Monday, August 26, 2013

Miami Hurricanes 101: The 2013 Roster for Dummies

Hello All,

Last season I was on the phone with my dad in early August when he said "I don't know who in the sam hell any of these kids are on this team." (I may have paraphrased)

Well, when Papa Stein asks, I deliver. Use this document. Print it off, highlight it, keep it with you....LEARN it. It will make your watch experience easier and better, especially those first few games. Without further ado, Miami Hurricanes Football for Dummies 2.0:



QB
Guys That Left: No One
Key Returners: Stephen Morris (#17), Ryan Williams (#11)
Key Additions: Kevin Olsen (#19)
Prognosis: Morris comes in to the season as a favorite for ACC Player of the Year and dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. He set records against NC State in Week 5 last season, throwing for 550+ yard and 5 touchdowns, and closed the season out on a non-interception streak of 190 passes. To say the least, I am excited about his second full season as the starter. Morris has already mastered James Coley’s offense, and not much is expected to change on the schematic front from what was done last season.  Morris  has become the leader of the team, as evidenced by reports of forcing teammates to join him on the field in driving rain storms during the summer to practice their timing. Williams is a serviceable backup, but he offers nowhere near the explosion that Morris brings to the table. If Morris were to miss action for some reason, expect the fans to start calling for Olsen, the hotshot recruit who is expected to redshirt.
Question That Needs Answering: Can Morris be more consistent in big games? Stephen got better as last season went along, but most of his numbers were put up against subpar teams. In order to be a contender, Miami needs him to tighten up his decision making in big games, as well as work on his touch passing. When Morris is in a rhythm, there is no one better. At times last season he fell out of his groove, however, and the offense predictably got mired during those stretches. His two most obvious struggles last season were against Notre Dame and Kansas State, where he let early miscues (both self-inflicted and caused by others) affect his later performance. He is now expected not just to improve, but play like a franchise quarterback in every game, including against the Gators and Seminoles. The physical tools are all there, and so are the intangibles; however, like all quarterbacks, he will be judged by the on field product. The difference between 8-4 and a trip to the Sun Bowl and 11-1 and a trip to the ACC Title Game most likely will be #17.
RB
Guys That Left: Mike James
Key Returners: Duke Johnson (#8), Dallas Crawford (#25), Maurice Hagens (#33), Eduardo Clements (#23)
Key Additions: Gus Edwards (#7)
Prognosis: Duke Johnson is one of the 5 most electrifying players in college football, period. He is a threat in every way, and looks to come back stronger after going through his first college weight training program over the winter. He is a Reggie Bush – level impact player, and barring injury will be a superstar. The rest of the roster is far less a sure thing. Hagens returns as the fullback, and in Coley’s new offense could see more carries, especially in short yardage situations. The main backup figures to be Crawford, a versatile jitterbug who is more quick than fast but is exciting when he has the ball. Clements is a solid ballcarrier who has a nose for the first down marker, but missed most of last season with a neck injury and is no sure thing to ever return to the player he once was. Edwards is a powerful freshman runner; he has the physical tools to contribute early, so what he does this season will be determined by how well he learns the scheme. 
Question That Needs Answering: Can someone consistently spell The Duke? Johnson is many things, but he ain’t big. He runs hard, and I don’t think he is nearly as brittle as his size on the roster would have you believe. However, the brutal reality of the running back position is that even the best guys get dinged up. Crawford is really more of a utility guy than featured runner. He will certainly get carries, but he is more effective when used as a runner, slot receiver, etc. Clements is an injury question mark. Hagens is not explosive enough to be an every down running back on a consistent basis; he is the hammer you use in situations. Edwards is the most intriguing of the backup options. He reminds me of Le’Veon Bell from Michigan State, another big, downhill runner with athleticism. If he steps up, the depth at the position goes from a question mark to a potential strength.

