The dust has settled on the class of ’19 and the portal has closed (for now). The roster appears to be pretty much set, other than the inevitable transfer or two after spring ball concludes. With that in mind, I wanted to take a holistic look at the roster from an athleticism standpoint and build on part I and part II of this series that focuses on college football’s legs race in athleticism testing. Rather than go back through the intention of the study, I would refer you back to earlier parts if you have questions on methodology.
Positions
I’m going to walk through each of the positional groupings and list their testing results and what it tells us about each of them. I will also show any other Miami players at the positions and their results to provide context, even though the players are no longer on the roster. I will put together a color coded depth chart at the end of the article as a sort of TL
R version and to help those who like more succinct information rather than the full-blown profile. Data next to position is the average P5 All-Conference player for that position.
Quarterbacks- 199 pounds, 4.86 40, 4.36 SH, 35' Powerball, 30" Vertical, 84 SPARQ
The position that gets the headlines is also the position that Miami has struggled with in recent years. Miami recently added two QB’s to the roster to go along with the holdovers from last year.
Tate Martell- 205 pounds, 4.72 40, 4.03 SH, 37’ Powerball, 36.8” Vertical, 114.78 SPARQ
Martell hits every metric that you can ask for in a QB. There are some who point to his height, but that has proven to be negligible in importance. Martell exceeds even the averages for all metrics of All-Conference QB’s and his short shuttle really stands out. Since 2014 his 4.03 short-shuttle ranks third in my database of prospects. The two who finished ahead of him? Will Grier and McKenzie Milton. A 98th percentile athlete, I am confident that with good health he will be at least a 2nd team All-ACC player during his career.
N’Kosi Perry- 178 pounds, 4.86 40, 4.35 SH, 36’ Powerball, 35.9” Vertical, 88.26 SPARQ
Perry is an interesting prospect because he hits the marks on many of the areas you want to see from successful QB’s. I mentioned earlier that height had proven to be insignificant, but weight has shown to be quite significant in projecting players forward. The only QB in the database that I would deem to end up being successful with a weight less than Perry’s would be Milton. Grier came in at 181. It’s a significant hurdle for Perry in any data-driven study. Perry checks most boxes, but his profile is that of a good starter, rather than All-Conference player as an underweight 77th percentile athlete. Perry gets a boost in SPARQ due to a solid vertical, which is the one metric that shows to be meaningless.
Jarren Williams- 201 pounds, 4.83 40, 4.45 SH, 37’ Powerball, 30.9” Vertical, 85.08 SPARQ
Williams’ profile is one that sneaks inside the marks for every area that showed significance at the position (Vertical did not prove to hold any significance at QB). He has the potential to make an All-Conference team, but his data profile is again that of a good starter, rather than more. The short shuttle showed heavy significance in making All-Conference teams and Williams was just average in this area. He did come in above average in every metric, which would give me a little more confidence in his profile over that of Perry’s. A 75th percentile athlete overall.
Cade Weldon- 204 pounds, 37’ Powerball, 28.9” Vertical
Weldon did not test in the running drills, but on tape looks to be a solid-average athlete. His profile is that of a depth player. Someone who can be used in a QB-run based offense and specialty plays.
Peyton Matocha- 193 pounds, 4.84 40, 4.33 SH, 37’ Powerball, 28.7” Vertical, 83.55 SPARQ
Matocha tested like a supercharged Perry in every area other than vertical (insignificant). He’s bigger, a tick faster, quicker, stronger Perry. If the results from QB’s show us anything, it’s that slow feet don’t eat and Matocha has the requisite quick feet. Matocha profiles as a good starter with the potential for more if he develops.
No Longer on Roster
Malik Rosier- 197 pounds, 4.69 40, 4.54 SH, 37’ Powerball, 33.4” Vertical, 81.57 SPARQ
Rosier is no longer on the roster, why profile him? Again, I want to give context on players who we know how their careers went here at Miami. Rosier had an excellent profile in every area but one; his short-shuttle exposed slow feet. I tend to call them “dead feet” in the pocket and are symbolic of either a disconnect between mind and feet, or just an inability to get off one spot quickly and on to the next and reset the feet for accuracy. A 65th percentile athlete, Rosier profiled as a depth player and though he started a bunch of games at Miami, most would agree that he was a low-end starter to excellent backup, just as the data suggests he would be.
