THE DOWNLO w/MIDLO. Canes & college football stuff. 11/12/23

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You can bet your asses that Saban has been in contact with Searles. They coached together at LSU. If UM gets burned by those same misdirections and counters for 500 yards...Diaz should be fired immediately. You know for 💯 percent certainty that it will be coming early in the game. That would officially classify Diaz as being Golden part 2. Diaz had every opportunity to hire a DC this offseason but decided to do it himself. There will be ZERO excuses if he gets trashed by the same crap UNC did last season. ZERO.
 
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▪ The toughest call (on offense) that offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and coach Manny Diaz need to make during the next four months: Whether Jaylon Knighton’s big-play ability, high-end speed and elusiveness make him the better option to be UM’s bell-cow back over the more physical and experienced Cam’Ron Harris.

Keep in mind that Knighton started ahead of Harris against Duke because UM believed he earned it. So any notion that Harris is a clear front-runner to be UM’s starter likely isn’t accurate.

Knighton appears to at least have pulled even, if not ahead. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harris is the starter.

Unlike last season, Lashlee has said he wants to give much of the carries to one player to allow that player to get into a rhythm.

The issue with Knighton is whether he would be quite as explosive (as opposed to exhausted) and as dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield if he carries 15 to 20 times a game instead of six.

Last season, he had only one game with double figures in rushing attempts — against Virginia, and he had just 37 yards on 12 carries in that game (just 3.1 per carry). His next-highest workload came against UAB: nine carries for 59 yards (6.6 average).

Though he started against Duke, he ran only twice for 11 yards before leaving with a season-ending shoulder injury.

Harris averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, compared with Knighton’s 4.0, but had a midseason slump (28 carries for 35 yards in three games) and lost his starting spot after the program returned from its COVID stoppage in November.

Say this for Harris: In his games with his heaviest workloads last season, he was very good. Harris averaged a robust 7.9 per carry on 17 carries against UAB; 4.1 on 15 carries against North Carolina State and 6.4 on 15 carries against Duke.

In his heaviest workload game of 2019, Harris averaged 7.6 yards on 18 carries against Georgia Tech.

So we know he can be effective with high volume. And Harris is by no means slow; he can accelerate past defenders for long gains, like he did against UAB.

What isn’t known yet is whether Knighton can be effective with high-volume carries.

For what it’s worth (not a lot), Knighton had seven carries for 43 yards during UM’s spring game, Harris four for 9.

Even if Harris starts, expect UM to maximize Knighton as a receiver out of the backfield. That should be one of the offense’s strengths.

“Rooster, he moves so fast,” striker Gilbert Frierson said of Knighton’s value in the passing game. “He’s explosive; you’ve got to watch him. He turns plays that may be a loss of two to a play that can be a gain. You’ve got to put a hand on him” or you don’t have a chance to slow him.

The hope is that Don Chaney Jr. returns from shoulder surgery in time to challenge both Harris and Knighton for carries by mid-September. He’s iffy for the Sept. 4 opener against Alabama.

One UM source said Chaney might be the best of the three for the bell-cow role.

But whether he will be able to be full-go by the second half of fall camp is very much in question after the recent shoulder procedure.
 
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With tight end Elijah Arroyo missing spring ball because of an injury, the Miami Hurricanes haven’t yet seen any of their freshmen-to-be running backs, tight ends or wide receivers participate in a practice.

Arroyo is already on campus, and another running back, three receivers and another tight end are expected to arrive on campus May 16 and enroll immediately after that.

Some feedback from Manny Diaz on those five newcomers:

▪ Running back Thad Franklin, from Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna:

“Thad has been an explosive running back here in Broward County for the last few years. A strong runner, can run through tackles. He’s got good feet to avoid a low tackle, and just a powerful lower-body guy. He really has been mowing up yards at Chaminade over the course of his career. You see great vision to get through the hole and then the ability to make a safety miss and take it all the way.”

Franklin ran 91 times for 795 yards, an 8.7 average, with a long of 60 yards last season. He averaged 9.0 yards on 573 career carries in high school. As a receiver, he has seven career catches for 80 yards.

He projects to be UM’s No. 4 back initially in 2021, with the potential to challenge Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylon Knighton for the starting job in 2022, after Cam’Ron Harris moves on. He might begin the season No. 3 on the depth chart if Chaney misses the opener because of a shoulder procedure; Chaney’s available if iffy for that Sept. 4 game against Alabama.

▪ Receiver Brashard Smith from Miami Palmetto:

“There are great players and there are game-winners and Brashard is a game-winner,” Diaz said. “A guy that can line up in so many different ways and find a way to make plays. He had to play quarterback in the playoffs for his high school team, made a deep run in the playoffs. He can about do anything he wants. He is that talented, a very special young man that we’re super excited to get in here very soon.

“He tracks the ball very well, makes tough, contested catches for a touchdown. He lined up at quarterback in the Wildcat. He has great lower body strength and acceleration through the hole. He has a great run-after-catch ability. He’s like a dart once he sees daylight. A guy that on a 3rd-and-10 you throw it to him with five yards to gain and somehow he’s going to make three guys miss.”

Smith was a multi-purpose weapon for Palmetto last season, catching 14 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing 101 times for 613 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a TD pass.

With nine veteran receivers on the roster, Smith won’t be rushed. But he will have a legitimate chance to compete for a top six rotation spot.

I found it interesting that when Rivals national recruiting director Mike Farrell asked Diaz about his 2021 class and what needs were filled, Smith was the first and only name that Diaz mentioned among the skill position players. His ability to turn a short reception into a long gain is a skill vital for UM’s spread offense.

