Countdown to Canes Football: No. 17 Jared Harrison-Hunte
The Miami Hurricanes need to be a more impactful defense, and that starts right in the middle of the defensive line.
Today’s player in the Countdown to Canes Football rankings has experience, size, and the athleticism to help Miami get better, especially versus the run.
Here’s the link to the full list for Countdown to Canes Football.
Jared Harrison-Hunte
Size: 6-foot-4, 285 pounds
Position: Defensive Tackle
Class: 4th-RS-Sophomore
Recruitment and Background
Harrison-Hunte is at Miami after making the selection for the Canes over Arizona State, Penn State and Ohio State, his other three official visits. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, and Tennessee are some other offers from his high school days.
At over 280 pounds coming out of Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ The King, Harrison-Hunte certainly possessed the frame and athleticism to earn those offers.
2022 Statistics (9 Games)
Tackles: 16
Tackles for Loss: 4
Sacks: 2
What Harrison-Hunte Brings to the Defensive Line
Size and power. He’s a naturally strong young man that can take on a double team and still be impactful during that play. Getting sideways and continuing to move forward with quick hands, he’s been known to penetrate into the backfield even with the two big offensive linemen blocking him. The talent is there to make game-changing plays.
To see more of that in 2023, he needs to be more consistent with technique; add more moves to his repertoire that he consistently uses. With his first-step quickness and natural power, he should honestly improve as a pass rusher now that he’s in his fourth year at the University of Miami, too. Harrison-Hunte knows the tricks of the trade.
Impacting the Run Game
He has the talent to get after the passer. That’s a fact. Harrison-Hunte needs to be just as good – if not even better – at also stuffing the run. Now, he is coming off an injury. Harrison-Hunte saw action in nine games last season, including missing the final three contests when Miami’s run defense went down the tubes.
Having Harrison-Hunte on the field for all 12 games means a lot to this defense. Part of that is obviously luck with injury. Fair enough. He also needs to come into fall camp in the best shape of his life.
When he’s on the field, teams need to account for his size and athleticism. That allows linebackers to scrape and get to the football easier, as well as his fellow defensive linemen to move towards the ball carrier as well. That leads to a point about Harrison-Hunte’s experience turning into something very important.
Time to Lead
Harrison-Hunte needs to be ready to help along the Transfer Portal additions like former Purdue defensive tackle Branson Deen, and even incoming freshman Joshua Horton, among other Miami players.
Being in great shape speaks for itself. His leadership, that’s another way the UM defensive effort takes a major step forward. The rotation was simply not deep enough last year either. The more Harrison-Hunte helps the new guys adjust, the more impactful they should be. Plus, that’s a way he can come off the field more and rest because the Miami defensive coaching staff trusts more and more players.
It’s mentioned in almost every one of these Countdown to Canes Football capsules. It’s leadership!
Miami needs a huge influx of it heading into this 2023 season, and Harrison-Hunte, as a four-year player, needs to be a major part of that. One more key point to discuss before a projection.
Big Game Success
Miami has games like Texas A&M and Clemson at home, as well as North Carolina and North Carolina State on the road. These will be some of the teams that can run and pass the football with top-notch athletes. To combat those teams, getting penetration into the backfield and being consistent with assignments, will be a must.
How does Harrison-Hunte come out and play in those games? To be a great program once again, Miami defensive line coach Joe Salave'a needs his most talented players to step up and be factors against the likes of the Aggies, Tigers, Tar Heels and Wolfpack. That’s the goal for Harrison-Hunte, to be one of those players that truly changes the outcome of a game.
It's time.
2023 Projection
30 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 5 sacks should be the bottom end for what Harrison-Hunte accomplishes. He’s too talented and experienced not to be in that range.
2024 Recruiting Rankings: Florida's Top 25 Prospects
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