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Up Close with Manny Diaz.

Liberty City El said:
It's because they're injured most of the time.

If the depth thing was true then Ragu wouldn't have played any snaps at all last year, but yet he was playing in crucial games & missing tackles. That's not a knock on him, it's not his fault, just saying that the best ability is availability & our LB's have been injured AF for like the last 2-3 years here.

Now, maybe that changes this season & guys like Jennings, Joyner & the rest stay healthy, but the fact is LB depth was an issue last year.

This year we'll have McCloud, Brooks, Huff, BJ Jennings (if healthy), Pat Joyner, Tirek Austin-Cave & Corey Flagg, if they're all healthy that's a solid group with good athleticism & good speed, however they're very inexperienced & will need a lot of reps, and unfortunately due to Covid-19 the Spring reps were cut short & Fall camp may not be run the same as it ordinarily would. Which means aside from McCloud (who's had his own struggles as a player during his tenure here) we really don't have a well versed experienced group with lots of starts & reps.

We got a group of young guys with good potential/upside & speed who are mostly green. Which means the coaches, particularly Diaz, Baker & Patke will have to really earn their keep in getting the young LB corps ready for battle in such a short time with such limited reps.

Will they play disciplined assignment football with strong gap integrity? We hope so, but remains to be seen. We have a pretty strong Defense upfront at DL & on the backend at Safety, the 2 question marks on Defense is LB & Boundary Corner, we get those figured out & we'll no doubt have a top 10 Defense.
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What’s the story on Jennings anyway? Is he going to be a full go, that you know of?
 
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ajone228 said:
Part IV: Manny talks about the depth on defense


It’s an interesting conundrum for a defense-minded head coach. Manny Diaz, a former defensive coordinator, will watch Rhett Lashlee’s hurry-up spread offense go to work this season.
But…
What if a defense that doesn’t have experienced depth at linebacker, cornerback and defensive tackle tires?
What if the offense has some three-and-outs and the D is left on the field for long periods of time, yielding chunks of yards and points?
Would Diaz have Lashlee slow down the pace in those scenarios or is this going to be a full-speed-ahead offense other than when trying to run out the clock on a half or a game?
“You have a chance to change tempos,” Diaz told CaneSport, adding that the goal is a depth chart that will allow the offense to go as fast as it wants for as long as it wants.
“We for certain have to go two-deep on defense,” he says.



We for certain have to go two-deep on defense.
— Manny Diaz

Diaz also says the perception that the linebacker room doesn't have a lot of depth is incorrect. Yes, the unit lost Shaq Quarterman and Mike Pinckney, but Diaz says “Linebacker in terms of depth, this is by far the best depth we’ve had at linebacker since I’ve been here. Not in terms of snap counts, but in terms of amount of guys that we think are competitive guys that can go into a game, you know?”
Diaz also singled out Bradley Jennings, saying “He was going to play a tremendous role on the team last year (before he was injured), was having a great spring.”
“Everyone knows about Zach (McCloud),” Diaz added. “Everyone talks about linebacker recruiting, but Sam (Brooks) and Avery (Huff), I don’t know where we can find two better South Florida linebacker prospects than those two guys.”
Diaz also said that McCloud could play MLB or Will, and the same goes for Brooks and Huff.
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everyone talks about linebacker recruiting lol hes on the board
 
D_G87 said:
I never understood why y’all thought LB depth is an issue.. we only play 2 and we have a lot of dudes who can get snaps...
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Bodies is cool but game experience is where we lack there forsure.

I hope them boys handle business tho. We definitely got speed upgrades there
 
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Liberty City El said:
It's because they're injured most of the time.

If the depth thing was true then Ragu wouldn't have played any snaps at all last year, but yet he was playing in crucial games & missing tackles. That's not a knock on him, it's not his fault, just saying that the best ability is availability & our LB's have been injured AF for like the last 2-3 years here.

Now, maybe that changes this season & guys like Jennings, Joyner & the rest stay healthy, but the fact is LB depth was an issue last year.

