WDE - Jon Garvin/ Scott Patchan/ Jahfari Harvey/ Cam Wiliams
DT1 - Nesta Silvera/ Path Bethel/ Jason Blissett/ Jared Harrison-Hunte/ Tyreic Martin
DT2 - Chigozie Nnoruka/ Jon Ford/ Jordan Miller/ Jalar Holley
SDE - Trevon Hill/ Gregory Rousseau/ Patrick Joyner/ Jaelen Phillips
(Patrick Joyner can play LB/DE)
WLB - Michael Pinckney/ Waynmon Steed/ Sam Brooks
MLB - Shaquille Quarterman/ BJ Jennings/
SLB - Zach McCloud/ Deandre Wilder/ Avery Huff
Striker - Romeo Finley/ Derrick Smith
(Keontra Smith could play Striker as well)
LCB - Trajan Bandy/ Gilbert Frierson/ Christian Williams
RCB - Al Blades Jr/ DJ Ivey/ Nigel Bethel/ Tecory Couch
FS - Bubba Bolden/ Gurvan Hall/ Robert Knowles
SS - Amari Carter/ Derrick Smith/ Keontra Smith
At DE, Patchan will probably be a Strong Side DE, but I put him at Weak Side for the time being with the addition of Trevon Hill. You could put Hill at WDE & Garvin at Strong side too, but I think the DE rotation will have a lot to do with how Rousseau is coming along in his recovery if he's 100%. Also, a big plus is my boy Jahfari Harvey is an EE & will get those early Spring reps which will be huge for us in DE depth. If Roussea is healthy you can balance both the End spots out with Garvin, Hill, Patchan & Rousseau as the top 4 DE's on either side, if he's not, then hopefully Harvey excels & can get some snaps as Garvin's backup.
(I'm aware that Jaelen Phillips could be coming as well & if he does, he probably won't be eligible til the 2020 season but will definitely be a Strong Side DE.)
DT Depth has gotten stronger with the addition of Nnoruka from UCLA, I believe he & Silvera will be the starters at DT, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Bethel as a Senior was a starter as well. Either way, I'm happy with the rotation of Nnoruka, Rudebwoy Nesta, Bethel, Ford & Miller. I also think Blissett, Holley & Harrison-Hunte will play some as TF's, I think if the older guys all stay healthy the Freshman DT's will play in 3 or 4 games & redshirt, unless they just excel so much that they force themselves into the rotation.
At LB still strong with all Senior battle tested veterans who have started every game as the LB Corp of this Defense for the last 3 years. I think in their final Senior year we'll see the best we've seen from Shaq, Pinckney & McCloud. Looking forward to seeing Steed & Jennings get more snaps this season because those are the guys who will have to step up after the Seniors are gone, really hate how Wilder's career wound up kid had potential with nice speed wish him the absolute best, he's was a good kid & a hard worker. The only question I have with the LB group, is Joyner going to be DE or LB, or both?
I expect Brooks & Huff to play in 4 games & redshirt, but both of these kids are physical freaks of nature that will kill it after getting in our new S&C program. Those 2 beasts are fast, violent & instinctual football players, they will be future All-ACC LB's, don't care who disagrees or thinks I'm getting ahead of myself lol. They are pure definition of Miami LB's.
The most debatable position will be the CB's. I listed Al Jr as the starter opposite of Bandy because he played the most out of the 3 from last year (he played in every game & had 13tcks), he's got the experience & has good press cover skills, doesn't have the blazing 4.4 speed you'd like to see but can make up for it with technique & physicality. After a year in the system I think Al, DJ, Gil & all of them will be better.
Ivey IMO has the best shot in winning that CB2 starter spot, Ivey was mainly a ST's guy but he did play in 11 games & was not redshirted last year. He's gotten physically bigger at 6'1 195lbs & with his long arm frame is set to have a breakout year.
Frierson was redshirted last year, but has the potential to be a great addition to the secondary this year, another physical freak with very good natural Ball skills. There's always a debate about him moving to Safety, but I don't see that happening (at least not this year), we don!t have enough depth at CB to move any of them to Safety & I still feel it's too early to give up on any of them as Corners. I also like his chances to become CB2 or CB3, I think he'll play a lot this year.
I fully expect Ivey & Frierson to make their push for the starter spot, I'm NOT saying any of them are shoo-in's, it will be a wide open competition & the one I'm most excited to see this Spring & Fall.
At Safety, everyone has already thrown Amari Carter away with the addition of Bubba Bolden, but coming into his Junior year I think he's going to blow up & play his best ball yet, people forget Quan didn't have a breakout year until his Junior year after being in rotation behind Jenkins/Carter in 2016. AC5 will be the enforcer on the back end, y'all can sleep on him, but his Football IQ will be valuable in this Diaz/Baker Defense.
I'm a huge Gurvan Hall fan as well, I was one of the first people to ever post on the kid way back in July of 2016
https://www.canesinsight.com/threads/2018-s-gurvan-hall-receives-offer.99881/ so you don't have to convince me how good he is. The Palm Beach duo of Carter & Hall has potential to be the next Jaquan & Redwine, but even better. As a Red Frosh Hall will get his shot to play a great deal in the rotation & wouldn't be shocked if he was a starter this year too. I think our top 3 Safeties with Bolden, Carter & Hall will be strong, and barring injury will be the defensive catalysts in the secondary.
Overall, I think our Defense will still be a top 5-10 unit & remain the strength of our team. I know a lot of fans are worried, just like yall we're going to the 2017 season after we lost Elder, Carter, Jenkins & Colbert, then the same thing going into the 2018 season after losing Chad Thomas, Tren Harris, RJ McIntosh, Kendrick Norton, Anthony Moten, Darrion Owens & DJ Johnson transferring.
Now in 2019 after losing Willis, Joe Jackson, Mike Jack, Quan & Red some think we'll see a drop off, I disagree. I think losing Joe Jackson & Willis will hurt, but the system we run allows for talented players to excel on the DLine. Garvin had 60tcks & 17TFL's last year as only a Sophomore, with bringin Hill on Garvin will destroy even harder his Junior year & while I don't think we'll have a DT do what Willis did, I do think Silvera, Chigozie, Bethel & Ford will be good enough to be productive. Either way, I'm excited to see this Defense continue to evolve.
