Below are my observations from the practices, scrimmages and spring game:
QUARTERBACK
Don't let the vanilla spring game fool you: Brad Kaaya has been lights out. He knows where to go with the ball, his completion percentage is sky-high, and his impeccable ball placement allows the receivers to run after the catch. Some of his red zone throws were legit jaw-droppers. He's the best player on the team by a good margin.
Malik Rosier is still too inaccurate for me. When he misses, he misses high and by a mile. In fairness to him, these no-contact practices don't highlight his best attribute, which is running. Rosier also played best in scrimmage situations, which suggest he may be a gamer. But the accuracy needs to get much better if he wants to be a legitimate Miami quarterback. Watching Rosier makes you appreciate how easy Kaaya makes it look. It should be noted that the team switches to a read-option offense whenever Rosier is in the game.
Vincent Testaverde is still learning the offense and takes too many coverage sacks. But when the ball comes out, it's better than Rosier's. Testaverde has a pretty good arm and shows nice touch on bucket throws. If he improves his mental game, he has a chance to be decent.
RUNNING BACK
There's no Duke on the roster, but this position should be fine. Gus Edwards won the most improved offensive player award and he deserved it. He's finally learning how to run with leverage and power. Once he gets in the open field, he's very fast for his size. You know what you're getting with Joe Yearby-- he runs hard, he has excellent feet and he'll always make the first man miss in space.
Trayone Gray is starting to get comfortable at running back. Some of his jump cuts have been Duke-esque. However, he continues to have fumbling problems. If he can fix those, he'll bring a much-needed gamebreaking element to the RB corps. Walk-on Collin Alford won't play but he's a solid player with some quickness.
WIDE RECEIVER
No worries here. Rashawn Scott and Stacy Coley emerged as the clear-cut top guys. Coley didn't make the splash plays, but he was very consistent. The big plays will come if he continues to work hard. Malcolm Lewis and Braxton Berrios were reliable and QB-friendly over the middle. Herb Waters is not as consistent as a senior should be. He needs to do a better job finishing plays and winning contested balls. It'll never happen, but the best thing for him would be a move to corner. I've always felt it was his natural position.
Tyre Brady and Darrell Langham aren't there yet, for different reasons. Brady can separate but can't catch. Langham catches everything in his area but can't separate. Of the two, I think Langham has the better chance to contribute as a red-zone specialist.
TIGHT END
This position will continue to play a big role in the offense because of Kaaya, but Clive Walford will be missed. Standish Dobard dropped too many balls this spring. He's a great blocker, though, and a load after the catch. Chris Herndon is going to play a major role. He's very football savvy, he lines up all over the field and he runs well. David Njoku didn't play at a big-time high school like Herndon, and he's a little behind in terms of football IQ. But athletically, he's as good as there is on the team. Njoku made some spectacular catches this spring and runs better than any Canes tight end since Jimmy Graham. He'll be a star sooner than later.
Jerome Washington reminds me of Richard Gordon: a unique size-speed athlete who can't catch. He's probably a year away, although he's physically ready to contribute.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This is the weakest position on the team. There are only four guys who I'd trust in a game. Nick Linder is rock-solid at center and was the most consistent lineman all spring. Trevor Darling has some bend and balance issues, but is still a quality tackle. The group got a huge boost when Kc McDermott came back. He reminds me a lot of Zack Martin. He can play tackle because his balance and technique are so good, but at guard he has the potential to dominate. Danny Isidora is a solid player who occasionally struggles with size. I think his best position is center.
After that, it's ugly. Alex Gall is a major disappointment. He doesn't play with the strength I expected coming out of high school. Despite his improvement, Sonny Odogwu is still not ready for FSU or Virginia Tech. He really struggles with pass blocking after initial contact, mostly because he doesn't move his feet. Hunter Wells has also improved but not enough. Joe Brown is a promising run blocker who struggles as a pass blocker. Jahair Jones is unplayable. We desperately need guys like Tyree St. Louis, Bar Milo and Ty Gauther to come in ready to contribute.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The talent is there. For the first time in years, we have a legitimate two-deep across the board. Mike Wyche has been a revelation this spring. He's slimmed down and is playing with a ton of confidence. There are different skill sets along the line: the athleticism of AQM and Chad Thomas, the steadiness of Trent Harris, the quickness of Anthony Moten and Ufombu Kamalu, the length of Jelani Hamilton. These guys dominated our undermanned offensive line from the first practice through the spring game. If the staff can't get this group to perform, they have no one to blame but themselves.
