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Good health makes difffffffffffference for WR After struggling last year, Coley impressing teammates, coaches.
CORAL GABLES — Miami offffffffffffensive coordinator James Coley revealed Friday something new regarding Hurricanes receiver Stacy Coley’s lost 2014 season: he fought a back injury, too.
That’s in addition to the oft-documented confifidence issues, his lack of size and strength, and a shoulder injury.
Speaking on WQAM on Friday morning, James Coley said the 2013 freshman All-American entered last year’s training camp “at 168 pounds,” largely because of offffseason wisdom teeth surgery. Coley was listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds.
The back injury, which he did not elaborate on, followed the early-season shoulder injury. Coley took two hard hits in UM’s fifirst two games, against Louisville and Florida A&M.
“He was never 100 percent,” James Coley said of the receiver/return specialist.
Coley registered 1,461 total yards — 591 as a receiver — and 10 touchdowns as a freshman. As a sophomore, he gained 860 — just 184 as a receiver — and didn’t cross the goal line.
Heading into his junior season, Stacy Coley said he’s up to 190 pounds and has impressed his coordinator in drills.
“He’s had one drop in the
entire camp,” James Coley said. “One. You can get double-digit drops in camp — there’s a lot of balls being thrown — but he’s had one.”
Coley and senior Herb Waters are standing out in practice, according to junior cornerback Artie Burns. “Right now, they’re killing us,” Burns said, noting Coley in particular is much more physical.
“He’s a different person,” senior safety Dallas Crawford said of Coley. “He’s put on probably 10 pounds. He’s stronger. He’s faster, if you can believe that. Routes are even better. He’s practicing like a pro.”
Running back rotation: James Coley said UM still doesn’t know which of the four running backs will get the bulk of the carries this season. In today’s scrimmage — the day before coach Al Golden sets the lineup for the Sept. 5 season opener — UM will switch up the rotation, moving “certain guys” with the first-string offensive line to “see if certain guys can create the yards per carry with
UM safety, describing receiver Stacy Coley
the (first-team) line that other guys did.”
That might mean it’s Trayone Gray and Mark Walton’s time to prove their worth, since Gus Edwards and Joe Yearby have shown what they can do with first-string reps.
About Walton, Coley said, “He’s shown that he can play at this level this year, and play big.”
O-line getting tested: Regarding his offensive line, Coley is looking on the bright side. “The great thing is we get tested every day,” he said. “You’ve got Chad Thomas over there (on the defensive line), Courtel ( Jenkins), Trent Har-
ris, Ufomba (Kamalu), Quan Muhammad. Then they bring that speed unit, where they put four defensive ends in the game. It really tests your group.”
Coley said the offensive line, which is replacing four starters, has a tough attitude because “everybody’s saying, ‘We might be the weak link, you’ve got so many guys to replace.’” As for who will start, Coley said, “The spots are filled. We just haven’t announced it, and the players don’t know, either.”