This year we'll have McCloud, Brooks, Huff, BJ Jennings (if healthy), Pat Joyner, Tirek Austin-Cave & Corey Flagg, if they're all healthy that's a solid group with good athleticism & good speed, however they're very inexperienced & will need a lot of reps, and unfortunately due to Covid-19 the Spring reps were cut short & Fall camp may not be run the same as it ordinarily would. Which means aside from McCloud (who's had his own struggles as a player during his tenure here) we really don't have a well versed experienced group with lots of starts & reps.

We got a group of young guys with good potential/upside & speed who are mostly green. Which means the coaches, particularly Diaz, Baker & Patke will have to really earn their keep in getting the young LB corps ready for battle in such a short time with such limited reps.

Will they play disciplined assignment football with strong gap integrity? We hope so, but remains to be seen. We have a pretty strong Defense upfront at DL & on the backend at Safety, the 2 question marks on Defense is LB & Boundary Corner, we get those figured out & we'll no doubt have a top 10 Defense.
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Don’t forget Steed
 
I've been worrying about Lbs since last off season. I know the projections and the speed factor situation but I want on field validation. Complete suspense.
 
If McCloud wasn’t back I think it would be a big issue, but I’m more optimistic about the situation... Our scheme isn’t that complicated and all those injured guys are back... We have vets, some thumpers, some speed, some young guns..
 
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@KingLew88 said:
Don’t forget Steed
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Steed has had multiple ACL's tears & has missed every single year of his eligibility with serious season ending injury.

I liked him a lot coming out of HS & root for him to be healthy, but the reality is the odds of him playing are low.

He can't be relied upon to be a contributor just based on the fact he hasn't done it yet. Hopefully he can & will, but until he does can't expect for him to do so.
 
Question for the board....Did Howard, JJ, or Butch have to bring in former players to get their teams motivated?

I know former players were always at Miami games and always showed great support and enthusiasm for being Canes which is always great..but aside from being on the sidelines, being available for advice and utilizing our training facilities which showed how Pro's prepared ....BUT did those former coaches rely on alums to get their players motivated for the season or games or did they mainly carry that load themselves?

As I recall those coaches did the preparation, set the expectations & goals, measured performance, instilled the discipline, and motivated their teams to ALWAYS perform at the highest level at ALL times on their own. The alums were icing on the cake those coaches built.

To do that Manny has to establish his own winning culture and not rely on it being absorbed by Players from just by being here.
 
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Liberty City El said:
Steed has had multiple ACL's tears & has missed every single year of his eligibility with serious season ending injury.

I liked him a lot coming out of HS & root for him to be healthy, but the reality is the odds of him playing are low.

He can't be relied upon to be a contributor just based on the fact he hasn't done it yet. Hopefully he can & will, but until he does can't expect for him to do so.
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I was guessing that’s why you left him off. Kid has gotten the worse of the coin since coming here. I hope he’s able to contribute.

I know papa steed around here somewhere with a update ready
 
Liberty City El said:
Steed has had multiple ACL's tears & has missed every single year of his eligibility with serious season ending injury.

I liked him a lot coming out of HS & root for him to be healthy, but the reality is the odds of him playing are low.

He can't be relied upon to be a contributor just based on the fact he hasn't done it yet. Hopefully he can & will, but until he does can't expect for him to do so.
Click to expand...

I feel bad for him. All he can do his work his hardest, try his best, and hope for the best. It’s not unheard of for somebody like him to eventually get to play football at a high level, but it requires a lot of hard work and luck as well. I’m wishing him the best
 
MainLineCane said:
Question for the board....Did Howard, JJ, or Butch have to bring in former players to get their teams motivated?

I know former players were always at Miami games and always showed great support and enthusiasm for being Canes which is always great..but aside from being on the sidelines, being available for advice and utilizing our training facilities which showed how Pro's prepared ....BUT did those former coaches rely on alums to get their players motivated for the season or games or did they mainly carry that load themselves?

As I recall those coaches did the preparation, set the expectations & goals, measured performance, instilled the discipline, and motivated their teams to ALWAYS perform at the highest level at ALL times on their own. The alums were icing on the cake those coaches built.

To do that Manny has to establish his own winning culture and not rely on it being absorbed by Players from just by being here.
Click to expand...

