Notebook:
TE Brevin Jordan limited in practice; OT Jarrid Williams taking more reps.
Miami Hurricanes junior tight end Brevin Jordan’s availability is still up in the air for Saturday night’s game against Virginia at Hard Rock Stadium, coach Manny Diaz said Wednesday.
“Brevin’s still the one that’s the most limited, in terms of his ability to help us out right now, but I’m not ruling him out yet,” Diaz said.
Jordan was held out of last Saturday’s 31-19 win for the 11th-ranked Hurricanes over Pittsburgh after injuring his neck/ shoulder in the previous week’s loss at No. 1 Clemson.
Despite playing one fewer game than other Miami pass catchers, Jordan leads the team with 18 receptions for 243 yards and three touchdowns.
Fellow junior tight end Will Mallory, who is tied with Jordan for the team lead in receiving touchdowns, scored two of his filling in for Jordan as the Hurricanes’ No. 1 tight end Saturday. Jordan and Mallory are listed as co-starters at tight end on the UM depth chart, although Mallory has five receptions for 83 yards on the season.
Diaz said others who are recovering from injuries have progressed well during the week of practice. Sixth-year senior offensive tackle Jarrid Williams is among them after he was held out of the win over Pittsburgh with a hand ailment.
“Jarrid Williams has been taking more reps this week than he did a week ago, which will be good for us up front,” Diaz said.
Williams was available against Pittsburgh in the event of an emergency, but Diaz said he felt more comfortable playing Zion Nelson at right tackle. Nelson also started the Florida State game for John Campbell at left tackle and rotated in with Williams during the Clemson game.
Diaz also said he feels no current injuries, if not aggravated against Virginia, should linger past the following bye week and into the Nov. 6 game at N.C. State.
Wide receiver competition update
After the Hurricanes completely opened up wide receiver competition Monday looking for better play at the position, Diaz said a deeper dive into which wideouts have impressed this week will take place in the days leading into Saturday night against Virginia.
“I’ve got my head under the hood of the defensive engine, especially during Tuesday
and Wednesday,” Diaz said. “I think that now, [Wednesday] afternoon, I’ll get a chance to talk with [offensive coordinator] Rhett [Lashlee], [receivers coach] Rob [Likens] and those guys and get a sense on what they’re doing.”
Quarterback D’Eriq King likes what he has seen so far but didn’t give any indicationof who may see an insertion into the starting lineup after upperclassmen Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and Michael Harley have all been given starts at receiver.
“I think opening up competition will continue to push everybody,” King said. “A lot of guys are getting reps.
“The way I look at it, any week, anybody can lose their job, so I’m not saying anybody’s safe. You got to keep practicing and try to play well so you stay out there on the field.”
Diaz said there are two main things the coaching staff will be looking for in determining starters and playing time at receiver:
“One, everyone’s got to be playing with great effort, assignments, those type of deals, which some of the young guys are learning,” Diaz said. “It factors into putting what is happening on Greentree Practice Field into the context of the game.
“And then the other part is just making a play. When we have the opportunity down the field — it’s been documented plenty of times — on down-the-field throws, of getting great protection, great ball placement and guys making a play.”
Diaz said some of it will come along the more receivers have experience in the offense.
“You have to remember: These guys didn’t get scrimmages in the spring,” Diaz said. “You didn’t get some of your nonconference schedule to get to work out some of the kinks in all of this stuff.”