disposed of the Seminoles in 2019. Or a few weeks before that, doing an especially impressive back handspring immediately after opposing quarterback Bryce Perkins’ Hail Mary bounced into the end zone as time expired to give UM the win over Virginia.
During a closed spring scrimmage in late 2018 as a true freshman cornerback, Frierson had an interception on the final play. The next day, then-UM-coach Mark Richt was excited to tell former UM tailback great Gore during a conversation before the UM Sports Hall of Fame ceremony that his cousin Gil “takes a running leap, throws his helmet off and does a round-off and a backflip and sticks his land
FRANK GORE KNEW
Gore, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and fellow Coral Gables High alum who plays for the Jets and has amassed 15,500 rushing yards since he was drafted by San Francisco in 2005, was thrilled. “My little cousin had a good scrimmage,” Gore said that day. “To be an early-year [enrollee] freshman, to do what he’s doing, he has a shot to be big-time on that campus.
“I’m happy he made the decision to come to Miami.”
So are the Hurricanes coaches. As No. 13 Miami (3-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) prepares for a noon game against Pittsburgh (3-2, 2-2) Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, Frierson, whose striker position is a linebacker/ safety hybrid, has become a leader on and off the field in his first year as a starter after sitting behind talented former teammate Romeo Finley.
Against Clemson, Frierson had six tackles, a game-high three tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery that earned him the turnover chain.
“Outstanding” is how defensive coordinator Blake Baker described Frierson’s performance Saturday. “Probably his best game since I’ve coached here. He is fun to coach. He is smart and very instinctual. He understands what offenses are trying to do to you and he has the physical abilities to play in the box and play man to man.”
Said coach Manny Diaz: “Gilbert was awesome.”
STUDIES HARD
The reason Gilbert “makes a lot of plays,” UM striker coach Jonathan Patke said Tuesday, “is because he knows the play before the play. That’s all film study.
The questions he asks. He wants to know everything about the defense. He came here as a corner, knows the safety position and plays striker. He can get the corners aligned, safeties aligned, linebackers aligned, call the front. It’s preparation second to none.
“Just his intelligence ... and the way he’s tackling. I’m just so proud.”
As a striker, the 6-1, 205-pound Frierson can play closer to the line of scrimmage and cover more slot receivers and “quicker guys,” Frierson told reporters Tuesday. “I had to get bigger because of more O-linemen [and] I deal with more tight ends, more aggressive guys.”
Strength-and-conditioning coach David Feeley “did a hell of a job of keeping me fit enough to get my body right to still be mobile.”
Frierson, a consensus four-star corner when he came to UM, said he always tries “to be positive through the worst situations because you just have to. That’s how I am as a person.”
He said he likes to have “a little fun,” but that he’s always working. “I just want my teammates to trust me. They know I love them. I know they love me. It’s all about the feeling of playing for each other and having fun.”
‘ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD’
Frierson said the loss to Clemson was tough but promised it wouldn’t define the Hurricanes. “It’s still a long season,” he said. “Our motto this year is play the next play because ... last week is last week. You’ve always got to stay focused in that moment. Our goal is always move forward and get better.”
Frierson, a popular host with recruits, said he remembers when he “was that recruit that wanted to see what was really going on inside the program, have a little fun with it.”
“I like it because you go out and actually meet the kids. Some come from the same struggle as I do and you can relate a lot.
“Sometimes it’s about ball, but sometimes it’s bigger than ball. I do a good job at that because I’m a guy that grew up in this area. Those kids can always help. It’s a way to build the program, even if it’s starting on scout team and working your way up, even if it’s coming in on special teams, even if it’s getting straight to the fire.
“Anything to help the program I’m willing to do.”