Running Backs- 203 pounds, 4.57 40, 4.27 SH, 37’ Powerball, 36” Vertical, 110 SPARQ
As you might expect given that “running” is in the title, but the position with the highest average SPARQ for all-conference players is RB. Miami has some nice players at this position, but loses a good one.
Robert Burns- 215 pounds, 4.57 40, 4.41 SH, 41’ Powerball, 42” Vertical, 122.91 SPARQ
On the surface, Burns’ profile looks to be excellent. Big, with solid speed and excellent explosion in the vertical, but if you look a bit closer there are red flags. He misses the cutoff at short-shuttle for RB’s, where all but one All-Conference (AC) RB ran faster than a 4.40 SH. The lack of wiggle and creativity as a runner has shown up in his limited exposures as well. Big, strong, explosive props up his overall SPARQ, but he’s just average in the speed and change-of-direction areas. His profile is that of a starting player, but there are reasons to doubt the 94th percentile athlete reaches that designation.
Lorenzo Lingard- 195 pounds, 4.53 40, 4.34 SH, 40’ Powerball, 37” Vertical, 104.49 SPARQ
Lingard hits every box of an AC RB. He has speed, change-of-direction, strength and explosion. The concern with Lingard hitting that profile is his contact balance appears to be below average. If he remains healthy and improves his contact balance he could make some form of All-ACC during his career.
Cam’Ron Davis- 190 pounds, 4.50 40, 4.34 SH, 39’ Powerball, 31.4” Vertical, 91.89 SPARQ
It might surprise many to see Davis check every box for an AC RB as well as Lingard does. Lingard tested slightly better, but Davis is the far superior receiving option. For that reason, Davis profiles with a slightly higher chance of reaching All-ACC status than Lingard.
DeeJay Dallas- Did not Test
Dallas did not test. I would assume that he profiles as an above-average mover, with average speed. At 190 pounds coming out of HS his profile would most likely look like that of a solid starter.
Asa Martin- 195 pounds, 4.76 40, 4.32 SH, 31” Vertical
Martin didn’t test in the Powerball so we do not have a SPARQ score, but the rest of his testing shows a smaller RB who lacks true speed. He has decent feet and profiles as a backend starter. He will be a nice depth piece for Miami, but I do not see star potential.
No Longer on Roster
Mark Walton- 182 pounds, 4.63 40, 4.34 SH, 35’ Powerball, 31.3” Vertical, 88.86 SPARQ
I was surprised when I saw Walton’s results, as he tested like a solid starter, rather than an AC player. Walton was below the average AC RB in every metric, but had a very nice career at Miami. At the Combine, Walton ran a 4.60 40, 31.5” Vertical, 18 reps on the bench. Basically, his testing data did not change from HS to NFL. He made a 3rd-team All-ACC as a sophomore, though I only count 1st & 2nd teams in my AC designations.
Joseph Yearby- 191 pounds, 4.58 40, 4.21 SH, 32’ Powerball, 35.6” Vertical, 96.21 SPARQ
Yearby tested better than I remembered playing at Miami. This profile is that of a solid-starter to backend AC player. At Miami’s Pro Day, Yearby clocked a 4.73 40 and that’s more indicative of the type of player I saw in college. That type of athlete profiles as a good starter, which is more what the 59th percentile athlete that Yearby was in his career. He did make All-ACC third team in 2015.
Trayone Gray- 197 pounds, 4.66 40, 4.69 SH, 37’ Powerball, 32.1” Vertical, 85.23 SPARQ
Gray had a fatal flaw in his inability to change directions quickly. This showed on tape and it showed in his testing. His profile was that of a depth player or fringe contributor. That is exactly how his Miami career turned out.
Wide Receivers- 183 pounds, 4.64 40, 4.34 SH, 34’ Powerball, 32” Vertical, 91 SPARQ
If there is a position where athletic testing has shown an inability to project players to the next level it would be at WR. The only testing metric that showed any significance in projecting forward was short-shuttle. Basically, the ability to carry speed in-and-out of breaks seems to be a key skill at this position.