▪ Receiver Jacolby George, from Plantation High:

“Obviously going to an up-tempo spread offense [last season], Rob Likens had to go out and find some wide receivers that really matched the style of play we want to play with,” Diaz said of UM’s receivers coach. “Jacolby is right in there.

“A great skill set that can give us more weapons down the field for the quarterbacks, but also provide value in the kicking game. We were inconsistent at punt returner this year. He’s a guy who is a natural punt-catcher and then he’s got the ability to get to the edge of the field and take it all the way. He certainly will be in the mix as some of our other freshmen will be as a punt returner.

“In a quick spread throw, the guy can take a one-yard throw and turn it into a long play. Even down in the red zone, he has beautiful body control, catches the ball. An underrated thing is how he can catch the ball over his outside shoulder.”

George had 26 catches for 408 yards and nine touchdowns last season and returned one punt for a touchdown. Like the two other freshmen receivers, he likely won’t be needed to play much on offense in 2021 because of veteran depth at the position.

▪ Receiver Romello Brinson, from Miami Northwestern:

“Romello is a special talent,” Diaz said. “A guy who can threaten a defense, can blow the top off a coverage, and when you’ve got that type of speed and playmaking ability down the field, it just changes everything.

“You see him splitting the safeties right down the middle of the field and then can make the contested catch. When you want to be an up-tempo offense, you’ve got to have the abilities to make the big plays down the field, and Melo is a guy that can do that.

“Week in, week out, no matter what the opposition was, [Brinson was productive]. He catches the ball away from his body, great strides, great speed, and he’s what Miami should have — a wide receiver that defenses are always worried about him going deep.”

As a junior in 2019, Brinson caught 43 passes for 834 yards, a 19.3 average. He was rated No. 137 on ESPN’s list of all 2020 prospects.

▪ Tight end Kahlil Brantley, from Miami Northwestern:

“You’re talking about a natural pass-catcher, a guy you can line up in multiple places and be a match-up problem for the defense,” Diaz said. “With his speed, similar to what you see with a wide receiver, he can take a five-yard play and turn it into an explosive touchdown. Great hands, great knack for getting open. A guy that has flexibility. You can line him up as an outside receiver. Has strong hands.

“In a spread offense, [people see] the creativity we’ve had using our tight ends and all the ways [NFL-bound] Brevin Jordan and [UM senior-to-be] Will Mallory have been able to terrorize defenses. We think with the addition of Kahlil it could be the same thing.”

Brantley caught four touchdowns last season and will compete with Arrojo, Larry Hodges and Dominic Mammarelli (perhaps the best blocker of the group) for playing time behind starting tight end Mallory.

As for running back Cody Brown - who joined UM’s recruiting class late after being released from his letter of intent with Tennessee - UM coaches aren’t yet permitted to discuss him or acknowledge that he has joined the 2021 recruiting class.
 
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▪ The toughest call (on offense) that offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and coach Manny Diaz need to make during the next four months: Whether Jaylon Knighton’s big-play ability, high-end speed and elusiveness make him the better option to be UM’s bell-cow back over the more physical and experienced Cam’Ron Harris.

Keep in mind that Knighton started ahead of Harris against Duke because UM believed he earned it. So any notion that Harris is a clear front-runner to be UM’s starter likely isn’t accurate.

Knighton appears to at least have pulled even, if not ahead. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harris is the starter.

Unlike last season, Lashlee has said he wants to give much of the carries to one player to allow that player to get into a rhythm.

The issue with Knighton is whether he would be quite as explosive (as opposed to exhausted) and as dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield if he carries 15 to 20 times a game instead of six.

Last season, he had only one game with double figures in rushing attempts — against Virginia, and he had just 37 yards on 12 carries in that game (just 3.1 per carry). His next-highest workload came against UAB: nine carries for 59 yards (6.6 average).

Though he started against Duke, he ran only twice for 11 yards before leaving with a season-ending shoulder injury.

Harris averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, compared with Knighton’s 4.0, but had a midseason slump (28 carries for 35 yards in three games) and lost his starting spot after the program returned from its COVID stoppage in November.

Say this for Harris: In his games with his heaviest workloads last season, he was very good. Harris averaged a robust 7.9 per carry on 17 carries against UAB; 4.1 on 15 carries against North Carolina State and 6.4 on 15 carries against Duke.

In his heaviest workload game of 2019, Harris averaged 7.6 yards on 18 carries against Georgia Tech.

So we know he can be effective with high volume. And Harris is by no means slow; he can accelerate past defenders for long gains, like he did against UAB.

What isn’t known yet is whether Knighton can be effective with high-volume carries.

For what it’s worth (not a lot), Knighton had seven carries for 43 yards during UM’s spring game, Harris four for 9.

Even if Harris starts, expect UM to maximize Knighton as a receiver out of the backfield. That should be one of the offense’s strengths.

“Rooster, he moves so fast,” striker Gilbert Frierson said of Knighton’s value in the passing game. “He’s explosive; you’ve got to watch him. He turns plays that may be a loss of two to a play that can be a gain. You’ve got to put a hand on him” or you don’t have a chance to slow him.

The hope is that Don Chaney Jr. returns from shoulder surgery in time to challenge both Harris and Knighton for carries by mid-September. He’s iffy for the Sept. 4 opener against Alabama.

One UM source said Chaney might be the best of the three for the bell-cow role.

But whether he will be able to be full-go by the second half of fall camp is very much in question after the recent shoulder procedure.
Considering the fact that bith RBs are giing to touch the ball. Also, whoever is running the best will get the ball. So what does this story try to accomplish besides BJ trying to fill in space during a slow news period....
 
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