Nation’s No. 1 safety recruit Williams to miss season
On National Signing Day last February, the University of Miami shocked the recruiting world by nabbing the nation’s top safety, Avantae Williams, overwhelmingly expected to sign with the Florida Gators.
On Tuesday, Miami Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz said during a Zoom video conference following practice that Williams is out for the season after some medical issues were flagged during a preseason exam.
“During Avantae’s preseason exam,’’ Diaz said, “he presented some chronic and lingering medical issues that our medical staff feels that we need let heal, let him strengthen this fall. We will reevaluate him come January in the springtime, so Avantae will not compete for us this fall.”
Williams, listed at 6-0 and 180 pounds, was the No. 44 overall player in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the class of 2020.
“My disappointment is for Avantae, because he loves football,’’ Diaz said. “He’s been an amazing football player since the first time he ever put on a helmet. It’s just difficult for him to have the season taken away from him. He would do anything to be out there with his guys.
“We all feel for him, but we know that we’ll do everything we can to help him get in the semester, get him with [strength] Coach [David] Feeley and do everything we can to get him right.”
CANES MISS SCRIMMAGE
Diaz listed some other Hurricanes who missed Sunday’s scrimmage with “bumps and bruises,’’ first saying, “Fortunately, more than anything, the best part is we did not have any injuries during the scrimmage that are going to make a guy miss this next weekend, for example.’’
Those players included tight end and Mackey
Award finalist Brevin Jordan, “who had a minor issue that just held him out for [Sunday],’’ Diaz said.
Diaz said that Jordan practiced Tuesday.
“The position that probably was most affected we had some depth issues on our defensive front,’’ the coach said.
Those players, Diaz said, included Temple graduate transfer defensive end Quincy Roche, defensive tackle Nesta Silvera —he “took a few snaps,’’ Diaz said — defensive tackle Jon Ford and defensive tackle Jalar Holley, “just with all different training camp bumps and bruises type deals.”
Also out for the scrimmage was safety Amari Carter, the coach said.
“We expect them all to be back when we scrimmage again this weekend on Saturday.”
KING UPDATE
Quarterback D’Eriq King also spoke Tuesday on Zoom, saying he “had a real good feel out there” during UM’s first fall camp scrimmage Sunday night, when he completed 15 of 26 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns.
“We just gotta keep building, be more consistent and always do the right things,’’ King said. “If guys are doing the right things every play, it’s going to give us at least a chance to do good.’’
When asked who impressed him during the scrimmage on defense, King said “both the safeties’’ — Bubba Bolden
and Gurvan Hall.
“Bubba and Gurvan did a heck of a job in the scrimmage. They kind of made things difficult in the back end for me,’’ King said.
Diaz added that Bolden “played very well” and that “Gurvan Hall might have had his best scrimmage as a Miami Hurricane. He was everywhere.’’
Veteran cornerbacks Al Blades Jr. and DJ Ivey
also played very well, Diaz said.
OFFENSIVE LINE UPDATE
Diaz emphasized that he doesn’t want his players to think they have any starting jobs “wrapped up.’’ But at least for the time being it appears 6-5, 310-pound redshirt sophomore John Campbell is No. 1 at left tackle and 6-6, 308-pound graduate transfer Jarrid Williams, who played with King at Houston, has the job at right tackle.
“You know, certainly, I would say Williams and Campbell have good days at tackle,’’ Diaz said, “but we’re still not ready to say, ‘These are the five … ’ ’’
‘BEST FIRST SCRIMMAGE’
Diaz said Sunday’s practice game was “probably the best first scrimmage from an offense since 2016 that I can speak of.’’ He has repeated several times in the last few days that he was extremely impressed with the lack of procedural penalties and mental errors.
PHOTOS OF MASKLESS STUDENTS
Diaz reiterated that UM coaches have told the players to keep wearing their masks and following the safety protocols to do their best to prevent the spreading of COVID-19.
“We may not go 105 [players] out of 105 every time,’’ Diaz said, “but our guys understand what the standard is and how much their teammates are depending on them.
“We’re trying to be the leaders of wearing masks on campus. I’m having my guys take pictures of people that don’t wear masks and send it to us. We want to be the ones that show …
“Our guys just went and practiced and it had to be over 100-degree heat index out there. This was our first morning practice. It is blazing out there. If they can run around in a helmet and shoulder pads, I promise you pretty much anyone can walk around wearing a mask.’’