Jeremiah Payton- 190 pounds, 4.74 40, 4.22 SH, 40’ Powerball, 33” Vertical, 100.86 SPARQ
A smooth receiver with excellent change-of-direction skills, Payton profiles well. It’s difficult to place starter/AC/depth labels on WR’s due to the athletic testing lack of significance, but if you are going to pick a profile, having nice height, long arms, excellent change-of-direction skills and strength is a nice profile to pick. 73rd percentile athlete.
Mike Harley- 155 pounds, 4.52 40, 4.00 SH, 33’ Powerball, 34.3”, 93.09 SPARQ
Interesting profile in that he is so slight of frame. Excellent change-of-direction skills. 59th percentile athlete is an excellent blocker.
No Longer on Roster
Ahmonn Richards- 175 pounds, 4.68 40, 4.66 SH, 36’ Powerball, 37.4” Vertical, 85.11 SPARQ
I try to be transparent in my studies and be open when the results do not show much in the way of correlation to what I am testing. Richards shows some of the WR testing being insignificant. He tested poorly in everything but Vertical, but was an excellent receiver right away at Miami. The 43rd percentile athlete had his career cut short due to injury.
Braxton Berrios- 180 pounds, 4.52 40, 3.81 SH, 38’ Powerball, 40” Vertical, 131.37 SPARQ
By both percentile (98th) and SPARQ (131.37) Berrios is the best testing athlete to attend Miami in my database. His 3.81 SH is freaky and really showed the type of player that he was, relying on quickness and toughness to make plays. Berrios is one of many players to test similarly coming out of HS as he does college. He ran a 4.47 40 at 184 pounds, vertical leaped 36”, and ran the SH in 4.02 (he said he slipped).
Sam Bruce- 183 pounds, 4.53 40, 4.18 SH, 34’ Powerball, 34” Vertical, 99.81 SPARQ
Tested like a poor man’s Berrios.
Marquez Ezzard- 213 pounds, 4.79 40, 4.32 SH, 38’ Powerball, 30” Vertical, 94.02 SPARQ
I was intrigued by Ezzard and his change-of-direction skills at that weight. Explosion tested poorly.
Positions
I’m going to walk through each of the positional groupings and list their testing results and what it tells us about each of them. I will also show any other Miami players at the positions and their results to provide context, even though the players are no longer on the roster. I will put together a color coded depth chart at the end of the article as a sort of TL
R version and to help those who like more succinct information rather than the full-blown profile. Data next to position is the average P5 All-Conference player for that position.Quarterbacks- 199 pounds, 4.86 40, 4.36 SH, 35' Powerball, 30" Vertical, 84 SPARQ
The position that gets the headlines is also the position that Miami has struggled with in recent years. Miami recently added two QB’s to the roster to go along with the holdovers from last year.
Tate Martell- 205 pounds, 4.72 40, 4.03 SH, 37’ Powerball, 36.8” Vertical, 114.78 SPARQ
Martell hits every metric that you can ask for in a QB. There are some who point to his height, but that has proven to be negligible in importance. Martell exceeds even the averages for all metrics of All-Conference QB’s and his short shuttle really stands out. Since 2014 his 4.03 short-shuttle ranks third in my database of prospects. The two who finished ahead of him? Will Grier and McKenzie Milton. A 98th percentile athlete, I am confident that with good health he will be at least a 2nd team All-ACC player during his career.
N’Kosi Perry- 178 pounds, 4.86 40, 4.35 SH, 36’ Powerball, 35.9” Vertical, 88.26 SPARQ
Perry is an interesting prospect because he hits the marks on many of the areas you want to see from successful QB’s. I mentioned earlier that height had proven to be insignificant, but weight has shown to be quite significant in projecting players forward. The only QB in the database that I would deem to end up being successful with a weight less than Perry’s would be Milton. Grier came in at 181. It’s a significant hurdle for Perry in any data-driven study. Perry checks most boxes, but his profile is that of a good starter, rather than All-Conference player as an underweight 77th percentile athlete. Perry gets a boost in SPARQ due to a solid vertical, which is the one metric that shows to be meaningless.
