New ’Canes are eager to win title
CORAL GABLES — After the dust had settled and the season ended, Demetrius Jackson walked into a meeting with his fellow Miami Hurricanes defensive linemen and took a look around the room.
Gone was his former high school teammate and fellow defensive end Chad Thomas. Seniors Trent Harris and Anthony Moten had finished their Miami careers, too. Meanwhile, defensive tackles RJ McIntosh and Kendrick Norton had opted to bypass their junior years to enter the NFL draft. Even promising freshman DJ Johnson was gone, transferring to be closer to home. Ryan Fines had left the Miami program in search of playing time elsewhere.
So many familiar faces, so many players that had contributed to the Hurricanes’ first 10-win season in more than a decade were gone, leaving Jackson the oldest, most experienced player in the room.
And those weren’t the only changes the Miami defensive line would have to endure in the weeks leading up to spring football practice, which is set to begin Tuesday morning in Coral Gables.
Days after National Signing Day, defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski left Miami, too, taking the same job at Alabama. His replacement — former Atlanta Falcons assistant Jess Simpson — joined the program earlier this month.
All of those changes prompt questions about how productive the Hurricanes defensive line can be going forward, but Jackson — who is recovering from late-season knee surgery — isn’t too concerned.
“I know our coach left. I know some of the guys left. But one person doesn’t stop the show. We can’t allow that to happen,” Jackson said. “We have to keep working and find ways to motivate each other and push each other. We’re going to be back in the same place next year. We’re going to be back in the ACC Championship, there’s no doubt in my mind. But it’s going to be a different outcome and that’s up to us. We have to put the work in now.”
That work, which began with Miami’s offseason conditioning drills and mat work program earlier in the year, takes another step forward as spring workouts get underway. It will be the Hurricanes’ first chance to begin rebuilding their line, all while getting to know Simpson, their new coach.
Jackson will be a part of that process, participating in some drills though he hasn’t been cleared for contact yet. Fellow defensive end Joe Jackson, who was second on the team last season with 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, will be key, too. And tackle Gerald Willis, who took a leave of absence from football last year but was part of the Hurricanes’ scout team — is expected to be a fixture as well.
The trio will be counted on to provide guidance as some of Miami’s younger linemen — including sophomores Jon Ford and Jon Garvin and incoming freshman Greg Rousseau — begin trying to earn more playing time and step into bigger roles.
Simpson’s first chance to begin imparting his lessons — on the field — will come Tuesday. His new players say he’s already made a solid first impression. Now, it’s time to start moving forward and begin reshaping the Hurricanes’ line, a task they are embracing.
“We know we have enough talent. We know we have enough bodies in that room to be one of the top D-lines in the nation again,” Joe Jackson said. “It’s just about us accepting that role that we have to step into, whether it’s me being more of a leader or more guys playing more minutes and making a bigger impact. We’re just preparing to be ready.”