PREP TIME FOR 2020
UM prepares for Independence Bowl with eye on next season; Jahfari Harvey gears up for opportunity at DE
As the Miami Hurricanes balance recruiting ahead of the Early Signing Period, which runs Dec. 18-20, and practices leading up to the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech, coach Manny Diaz called the Dec. 26 game “a bridge to 2020.”
“It’s not 2020, but it’s certainly a bridge to next season,” Diaz said in a Monday morning teleconference with reporters. “That’s certainly the advantage of having these two weeks of practice, of getting some of those young guys some reps.”
Diaz said that process began with a Saturday practice.
“Start to continue to work in next year’s team this year,” Diaz said. “There’s no doubt. Any young guys that have some eligibility that can still hold on to a redshirt year, we want to push those guys into the game.”
With Miami (6-6) down two defensive ends that have opted to sit out the Independence Bowl in redshirt senior Trevon Hill and junior Jonathan Garvin, Diaz named freshman Jahfari Harvey as a player he’s eager to watch prepare for a bowl game opportunity.
“Jahfari has been a problem in practice to block,” Diaz said. “So, I’m excited to see a guy like him get out there and play because he’s got a chance to really factor in for us at defensive end next year, bringing him along and obviously getting [UCLA transfer] Jaelan Phillips back and Cameron Williams [sitting out freshman season due to academics] back at that position.”
Diaz said he wasn’t prepared to discuss any potential changes to the coaching staff following the Nov. 30 loss to Duke in the regularseason finale.
With the staff intact more than a week later, Diaz declined to comment on possible turnover, saying his focus is on recruiting and bowl preparation before making any changes.
“What I’m saying right now is that our season’s not over,” Diaz said. “Let’s finish the season, let’s get a plan together to play our best in the bowl game, and then let’s see what we like and didn’t like and where we need to improve going form there.”
Diaz indicated that there will be a renewed quarterback competition leading up to the Independence Bowl after Jarren Williams struggled in losses to FIU and Duke.
N’Kosi Perry replaced Williams in the fourth quarter at Duke and wasn’t much better as the two combined to go 13 of 35 passing.
“We’re going to come back and see what happens in practice,” Diaz said of the quarterback situation. “It’ll be a performance of everything in the month of December, which is going to be academic performance, [extending to] doing the right things off the field and all those types of things. We’ll get a sense of that here as we get through this week.”
Third-string quarterback Tate Martell was away from the team for the final two weeks on a second leave this season. It is unknown if he will be back for the bowl game.
Diaz said junior left guard Navaughn Donaldson will miss the bowl game after suffering a right knee injury against Duke.
His backup, redshirt freshman John Campbell, also left early against the Blue Devils, along with sophomore running back Cam’Ron Harris. However, Diaz expects Campbell and Harris to be back for the bowl game.
With Hill and Garvin having notified the team they will sit out the Independence Bowl to begin NFL draft preparation, Diaz said no other upperclassmen have indicated they’ll do the same.
“Every case is unique,” he said. “Because every guy is at a different spot in terms of: a.) their career, b.) what their expectation is going forward, what their status is at the next level. Whether we’re talking about going pro or whether we’re talking about playing in the bowl game, our responsibility is to provide them the best standard of information that will help them make the best decision for them, and hopefully that coincides with the best decision for Miami.”
In addition to Hill, Garvin and Donaldson, Miami also will be without junior running back DeeJay Dallas and sophomore safety Bubba Bolden, who both suffered season-ending injuries last month.