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Below are my position-by-position thoughts from the first half of spring practice. Big picture, any success this season hinges on two things: keeping Brad Kaaya healthy and putting this talented DL in a position to disrupt and make plays.
QB- Brad Kaaya has picked up where he left off and then some. Simply put, I've never seen a Miami QB with his type of accuracy and ball placement. He also has Dorsey-type anticipation, but with more arm strength. I expect the team to win more games than last year, and Kaaya is the reason. Malik Rosier has improved but is still too erratic with his accuracy. Vinny Testaverde, Jr. has some pure passing ability, especially for a walk-on. If he really drills down on the mental side he may have a future as a quality back-up.
RB- Gus Edwards is running with a lot of confidence. Defenders are bouncing off of him and he is showing some unique footwork and explosion for a 235-pound back. If the season started tomorrow, he'd be the guy and we'd be in good shape. Joe Yearby is right behind him, and is very strong in the passing game. He will always make the first guy miss in space. Trayone Gray missed a couple practices due to academics and (while improved) still has issues with ball security. He shows major flashes as a running back, though, and is also good in the receiving game. He needs a strong finish and good summer, because he has the pure speed we need in the backfield.
WR- Rashawn Scott and Stacy Coley are separating themselves as the top guys. Braxton Berrios and Malcolm Lewis bring consistency in the slot. Herb Waters is a guy who I'd like to see come back strong after spring break. One way to get him going is giving him the end-arounds and screens that Coley has gotten the past two years. Darrell Langham needs to do a better job separating and Tyre Brady needs to improve his hands. If Lawrence Cager comes to camp ready to play he has a chance to break in as the #6 guy.
TE- This group has young talent. Standish Dobard had a strong scrimmage and is very powerful as a blocker and after the catch. He's missed a few practices, which has allowed Chris Herndon to shine as one of Kaaya's favorite targets. He is steady at H-back. David Njoku still needs a year to get stronger and more physical but he has the most upside as a pass-catcher in the group. He makes contested catches and runs like a deer. Jerome Washington is definitely a physical specimen. Huge, long-armed and very explosive for his size. He's not a natural pass-catcher but has improved with each practice. Maybe he's Richard Gordon, but I'd like to see him get a few snaps on defense for evaluation purposes.
OL- This group will need contributions from true freshmen. Nick Linder, Kc McDermott, Trevor Darling and Danny Isidora are locks to start, but beyond that is anyone's guess. Kehoe likes to rotate guys, but I don't think he will have the opportunity this year. We really could've used Denver Kirkland, Reginald Bain and A'lique Terry.
DL- Most talented group we've had in a while. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Chad Thomas look like you'd expect them to look- explosive, powerful and unstoppable 1-on-1. Mike Wyche has been the story of the spring. He really could've used spring last year, and now he looks like a different player than we saw during the season. He's slimmed down and become more explosive and occasionally dominant. Calvin Heurtelou will need to come back from injury strong if he wants to keep his starting job. Anthony Moten is also making strides and is the quickest interior DL we've had off the snap in a while. These guys are often going against sub-par OL, but you're starting to see why they were highly recruited players. We need to put them in a position to utilize their athletic gifts.
LB- Perryman's physical presence is missed here. This is a fast group that is capable in coverage but lacks thump outside of Juwan Young. Jermaine Grace is the best LB in the group and has been a steady playmaker. Marques Gayot plays very similar to Grace. The move to WLB was a good one for him. Charles Perry still needs to gain some weight before contributing, although his speed is evident. I've never loved Tyriq McCord at SAM (too stiff), but he has been solid throughout spring and continues to make big plays as he has done throughout his career.
S- Thin position. Deon Bush is the top guy after a bounce-back junior season. Jamal Carter is still too inconsistent with his tackling and recognition. Dallas Crawford has size and speed issues but can make plays, including a diving interception yesterday. I love Jaquan Johnson. His physical tools were a question as a recruit, but he looks extremely quick and explosive in short areas. I think he starts next to Bush.
CB- Strong at the top. Artie Burns has been arguably the best defensive player in camp and looks primed for a leap. Corn Elder is probably the best pure cover guy. Tracy Howard has missed the last couple practices but is a good, reliable cover man. Antonio Crawford's departure really hurts depth here. However, Ryan Mayes (a guy I've been critical of) is off to a great start. His length is an asset, and he moves like a corner. He returned a fumble for a TD yesterday and is playing with confidence. Nonetheless, this is a position where you will see a true freshman or two contribute.
