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Offseason Additions: Tirek Austin-Cave (2020 signee), Corey Flagg (2020 signee), Keontra Smith (Moved from safety)
Offseason Departures: Shaq Quarterman (Graduation/NFL Draft), Michael Pinckney (Graduation), Romeo Finley (Graduation/UDFA)
Miami has been the standard when it comes to stability at the linebacker position over the past four years. Shaq Quarterman left Miami starting every single game for four years and his partner in crime, Michael Pinckney, missed only a handful of games during that same time period. Miami will have to replace nearly 100 combined starts between the two, as the duo of Quarterman and Pinckney put up 315 tackles and 25.5 sacks combined over the past four years. Miami also lost Romeo Finley to graduation and the NFL, and he was a player who had given them solid minutes at the striker position over the past two years.
When you talk about replacing Quarterman and Pinckney, the first name everyone thinks about is Zach McCloud, and for very good reason. McCloud is a 5th year senior who started alongside Quarterman and Pinckney his first two seasons at Miami before Manny Diaz brought the striker position to the defense in 2018. McCloud has 122 career tackles and more starting experience than the rest of the linebacker room combined. Coming off a redshirt season in 2019, he is a shoo-in to start at one of the inside linebacker spots this season for Miami and will be one of the most important transitional pieces on the defense as Diaz and Blake Baker shuffle in a new era of Miami linebackers.
The most likely candidate from this new wave of linebackers to start alongside McCloud is the only other player with serious game reps, sophomore Sam Brooks. Brooks played sporadically as a true freshman, but his true test came in his first career start in the bowl game against Louisiana Tech. Miami did not have many bright spots in that loss, but Brooks was one of the few. Brooks finished the game with 12 tackles, bringing his total on the year up to 18. Brooks missed out on a chance to solidify his role, sitting during the week of spring practice with a shoulder injury, but he is expected to be healthy for fall camp.
Next up we have Avery Huff, who redshirted as a freshman last season. Huff is one of the most freakish athletes on Miami’s roster, has tremendous length at 6’3’’, and is also one of the fastest players in the linebacker room. From a physical and athletic standpoint, very few people can match what Huff brings to the table and, this spring, he showed off an improved frame with added muscle mass and kept his speed and athleticism. If Huff was able to get a better handle on the scheme during his redshirt freshman year, he could be one of the most exciting players on Miami’s defense in 2020 and push Brooks for a starting job.
Bradley Jennings Jr. and Waynmon Steed are two 4th year juniors who have seen their careers defined by injuries; both have missed full seasons in the past and the pair also sat out the week of spring ball. Jennings Jr. and Steed do not compare athletically to Brooks and Huff, but they have been at Miami far longer and should have a better understanding of Miami’s defensive scheme, which could ultimately help them earn playing time over their younger counterparts.
Redshirt sophomore Patrick Joyner was the only linebacker that Miami signed in the 2018 class, but his career has gotten off to a slow start. Joyner, a high school defensive end, has shuffled back and forth between defensive end and linebacker during his first two years at Miami, which, combined with injury, has hindered his development. Joyner only has five career tackles to this point, but he will have an opportunity to prove himself this year with the amount of playing time that left for the NFL after last season.
Miami added two linebackers in the 2020 class in Tirek Austin-Cave and Corey Flagg. Both of these young linebackers were extremely productive at the high school level. Flagg is the old-school, physical middle linebacker, while Austin-Cave is the more modern linebacker who uses his speed and instincts to make plays. The duo could be compared to Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney as freshmen back in 2016, but these two will not be counted on nearly as early as their predecessors. Both Flagg and Austin-Cave were early enrollees, which gives them a fighting chance at playing time, but both were unable to take the field at all during the week of spring ball and sat out with injuries. With the talent in front of them, there's a good chance they will redshirt unless injuries hit the position.
At the striker position, Miami must replace two-year starter Romeo Finley, who finished his career with 95 career tackles (65 solo). Miami moved redshirt sophomore Gilbert Frierson over to the striker position last offseason and began grooming him to take over once Finley left; Frierson had 15 tackles and one interception last year in the backup role, but will be counted on much more as a presumptive starter this season.
Behind Frierson, Miami moved sophomore Keontra Smith to striker after he started his career at safety as a freshman in 2019. Smith, who played mainly linebacker in high school, is exactly what Miami wants out of the striker option. He is quick enough to cover the slot occasionally and is excellent maneuvering within the box and playing the run. Smith came out of his freshman season with two tackles in very limited playing time, but he has added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason to prepare for an increased role closer to the line of scrimmage.
Bottom Line
Miami must replace three seniors with mountains of experience, which is never easy and was made even more difficult due to the fact that UM didn’t get a good look at this group in spring with all the injuries. The good news is the new wave of linebackers that Miami has in the pipeline are more athletic, and they probably have a higher ceiling overall. While there could be some rough patches during this adjustment year, this linebacker group has the potential to be even better than the one they are replacing by the end of the season.
Offseason Departures: Shaq Quarterman (Graduation/NFL Draft), Michael Pinckney (Graduation), Romeo Finley (Graduation/UDFA)
Miami has been the standard when it comes to stability at the linebacker position over the past four years. Shaq Quarterman left Miami starting every single game for four years and his partner in crime, Michael Pinckney, missed only a handful of games during that same time period. Miami will have to replace nearly 100 combined starts between the two, as the duo of Quarterman and Pinckney put up 315 tackles and 25.5 sacks combined over the past four years. Miami also lost Romeo Finley to graduation and the NFL, and he was a player who had given them solid minutes at the striker position over the past two years.
When you talk about replacing Quarterman and Pinckney, the first name everyone thinks about is Zach McCloud, and for very good reason. McCloud is a 5th year senior who started alongside Quarterman and Pinckney his first two seasons at Miami before Manny Diaz brought the striker position to the defense in 2018. McCloud has 122 career tackles and more starting experience than the rest of the linebacker room combined. Coming off a redshirt season in 2019, he is a shoo-in to start at one of the inside linebacker spots this season for Miami and will be one of the most important transitional pieces on the defense as Diaz and Blake Baker shuffle in a new era of Miami linebackers.
The most likely candidate from this new wave of linebackers to start alongside McCloud is the only other player with serious game reps, sophomore Sam Brooks. Brooks played sporadically as a true freshman, but his true test came in his first career start in the bowl game against Louisiana Tech. Miami did not have many bright spots in that loss, but Brooks was one of the few. Brooks finished the game with 12 tackles, bringing his total on the year up to 18. Brooks missed out on a chance to solidify his role, sitting during the week of spring practice with a shoulder injury, but he is expected to be healthy for fall camp.
Next up we have Avery Huff, who redshirted as a freshman last season. Huff is one of the most freakish athletes on Miami’s roster, has tremendous length at 6’3’’, and is also one of the fastest players in the linebacker room. From a physical and athletic standpoint, very few people can match what Huff brings to the table and, this spring, he showed off an improved frame with added muscle mass and kept his speed and athleticism. If Huff was able to get a better handle on the scheme during his redshirt freshman year, he could be one of the most exciting players on Miami’s defense in 2020 and push Brooks for a starting job.
Bradley Jennings Jr. and Waynmon Steed are two 4th year juniors who have seen their careers defined by injuries; both have missed full seasons in the past and the pair also sat out the week of spring ball. Jennings Jr. and Steed do not compare athletically to Brooks and Huff, but they have been at Miami far longer and should have a better understanding of Miami’s defensive scheme, which could ultimately help them earn playing time over their younger counterparts.
Redshirt sophomore Patrick Joyner was the only linebacker that Miami signed in the 2018 class, but his career has gotten off to a slow start. Joyner, a high school defensive end, has shuffled back and forth between defensive end and linebacker during his first two years at Miami, which, combined with injury, has hindered his development. Joyner only has five career tackles to this point, but he will have an opportunity to prove himself this year with the amount of playing time that left for the NFL after last season.
Miami added two linebackers in the 2020 class in Tirek Austin-Cave and Corey Flagg. Both of these young linebackers were extremely productive at the high school level. Flagg is the old-school, physical middle linebacker, while Austin-Cave is the more modern linebacker who uses his speed and instincts to make plays. The duo could be compared to Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney as freshmen back in 2016, but these two will not be counted on nearly as early as their predecessors. Both Flagg and Austin-Cave were early enrollees, which gives them a fighting chance at playing time, but both were unable to take the field at all during the week of spring ball and sat out with injuries. With the talent in front of them, there's a good chance they will redshirt unless injuries hit the position.
At the striker position, Miami must replace two-year starter Romeo Finley, who finished his career with 95 career tackles (65 solo). Miami moved redshirt sophomore Gilbert Frierson over to the striker position last offseason and began grooming him to take over once Finley left; Frierson had 15 tackles and one interception last year in the backup role, but will be counted on much more as a presumptive starter this season.
Behind Frierson, Miami moved sophomore Keontra Smith to striker after he started his career at safety as a freshman in 2019. Smith, who played mainly linebacker in high school, is exactly what Miami wants out of the striker option. He is quick enough to cover the slot occasionally and is excellent maneuvering within the box and playing the run. Smith came out of his freshman season with two tackles in very limited playing time, but he has added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason to prepare for an increased role closer to the line of scrimmage.
Bottom Line
Miami must replace three seniors with mountains of experience, which is never easy and was made even more difficult due to the fact that UM didn’t get a good look at this group in spring with all the injuries. The good news is the new wave of linebackers that Miami has in the pipeline are more athletic, and they probably have a higher ceiling overall. While there could be some rough patches during this adjustment year, this linebacker group has the potential to be even better than the one they are replacing by the end of the season.
