Players to watch at UM camp
Expectations are high for the 2018 season
CORAL GABLES — The milestones have come early and often in the Mark Richt era at Miami.
Over the course of the coach’s first two seasons with the Hurricanes, Miami has won its first bowl game since 2006, snapped a seven-game losing streak to rival Florida State, notched its first 10-win season in more than a decade and clinched the program’s first Coastal Division title.
All of that means expectations are as high as they’ve been in Coral Gables in years and the Hurricanes — already picked as preseason favorites to again win the Coastal — will be under the microscope.
On Saturday morning, the Hurricanes will take the Greentree Practice Field for their first practice ahead of their muchanticipated Sept. 2 season opener against LSU. Here, we take a look at the 15 players who will be facing the most scrutiny and will be worth watching.
Offensive lineman Venzell Boulware After losing veterans Kc McDermott and Trevor Darling, the Hurricanes had their issues on the offensive line during the spring, with Miami’s defense often getting to the quarterbacks during three scrimmages. The hope now is that Boulware, a graduate transfer from Tennessee, can work his way into the starting rotation and provide much-needed experience and protection for quarterback Malik Rosier. At Tennessee, the 6-foot-3, 306-pound redshirt junior played in seven games as a redshirt freshman and made three starts. Running back DeeJay Dallas
Dallas arrived at Miami last season as a highly touted athlete out of Georgia’s Glynn Academy. And while he started the season at wide receiver, he shifted to running back when Mark Walton was lost with an injury
and helped give the Hurricanes depth at a crucial position. The speedster appeared in 12 of 13 games last year and scored twice in Miami’s win over Notre Dame. He finished with 217 rushing yards and 92 receiving yards. Now a sophomore, he’ll likely be taking on an even bigger role and will give QB Malik Rosier another solid offensive weapon.
Offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson
The offensive line struggled this past spring, forcing offensive line coach Stacy Searels and Richt to make some adjustments. One of those moves? Shifting Donaldson — a freshman AllAmerican last season — from right guard to right tackle. The hope is that the 6-foot-6, 340-pound former Miami Central standout will continue his development. He helped the Hurricanes total 1,916 rushing yards and average 6.2 yards per play last season.
Running back Travis Homer
The former Oxbridge Academy standout started 2017 as a back-up, but was elevated to the starter’s role when Mark Walton was lost for the season with an ankle injury. And Homer did not disappoint, finishing with a team-high 966 rushing yards and a team-high 1,203 all-purpose yards. A versatile workhorse who has shown an affinity for special teams, he’s expected to start the year as Miami’s go-to back.
Defensive end Demetrius Jackson
A redshirt senior who has played in 25 games and started six during his Hurricanes career, Miami’s defensive line will count on Jackson’s experience as it looks to transition after the losses of Chad Thomas, Trent Harris, RJ McIntosh and Kendrick Norton. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Virginia Tech, Jackson totaled 18 tackles — including 7.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks — last season as a reserve.
Defensive end Joe Jackson
One of the more experienced players on the defensive line, Jackson will be counted on to provide stability on a unit that is in transition after the departures of several veteran linemen. Jackson started in 12 of 13 games last season and led Miami’s defensive linemen with 59 tackles, including 35 solo stops. He had 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, a number that ranked second on the defense. Safety Jaquan Johnson A second-team AllAmerican and second-team All-ACC selection last season, Johnson enters the season expected to be one of the top defensive players in both the country and the conference. He was a force as a junior, leading the Hurricanes with 96 tackles, including 54 solo stops, and three sacks. He was tied with Michael Jackson for a team-leading four interceptions and added four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He’s shown an ability to make big plays and the hope is he’ll continue that success after opting to return to Miami for his senior year.
Defensive tackle Tito Odenigbo
The Hurricanes have talented young players on their new-look defensive line, but the addition of Odenigbo — a graduate transfer from Illinois — will give them a veteran presence after the losses of McIntosh and Norton. In his four years at Illinois, Odenigbo totaled 47 tackles. Last season, he appeared in 10 games, starting four and finished with 29 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and a sack.
Quarterback N’Kosi Perry
While Richt said in July he expects Rosier to hang on to the starting quarterback job ahead of Miami’s Sept. 2 opener against LSU, there still exists the possibility Perry — or any of Miami’s other young quarterbacks, including Jarren Williams and Cade Weldon — could push Rosier from atop the depth chart. It will, however, likely take a stellar showing during camp.
Linebacker Shaquille Quarterman
One of the more vocal and emotional leaders on the Hurricanes defense, Quarterman enters his junior season looking to build on two impressive seasons at Miami. A former freshman All-American, he was the Hurricanes’ secondleading tackler last season with 83 stops, including 7 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. With Miami’s defensive line in transition, he and fellow veteran linebackers Mike Pinckney and Zach McCloud could be asked to provide extra support on the defensive front.
Receiver Ahmmon Richards
A former Wellington High standout, Richards arrived at Miami in 2016 and wasted little time becoming a vital part of the Hurricanes offense. He was a freshman All-American that season and broke Michael Irvin’s freshman receiving record, finishing that season with 934 yards and six touchdowns. He faced high expectations last season, but was plagued by injuries and played in just eight games.
Quarterback Malik Rosier
The redshirt senior quarterback led the Hurricanes to 10 straight wins to open the 2017 season, but his sometimes-streaky play proved frustrating and costly during the late-season slide. Rosier completed 54 percent of his passes and threw for 3,120 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. But in losses to Pittsburgh, Clemson and Wisconsin, his completion percentage dropped. Those numbers have Some Miami fans are clamoring for a change at quarterback, but at ACC Kickoff last month, Richt said none of the Hurricanes’ young quarterbacks — Perry, Weldon or Williams — have done enough to unseat Rosier.
Defensive end Gregory Rousseau
An early enrollee out of Champagnat Catholic, Rousseau arrived on campus in January and was one of the standouts during spring workouts. A fourstar prospect who played both sides of the ball in high school, he totaled 16.5 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and nine sacks in the Hurricanes’ three spring scrimmages. He should have the chance to contribute early considering the losses on the defensive line. Receiver Jeff Thomas One of the speediest receivers among a deep, talented group, Thomas has the potential to emerge as one of Rosier’s go-to players. In his first year on campus, Thomas appeared in all 13 games, starting four of them. He has a knack for big plays, his average of 22 yards per catch led all receivers. And his 78-yard touchdown catch against North Carolina put the Hurricanes ahead for good. His speed made him an asset on special teams, too, with Thomas averaging 21.6 yards per kickoff return.
Defensive tackle Gerald Willis
Miami’s defensive line has undergone massive changes with the departures of Thomas, Harris, McIntosh and Norton, and the Hurricanes will need a solid year from redshirt senior Gerald Willis. Willis did not play last season while taking a leave of absence from football. He eventually returned to the Hurricanes’ practice squad and earned praise from teammates and coaches for his performance there.