Offseason Additions: Tyrique Stevenson (UGA transfer), Jalen Harrell (Moved from S)
Offseason Departures: None
The cornerback position at UM has been underwhelming as of late, but the group is looking to turn it around in 2021. Head Coach Manny Diaz made the move to hire the former defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at South Carolina, Travaris Robinson, to coach the DB’s. The Miami native has a reputation of being an elite recruiter along with developing NFL talent. This quality addition will revamp a DB room in much need of an established coach, and gained even more of a boost when Diaz promoted DeMarcus Van Dyke to take on the role of CB’s coach and assist Robinson.
Diaz is known for attaining star players from the transfer portal, and he did not disappoint when he brought in Tyrique Stevenson, who spent his first two seasons of his collegiate career at Georgia. Seeing action in 24 games while making four starts, Stevenson totaled 47 tackles and two tackles for loss in two years with the Bulldogs. Stevenson is a versatile DB who has the ability to play any position in the secondary, and his athleticism and playmaking skills in coverage make him a threat to any offense. The former 4-star has found his way back to his hometown and hopes to bring the Miami secondary to the next level.
In the latter part of the 2020 season, Al Blades Jr. announced that he would miss the remainder of the season after he had found out that he had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) as a result of COVID-19. While he is cleared to return, Diaz has said they will be cautious with Blades Jr. as he works his way back into playing shape, and he is expected to miss at least the beginning of spring. The 6-1, 192 lb. junior saw action in eight games in 2020, finishing the season with 29 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven PBU’s. Going into his fourth year at UM, Blades Jr. will provide a veteran presence in the DB room.
DJ Ivey proved to be a mixed bag in the 2020 season. Ivey started all 11 games in the secondary and finished with 36 total tackles, one interception, and four PBU’s. Ivey will have competition for his starting job this spring, making it now or never for him; the former 4-star prospect has always been highly regarded by the coaching staff but has never lived up to his potential. His technique is definitely an area in which he needs to improve as he finds himself getting beat on the boundary at times.
One thing we learned from the 2020 season is that Te’Corey Couch can ball. The sophomore saw action in all 11 games and emerged as starting cornerback late in season. He started the final four games of the year and finished the season with 37 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also added one interception, one forced fumble, and six PBU’s. At 5-10 172 pounds, Couch proved that he is deserving of a starting corner spot, making many crucial plays this past year and was all over the field demonstrating his ability to play bigger than he is. Couch’s athleticism and fearlessness allow him to make big time plays and he demonstrates great footwork with the ability to play press man, which is how coach Robinson likes his DB’s to play. Although Couch got caught with some penalty issues at the end of the season, look for him to improve his IQ and take that starting CB role head on.
Spring practice is going to show who is willing to step up into that fifth cornerback spot, as there are a few young guys in the room who are yearning for that opportunity to play. There is no shortage of young talent in the CB room, as Marcus Clarke and Isaiah Dunson will begin their second season at UM. At 5-10 190 pounds, Clarke saw action in six games, finishing the year with five tackles and one interception. A known ballhawk, Clarke has a background playing offense and defense in high school, so he has a natural ability to make a play every time the ball is near him. As he continues to develop, Clarke should see more playing time in the 2021 season. Dunson mostly contributed on special teams in 2021, but the coaching staff is high on his potential moving forward. The 6-1, 184 pound DB saw action in nine games in his first season, finishing with six total tackles. The former 4-star prospect is known to be a competitive ball player that has that dog in him.
Diaz also announced on Friday that Jalen Harrell will be switching to cornerback from safety this spring. At 6-2, 200 pounds, Harrell saw action in five games in his first season, largely on special teams. The move from corner to safety will benefit UM depth-wise as the roster is thin at CB with only five returning at the position. Look for Harrell to get some playing time, as his versatility and size will be a plus to the coaching staff.
Bottom Line
The CB room is always filled with talent, but the production has been underwhelming. With the hiring of Travaris Robinson and promotion of DeMarcus Van Dyke, there should be no excuses for underperforming in 2021. The position demands elite skill and IQ and UM has the players that can meet those demands, if developed correctly. Miami has the players, and now the coaching staff, so can they put it together? This spring will be proving time, and it will be interesting to see if Stevenson can lock down the #1 role from the get-go. Without Blades Jr., this spring will also be a great opportunity for younger talents Clarke, Dunson, and Harrell to make a push for real playing time as well.
