Diaz expects UM defense to be bully again

Experienced front seven should lead to more improvement.

Defensive c oordi nat or Manny Diaz returns nearly every contributor from his front seven, and the group has all the makings of one of the nation’s best.

This spring, they understand how good they can be and they are working as hard as Diaz wants. That’s something, he said Monday, that began toward the end of last year.

“There were a lot of plays last year I think we left on the field. I think guys have an understanding now of our expectations,” Diaz said on WQAM. “That’s what was so special about the bowl game. I thought the bowl game was the first time that we knew, our guys had a sense going into the game, that we were getting ready to whip somebody, whether they liked it or not. That’s exactly what they did.”

In Miami’s 31-14 win over 16th-ranked West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl, the Hurricanes allowed 2.44 yards per carry — less than half the Mountaineers’ season average — and racked up nine tackles for loss for a season-high 54 yards.

“Now that understanding of what it’s like to be the bully — that’s the expectation, that you have to perform at your highest level every day,” Diaz said. “That goes for spring practice No. 3 or 4 ... when somebody blows a whistle, we have to bring it.”

Diaz on depth chart: Diaz said his three sophomore linebackers, Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud, aren’t a first-team unit. Pinckney is running behind redshirt junior Darrion Owens, who is likely extra motivated two years after a devastating knee injury. Diaz said just because the three freshmen were the best UM had last year, doesn’t mean they will be in 2017. “They’ll have to earn their right to be back together again,” he said.

What spurred Redwine’s move to safety? Miami liked the corner options is has coming this summer (transfer Dee Delaney, junior-college product Jhavonte Dean, recruit Trajan Bandy) and Sheldrick Redwine (6-2, 195) fit the bill at safety. “When we looked back at the film, we loved the way he tackled, we thought he ran to t h e b a l l wel l , a n d made quote-unquote good safety plays for us,” Diaz said. “We thought we had more potential answers at corner than we did at safety.”

O n e s t a t Mi a mi c a n improve: Turnovers. Diaz was pl e a s e d a bout UM’s major improvements in multiple stat categories: 106th in tackles for loss to fifth, 115th in yards per play allowed to 17th, 86th in yards per play allowed to ninth, and 77th in points allowed to 12th. While UM was 14th in turnover margin (plus-0.69 per game), it ranked 67th in turnovers gained.

“We o n l y g a i n e d 1 9 last year, which i s prett y pathetic,” Diaz said. He said a review of film showed UM had good opportunity to grab 26 more. A few more could have swung tight games UM played in October.

Recruiting tidbit: Diaz said while most programs split up home states into nine areas — one territory for each coach — UM does that in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

P o p e r o p e d : W i d e receiver Mark Pope, one of the top pass-catchers in the 2018 class, made a public commitment to the Hurricanes. He was long rumored to be leaning toward hi s hometown team.

Pope, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound rising senior at Miami Southridge, is rated a consensus four-star recruit; 247Sports has him as the third-best wideout in Americ a and No. 22 player regardless of position. His list of offers included Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU and other major programs.

ESPN prai sed him as a “natural receiver with soft hands and the body control to consistently c atch the ball in stride,” as well as a “smooth athlete with impressive change of direction skills and the ability to make defenders miss.”

According to 247Sports, Pope plans to graduate a semester early from Southridge, which won the Class 7A state title last year. Pope recorded 619 yards and nine TDs on 37 catches in 2016.

T h e H u r r i c a n e s h a d the No. 1-rated class (per 247Sports) before Pope’s commitment.