LINEBACKER
It's Jermaine Grace and everyone else. Grace is developing into a full-blown star who can cover, blitz and run sideline-to-sideline. Raphael Kirby has been solid but is not an impact player like Grace of Denzel Perryman. Darrion Owens plays hard and is one of the best size-speed guys on the team and he plays hard, but still hasn't had that major breakthrough. It could come in fall camp. Tyriq McCord has been a pleasant surprise at SAM and is much-improved in space.
With Perryman gone, this group really needs Juwon Young to take the next step. He is the only physical presense in a group of finesse players. He's steadily improved but still has room to grow mentally.
SAFETY
It's a similar story here. There is one front-line player (Deon Bush) and a lot of question marks. Dallas Crawford is physically limited. Jamal Carter has a questionable football IQ and doesn't tackle as well as he should. Rayshawn Jenkins is perpetually hurt or in the doghouse. Jaquan Johnson has the potential to be excellent, but his aggressive style will result in a lot of big plays (the bad kind) as he continues to learn the game. This unit needs Bush to stay healthy.
CORNERBACK
Solid group. Corn Elder is ten pounds away from stardom. He battled Coley all spring. Artie Burns is the best press corner on the team. Tracy Howard has been banged up but is a solid veteran. Ryan Mayes was a question mark after the departure of Antonio Crawford, but he turned in a quality spring. His length is an asset and he's gotten tougher. It's still a little thin, but there will be three freshmen competing for that fifth spot.
Overall, this is Brad Kaaya's team. If we protect him, he will carry us to more wins than last year. If the offensive line struggles, it could get ugly. Defensively, the talent is there. Whether the coaches can get them to execute the scheme is another story.
QUARTERBACK
Don't let the vanilla spring game fool you: Brad Kaaya has been lights out. He knows where to go with the ball, his completion percentage is sky-high, and his impeccable ball placement allows the receivers to run after the catch. Some of his red zone throws were legit jaw-droppers. He's the best player on the team by a good margin.
Malik Rosier is still too inaccurate for me. When he misses, he misses high and by a mile. In fairness to him, these no-contact practices don't highlight his best attribute, which is running. Rosier also played best in scrimmage situations, which suggest he may be a gamer. But the accuracy needs to get much better if he wants to be a legitimate Miami quarterback. Watching Rosier makes you appreciate how easy Kaaya makes it look. It should be noted that the team switches to a read-option offense whenever Rosier is in the game.
Vincent Testaverde is still learning the offense and takes too many coverage sacks. But when the ball comes out, it's better than Rosier's. Testaverde has a pretty good arm and shows nice touch on bucket throws. If he improves his mental game, he has a chance to be decent.
RUNNING BACK
There's no Duke on the roster, but this position should be fine. Gus Edwards won the most improved offensive player award and he deserved it. He's finally learning how to run with leverage and power. Once he gets in the open field, he's very fast for his size. You know what you're getting with Joe Yearby-- he runs hard, he has excellent feet and he'll always make the first man miss in space.
Trayone Gray is starting to get comfortable at running back. Some of his jump cuts have been Duke-esque. However, he continues to have fumbling problems. If he can fix those, he'll bring a much-needed gamebreaking element to the RB corps. Walk-on Collin Alford won't play but he's a solid player with some quickness.
WIDE RECEIVER
No worries here. Rashawn Scott and Stacy Coley emerged as the clear-cut top guys. Coley didn't make the splash plays, but he was very consistent. The big plays will come if he continues to work hard. Malcolm Lewis and Braxton Berrios were reliable and QB-friendly over the middle. Herb Waters is not as consistent as a senior should be. He needs to do a better job finishing plays and winning contested balls. It'll never happen, but the best thing for him would be a move to corner. I've always felt it was his natural position.
