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Coral Gables, FL — Spring football is well underway at the campus of the University of Miami, and Saturday’s scrimmage will be the first significant indicator as to what kind of team will take the field in Dallas against Alabama in game one of the 2021 season. The scrimmage will be the first opportunity for the Hurricanes to practice and simulate a live game experience.
“We’ve done some live tackling but it’s just not the same as it is when it’s a scrimmage day,” said Head Coach Manny Diaz during a zoom post-practice press conference. “It’s been a big point of emphasis to stop the run better and to run the ball better so of course in spring practice…it’s too early right now to say we accomplished this, but we are certainly working hard on both sides of the ball to improve where we were.”
In 2020, the Canes ranked 75th out of 127 teams in rushing defense allowing 174.5 yards per game. On offense, Miami ranked 66th in rushing yards at 162.5 per game.
In 2021, the Hurricanes have an established veteran at every position group which is not very common for the program in recent years. Miami has been a program that has fallen victim to its elite players leaving after their junior year for the NFL creating depth concerns at most positions.
This is not the case in 2021. The Miami Hurricanes are the highest-ranked team in the final 2020 AP poll with the most significant players returning for the 2021 season.
Notable Returning Seniors:
Quarterback – D’Eriq King
Running back – Cam’ron Harris
Wide Receiver – Mike Harley Jr.
Offensive Line – Navaughn Donaldson
Defensive Line – Jonathan Ford
Linebacker – Zach McCloud
Defensive back – Amari Carter
One of the vets returning for his senior season is skilled wide receiver Mike Harley Jr. (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale). The All-ACC third-team selection could have opted for the 2021 NFL draft, but Harley decided to stay home and continue to improve his game. One of the ways the senior wideout keeps his focus is writing his goals on his mirror, a motivational tactic that was made public via social media that has inspired his teammates.
Step into the life of @MikeHarleyjr 📺👀 pic.twitter.com/S90BQfs7zI
— Canes Football (@CanesFootball) March 26, 2021
“A lot of guys started DM-ing (direct messaging) me,” said Harley of his teammates in the press conference. “[They said] I’m going to start doing that. That’s inspiration, that’s motivation.”
Another established veteran is NFL-caliber offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson (Miami Central). Donaldson, (6-6, 351) has played significantly since his freshman season, tore his ACL and MCL in the 2019 season, and redshirted in 2020 to fully rehab his right knee. The senior made significant strides and impressed his teammates and others in Spring practice so far.
Senior @CanesFootball wide receiver @MikeHarleyjr talks about Navaughn Donaldson’s play this spring: “I’ve never seen him run before” pic.twitter.com/9HUjNAIruY
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) March 26, 2021
“We came in together,” said Harley of Donaldson, both of whom came to Miami in the same recruiting year. “Our freshman year, he just went off. I was like wow Vaughn is playing as a freshman, he’s going crazy, he’s big, and as time goes on I remember he went down, I was like dang. Last year, he said he was going to return for another year. Nobody thought that the whole team would come back.”
In the past, Miami has relied heavily on transfers to plug in players for veteran leadership and 2021 is no different. The Hurricanes added redshirt senior defensive end Deandre Johnson (Miami Southridge) from Tennessee and redshirt senior wide receiver Charleston Rambo from Oklahoma to the mix. The highly athletic Georgia transfer Tyrique Stevenson (Miami Southridge), a Football Hotbed All-American, should push for playing time immediately in the defensive backfield.
“[Rambo] has straight-line speed, you get the ball in his hands he makes something happen, said Harley. “Physically, mentally, and emotionally he’s handling [the transition] well.”
“Great competitor. He’s a student of the game for sure,” said Harley of Stevenson. “He’s a smart guy.”
Although veterans will take on a key role in the success of the team, Miami will again be heavily reliant on their young core of highly recruited or “blue-chip” freshman and sophomores. The Hurricanes currently have 55 redshirt or true freshmen currently on the roster with several others to arrive on campus in the summer. Most notably to arrive for fall practice are five-star prospects James Williams (American Heritage Plantation, FL) and Leonard Taylor (Miami Palmetto, FL). The NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility to its student-athletes because of the adversity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many highly touted freshmen who saw limited or no action on the field in 2020, now have the opportunity to prove themselves.
“There are older guys that we’ve seen, they’re are all getting better but we’ve seen what they can do, but really the guys I’m excited to watch are some of the younger guys,” said Diaz. “The class that is finishing their second year on campus that missed out on a spring, missed out on a summer and just let those guys go out there and play and see what they can do. I think that’s going to be a big key to our team, those guys stepping up and taking some roles.”
Underclassmen to Watch
Avantae Williams – Safety (DeLand, FL)
Avery Huff – Linebacker (St. Thomas Aquinas, FL)
Chantz Williams – Defensive Line (Oakleaf, FL)
Dazalin Worsham – Wide Receiver (Hewitt-Trussville, AL)
Dominic Mamarelli – Tight End (Naples, FL)
Don Chaney Jr. – Running Back (Belen Jesuit, FL)
Elijah Roberts – Defensive End (Columbus, Miami, FL)
Isaiah Dunson – Cornerback (Tucker, GA)
Issiah Walker, Jr. – Offensive Line (Norland, FL)
Jahfari Harvey – Defensive End (Vero Beach, FL)
Jalen Rivers – Offensive Line (Oakleaf, FL)
Jaylan Knighton – Running Back (Deerfield Beach, FL)
Jeremiah Payton – Wide Receiver (Fletcher, FL)
Keyshawn Smith – Wide Receiver (Lincoln, CA)
Keshawn Washington – Wide Receiver (South Dade, FL)
Michael Redding III – Wide Receiver (IMG Academy, FL)
Tyler Van Dyke – Quarterback (Suffield Academy, CT)
Xavier Restrepo – Wide Receiver (Deerfield Beach, FL)
The Miami Hurricanes scrimmage will be played the morning of March 27th and is closed to the public and the media.