At least
Liberty City El said:
Steed has had multiple ACL's tears & has missed every single year of his eligibility with serious season ending injury.

I liked him a lot coming out of HS & root for him to be healthy, but the reality is the odds of him playing are low.

He can't be relied upon to be a contributor just based on the fact he hasn't done it yet. Hopefully he can & will, but until he does can't expect for him to do so.
Click to expand...

At least Steed will have an degree in hand clear and free
 
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Part V: CMD on recruiting


Coach Manny Diaz says the Miami Hurricanes will fill up the Class of 2021 with the full allotment of 25 signees. And he told CaneSport that, with a full class already in 2020 after adding Issiah Walker, any transfers that come in at this point would count against 2021. So the recent addition Jarrid Williams brings the max number in 2021 to 24 initial scholarships.
As of now Miami has 78 scholarship players and will have 10 graduating seniors, by CaneSport’s math. So that means UM has 17 open spots looking ahead … and the remaining eight can come from current players going pro early, transferring, etc.
Miami’s already well on its way to the 24 aforementioned limit based on the current commitment list, and there’s a strange hidden benefit for Miami due to the extended dead period (now until Aug. 1): Other schools weren’t able to come into South Florida to try and raid UM’s targets this spring. And the South Florida talent hasn’t gotten a chance to take visits and likely won’t have a lot of chances in the fall given their own high school schedules.
Diaz’s take on that?
“There could be (a benefit), but we’re a long way till signing day,” Diaz told CaneSport. “Because of the nature of the entire spring and summer being dead, obviously it helps us because everyone is aware of the parade of schools that come down here in April and May. And the unofficial visits, that’s a thing that didn’t exist in the ‘80s and ‘90s when Miami was recruiting those kids. Those teams, the other schools just didn’t have the access. You listen to the stories, and I was at NC State in the early 2000s and remember recruiting against Miami in South Florida. It's so different. And the ability to now get kids to come on the bus tours and go to camps (at other schools), that just didn’t happen back then. So all that went away, and that makes everything a little different.
“Now, if we don’t make great connections with the recruits and the families, I don’t think that’s going to help. But if we do a great job of making those connections and then put a great product on the field in the fall then .........It’ll be hard to know the secret sauce but I know you still have nothing in recruiting without relationships. And I think this staff has done a great job at this early stage of building some really good relationships.”
* Diaz said the team is set on taking a QB in 2021 but it could be a transfer.
“You always add a quarterback to your team every year,” Diaz said. “It can be a transfer if it’s the right fit. We’re still planning to take a quarterback in this signing class.”



We’re still planning to take a quarterback in this signing class.
— Manny Diaz

* What position does Diaz see as the biggest priority in the Class of 2021?
Diaz points to all of them.
“It’s interesting, there’s not a spot where, because we don’t have a very large senior class … you never know what your juniors will do in terms of going (pro early) … but for us we just feel like we sign an entire football team,” Diaz said. “You have to recruit a secondary, a linebacking corps, a front, same thing on the offensive side of the ball. I don’t know there’s a position we feel is not of importance to recruit. I think we’re going pretty hard after everybody.”
* Diaz says he anticipates all the freshmen that have not yet reported will be good to go when the team returns to practice.
That list: S
Avantae Williams, CB
Isaiah Dunson, S
Jalen Harrell, S
Brian Balom, CB
Marcus Clarke, DE
Elijah Robertsand DE
Quentin Williams.

“Those guys should all be moved in on July 1,” Diaz said.
 
MainLineCane said:
bring in former players to get their teams motivated?
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Fans and media play this up a lot and it is not reality. Kids do NOT listen to hasbeens. Kids listen to other kids and leaders their own age. They nod their heads when people are talking to them on the sidelines but they are not giving them attention. Now if the former players have built a relationship with current players in the weight room and on campus that can be different mentorship. But to believe a kid is going to take in some older guy who comes in and says something for 5 minutes in a locker room your kidding yourself. Ray Lewis can get anyone hyped for 10 minutes but that is nothing compared to the mentorship he has done with kids in the past through out their life.
 
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