### UM’s linebackers --– who face a huge test at Georgia Tech --- also have exceeded modest expectations, beyond top defender Denzel Perryman. Thurston Armbrister’s combined sacks (four) and forced fumbles (two) are fourth nationally; Raphael Kirby comes off the best game of his career, and coaches love the improvement of Jermaine Grace and long, physical freshman Darrion Owens.
### Enamored with his skills, UM wants to keep expanding Joe Yearby’s role in the offense, including more packages where he plays with Duke Johnson. UM coaches compare Yearby to Clinton Portis and Warrick Dunn. They’re also especially bullish on Canes running back commitments Jordan Scarlett (averaging 5.2 yards per carry for St. Thomas Aquinas) and Booker T. Washington’s Mark Walton (7.9).
### And another skilled quarterback is on the way to compete to back up Brad Kaaya: 2015 oral commitment Dwayne Lawson threw for 279 yards and ran for 119, with a role in four touchdowns, in Tampa Hillsborough’s most recent game.… Privately, UM coaches are very worried about the loss of right tackle Taylor Gadbois, who had started to play as well as anybody on the line, coupled with Kc McDermott’s injury, too. UM had finally found the right buttons to push with Gadbois when he went down last week.
### UM won't get Plantation American Heritage five-star cornerback Tarvarus McFadden, who's down to Georgia, FSU and LSU, according to colleage Safid Deen, who has more on a post on our high-school sports blog.
### We've heard positive feedback on how freshman defensive lineman Anthony Moten has come on the past two weeks; he played early fourth quarter snaps against Duke. But because of the challenges of defending Georgia Tech's triple option offense, the UM staff might be cautious in how much it uses some of the freshman backups.... Defensive end Chad Thomas' limited playing time last week was the result of him coming off back spasms, not disappointment in his play.
Read more here:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/spor...se-fernandez-nbc-6-changes.html#storylink=cpy
