For UM, anger is an energy
Last year’s swoon motivates ’Canes
CORAL GABLES — When the Hurricanes came off the field after their first practice of the spring on Tuesday morning, quarterback Malik Rosier — a redshirt senior fighting to keep his starting job — didn’t mince words about how his first season as Miami’s regular starter ended.
“That’s not how we wanted to end it,” Rosier said when asked about how the Hurricanes, once ranked as high as No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, finished the year with losses to Pittsburgh, Clemson and Wisconsin. “I know the coaches have been harping on it. ‘We didn’t end right, we didn’t end right.’ It kind of pisses me off, the fact that we ended the last three games with losses. … So I kind of have a chip on my shoulder about that. I’m not humbled by it.”
Rosier then paused briefly before continuing.
“We have a point to prove now. We’ve got a lot of guys back, so if we don’t come in and dominate the ACC, something’s wrong.”
Though offseason conditioning workouts have been the Hurricanes’ reality for weeks, it’s the start of spring football that seems to create a new beginning for players and coaches.
The Hurricanes are adjusting to the losses of several playmakers from a year ago, including receiver Braxton Berrios, who for the first time in four years watched drills instead of participating in them.
Defensive linemen Chad Thomas, Trent Harris, RJ McIntosh and Kendrick Norton
weren’t there, and cornerback Malek Young, who suffered a career-ending neck injury in the Orange Bowl, was on the sideline talking with Miami coaches instead of running drills.
Two new coaches went through their first workouts as members of Mark Richt’s staff, Jess Simpson with the defensive line and Jonathan Patke with the outside linebackers.
For all, the goal was the same: help the Hurricanes build on their first 10-win season in more than a decade and continue pushing the program forward.
“We’re coming out here with the mindset that we want to erase last year. We’re not even thinking about last year for the most part,” said safety Jaquan Johnson, who along with cornerback Michael Jackson had a team-high four interceptions in 2017. “We’re coming out here as a new team with new faces. We’re trying to establish leaders and compete every day. That’s how we’re going about our business.”
Added Richt, “I thought we competed really well. It’s just fun to come out here and most everybody knows what to do — and that includes how we stretch, how we go from drill to drill, how we hustle after a rack of four plays, just how we buckle up our chinstrap every play. Then you have a couple of young guys who are really trying to figure out what’s up. You can tell their condition isn’t just what it should be, but good thing they’ve been here for a month and a half or two months to give themselves a chance. I was pleased with Day One, for sure.”
Notes:
While Richt has said that competition for all starting jobs is open, he’s also made it clear that Rosier — who started all 13 games last season — enters spring practice atop the depth chart.
During the early portion of practice, the quarterback throwing rotation followed that train of thought. Rosier, a redshirt senior, was at No. 1, redshirt freshman N’Kosi Perry was at No. 2, redshirt freshman Cade Weldon worked with the third team and freshman early enrollee Jarren Williams was at No. 4.
Players indicated after practice that Weldon and Williams traded spots throughout Tuesday’s workout.
A few Hurricanes are still nursing injuries that ended their 2017 seasons, including receiver Ahmmon Richards and defensive end Demetrius Jackson. Neither was on the field during the viewing portion of practice.
Ahead of spring practice, Jackson — who underwent season-ending knee surgery — told the Sun Sentinel he would be limited in workouts and had been cleared to participate in some individual drills, but not contact. Richt, meanwhile, said Richards — who struggled with a hamstring and knee injury last fall — should be ready to go by the start of fall camp.
With two top-tier tight end prospects scheduled to arrive this summer in Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory, current tight ends Michael Irvin II and Brian Polendey are hoping to make an impact this spring. Tuesday, Irvin was catching passes from Rosier, while Polendey caught passes from Perry.
Miami’s starting offensive line — which graduated starters Kc McDermott and Trevor Darling — had, on Tuesday, from left to right, Tyree St. Louis, Jahair Jones, Corey Gaynor, Navaughn Donaldson and George Brown.
Richt has, in the past, noted that early in spring practice, depth charts are often determined by how players did in offseason conditioning and mat drills.
Hurricanes offensive coordinator Thomas Brown reiterated that point, but noted Jones and Brown — an LSU transfer — performed well.
“We evaluate guys based on what they do from a mat drill standpoint. Mat drills is the toughest thing i went through as a player, so I'm sure the toughest thing those guys go through as a player,” Brown said. “It's all about mental toughness .... but obviously George is a big, athletic man. he's a bit more consistent. He had some really good plays at times, some not so good plays at times. Jahair is one of the strongest guys we have up front. Does a really good job with his hand placement and moving his feet. Just trying to give him a chance to win a job.”