Tyre Brady and Darrell Langham aren't there yet, for different reasons. Brady can separate but can't catch. Langham catches everything in his area but can't separate. Of the two, I think Langham has the better chance to contribute as a red-zone specialist.
TIGHT END
This position will continue to play a big role in the offense because of Kaaya, but Clive Walford will be missed. Standish Dobard dropped too many balls this spring. He's a great blocker, though, and a load after the catch. Chris Herndon is going to play a major role. He's very football savvy, he lines up all over the field and he runs well. David Njoku didn't play at a big-time high school like Herndon, and he's a little behind in terms of football IQ. But athletically, he's as good as there is on the team. Njoku made some spectacular catches this spring and runs better than any Canes tight end since Jimmy Graham. He'll be a star sooner than later.
Jerome Washington reminds me of Richard Gordon: a unique size-speed athlete who can't catch. He's probably a year away, although he's physically ready to contribute.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This is the weakest position on the team. There are only four guys who I'd trust in a game. Nick Linder is rock-solid at center and was the most consistent lineman all spring. Trevor Darling has some bend and balance issues, but is still a quality tackle. The group got a huge boost when Kc McDermott came back. He reminds me a lot of Zack Martin. He can play tackle because his balance and technique are so good, but at guard he has the potential to dominate. Danny Isidora is a solid player who occasionally struggles with size. I think his best position is center.
After that, it's ugly. Alex Gall is a major disappointment. He doesn't play with the strength I expected coming out of high school. Despite his improvement, Sonny Odogwu is still not ready for FSU or Virginia Tech. He really struggles with pass blocking after initial contact, mostly because he doesn't move his feet. Hunter Wells has also improved but not enough. Joe Brown is a promising run blocker who struggles as a pass blocker. Jahair Jones is unplayable. We desperately need guys like Tyree St. Louis, Bar Milo and Ty Gauther to come in ready to contribute.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The talent is there. For the first time in years, we have a legitimate two-deep across the board. Mike Wyche has been a revelation this spring. He's slimmed down and is playing with a ton of confidence. There are different skill sets along the line: the athleticism of AQM and Chad Thomas, the steadiness of Trent Harris, the quickness of Anthony Moten and Ufombu Kamalu, the length of Jelani Hamilton. These guys dominated our undermanned offensive line from the first practice through the spring game. If the staff can't get this group to perform, they have no one to blame but themselves.
LINEBACKER
It's Jermaine Grace and everyone else. Grace is developing into a full-blown star who can cover, blitz and run sideline-to-sideline. Raphael Kirby has been solid but is not an impact player like Grace of Denzel Perryman. Darrion Owens plays hard and is one of the best size-speed guys on the team and he plays hard, but still hasn't had that major breakthrough. It could come in fall camp. Tyriq McCord has been a pleasant surprise at SAM and is much-improved in space.
With Perryman gone, this group really needs Juwon Young to take the next step. He is the only physical presense in a group of finesse players. He's steadily improved but still has room to grow mentally.
SAFETY
It's a similar story here. There is one front-line player (Deon Bush) and a lot of question marks. Dallas Crawford is physically limited. Jamal Carter has a questionable football IQ and doesn't tackle as well as he should. Rayshawn Jenkins is perpetually hurt or in the doghouse. Jaquan Johnson has the potential to be excellent, but his aggressive style will result in a lot of big plays (the bad kind) as he continues to learn the game. This unit needs Bush to stay healthy.
CORNERBACK
Solid group. Corn Elder is ten pounds away from stardom. He battled Coley all spring. Artie Burns is the best press corner on the team. Tracy Howard has been banged up but is a solid veteran. Ryan Mayes was a question mark after the departure of Antonio Crawford, but he turned in a quality spring. His length is an asset and he's gotten tougher. It's still a little thin, but there will be three freshmen competing for that fifth spot.
Overall, this is Brad Kaaya's team. If we protect him, he will carry us to more wins than last year. If the offensive line struggles, it could get ugly. Defensively, the talent is there. Whether the coaches can get them to execute the scheme is another story.
