Miami Hurricanes Fall Camp: Javian Mallory, Somourian Wingo Lead Freshmen Poised to Step Up
With constant competition on both sides of the ball, doors are opening for playing time. And while certain positions are locked down with "no-brainer" picks, certain doors remain open — and we could see some freshmen standing in those doors when it's all set and done. @DMoney breaks down which freshmen could rise to the top below:
Javian Mallory is the name I keep coming back to.
He was one of the standouts at the scrimmage per my sources, and my own eyes back that up — he's been outstanding since spring and carried it into fall camp. This kid is a true freshman, four-star, chose Miami over Alabama, and now Jordan Lyle's situation has cracked the door open in a loaded room that still includes Mark Fletcher, CharMar Brown and Girard Pringle Jr.
Mallory's vision, his fluidity, his ability to get skinny in tight spaces — it's drawing Frank Gore comparisons, and not just from maniacs like me.
Watch for him against FAMU. I think he shows out.
Somourian Wingo is the receiver I'm watching closest with Cam Vaughn's future in doubt.
He showed up to bowl practices and ran by a championship-caliber defense that albeit, had heavy legs from a full season, and continued his momentum into the fall here. Basketball background, over six feet, smooth change of speed, tracks the ball well — this isn't a burner, it's a complete operator. He's going to drop a pass here and there because he's a true freshman, but he's also going to make the same play again on the next drive.
Jackson Cantwell was the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country and started at left tackle all spring, and I thought that job was cemented. Then Samson Okunlola — a five-star with seasoning, entering year four, coming off a strong playoff run at left guard — pushed into the left tackle conversation too. That's a good problem. Either way, Cantwell plays a ton this season, at tackle or guard.
Ben Congdon is going to play right away alongside Cantwell. Big body, tremendous flexibility for his size, a former top-eight Ohio heavyweight wrestler — that background shows up in how he bends his knees and moves his hips at his size. Miami's over the moon about him with plenty of reps at guard during camp.
Camdin Portis, son of Clinton Portis, had a really good scrimmage and stands out every time I see him in a game setting. Fearless, quick, ran a ten-nine — same as Keionte Scott — and he can tackle. Omar Thornton looks like the nickel starter, but I think you'll see multiple bodies rotate through that role, and Portis has a real chance to be one of them.
JJ Dunnigan might be the most talented of this freshman defensive back class. He could play nickel, he could play boundary safety like Jakobe Thomas, he could play the Keionte Scott role, the Zechariah Poyser role, even kick outside like Xavier Lucas. Bryce Fitzgerald called him the hidden gem of the group and one of the fastest players he's seen. Six-two, maybe six-three, 210-plus. That's a dangerous skill set walking into a crowded room.
Brody Jennings and Jaelen Waters are running the best freshman corner battle nobody's talked about yet.
Jennings has real bloodlines — his father Bradley Jennings played linebacker at Florida State, his brother Bradley Jennings Jr. played at Miami — and his footwork for a bigger corner is already there. Waters had an incredible offseason after an adjustment period and has taken that into a strong start to camp. Both are pushing for reps behind Damari Brown, OJ Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas and Ethan O'Connor, and Miami needs another big corner in that mix.
Karsten Busch, Jordan Campbell and Justin "JJ" Edwards are the freshman linebacker trio I'm watching, but I'm not ready to say anyone's separated. That competition is still hot, and linebacker is a live-bullets, tackle-to-the-ground position — it's hard to read from seven-on-seven or a thud practice. I'll put a pin in that one and let it play out into games.
Israel Briggs and Gavin Mueller are stepping into a tight end room thinned out by Luka Gilbert's injury, with no portal reinforcements coming. Mueller's had a strong scrimmage from what I'm hearing, good run-after-catch ability. Briggs is the guy I think makes explosive plays — in high school he was taking simple tosses 99 yards, returning punts, doing everything. The question for both is how fast they pick up Mike Viti's blocking scheme.
Watch the full breakdown below:
Javian Mallory is the name I keep coming back to.
He was one of the standouts at the scrimmage per my sources, and my own eyes back that up — he's been outstanding since spring and carried it into fall camp. This kid is a true freshman, four-star, chose Miami over Alabama, and now Jordan Lyle's situation has cracked the door open in a loaded room that still includes Mark Fletcher, CharMar Brown and Girard Pringle Jr.
Mallory's vision, his fluidity, his ability to get skinny in tight spaces — it's drawing Frank Gore comparisons, and not just from maniacs like me.
Watch for him against FAMU. I think he shows out.
Somourian Wingo is the receiver I'm watching closest with Cam Vaughn's future in doubt.
He showed up to bowl practices and ran by a championship-caliber defense that albeit, had heavy legs from a full season, and continued his momentum into the fall here. Basketball background, over six feet, smooth change of speed, tracks the ball well — this isn't a burner, it's a complete operator. He's going to drop a pass here and there because he's a true freshman, but he's also going to make the same play again on the next drive.
Jackson Cantwell was the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country and started at left tackle all spring, and I thought that job was cemented. Then Samson Okunlola — a five-star with seasoning, entering year four, coming off a strong playoff run at left guard — pushed into the left tackle conversation too. That's a good problem. Either way, Cantwell plays a ton this season, at tackle or guard.
Ben Congdon is going to play right away alongside Cantwell. Big body, tremendous flexibility for his size, a former top-eight Ohio heavyweight wrestler — that background shows up in how he bends his knees and moves his hips at his size. Miami's over the moon about him with plenty of reps at guard during camp.
Camdin Portis, son of Clinton Portis, had a really good scrimmage and stands out every time I see him in a game setting. Fearless, quick, ran a ten-nine — same as Keionte Scott — and he can tackle. Omar Thornton looks like the nickel starter, but I think you'll see multiple bodies rotate through that role, and Portis has a real chance to be one of them.
JJ Dunnigan might be the most talented of this freshman defensive back class. He could play nickel, he could play boundary safety like Jakobe Thomas, he could play the Keionte Scott role, the Zechariah Poyser role, even kick outside like Xavier Lucas. Bryce Fitzgerald called him the hidden gem of the group and one of the fastest players he's seen. Six-two, maybe six-three, 210-plus. That's a dangerous skill set walking into a crowded room.
Brody Jennings and Jaelen Waters are running the best freshman corner battle nobody's talked about yet.
Jennings has real bloodlines — his father Bradley Jennings played linebacker at Florida State, his brother Bradley Jennings Jr. played at Miami — and his footwork for a bigger corner is already there. Waters had an incredible offseason after an adjustment period and has taken that into a strong start to camp. Both are pushing for reps behind Damari Brown, OJ Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas and Ethan O'Connor, and Miami needs another big corner in that mix.
Karsten Busch, Jordan Campbell and Justin "JJ" Edwards are the freshman linebacker trio I'm watching, but I'm not ready to say anyone's separated. That competition is still hot, and linebacker is a live-bullets, tackle-to-the-ground position — it's hard to read from seven-on-seven or a thud practice. I'll put a pin in that one and let it play out into games.
Israel Briggs and Gavin Mueller are stepping into a tight end room thinned out by Luka Gilbert's injury, with no portal reinforcements coming. Mueller's had a strong scrimmage from what I'm hearing, good run-after-catch ability. Briggs is the guy I think makes explosive plays — in high school he was taking simple tosses 99 yards, returning punts, doing everything. The question for both is how fast they pick up Mike Viti's blocking scheme.
Watch the full breakdown below:
