Players & Battles To Watch In Miami Hurricanes Spring Practice Day 1 | Donno Mailbag
The wait is finally over.
The Miami Hurricanes will hit the practice field on Monday, March 4th, for the official start of spring football 2024.
Q: With Spring practice coming up, what position battles are you most excited for and who do you think will be the breakout player? For me, I'm most excited to see how the left side of the line plays out, and also my breakout player is Chris Johnson! -Andrew In Chicago
A: The most important battles for me will be the competitions for starting left guard, second cornerback, both safety spots, starting defensive tackles, and third wide receiver.
I am anxious to see if Samson Okunlola is a full participant at the beginning of spring ball. He missed most of last year with a lower body injury but I've heard he is fully healthy - or close to it - again. He's a former 5-Star offensive tackle but could win the starting left guard spot. He will be competing with the likes of Tommy Kinsler and Matthew McCoy, and I will be watching them intently, too.
While Daryl Porter Jr is almost certain to start again this year at corner, competition between Damari Brown, Ja'Dais Richard, Robert Stafford and others could be fierce for the other spot. I spoke with Porter on Saturday and he was very complimentary of Richard. Perhaps the former Vanderbilt transfer will be one of the breakout players you asked about.
There are candidates to become the third starting receiver. Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George are likely to start again this season, so I will be watching players like Isaiah Horton, Joshisa Trader and Ray Ray Joseph to compete for a starting spot or at least significant rotational spots. Horton, in particular, is someone I expect to break out this year.
I cosign on your nomination of second year running back Chris Johnson Jr. He can break out this year. You cannot teach speed like his. As a high school senior he broke the Florida state record in the 200m dash, running it in 20.40 seconds.
Someone who already broke out the past two seasons is transfer quarterback Cam Ward, but I'd be foolish to keep him off this list due to the incredible buzz he brings. He will be the first player I look for when I walk into practice on Monday morning. I've never seen Ward throw in person.
On a related note, the battle for backup quarterback between Jacurri Brown and Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger should be fun to watch.
Keep in mind we're talking about spring ball. The competitions start this week, but many of these battles will not be settled until August. Monday will be just the first mile of a marathon to the season opener against Florida.
More: Miami's Spring Football Game To Be Relocated To Campus For 2024