Offseason Departures: None
The cornerback position at UM has been underwhelming as of late, but the group is looking to turn it around in 2021. Head Coach Manny Diaz made the move to hire the former defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at South Carolina, Travaris Robinson, to coach the DB’s. The Miami native has a reputation of being an elite recruiter along with developing NFL talent. This quality addition will revamp a DB room in much need of an established coach, and gained even more of a boost when Diaz promoted DeMarcus Van Dyke to take on the role of CB’s coach and assist Robinson.
Diaz is known for attaining star players from the transfer portal, and he did not disappoint when he brought in Tyrique Stevenson, who spent his first two seasons of his collegiate career at Georgia. Seeing action in 24 games while making four starts, Stevenson totaled 47 tackles and two tackles for loss in two years with the Bulldogs. Stevenson is a versatile DB who has the ability to play any position in the secondary, and his athleticism and playmaking skills in coverage make him a threat to any offense. The former 4-star has found his way back to his hometown and hopes to bring the Miami secondary to the next level.
In the latter part of the 2020 season, Al Blades Jr. announced that he would miss the remainder of the season after he had found out that he had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) as a result of COVID-19. While he is cleared to return, Diaz has said they will be cautious with Blades Jr. as he works his way back into playing shape, and he is expected to miss at least the beginning of spring. The 6-1, 192 lb. junior saw action in eight games in 2020, finishing the season with 29 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven PBU’s. Going into his fourth year at UM, Blades Jr. will provide a veteran presence in the DB room.
DJ Ivey proved to be a mixed bag in the 2020 season. Ivey started all 11 games in the secondary and finished with 36 total tackles, one interception, and four PBU’s. Ivey will have competition for his starting job this spring, making it now or never for him; the former 4-star prospect has always been highly regarded by the coaching staff but has never lived up to his potential. His technique is definitely an area in which he needs to improve as he finds himself getting beat on the boundary at times.
One thing we learned from the 2020 season is that Te’Corey Couch can ball. The sophomore saw action in all 11 games and emerged as starting cornerback late in season. He started the final four games of the year and finished the season with 37 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also added one interception, one forced fumble, and six PBU’s. At 5-10 172 pounds, Couch proved that he is deserving of a starting corner spot, making many crucial plays this past year and was all over the field demonstrating his ability to play bigger than he is. Couch’s athleticism and fearlessness allow him to make big time plays and he demonstrates great footwork with the ability to play press man, which is how coach Robinson likes his DB’s to play. Although Couch got caught with some penalty issues at the end of the season, look for him to improve his IQ and take that starting CB role head on.
Spring practice is going to show who is willing to step up into that fifth cornerback spot, as there are a few young guys in the room who are yearning for that opportunity to play. There is no shortage of young talent in the CB room, as Marcus Clarke and Isaiah Dunson will begin their second season at UM. At 5-10 190 pounds, Clarke saw action in six games, finishing the year with five tackles and one interception. A known ballhawk, Clarke has a background playing offense and defense in high school, so he has a natural ability to make a play every time the ball is near him. As he continues to develop, Clarke should see more playing time in the 2021 season. Dunson mostly contributed on special teams in 2021, but the coaching staff is high on his potential moving forward. The 6-1, 184 pound DB saw action in nine games in his first season, finishing with six total tackles. The former 4-star prospect is known to be a competitive ball player that has that dog in him.
Diaz also announced on Friday that Jalen Harrell will be switching to cornerback from safety this spring. At 6-2, 200 pounds, Harrell saw action in five games in his first season, largely on special teams. The move from corner to safety will benefit UM depth-wise as the roster is thin at CB with only five returning at the position. Look for Harrell to get some playing time, as his versatility and size will be a plus to the coaching staff.
Bottom Line
The CB room is always filled with talent, but the production has been underwhelming. With the hiring of Travaris Robinson and promotion of DeMarcus Van Dyke, there should be no excuses for underperforming in 2021. The position demands elite skill and IQ and UM has the players that can meet those demands, if developed correctly. Miami has the players, and now the coaching staff, so can they put it together? This spring will be proving time, and it will be interesting to see if Stevenson can lock down the #1 role from the get-go. Without Blades Jr., this spring will also be a great opportunity for younger talents Clarke, Dunson, and Harrell to make a push for real playing time as well.
