Standout sophomores slowed by injuries
Richards does not have concussion; Pinckney has hamstring strain.
CORAL GABLES — “All right, what do you want to know?” Mark Richt asked a group of reporters who were holding cameras and audio recorders a few feet from his face.
“The first three questions will be, ‘None of y’all’s business,’” he joked. “So go ahead and ask those.”
Richt was in a gregarious mood after Friday’s practice, despite having to elaborate on the health status of three sophomores, two of them rising stars, who were missing in action.
Wide receiver Ahmmon Richards, Richt said, was tested for a concussion. The Wellington High grad, who last year led all freshmen nationally in receiving yards (934) and broke Michael Irvin’s 31-year-old first-year UM record in that category, is apparently not seriously hurt. He was held out of Friday’s practice.
“When he caught a ball (Thursday), he landed and his head hit,” Richt said. “Our tests did not have him as (having) a concussion. As a precaution, we just held him today. Obviously, all the concussion protocol will be used in this case, but I think we’re already past that. From what I’m being told, there’s no concussion.”
Linebacker Michael Pinckney, a dynamic playmaker and UM’s starting weakside linebacker, has been “getting over” a hamstring strain, Richt said. This is an ongoing issue for Pinckney, who dealt with the same ailment last August.
Both Pinckney and Richards were seen riding stationary bikes during the media viewing portion of Friday’s practice. Richt didn’t say whether they would practice today.
UM is off Sunday and will conduct its first scrimmage of camp next Saturday.
Both players dealt with injuries last camp, before shining brightly in freshman All-American seasons. Pinckney missed time with a balky hamstring. Richards battled turf toe.
Another player UM will turn to this season, though not as heavily: sophomore tight end Michael Irvin II, a relied-on backup to Chris Herndon. Irvin has been dehydrated and “is doing well, not well enough to go today. He should be back very soon, if not tomorrow.” Irvin missed the second half of Tuesday’s practice, returned Wednesday and Thursday, and was not present Friday.
Constraint with QBs? An injury to a quarterback in a full-contact scrimmage makes any coach queasy. Perhaps Richt’s mind was flooded with thoughts of Jack Allison when he heard about what happened to the Dolphins’ Ryan Tannehill.
Either way, he’s unsure whether he wants to let his Hurricanes quarterbacks endure the full brunt of what offensive coordinator Thomas Brown reverently referred to as “a Manny Diaz defense.”
UM will conduct its first scrimmage of camp next Saturday, and if Richt has seen all the scrambling he needs to see, he may opt to protect the four men battling for the starting job quarterback job.
“I don’t know what I’ll do yet,” he said. “I just have to figure it out. If I think I need to do it to learn more about all these guys, and their ability to make a play with their feet, or maybe get hit and get back up, we’ll probably let them play.”
NCAA rules allow Miami to run a full-contact practice today, the fifth day of camp. But the Hurricanes won’t go full-bore.
“We’re not going to tackle to the ground,” Richt said. “We’re going to continue to ‘thud,’” he said, slapping his palms together for emphasis, “until the first scrimmage.”
One reason for that: UM is still installing its plays at a slower pace, which could help potential freshman contributors like quarterback N’Kosi Perry, wide receivers Jeff Thomas and Mike Harley and all others who did not participate in spring drills. Richt said he is essentially taking double the time he otherwise might.
That, Richt said, has contributed to a lengthier evaluation process for his quarterbacks battling to replace Brad Kaaya.
■ Asked specifically about Malik Rosier’s improved throwing — noted in the Friday morning practice report — Richt was complimentary.
“I don’t know if he’s throwing any differently, as far as the spin on the ball or zip on the ball and all that,” Richt said.
“He has been making excellent decisions, and he’s throwing the ball very accurately, I’ll say that. He has had a very good camp to this point.”
■ Like everyone who pays attention to football in South Florida, Richt noticed Tannehill’s injury.
“The only thing I would say is, I think everybody understands football is a physical game,” Richt said. “It’s a game of attrition, and things happen. I think if something like this happened the week of a game, compared to right now, it would be more of a thing to manage in everybody’s mind, psychologically.
“I don’t know what the result is going to be, but my guess is they’ll have time to get used to what’s going to be normal. I think that would help.”