Competition abounds for ’Canes heading into 1st fall scrimmage
The Miami Hurricanes are more than a week into fall football camp, and in their first scrimmage of training camp on Sunday night, much will be determined regarding key position battles.
It has been an offseason where UM coaches haven’t seen players participate in any true game or scrimmage setting because the COVID-19 pandemic halted spring drills four practices in. Now, they’ll get that chance.
“When there’s down and distance, there’s officials, there’s time on the clock, it’s just a little more like a game-like situation. I’m just excited to see how our guys respond,” offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said after Saturday night’s practice. “Who knows what to do? Who plays extremely hard? Who’s physical? And who can take all the work they’ve done in the last week and, in that moment, just play the next play and play the way that they do in practice?”
Miami defensive coordinator Blake Baker, while encouraged with what he’s seen, called his unit “a work in progress.” He said the two main things he’ll look for from his defenders in the scrimmage are effort and the ability to tackle. It’ll be the first time Baker gets to see some of his freshmen try to wrap up and attempt to tackle a college running back.
Hurricanes coaches, after mixing in offensive linemen at different positions early in fall camp, will look to find a combination they’re most comfortable with.
“Simply because we’ve had such a short amount of time this year, I think after [Sunday], [offensive line center, leads coach Garin] Justice and I will have to sit down and try to put those guys and stop moving them around, put them where we think they should be,” Lashlee said. “I think after [Sunday], we’ll have a pretty good idea about three and a half weeks out, probably how we’re going to go into that first game.”
Lashlee called the battle for backup quarterback “wide open” between N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell, both redshirt juniors, and true freshman Tyler Van Dyke.
“Those guys have been splitting the majority of those two reps, and they’ve been competing hard ever since we went ahead and announced D’Eriq as the starter,” Lashlee said. “[Sunday] will be one of their big job interviews for that. It’s almost like a preseason game for us.”
Lashlee said he will be looking for how they lead the offense and how they respond from in-game struggles.
Baker feels he has tough decisions to make with the way young defenders are
pushing the veterans at various positions. That’s very apparent in the secondary at both cornerback and safety.
“I know there’s a lot of experience in both of those rooms, but man, some of those young guys that haven’t necessarily played as much — Christian Williams, Te’Cory Couch has had an outstanding camp, even the young freshmen Marcus Clarke and Isaiah Dunson have done some really good things.
“Same thing at safety. We have an abundance of experience there and an abundance of youth, so it’s been a good mixture, but they’ve been really, really impressive.
Baker said the athleticism of his young defensive backs has caught his eye, as well as how his upperclassmen are competing to make sure an underclassman doesn’t swoop past them, while still coaching them up.
At defensive tackle, the three that have the most playing experience — Jonathan Ford, Nesta Silvera and Jordan Miller — are getting pushed by a trio of redshirt freshmen in Jared Harrison-Hunte, Jalar Holley and Jason Blissett. Blissett has been used both inside and out on the defensive line as an end.
“Nobody at that position has locked down a starting role, and those guys are pushing each other,” Baker said. “I think they’re all playing pretty well. To say one guy is completely dominating and taking over, that wouldn’t be fair, but none of them are playing bad either.
“Someone’s going to emerge. There’s no doubt about it. The cream of the crop usually rises to the top at about Week 2 or Week 3 of camp.”
While defensive line coach Todd Stroud has labeled Quincy Roche, Jaelan Phillips and Jahfari Harvey as his top three defensive ends after Gregory Rousseau opted out, there’s competition for playing time as the fourth and fifth players at the position. A linebacker to start next to redshirt senior Zach McCloud, as well as a starting striker, are to be determined.