Miami Hurricanes Spring Football FINAL WEEK: What To Watch For
The Miami Hurricanes will hit the practice field on Tuesday morning to begin the final week of spring football in 2023.
Here are three position groups I will be watching extra closely over these final practices:
Young edge rushers
The future is bright for the Miami Hurricanes when it comes to rushing the passer. Early enrollee Rueben Bain has been a revelation so far. He's fit and he's big, weighing around 270 pounds according head coach Mario Cristobal. Bain has been thriving in 11 on 11's so far. An observer at last Saturday's scrimmage told me Bain was "constantly in the freaking backfield."
Sophomore Nyjalik Kelly will try to build on an excellent true freshman season last year. Kelly has been earning praise from Cristobal and defensive line coach Jason Taylor throughout spring.
Cyrus Moss, another sophomore, has some catching up to do physically. I will be watching him intently to see how he's coming along. Coach Taylor described Moss' difficulty in keeping weight on his lanky, 6-foot-five frame. JT had the same problem as a young player, before cementing his hall of fame career. Moss has elite potential. Can he put it all together?
Quarterback room & wide receivers stepping up
Overreacting to quarterback play during the spring is a tradition unlike any other.
Tyler Van Dyke is the clear favorite to start in 2023, but I must say, backup Jacurri Brown is having a fantastic spring. Plus, early enrollee Emory Williams looks special.
Brown has made some big plays during scrimmages. If he lights it up on Friday in the spring game, will Canes fans try to spark a QB controversy?
The past two spring games featured some great drives from former backup Jake Garcia (who transferred to Mizzou), and now it's Brown and Williams' turn to give us something to talk about.
At receiver, I would just like to see a pulse from this unit! Last season was uninspiring all around from the passing game. You can blame the former offensive coordinator, you can blame the quarterbacks, the offensive line, and you can blame the receivers themselves. It was EVERYONE's fault. They need to do better this year.
Junior Colbie Young, Miami's leading wideout last year, has shed some weight and looks fast. Jacolby George battled injuries and served a suspension last year. He's having a solid spring. Isaiah Horton, a redshirt freshman, seems to be putting things together. Early enrollees Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington will add explosive depth. I hope to see these guys making plays on Friday.
Offensive line playing as a unit
Will they? The individual talent looks great up front. If they can build chemistry they will be formidable this season.
Miami's projected starting five, Jalen Rivers, Javion Cohen, Matt Lee, Anez Cooper and Francis Mauigoa could be the best O-Line in the ACC if they stay healthy and play as a unit.
While a spring game, with limited contact, is not the best barometer for judging physicality in the trenches, watching this unit go up against some of the talented edge rushers we discussed earlier will be a treat.
The Miami Hurricanes spring game will take place this Friday, April 14th, at 7:30pm from DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. For info on obtaining free tickets, visit MiamiHurricanes.com.
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