QB- Brad Kaaya has picked up where he left off and then some. Simply put, I've never seen a Miami QB with his type of accuracy and ball placement. He also has Dorsey-type anticipation, but with more arm strength. I expect the team to win more games than last year, and Kaaya is the reason. Malik Rosier has improved but is still too erratic with his accuracy. Vinny Testaverde, Jr. has some pure passing ability, especially for a walk-on. If he really drills down on the mental side he may have a future as a quality back-up.
RB- Gus Edwards is running with a lot of confidence. Defenders are bouncing off of him and he is showing some unique footwork and explosion for a 235-pound back. If the season started tomorrow, he'd be the guy and we'd be in good shape. Joe Yearby is right behind him, and is very strong in the passing game. He will always make the first guy miss in space. Trayone Gray missed a couple practices due to academics and (while improved) still has issues with ball security. He shows major flashes as a running back, though, and is also good in the receiving game. He needs a strong finish and good summer, because he has the pure speed we need in the backfield.
WR- Rashawn Scott and Stacy Coley are separating themselves as the top guys. Braxton Berrios and Malcolm Lewis bring consistency in the slot. Herb Waters is a guy who I'd like to see come back strong after spring break. One way to get him going is giving him the end-arounds and screens that Coley has gotten the past two years. Darrell Langham needs to do a better job separating and Tyre Brady needs to improve his hands. If Lawrence Cager comes to camp ready to play he has a chance to break in as the #6 guy.
TE- This group has young talent. Standish Dobard had a strong scrimmage and is very powerful as a blocker and after the catch. He's missed a few practices, which has allowed Chris Herndon to shine as one of Kaaya's favorite targets. He is steady at H-back. David Njoku still needs a year to get stronger and more physical but he has the most upside as a pass-catcher in the group. He makes contested catches and runs like a deer. Jerome Washington is definitely a physical specimen. Huge, long-armed and very explosive for his size. He's not a natural pass-catcher but has improved with each practice. Maybe he's Richard Gordon, but I'd like to see him get a few snaps on defense for evaluation purposes.
OL- This group will need contributions from true freshmen. Nick Linder, Kc McDermott, Trevor Darling and Danny Isidora are locks to start, but beyond that is anyone's guess. Kehoe likes to rotate guys, but I don't think he will have the opportunity this year. We really could've used Denver Kirkland, Reginald Bain and A'lique Terry.
DL- Most talented group we've had in a while. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Chad Thomas look like you'd expect them to look- explosive, powerful and unstoppable 1-on-1. Mike Wyche has been the story of the spring. He really could've used spring last year, and now he looks like a different player than we saw during the season. He's slimmed down and become more explosive and occasionally dominant. Calvin Heurtelou will need to come back from injury strong if he wants to keep his starting job. Anthony Moten is also making strides and is the quickest interior DL we've had off the snap in a while. These guys are often going against sub-par OL, but you're starting to see why they were highly recruited players. We need to put them in a position to utilize their athletic gifts.
LB- Perryman's physical presence is missed here. This is a fast group that is capable in coverage but lacks thump outside of Juwan Young. Jermaine Grace is the best LB in the group and has been a steady playmaker. Marques Gayot plays very similar to Grace. The move to WLB was a good one for him. Charles Perry still needs to gain some weight before contributing, although his speed is evident. I've never loved Tyriq McCord at SAM (too stiff), but he has been solid throughout spring and continues to make big plays as he has done throughout his career.
S- Thin position. Deon Bush is the top guy after a bounce-back junior season. Jamal Carter is still too inconsistent with his tackling and recognition. Dallas Crawford has size and speed issues but can make plays, including a diving interception yesterday. I love Jaquan Johnson. His physical tools were a question as a recruit, but he looks extremely quick and explosive in short areas. I think he starts next to Bush.
CB- Strong at the top. Artie Burns has been arguably the best defensive player in camp and looks primed for a leap. Corn Elder is probably the best pure cover guy. Tracy Howard has missed the last couple practices but is a good, reliable cover man. Antonio Crawford's departure really hurts depth here. However, Ryan Mayes (a guy I've been critical of) is off to a great start. His length is an asset, and he moves like a corner. He returned a fumble for a TD yesterday and is playing with confidence. Nonetheless, this is a position where you will see a true freshman or two contribute.
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