UM freshman QB Jarren Williams is being limited in practice while he is evaluated.
CORAL GABLES — After a full week of practice and a scrimmage, it appears that injuries are starting to pile up for the Miami Hurricanes.
Freshman quarterback Jarren Williams, one of the jewels in the Hurricanes’ most recent recruiting class, was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice and is being evaluated by the Miami medical staff, a school spokesman said.
Later Tuesday, Miami announced that offensive lineman George Brown Jr. is scheduled to have surgery this week to repair an MCL injury to his right knee. Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said on Monday that Brown, who played in three games as a reserve last season, was hurt in Miami’s scrimmage last weekend.
The school did not give a timetable for Brown’s return. Last week, Miami announced that junior tight end Michael Irvin II was expected to miss four months after hurting his knee in practice.
Williams, Brown and Irvin were part of a group of players that weren’t on the field Tuesday during the media viewing portion of practice.
Redshirt senior defensive end Demetrius Jackson, who is working his way back from a knee injury suffered
late last season, also missed the early portion of practice, though he was later seen in full uniform with his teammates as the Hurricanes walked off the field for the day.
Whether Jackson practiced or how much he was able to do is unclear.
During a post-practice availability with reporters, Miami offensive coordinator Thomas Brown deferred questions about Williams’ status to Richt, who did not speak with reporters on Tuesday.
Brown did say, when pressed about Williams, “He’s fine, he’s fine.”
Williams, a consensus four-star prospect, was seen at practice on Monday and later attended Miami’s media day event where he spoke to reporters for the first time since arriving on campus in January.
Williams, who has been playing behind starter Malik Rosier and redshirt freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon, said he’s been trying to learn from Miami’s veterans while adapting to the rigors of college football on and off the field.
Throughout spring drills, Williams earned praise from teammates and coaches, though it seems there have been some ups and downs for him as the Hurricanes have moved through training camp.
“It’s been great. It’s a lot of ups and downs at first, just me kind of getting acclimated,”
Williams said. “But it’s been going smooth. … I think my second day, when we were getting into the playbook, I was like, ‘I don’t even know what’s going on.’ Reading coverages and stuff, it was a lot for me at first, but I was like, ‘This is college. I have to be able to do this.’”
Added Richt, “Jarren, he just still kind of sometimes gets his head on a swivel and finds somebody and zings it to them. He doesn’t always know exactly where he’s going and why, but he’s got ability.”
The Hurricanes are scheduled to return to practice this morning.
Reps in backfield
Redshirt senior Trayone Gray, who has dealt with injuries and position changes during his threeyear tenure at Miami, has been one of the players to impress Hurricanes coaches during the first week of camp.
And that’s resulted in some increased responsibilities.
This week, Gray — who had been working at fullback this spring — was
moved back to his original running back position, working behind Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas.
Gray is still getting work at fullback and on Tuesday, Brown indicated the former Miami Carol City standout will have the opportunity to play both positions this year.
“He was not hesitant to move when I asked him to move,” Brown said. “Didn’t have an attitude about it, he just accepted his role, embraced his role and kept working at it, and now he’s back in the mix at tailback.”
Gray, who redshirted in 2016 after suffering a knee injury, has appeared in 16 games during his Miami career, notching just 36 carries for 211 yards.
And on Tuesday, he said he welcomed the opportunity to provide whatever help he could to the offense, no matter where he played.
“I’m trying to get on the field wherever I can, wherever coach needs me to go, that’s where I’m going to go,” he said. “So, I’ve been learning fullback and running back.”