Hurricanes secure commitment from Chaminade’s Couch
ing hit.
But for now the Dolphins are taking things one step at a time, and that means focusing on Tannehill’s performance in offseason workouts. Reviews have trended positively.
During the four-day OTA that concluded Thursday, the final one before the team reconvenes for training camp in late July, Tannehill even used his legs to scurry upfield on a run-pass option.
That play and others seem to indicate Tannehill’s left knee, which gave way last August early in training camp, is solid.
“We have the GPS monitors that we wear every day at practice, so we can go back and compare speeds, agility, quickness and movements,” said Tannehill, who didn’t wear a knee brace during offseason workouts.
“That’s something we can take a look at. But I feel good. I feel like I’m moving well. I’m able to escape. I’m able to get up-field when the window is there. It’s still going to be a weapon for me. I think when the defense presents an open spot then we can make them pay by getting through with my legs.”
Tannehill has also been sharp mentally. He spent all of last season observing and now feels he knows the system even better.
Tannehill spent part of the offseason trying to strike a balance between scolding and uplifting his teammates.
“I think I try to be patient,” he said with a smile. “Sometimes I might be a little short-tempered on expecting guys to do what they’re supposed to do. I hold guys accountable and I think that’s the way we’re going to win here is by everyone being accountable, myself included.
“If a guy makes a mistake once then you might let it go. If he makes it again, that’s when I have a problem because we’ve already made that mistake and it should be corrected.”
Landry, traded to Cleveland in March, recently said Browns quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield are better than the quarterbacks he had in Miami. Landry later said he wasn’t trying to take a shot at Tannehill, but he finished his statement by saying, “but I give credit where credit is due.”
Tannehill fulfilled his offseason media obligation before Landry’s comments so he hasn’t been asked for his thoughts on the topic. But tight end MarQueis Gray was asked, and he chose to stay above the fray.
“We’re moving forward,” he said. “Tannehill is our guy and he’s our leader. It’s a new season. We’ve got new guys here and we’re just focused on what we have to do here and wish Jarvis the best.”
As for Tannehill, coaches and teammates say they’ve been impressed with what they saw during OTAs and minicamp workouts, especially considering he’s throwing to new receivers such as Danny Amendola, who was with New England last season, and Albert Wilson, who was with Kansas City.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s really changed much as far as worrying about bodies around him,” Gase said. “He’s out there playing. He’s throwing the ball well.”
And for the guys who were here in 2016, Tannehill’s presence seems to have a calming effect on the offense.
“He’s our guy,” Stills said.” You miss not having him out there. You miss the chemistry that we had.
“But we have him back now.”
chperkins@sunsentinel.com
We’ve seen it twice before from ChaminadeMadonna cornerback Te’Cory Couch, but the rising four-star senior wants his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes to be his last.
Couch, previously committed to Tennessee and Michigan, announced a pledge to UM on Twitter on Saturday afternoon.
“This has been a crazy process for me and my family with all the committing and decommitting but this recruiting process is nowhere near easy when making a decision that you feel will help you reach every aspect of your goals in life,” Couch wrote on Twitter, adding a hashtag of “#MAKETHECRIBGREAT,” words American Heritage defensive tackle Nesta Silvera made famous in sticking with the Hurricanes last National Signing Day.
“My decision came off a lot of thought with me and my parents because, yeah, I had been committed twice already, which looks bad,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “But the U is home and the relationships I built with the coaches at Miami are like no other.”
Couch decommitted from the Wolverines on June 9. He was approaching two months as a Michigan commit at the time, flipping from Tennessee. He originally committed to the Volunteers’ previous coaching staff last June.
He followed up his announcement tweet on Saturday with another, saying, “#lastandfinalcommitment.”
Couch becomes the third Chaminade 2019 prospect committed to the Hurricanes, joining defensive end Cameron Williams and safety Keontra Smith, and fourth overall with lineman Willie Moise committed for the 2020 cycle.
He likes the pipeline being developed between the Hollywood private school that is a reigning Class 3A state champ and Miami.
“We all talk in a group chat and say how we feel about different schools and Miami is liked the most,” Couch said. “Hopefully we’ll have more people from Chaminade go to Miami.”
Asked specifically about four-star receiver John Dunmore, who transferred in and back to his original high school from American Heritage-Delray this offseason, Couch said, “Hopefully. You know we’re trying to get him.”
Couch, a long-armed, 5-foot-10, 163-pound cover cornerback, has been a key component to the Lions’ success since his sophomore season when he started and was a first-team All-County selection on Chaminade’s state runnerup team.
That year, he led the team with six interceptions. As a junior last season, Couch had two interceptions, 25 pass deflections, 57 tackles and a sack.
In addition to his Chaminade teammates, he joins three St. Thomas Aquinas defenders — linebackers Anthony Solomon and Avery Huff and defensive end Jason Munoz — committed to UM in a class ranked eighth nationally by 247 Sports with 15 commitments. He’s the second cornerback in the class after Miami Carol City’s Jarvis Brownlee committed last week.