WR
Guys That Left: Davon Johnson, Kendall Thompkins
Key Returners: Phillip Dorsett (#4), Rashawn Scott (#80), Allen Hurns (#1), Malcolm Lewis (#9), Herb Waters (#6)
Key Additions: Stacey Coley (#3)
Prognosis: This is a really talented group. Davon Johnson’s ability to find a seam on third down will be missed, but the talent at this position is very encouraging. Because Dorsett and Scott played such large roles last season, people forget that it was the first for each as a primary weapon. Both look to make major strides after enjoying successful, uneven sophomore campaigns. Hurns is Old Faithful, and has great chemistry with Morris. Look for him to be the primary possession receiver and a reliable Red Zone guy. Lewis and Waters both showed flashes of major ability last season. If Lewis is fully recovered from a major ankle injury last season (the one that spawned the Al Golden Hug), he might be the most well rounded receiver on the squad. Waters has been much buzzed about this spring and summer, and is the breakout candidate. He scored two long touchdowns against USF and Duke to close last season. Coley is the freshman phenom. Talent wise, he might be the best receiver to come in to the program since Tommy Streeter. He might not get a ton of snaps right away, but I would be shocked if he did not make his impact felt before the season is over. This is an embarrassment of riches at a position where only 6 guys will be on the travel roster.
Question That Needs Answering: Who is the Alpha Dog? Dorsett is the team’s fastest player and was the main guy last year.  Hurns is more reliable when healthy and deceptively good after the catch, but he seems to get dinged up every year. Scott is the most well rounded, as his size allows him to do some things that Dorsett can’t and he is better built than Hurns. However, he struggles with drops at times and Golden wants more consistency out of him. As the season goes on, expect Scott to come on. Lewis, Coley and Waters all have the talent to grow in to the role, but they seem more like supporting players this season. My best guess is that Dorsett will emerge as the primary receiver, given his physical tools and rededication following a late season suspension. However, I do not see him having a Hankerson / Streeter type of year, as there are just too many mouths to feed and only one ball to feed them with.

TE
Guys That Left: No One
Key Returners: Clive Walford (#46), Asante Cleveland (#82), Jake O’Donnell (#88)
Key Additions: Beau Sandland (#85), Standish Dobard (#5)
Prognosis: Walford stepped up down the stretch last season, and creates interesting mismatches. For as much as his lack of footspeed is discussed in the message board world, he always seems to find a way to get yards after the catch, and at the end of the day that is most important. After many fans left him for dead, he has become a reliable threat at the position, especially in the flats (SHAMELESS PLUG: I ALWAYS LOVED HIM). Sandland is a JUCO transfer whose recruiting tape was one of the most amazing I have ever seen at the position. If he gets the blocking down, he will play major snaps and be a Red Zone weapon. Cleveland is the ultimate Greentree All American. I have moved past relying on him to do anything productive and will wait until he shows me something before devoting anymore thought toward him. O’Donell moves over from the D-Line and impressed during the spring; if Cleveland does his usual Witness Relocation Program act, look for the redshirt freshman to steal some snaps. Dobard is huge and talented but is a likely redshirt candidate.
Question That Needs Answering: Can they be consistent? As much as I love Walford, his career has been filled with some pretty maddening drops. Sandland Hype has reached Shockey levels, but he has not done it at this level yet, and a learning curve is to be expected. Cleveland…I’m just going to pass. O’Donnell is young and new to the position.

