Freshmen learning ropes in practice
Young Hurricanes players face hard work to get on field
Larry Hodges was feeling pretty good about himself when he made a catch in his first college scrimmage last weekend.
Then, as the young Hurricanes tight end tried a spin move to get past one defender, he was hit by another. And his teammate Derrick Smith, who has been one of the top performers through the early portion of fall camp at Miami, hit Hodges hard enough to jar the ball loose.
A fumble, and just like that, Hodges was humbled.
“It was like, ‘Dang, this is the real deal,’ ” said Hodges, a freshman out of Tampa’s Jesuit High.
Was it the hardest he’d been hit in his football career?
“Pretty much, Hodges smiled.
Hodges is far from the only Hurricanes freshman that has had to deal with the harsh reality that college football is a whole lot faster, tougher and more challenging than any other kind of football they’ve played previously.
Sam Brooks, a former standout at Miami Northwestern, has shifted from defensive end to linebacker and has had to learn not just a new playbook, but also a new position, all while adding about 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame.
Offensive lineman Jakai Clark, who hails from Georgia, has had to adapt to playing in South Florida’s oppressive heat and humidity. And former Chaminade-Madonna cornerback Te’Cory Couch’s eyes still widen when he recalls his first workout with David Feeley, the Hurricanes’ director of strength and conditioning.
“A summer workout with coach Feeley was really when I realized it was college,” Couch said.
Those workouts though, tough as they were, have had their desired effects. Several of UM’s summer arrivals note they have already trimmed body fat and added muscle. And they say they’ve felt stronger and yeah,” more physically prepared to handle the physical challenges of their first college training camp.
The other challenge most of them have faced has been learning Miami’s playbook, which is, understandably, more complex than some of what they’ve dealt with in the past.
They’ve sought advice from veterans on the team, Brooks noting he’s often spent time with senior Shaq Quarterman to try and absorb as much as possible and Clark has relied on former Douglas standout Corey Gaynor to provide assistance.
The goal now, the freshmen say, is to prove they belong and that they can contribute, especially while playing for Manny Diaz, a coach who made it clear when he arrived as in Coral Gables as the Hurricanes defensive coordinator four years ago that he wasn’t shy about playing freshmen.
That season, the Hurricanes made history, the trio of Quarterman, Mike Pinckney and Zach McCloud marking the first time three freshmen had started at linebacker for Miami. Two, Quarterman and Pinckney, would go on to be freshman All-Americans.
At Miami, Diaz says, the goal is to play the best possible players, regardless of their age.
“This is UM, man. I mean, this is a high-standard place. We’ve got to win and that’s really what we did defensively. In 2016, we said, ‘I don’t know how good we’re going to be on defense, but we’re going to set ridiculously high standards,’ ” Diaz said in July. “Who thought we’d start three freshmen at linebacker? Why did we start them? Because they were the only ones that met the high standard. The older guys (who) were like, ‘Nah, coach, you’re going to play me.’ They weren’t in like the younger guys were. Those three were not going to take no for an answer. They were going to play.”
Several of the newest Hurricanes seem to have the same level of confidence.
Despite playing behind preseason All-ACC selection Brevin Jordan, Will Mallory and veteran Michael Irvin II, Hodges says there are packages for him in Miami’s offense, packages that he believes will get him on the field in the Hurricanes’ opener. Clark has already worked his way into the rotation on the Hurricanes’ second offensive line, while fellow offensive lineman Zion Nelson is projecting as the starting left tackle.
Meanwhile, Brooks and fellow freshman Avery Huff will be counted on to provide depth to the Hurricanes’ injury-ravaged linebacking corps, and Couch is firmly in the mix for playing time at corner, given the departures of veterans Michael Jackson and Jhavonte Dean.
“Every day, I can picture myself playing,” Brooks said. “Shaq is going to need some backup, and that’s what I’m here for.”
Added Hodges, “I think there’s a good possibility I’ll be on the field. … I do a lot. I bring a lot to the game with the tight ends. … It’ll be a dream come true. A lot of fans, everybody looking at you. It’ll be like a different moment. I’ll be nervous, a little bit, but this is what we practice for.”