Richt sure QBs can handle the pressure
CORAL GABLES — Like any coach trying to evaluate quarterbacks, Miami’s Mark Richt understands sometimes there’s nothing like live contact to help determine which one of his signal callers will be best suited to handle the pressure that comes with being the starter at a major college football program.
And with the Hurricanes set to open the 2018 season against traditional SEC powerhouse LSU in Dallas in September, Richt wants to make sure his quarterback is ready for whatever kind of big hits the Tigers defense can deliver.
That doesn’t mean he’s decided yet whether to have Malik Rosier, N’Kosi Perry, Cade Weldon and Jarren Williams take contact when UM starts scrimmaging later this spring.
“I don’t even know if we’ll go live at all with the quarterbacks. I might somewhere along the way.” Richt said on Saturday after the Hurricanes wrapped up their first spring workout in pads. “Last spring we didn’t tackle unless we were scrimmaging, a true scrimmage day. I may tackle a little bit here and there, maybe pull out eight plays a day when we’re in full pads.
“When we’re allowed to tackle, I might tackle just a little bit instead of doing some of the traditional Oklahoma drills that are tackling drills and all that. Play ball for about eight plays is what I think I’ll end up doing.”
Last spring, the Hurricanes got a slight scare when former quarterback Jack Allison injured his shoulder during Miami’s first spring scrimmage.
Allison wound up missing three practices after that as the Hurricanes continued their search for a starter after the departure of alltime leading passer Brad Kaaya. Rosier, now a redshirt senior, eventually won the job and started all 13 games for Miami last fall. Allison, meanwhile, transferred.
While minimizing the risk of injury may be one reason Richt is wrestling with the idea of letting his quarterbacks get hit, Saturday he noted he’s confident each one of the four quarterbacks is athletic, mobile and able to evade defenses.
Rosier, for example, was Miami’s second-leading rusher in 2017, gaining 468 yards on 151 carries. Perry, a redshirt freshman, was rated the nation’s sixth-best dual threat quarterback coming out of Ocala Vanguard. Williams, a freshman early enrollee, was rated the nation’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and rushing for another 554 at Central Gwinnett High in Georgia last fall.
“Every one of these guys is athletic enough to make plays with their feet — run zone reads, QB draws, things of that nature,” Richt said. “They’re all capable.”
Also Saturday, Richt outlined part of the spring football schedule saying he expects the Hurricanes will scrimmage the last three Saturdays of spring drills, including during an open practice April 14 at Hard Rock Stadium.
More notes from Saturday’s practice: Richt said redshirt senior Trayone Gray, who saw limited action last season after missing all of 2016 with an injury, is learning the fullback position as Miami awaits the arrival of signee Realus George, who was rated the No. 2 fullback in the nation last year.
Gray had just 42 yards in 2017.
“He’s getting most of his reps at fullback right now. He’s still a very capable tailback for us as well. We wanted to see what he could do,” Richt said. “He’s big, strong, physical and we do want to run a little bit more ‘21’ than we did a year ago — rushing ‘21’ meaning two receivers, two backs and a true fullback being one of the two backs, and a tight end.”
With Braxton Berrios’ graduation, the Hurricanes lost not only their top receiver, but their most reliable punt returner as well. Saturday, Richt said sophomores DeeJay Dallas and Jeff Thomas have been handling punt returns in practice, but it’s in the fall where their dependability there can be truly gauged.
“[They’re] mostly really good but it’s not real until it’s real,” Richt said. “You can catch it out there, you could have a bag hit him, you can yell and scream, but until you get in a game and there’s a lot of people in the stands … here comes the ball and all these guys are getting ready to try to knock you around a little bit. That’s when you really realize how well they can make decisions and make catches under pressure.”
ccabrera@sun-sentinel .com