OL
Guys That Left: Jeremy Lewis, Ben Jones
Names to Know: Brandon Linder (#65), Seantrel Henderson (#77), Shane McDermott (#62), Malcom Bunche (#79), Ereck Flowers (#74), Jon Feliciano (#70), Jared Wheeler (#75)
Prognosis: This is the strength of the team. Linder is the anchor of the line at right guard. Henderson will be the right tackle and has apparently cut out all the surrounding bullshit; he has lost weight and rid himself of off field distractions, gearing up for one final season. If he plays to his potential, he will be a first or second round draft pick. McDermott is the center and a damned good one. Feliciano is a mauler at guard that can swing to right tackle in a pinch; he is the most underrated player on the team and an absolute pit bull. Bunche was the starting left tackle all of last season but is facing an uphill battle to hold off Flowers for the same position this year. Bunche saw time at all 5 OL positions in the spring and will most likely serve as the 6th Man to start the season, as the primary backup at all 5 positions.  Flowers is a future first round pick and a rare talent. All 6 of these players saw starting time and major snaps last season, and for the first time in a decade, the O-Line is a source of pride in Coral Gables. Wheeler will be a backup at the 3 interior positions; Golden and Kehoe love his toughness.
Question That Needs Answering: Can they get a yard when the chips are down? That is the true measure of any offensive line. For as big and tough and experienced and talented as this group is, they got pushed around at times last season. If Miami wants to be a legitimate threat on a national scale this season, that cannot happen again.

DL
Guys That Left: Darius Smith
Key Returners: Anthony Chickillo (#71), Shayon Green (#51), Olsen Pierre (#91), Curtis Porter (#96), Luther Robinson (#93), Earl Moore (#72), Dwayne Hoilett (#97), Jelani Hamilton (#99), Corey King (#67)
Key Additions: Ufomba Kamalu (#90), Al Quadin Muhammad (#98), David Gilbert (#11), Justin Renfrow (#78)
Prognosis: This unit is the team’s biggest question mark. At defensive end, Chickillo is solid, but the jury is out on whether he is a dynamic pass rusher or merely a high motor guy that can anchor against the run and get 6-8 sacks a year. The other projected starter is Green, who did not register a sack last season and is in his 5th year of eligibility. Green is a leader and a high character guy, but he should never be starting for the Miami Hurricanes; injuries have simply robbed him of too much flexibility and burst. Hamilton was a highly touted recruit that has the ability to get after the passer from the strongside defensive end position or slide inside to tackle at 285 lbs; he missed the spring with a knee injury but has looked much improved in fall camp, going head to head with Feliciano on more than one occasion and holding his ground. Muhammad is a monster recruit who is still skinny (6’4”, 230 lbs) in the lower body but should be able to provide some pass rush ammo right away. David Gilbert is the big wild card. He was an All Big Ten pick at Wisconsin as a senior before transferring for his final year of eligibility. He has had foot issues, but if he is ready to go he could make a big impact in the pass rush as an experienced pass rusher at a big time level. Word out of camp is that he will play and, more importantly, make plays this season. Expect the Top 4 to open the season to be: Chickillo and Green as starters, with Gilbert, Muhammad and Ufomba Kamalu getting major snaps. Hoilett redshirted last season. He was brought in to get after the passer, and could make some noise this season as a situational player.  
At tackle, Pierre, Robinson and Porter must anchor the middle in order for this line to reach its full potential. Pierre came on down the stretch and looks like the first real dynamic defensive lineman to be developed at Miami under Al Golden; he also is getting major looks at strongside end. Porter is explosive and the defense noticeably improved once he rejoined the team against Virginia Tech last season. A full season of him would be the most important development of the season for this defense. Robinson is an able pass rusher from the inside and could even play some defensive end. Virginia transfer Renfrow, JUCO transfer Kamalu and returning letter winners Moore and King will compete for the 4th  and 5th spots in the DT rotation; Kamalu can and will also play strongside end in big fronts. Renfrow is particularly intriguing as a run clogger at 6’6”, 310 lbs, with 4 years of experience playing ACC football; he will be in the mix. In an ideal world, Moore and Hamilton would be able to get the redshirts this season that he should have gotten last year. The Top 3 will be Porter, Pierre and Robinson, with Renfrow likely the 4th guy and Hamilton sliding inside in packages…look for Moore and King to get involved if Pierre starts seeing major time at end.
Question That Needs Answering: Can they get to the God damned quarterback for fuck’s sake? I mean, REALLY?!  

