Impressive freshman looks ready for new competition

Greg Rousseau recorded nine sacks in three scrimmages.

CORAL GABLES — On the whole, the Miami Hurricanes were blessed with good health this spring.

No major injuries, with outside linebacker Zach McCloud (wrist) the only regular who missed time. He is expected back this summer, along with freshman safety Gurvan Hall (knee).

Those who were already limited this spring — a group that included receiver Ahmmon Richards and defensive end Demetrius Jackson, both rehabbing knee injuries — were not further damaged.

Another piece of information sure to please fans: true freshman defensive end Greg Rousseau had another stellar performance. In the team’s April 21 scrimmage, held for the viewing of family and alumni, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Hialeah-Champagnat graduate tied for the team lead in tackles (four) and had two sacks. That gave Rousseau, whom coach Mark Richt previously called his most pleasant spring surprise, nine sacks in three spring scrimmages.

That doesn’t mean he’ll be a superstar this fall, but Richt is eager to see what he can do against better offensive lines. Miami’s second-string front, which had the challenge of blocking Rousseau in UM’s 15 practices, didn’t hold up.

“Some of his deal is just line up on the edge and get off and beat the tackle around the corner and sack the quarterback. He did that really good, I can tell you that,” Richt said. “Or you run a zone-read, you’re handing the ball to a back, and there’s Rousseau, end man on the line, the guy you don’t block. He’s so long, he can kind of still get the back, but if you pull it, he can still get the quarterback.

“We call them ‘tarantulas.’ They’re like these guys with these big arms. He’s got great genetics for that position. He’s a super guy. He’s learning. He’s a happy kid. He should be, he’s got a lot of success right now.

“But did we really challenge him? When he shows up in the LSU game, will this veteran tackle whip his tail and teach him a lesson? I don’t know. We don’t have anybody who can teach him a lesson.”