Sizing up 10 Canes’ issues heading into spring ball

With Miami Hurricanes football practice starting on March 7, exploring 10 key questions as the Mario Cristobal era officially begins: Who’s the starting running back?

Four realistically have a shot:

Don Chaney Jr., Jaylan Knighton, transfer Henry Parrish and freshman Tre’Vonte Citizen. Even second-year players Thad Franklin and Cody Brown cannot be entirely ruled out.

But of the first four, only Knighton and Parrish will be spring ball participants. Chaney is still working back from last season’s knee injury. Citizen isn’t yet on campus.

New running backs coach

Kevin Smith coached Parrish at Mississippi and knows him better than any other back on the UM roster.

Both Parrish and Knighton are listed at 5-10, 190 pounds. Parrish, in 161 career carries over two seasons, has averaged 5.1 yards per rush in the nation’s toughest conference (the SEC). Knighton, in 197 career carries over two seasons, has averaged 3.9 both in his career and last season. Knighton is the more explosive receiving threat.

New offensive coordinator

Josh Gattis used multiple backs at Michigan, but the bigger, more physical back usually played on first down. That suggests that Chaney (5-10, 208) or Citizen (6-0, 218) could seize the starting job if Parrish doesn’t. Knighton seems more likely to compete for a third-down role.

Who seizes rotation spots at receiver?

Nine are essentially competing for five or six spots. Key’Shawn Smith — who started every game last season and caught 33 of 59 targets for 405 yards — and Xavier Restrepo (24 for 373) assuredly will play.

Daz Worsham and freshman

Isaiah Horton seem the least likely of the nine to claim spots.

That leaves five players competing for three or four slots: Clemson transfer Frank Ladson (31 catches for 428 yards and six TDs in 22 games), Michael Redding and last season’s trio of talented freshmen: Jacolby George, Romello Brinson and multi-purpose weapon Brashard Smith, who’s a Percy Harvin-type.

Who emerges as the No. 2 tight end behind senior Will Mallory?

Elijah Arroyo enters with a slight edge after spending a year in a college weight room; he’s now listed at 6-4 and 235 pounds. But ballyhooed freshman Jaleel Skinner, who’s on campus, will try to overtake time. Skinner needs to put on weight — he’s listed at 6-5, 215 — but there are no questions about the physical gifts; Rivals rated him the No. 2 tight end in the class.

Does Jake Garcia earn any snaps at all behind Tyler Van Dyke?

A strong case could be made to play Van Dyke every snap of every game except late in blowouts. Garcia might be limited this spring coming off last fall’s ankle injury, and he’s likely to stick around this year; he has a lucrative NIL deal. If Van Dyke turns pro after next season, this could be Garcia’s team in 2023.

What about the offensive line?

DJ Scaife has been clearly better as a guard than a tackle, and Pro Football Focus rated him 33rd of 537 guards last season. But he could end up being the best option at right tackle.

The other right tackle options: John Campbell, Justice Oluwaseun, Scaife, left guard Jalen Rivers, Chris Washington, Isaiah Walker, Michael McLaughlin and freshmen Anez Cooper and Matthew McCoy.

Jakai Clark will battle Oregon transfer Logan Sagapolu for the center job, with Sagapolu and Clark options at guard.

So that’s three likely starters among left tackle Zion Nelson (three sacks allowed in 2021), Scaife, Rivers and a fourth between Sagapolu and Clark. The fifth? Wide open, with Ousman Traore another option.

Who emerges as the No. 2 cornerback behind Tyrique Stevenson?

Stevenson, who’s coming off shoulder surgery, allowed just a 69.1 passer rating in his coverage area last season.

But six other corners have a chance to seize the second and third jobs: West Virginia transfer

Daryl Porter (98 passer rating in coverage area last season), Al Blades Jr. (limited to four targets last season because of injuries), Te’Cory Couch (allowed a 104.6 passer rating in his coverage area and a team-high 412 yards in receptions), DJ Ivey (continued an uneven career and yielded a 123.2 passer rating in his coverage area), second-year player Marcus Clarke (permitted a 124.2 passer rating and four touchdowns in 19 targets) and freshmen Khamauri Rogers (rated by Rivals as the 16th best cornerback and 163rd best player in this class).

Two other freshmen — Jaden Harris and Chris Graves — can’t be ruled out.

Does UM consider moving

James Williams to strong-side linebacker?

His size (6-5, 224) and physicality suggest he could handle the position, and UM would be covered at safety with Kamren Kinchens (an excellent 70.1 passer rating in his coverage area in 2021, with two interceptions), Avantae Williams (the nation’s best safety in the 2020 recruiting class), Brian Balom (missed 2021 due to injury but considered a starting-caliber player), Isaiah Dunson (moved over to cornerback last season),

Keshawn Washington (has had some good moments), Jalen Harrell and incoming freshman

Markeith Williams.

Williams led the team in passer rating against at 50.7 (13 for 18 completed against him but for just 121 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions). But he also had six penalties.

With UM set to play a 4-3 defense, who’s battling for the three starting linebacker jobs?

Corey Flagg Jr. enters as the favorite for the middle linebacker job but stands at risk if the Canes can find a transfer who’s better. UM has said it’s exploring transfer options at linebacker.

The other two starting spots will be contested among Wesley Bissainthe (Rivals’ No. 12 linebacker in the 2022 class), Keontra Smith, Waymon Steed, Chase Smith, often-injured

Sam Brooks Jr., former starting striker Gilbert Frierson, Avery Huff, Tirek Austin-Cave and second-year players Deshawn Troutman and Tyler Johnson.

Of 679 linebackers rated by PFF, Steed was 531st, Flagg 579th and Keontra Smith 621st. Passer ratings were bloated against Flagg (130) and Keontra Smith (103.2).

In Flagg’s defense, he led UM in tackles with 60 and produced three sacks. The hope is that Bissainthe can be an immediate impact player. “He’s a gamechanger at a position we really need guys to help us,” Cristobal said.

And Smith, who played the now-eliminated striker position, has big upside.

Who emerges as starting defensive tackles among Jared Harrison-Hunte, Antonio Moultrie and Leonard Taylor?

All three will play a lot. Moultrie made 21 starts for UAB — playing both end at tackle — but Cristobal said he will be a tackle, a position that needed replenishing after the departures of Nesta Silvera, who left for Arizona State, and Jon Ford, one of four Canes invited to this week’s NFL Combine.

Moultrie (62 tackles, two sacks last season) graded out a bit below average among defensive linemen last season, per PFF.

Harrison-Hunte (167) and Taylor (177) both graded out easily among the top half of 673 interior defenders rated by PFF, and Harrison-Hunte has added 30 pounds. Taylor had 9.5 tackles for loss in just 200 defensive snaps.

Who replaces Zach McCloud and Deandre Johnson as UM’s starting defensive ends?

Jahfari Harvey (five starts last season; 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks), end/tackle Jacob Lichtenstein (eight starts for Southern Cal last season; 28 tackles, four sacks) and Chantz Williams are likely rotation players.

But early enrollees Nyjalik Kelly and Cyrus Moss — two heavily recruited defensive ends — could take snaps away from those three if they impress.

Kelly had 25 sacks over the past two years at Fort Lauderdale Dillard. “He’s as good a pass rusher as you will find in the country,” Cristobal said.

Moss had 63 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and one forced fumble for a Las Vegas high school last season. Cristobal called Moss the best in the country at his position.

And Mitchell Agude, who had 4.5 sacks at UCLA the past two seasons, is considering transferring to UM.

Also competing: Elijah Roberts (who can also play tackle) and 2021 additions Jabari Ishmael and Thomas Davis.