Additions: Gilbert Frierson (Moved from corner)
Departures: Mike Smith (Graduation), Derrick Smith (Moved to safety)
For the third straight spring, the Canes don’t have many questions at linebacker. Miami returns all four senior starters at the LB positions going into the 2019 season, with the duo of Shaquille Quarterman at MIKE and Michael Pinckney at WILL, along with the platoon of Zach McCloud and Romeo Finley at striker.
In his third season manning the middle of Miami’s defense, Quarterman had a career year, ending his 2018 campaign with a First Team All-ACC nod. A main criticism of Quarterman during his first two seasons at UM had been his lack of explosive plays; all he did was go out in 2018 and record career-highs of 14 TFL, 5 sacks, and his first career interception. He’s a true leader in the middle for the Canes that the team looks to in times of strife and Miami is lucky to have him back for one more ride.
He’s not perfect, but Pinckney got the job done more often than not last season. While he sometimes lacks discipline in his run fits, Pinckney had a career-high 74 total tackles in 2018 and makes enough momentum plays to justify his starting spot in the lineup. Both Quaterman and Pinckney were integral parts of the nation’s #18 scoring defense and will use spring to continue expanding their leadership roles and working to improve their draft stock.
However, it was the addition of the striker linebacker position in 2018 that really made the biggest impact on Miami’s defense and allowed them to take the next step, solving some of the coverages issues the LB’s faced in 2017. More speed on the field allowed UM to go from nearly last in third down defense in 2017 to first in the country in 2018 with a 25.3% conversion rate for opposing offenses.
Finley went from a guy many wrote off as a transfer candidate to a key piece of UM’s defense, totaling 28 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 interceptions, and 4 PBU’s. Finley is clearly more comfortable in the hybrid striker role than at traditional safety and the game is slowing down for him a bit. Finley can just do so much more than McCloud in being able to stick with TE’s and RB’s, and that changes how Miami can defend across the board, making them more multiple. Having Finley be the guy in more passing-obvious situations took a lot of pressure off McCloud last season. He was able to focus more on stopping the run instead of having to play too much in space, and he certainly cut down on the amount of mistakes he made in 2018. This spring will be about continuing to solidify their roles and building on the success of last season.
I’m told Miami is planning on using their hybrid guys even more often in 2019, and that’s where redshirt freshman Gilbert Frierson comes in. Frierson moves to striker from corner and is expected to soak up the minutes that Derrick Smith provided in a third string role. Frierson was known as a physical corner matching up against receivers, but being physical closer to the line against linemen and tight ends is a different story, and how well he can play the run will determine how large his role becomes. Frierson’s transition will be one of the more intriguing stories of spring, and while he needs to continue to add more weight to hold up (currently 6’1” 192), he has the potential to be a Jabrill Peppers-lite considering his pedigree.
Overall, the biggest question mark within the unit this spring is, who will emerge to replace the graduated Mike Smith? Smith had 41 tackles and 7.5 TFL as a super-sub for Manny Diaz’s defense last season and was an unsung hero off the bench in many games. Sophomore BJ Jennings profiles best as the backup at MIKE and sophomore Waynmon Steed fits best as the backup at WILL, but don’t be surprised if Diaz just picks one to soak up the majority of both the backup inside backer minutes like Smith did last year. This spring will be both Jennings and Steed’s chance to win favor with the staff and become that guy. Sophomore De’Andre Wilder is recovering from a neck injury, and just how much he can contribute to the team now or in the future is unclear.
The team signed two LB’s in the 2019 class, but neither will participate in spring ball. Both Avery Huff and Samuel Brooks will arrive in the summer and add depth.
Bottom Line
UM has one of the best LB units in the ACC, complete with returning experience as well as youthful and athletic depth. The major roles are essentially already locked up, but the battle between Steed and Jennings at backup inside linebacker this spring could prove key down the road. Also, pay attention to how reps are doled out at striker, as UM is likely to start relying on their hybrid guys even more than last season, and that would mean less minutes for McCloud.