Jarren Williams- 201 pounds, 4.83 40, 4.45 SH, 37’ Powerball, 30.9” Vertical, 85.08 SPARQ
Williams’ profile is one that sneaks inside the marks for every area that showed significance at the position (Vertical did not prove to hold any significance at QB). He has the potential to make an All-Conference team, but his data profile is again that of a good starter, rather than more. The short shuttle showed heavy significance in making All-Conference teams and Williams was just average in this area. He did come in above average in every metric, which would give me a little more confidence in his profile over that of Perry’s. A 75th percentile athlete overall.
Cade Weldon- 204 pounds, 37’ Powerball, 28.9” Vertical
Weldon did not test in the running drills, but on tape looks to be a solid-average athlete. His profile is that of a depth player. Someone who can be used in a QB-run based offense and specialty plays.
Peyton Matocha- 193 pounds, 4.84 40, 4.33 SH, 37’ Powerball, 28.7” Vertical, 83.55 SPARQ
Matocha tested like a supercharged Perry in every area other than vertical (insignificant). He’s bigger, a tick faster, quicker, stronger Perry. If the results from QB’s show us anything, it’s that slow feet don’t eat and Matocha has the requisite quick feet. Matocha profiles as a good starter with the potential for more if he develops.
No Longer on Roster
Malik Rosier- 197 pounds, 4.69 40, 4.54 SH, 37’ Powerball, 33.4” Vertical, 81.57 SPARQ
Rosier is no longer on the roster, why profile him? Again, I want to give context on players who we know how their careers went here at Miami. Rosier had an excellent profile in every area but one; his short-shuttle exposed slow feet. I tend to call them “dead feet” in the pocket and are symbolic of either a disconnect between mind and feet, or just an inability to get off one spot quickly and on to the next and reset the feet for accuracy. A 65th percentile athlete, Rosier profiled as a depth player and though he started a bunch of games at Miami, most would agree that he was a low-end starter to excellent backup, just as the data suggests he would be.
Running Backs- 203 pounds, 4.57 40, 4.27 SH, 37’ Powerball, 36” Vertical, 110 SPARQ
As you might expect given that “running” is in the title, but the position with the highest average SPARQ for all-conference players is RB. Miami has some nice players at this position, but loses a good one.
Robert Burns- 215 pounds, 4.57 40, 4.41 SH, 41’ Powerball, 42” Vertical, 122.91 SPARQ
On the surface, Burns’ profile looks to be excellent. Big, with solid speed and excellent explosion in the vertical, but if you look a bit closer there are red flags. He misses the cutoff at short-shuttle for RB’s, where all but one All-Conference (AC) RB ran faster than a 4.40 SH. The lack of wiggle and creativity as a runner has shown up in his limited exposures as well. Big, strong, explosive props up his overall SPARQ, but he’s just average in the speed and change-of-direction areas. His profile is that of a starting player, but there are reasons to doubt the 94th percentile athlete reaches that designation.
Lorenzo Lingard- 195 pounds, 4.53 40, 4.34 SH, 40’ Powerball, 37” Vertical, 104.49 SPARQ
Lingard hits every box of an AC RB. He has speed, change-of-direction, strength and explosion. The concern with Lingard hitting that profile is his contact balance appears to be below average. If he remains healthy and improves his contact balance he could make some form of All-ACC during his career.
Cam’Ron Davis- 190 pounds, 4.50 40, 4.34 SH, 39’ Powerball, 31.4” Vertical, 91.89 SPARQ
It might surprise many to see Davis check every box for an AC RB as well as Lingard does. Lingard tested slightly better, but Davis is the far superior receiving option. For that reason, Davis profiles with a slightly higher chance of reaching All-ACC status than Lingard.
DeeJay Dallas- Did not Test
Dallas did not test. I would assume that he profiles as an above-average mover, with average speed. At 190 pounds coming out of HS his profile would most likely look like that of a solid starter.
