Position strength begins on D-line
Here’s an in-depth look at the Hurricanes’ strongest groupings.
For college football, summer is the time to take a big-picture view of the upcoming fall. Today, with less than six weeks to go before the start of Aug. 1 drills, we take a look at the Miami Hurricanes’ six strongest position groups.
We take into consideration who is returning, who appears ready to contribute, who could leave (graduation or the NFL) after the season, and UM’s current commits and recruiting trends.
The least of Miami’s worries is first.
Defensive ends
No issues here. Miami has All-ACC-caliber starters, talented backups and two outstanding freshmen. Among the seven scholarship players, there’s no dead weight. And position coach Craig Kuligowski is considered among the nation’s best assistants, with a track record of producing NFL talent.
The Hurricanes are likely to start senior Chad Thomas and sophomore Joe Jackson, who have elite length, speed and strength. Off the bench, they can turn to senior Trent Harris and redshirt junior Demetrius Jackson, smart players who can rush and hold up against the run. Freshmen Jonathan Garvin, a former Lake Worth High standout, and D.J. Johnson could make early impacts, and Garvin enrolling for spring ball helps his case to play early. A wild card is Scott Patchan, a four-star recruit in 2015 who has dealt with knee issues. If healthy, Miami will lean on him next year, as Joe and Demetrius Jackson, Garvin and Johnson step into the forefront. UM has an intriguing commit in three-star Gregory Rousseau (6-6, 205) and is likely to sign one more player.
Projected dep t h chart: Thomas (strong-side) and Joe Jackson (weak-side); Demetrius Jackson and Harris Patchan and Garvin/Johnson.
Wide receivers
A worry the past two seasons because of injuries and attrition, UM is finally back where it needs to be at this position. The Canes enter the year with 10 scholarship wideouts, and nice balance
between the classes. UM probably goes seven or eight deep in a group that seems to have slightly more speed than size. Sophomore and former Wellington High standout Ahmmon Richards is the headliner, and the second, third and fourth spots are likely to be taken by reliable senior Braxton Berrios, sophomores Lawrence Cager (coming off ACL surgery) and Dionte Mullins, and freshmen DeeJay Dallas, Jeff Thomas and Mike Harley. Don’t count out junior Dayall Harris, who had a quiet debut after transferring from junior college. UM wouldn’t mind if big junior Darrell Langham (6-4, 220) carried over his spring progress, or if freshman Evidence Njoku (6-5, 205) proved too good to redshirt. But UM should have plenty of options in the passing game, which could help offset some concerns at tight end.
Projected depth chart: Cager (X), Berrios (Y) and Richards (Z); Harris, Thomas/ Harley and Mullins; Lang- ham and Njoku (X), walk-on Malik Mayweather (Z).
Offensive linemen
We’re separating the defensive linemen into ends and tackles, but that’s tougher on the other side of the ball because A) Miami cross-trains mostly everyone and has no problem playing its best at different positions in games, B) We don’t yet know where the five freshmen Miami signed will play, and C) the Canes have a wealth at D-end and a poten- tial issue at D-tackle. UM needs more athletic tackles drop off when seniors McDer- mott, Darling and Linder depart.
Projected depth chart: McDermott (LT), Darling (LG), Gauthier (C), Donaldson (RG), St. Louis (RT); George Brown (L ), Hayden Mahoney (LG), Linder (C; first off the bench, can also play G); Jahair Jones (RG), Bar Milo (RT); Tre Johnson (LT), Kai-Leon Herbert (LG), Corey Gaynor (C), Zach Dykstra (RG), Zalon’tae Hillery (RT). than it does interior linemen, but that’s a little like saying it needs more game-breaking wide receivers than possession guys (it probably doesn’t, but you get the comparison: Every program wants those guys).
If Miami enters the year with a six-man rotation of, in some configuration, former
Palm Beach Central standout Kc McDermott, Tyree St.
Louis, Tyler Gauthier, Nick
Linder, Navaughn Donald- son and Trevor Darling, it should be a solid group. It Linebackers consists of three seniors, It’s not easy to recruit a two juniors and one highly given position when you have regarded freshman, which stars-in-the-making there, but is probably what you want. Miami will accept that bur- The front-line depth is fine. den. If they continue to build The players behind them on last year, sophomores are unproven, but O-line- Shaq Quarterman, Michael men typically take longer to Pinckey and Zach McCloud develop than other positions. will be one of the best trios in
Among its 15 scholar- the ACC, if not the country. ship players, UM needs a What helps even more: few underclassmen to show Junior Darrion Owens will flashes this year, to help be two years removed from a ensure the position doesn’t devastating knee injury, and
Tsophomore Jamie Gordinier looks ready to compete after missing last year with a torn knee ligament. Teammates and coaches were enthusiastic about the spring gains made by Mike Smith, a junior who had knee issues dating to high school. UM’s freshman class — Bradley Jennings Jr., Waynmon Steed and July arrival De’Andre Wilder — won’t be called on early, and that’s a good thing.
Projected depth chart: McCloud (Sam), Quarterman (Mike) and Pinckney (Will); Charles Perry, Smith and Owens/Gordiner; Wilder, Jennings and Steed/Terry McCray.
Quarterbacks
What’s the hackneyed saying — if you have two (or more) quarterbacks, you have none? Well, Miami has four scholarship quarterbacks this fall, which is a reasonable amount. That’s why this group isn’t higher among UM’s worries.
The Hurricanes don’t yet know if they have one QB who’s truly ready to shine as a starter, since only Rosier has game experience (one start, 12 games as a backup). The top contenders are, in order of age, redshirt junior Malik Rosier, redshirt sophomore Evan Shirreffs and true freshman N’Kosi Perry. As with any team’s quarterbacks, if one of these guys can play, depth isn’t much of a concern. If two or more are capable of playing, so much the better. Most programs look to add at least one good quarterback a year, and Miami has a commitment from top-100 prospect Artur Sitkowski, who is ranked No. 5 among pocket passers by Rivals and 247Sports and No. 8 by ESPN.
Projected depth chart: Rosier, Shirreffs, Perry, Cade Weldon and Vincent Testaverde (walk-on).