LB
Guys That Left: Eddie Johnson, Gionni Paul, Gabe Terry
Key Returners: Denzel Perryman (#52), Jimmy Gaines (#59), Raphael Kirby (#56), Thurston Armbrister (#34), Tyrone Cornelius (#31), Tyriq McCord (#17), Kelvin Cain (#94)
Key Additions:  Alex Figueroa (#36), Jermaine Grace (#5)
Prognosis: The depth at this position took a hit with the loss of the Goon Squad, all 3 of whom were booted for team rules violations.
SIDENOTE: WHY EDDIE, WHY?!?!?!
Perryman is a certifiable stud who says, with his added weight, that he feels “like a wrecking ball.” Gaines is the leader of the group and knows the defense like a coach. He got better as last season went on, and he and Kirby figure to battle all season for the middle linebacker job. Figueroa was the star of the spring on defense as a true freshman that enrolled early, and has prototypical size already at 6’3”, 235 lbs. His tape out of high school screams “head hunter”, and he could go a long way toward mitigating the loss of Johnson; he will compete with Armbrister and Grace. Grace is a skinny freshman who reminds a lot of people of Sean Spence. Cain is a senior who can rush the passer off the edge.
Question That Needs Answering: Is there enough depth? The Top 4 will be solid, but after that there is a sharp dropoff. Grace is small and inexperienced at this level, although he should be an immediate improvement in pass coverage. McCord will figure in to this group but mostly as a pass rusher…combine him and Grace and you have a dynamic linebacker. Armbrister is young and with new added weight will push for snaps all season. Cornelius is a special teams / nickel guy, although his added weight could enable him to play an extended role. JaWand Blue is the next guy up, and he has a while to go after redshirting last season. After that, it is a bunch of walk-ons / guys who could use a redshirt. Health is vital at this position.

DB
Guys That Left: Brandon McGee, Vaughn Telemaque
Key Returners: Tracey Howard (#3), LaDarius Gunter (#37), Antonio Crawford (#21), Reyshawn Jenkins (#26), Deon Bush (#2), A.J. Highsmith (#30), Kacy Rodgers (#22), Larry Hope (#7), Nate Dortch (#35)
Key Additions: Artie Burns (#1), Jamal Carter (#6)
Prognosis: This position is filled with youth but also has a lot of talent on the roster. Gunter, Crawford and Howard will be the Top 3 corners going into the spring, but look for Burns, an athletic marvel of a freshman, to work his way on to the field early. Rodgers and Highsmith are the veterans of the crew, but neither is particularly talented. Bush is the best player in the secondary and made his impact felt as a freshman last season, as did Jenkins down the stretch as a center fielder. Carter is another freshman who will see the field at some point, and could be the best of the bunch. Hope and Dortch are young corners that will most likely see special teams action and mop-up duty.
Question That Needs Answering: Who can replace McGee? McGee emerged as a legitimate #1 corner last season, and now the burden will fall to the youngsters. Howard was compared to Joe Haden out of high school, and has the potential to be the best all around. Gunter is the best size-speed combo with any sort of experience. Crawford is the fastest corner, except for maybe Burns, who is the dark horse to emerge early. All four will play, but the top dog will be the one who is able to respond best to adversity. As for the safeties, look for the youngsters to phase out the veterans as the season moves along, with Bush becoming the true leader of the defense if he can stay healthy.

K/P
Guys That Left: Jake Wieclaw, Dalton Botts
Key Returners: Matt Goudis
Key Additions: Patrick O’Donnell, Austin Barnard 
Prognosis: Botts and Wieclaw were unsung heroes of our team last year. The loss of Botts will be mitigated by the addition of O’Donnell, a transfer from Cincinatti who will play in the NFL and looks like Megatron. Google it if you don’t believe me. Goudis was shaky in the spring but good in the fall and will handle kickoffs. Barnard will be the replacement if either falters.
Question That Needs Answering: I am not doing this for kickers.