Asa Martin- 195 pounds, 4.76 40, 4.32 SH, 31” Vertical
Martin didn’t test in the Powerball so we do not have a SPARQ score, but the rest of his testing shows a smaller RB who lacks true speed. He has decent feet and profiles as a backend starter. He will be a nice depth piece for Miami, but I do not see star potential.
No Longer on Roster
Mark Walton- 182 pounds, 4.63 40, 4.34 SH, 35’ Powerball, 31.3” Vertical, 88.86 SPARQ
I was surprised when I saw Walton’s results, as he tested like a solid starter, rather than an AC player. Walton was below the average AC RB in every metric, but had a very nice career at Miami. At the Combine, Walton ran a 4.60 40, 31.5” Vertical, 18 reps on the bench. Basically, his testing data did not change from HS to NFL. He made a 3rd-team All-ACC as a sophomore, though I only count 1st & 2nd teams in my AC designations.
Joseph Yearby- 191 pounds, 4.58 40, 4.21 SH, 32’ Powerball, 35.6” Vertical, 96.21 SPARQ
Yearby tested better than I remembered playing at Miami. This profile is that of a solid-starter to backend AC player. At Miami’s Pro Day, Yearby clocked a 4.73 40 and that’s more indicative of the type of player I saw in college. That type of athlete profiles as a good starter, which is more what the 59th percentile athlete that Yearby was in his career. He did make All-ACC third team in 2015.
Trayone Gray- 197 pounds, 4.66 40, 4.69 SH, 37’ Powerball, 32.1” Vertical, 85.23 SPARQ
Gray had a fatal flaw in his inability to change directions quickly. This showed on tape and it showed in his testing. His profile was that of a depth player or fringe contributor. That is exactly how his Miami career turned out.
Wide Receivers- 183 pounds, 4.64 40, 4.34 SH, 34’ Powerball, 32” Vertical, 91 SPARQ
If there is a position where athletic testing has shown an inability to project players to the next level it would be at WR. The only testing metric that showed any significance in projecting forward was short-shuttle. Basically, the ability to carry speed in-and-out of breaks seems to be a key skill at this position.
Jeremiah Payton- 190 pounds, 4.74 40, 4.22 SH, 40’ Powerball, 33” Vertical, 100.86 SPARQ
A smooth receiver with excellent change-of-direction skills, Payton profiles well. It’s difficult to place starter/AC/depth labels on WR’s due to the athletic testing lack of significance, but if you are going to pick a profile, having nice height, long arms, excellent change-of-direction skills and strength is a nice profile to pick. 73rd percentile athlete.
Mike Harley- 155 pounds, 4.52 40, 4.00 SH, 33’ Powerball, 34.3”, 93.09 SPARQ
Interesting profile in that he is so slight of frame. Excellent change-of-direction skills. 59th percentile athlete is an excellent blocker.
No Longer on Roster
Ahmonn Richards- 175 pounds, 4.68 40, 4.66 SH, 36’ Powerball, 37.4” Vertical, 85.11 SPARQ
I try to be transparent in my studies and be open when the results do not show much in the way of correlation to what I am testing. Richards shows some of the WR testing being insignificant. He tested poorly in everything but Vertical, but was an excellent receiver right away at Miami. The 43rd percentile athlete had his career cut short due to injury.
Braxton Berrios- 180 pounds, 4.52 40, 3.81 SH, 38’ Powerball, 40” Vertical, 131.37 SPARQ
By both percentile (98th) and SPARQ (131.37) Berrios is the best testing athlete to attend Miami in my database. His 3.81 SH is freaky and really showed the type of player that he was, relying on quickness and toughness to make plays. Berrios is one of many players to test similarly coming out of HS as he does college. He ran a 4.47 40 at 184 pounds, vertical leaped 36”, and ran the SH in 4.02 (he said he slipped).
Sam Bruce- 183 pounds, 4.53 40, 4.18 SH, 34’ Powerball, 34” Vertical, 99.81 SPARQ
Tested like a poor man’s Berrios.
Marquez Ezzard- 213 pounds, 4.79 40, 4.32 SH, 38’ Powerball, 30” Vertical, 94.02 SPARQ
I was intrigued by Ezzard and his change-of-direction skills at that weight. Explosion tested poorly.