Departures: Mike Smith (Graduation), Derrick Smith (Moved to safety)
For the third straight spring, the Canes don’t have many questions at linebacker. Miami returns all four senior starters at the LB positions going into the 2019 season, with the duo of Shaquille Quarterman at MIKE and Michael Pinckney at WILL, along with the platoon of Zach McCloud and Romeo Finley at striker.
In his third season manning the middle of Miami’s defense, Quarterman had a career year, ending his 2018 campaign with a First Team All-ACC nod. A main criticism of Quarterman during his first two seasons at UM had been his lack of explosive plays; all he did was go out in 2018 and record career-highs of 14 TFL, 5 sacks, and his first career interception. He’s a true leader in the middle for the Canes that the team looks to in times of strife and Miami is lucky to have him back for one more ride.
He’s not perfect, but Pinckney got the job done more often than not last season. While he sometimes lacks discipline in his run fits, Pinckney had a career-high 74 total tackles in 2018 and makes enough momentum plays to justify his starting spot in the lineup. Both Quaterman and Pinckney were integral parts of the nation’s #18 scoring defense and will use spring to continue expanding their leadership roles and working to improve their draft stock.
However, it was the addition of the striker linebacker position in 2018 that really made the biggest impact on Miami’s defense and allowed them to take the next step, solving some of the coverages issues the LB’s faced in 2017. More speed on the field allowed UM to go from nearly last in third down defense in 2017 to first in the country in 2018 with a 25.3% conversion rate for opposing offenses.
Finley went from a guy many wrote off as a transfer candidate to a key piece of UM’s defense, totaling 28 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 interceptions, and 4 PBU’s. Finley is clearly more comfortable in the hybrid striker role than at traditional safety and the game is slowing down for him a bit. Finley can just do so much more than McCloud in being able to stick with TE’s and RB’s, and that changes how Miami can defend across the board, making them more multiple. Having Finley be the guy in more passing-obvious situations took a lot of pressure off McCloud last season. He was able to focus more on stopping the run instead of having to play too much in space, and he certainly cut down on the amount of mistakes he made in 2018. This spring will be about continuing to solidify their roles and building on the success of last season.
I’m told Miami is planning on using their hybrid guys even more often in 2019, and that’s where redshirt freshman Gilbert Frierson comes in. Frierson moves to striker from corner and is expected to soak up the minutes that Derrick Smith provided in a third string role. Frierson was known as a physical corner matching up against receivers, but being physical closer to the line against linemen and tight ends is a different story, and how well he can play the run will determine how large his role becomes. Frierson’s transition will be one of the more intriguing stories of spring, and while he needs to continue to add more weight to hold up (currently 6’1” 192), he has the potential to be a Jabrill Peppers-lite considering his pedigree.
Overall, the biggest question mark within the unit this spring is, who will emerge to replace the graduated Mike Smith? Smith had 41 tackles and 7.5 TFL as a super-sub for Manny Diaz’s defense last season and was an unsung hero off the bench in many games. Sophomore BJ Jennings profiles best as the backup at MIKE and sophomore Waynmon Steed fits best as the backup at WILL, but don’t be surprised if Diaz just picks one to soak up the majority of both the backup inside backer minutes like Smith did last year. This spring will be both Jennings and Steed’s chance to win favor with the staff and become that guy. Sophomore De’Andre Wilder is recovering from a neck injury, and just how much he can contribute to the team now or in the future is unclear.
The team signed two LB’s in the 2019 class, but neither will participate in spring ball. Both Avery Huff and Samuel Brooks will arrive in the summer and add depth.
Bottom Line
UM has one of the best LB units in the ACC, complete with returning experience as well as youthful and athletic depth. The major roles are essentially already locked up, but the battle between Steed and Jennings at backup inside linebacker this spring could prove key down the road. Also, pay attention to how reps are doled out at striker, as UM is likely to start relying on their hybrid guys even more than last season, and that would mean less minutes for McCloud.
