Miami Hurricanes Spring Practice #1 Recap: QUARTERBACK Room Starts Well
When I strolled out onto the Greentree practice fields on Saturday morning to get my first look at the 2023 Miami Hurricanes, the first thing that stood out to me was the team's SIZE.
I covered spring ball in 2022, but the team looks better built now after an extra year in the strength and conditioning program.
The player who immediately caught my attention was one that I'd never seen in person before.
True freshman quarterback Emory Williams looks physically mature beyond his eighteen years. I'd been told by colleagues who've covered him in person at Milton HS that he has great lower body strength. Seeing those tree trunks he calls legs in person made me understand.
Williams was also throwing the ball accurately in team drills and in individual drills. His head coach raved about his progress.
"He's a real one," Mario Cristobal said. "That guy is talented. He's sharp. He's athletic. He's accurate. He's a good leader and he can take it. We get after our quarterbacks pretty good and he responds to it really well. He's also done a really good job taking to the tutelage of Jacurri (Brown) and (Tyler Van Dyke)."
I asked Van Dyke for his impressions on Williams so far.
"He impresses me," Van Dyke said. "He's a well-rounded kid. Very accurate with the football and smart."
Miami fans will be happy to know that Van Dyke, the likely starter at quarterback next season, looks healthy after missing time last season with a shoulder injury. Tyler practiced on Saturday with no limitations and his arm looked good. Van Dyke told the media he's healthy enough to play in a game tomorrow if he could.
Van Dyke said sophomore quarterback Jacurri Brown has really stepped up his ability in the pocket and is throwing the football more accurately.
Here are some other observations I made during Day 1:
-It was great to see early enrollee freshmen receivers Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington working drills and running routes. They looked smooth. Joseph was wearing a red, non-contact jersey, but it was likely strictly for precautionary reasons. He was a full participant in all the drills that media were able to watch.
-Redshirt freshman receiver Isaiah Horton looked solid and quick. With his 6'4 frame and wingspan, Horton can be dangerous if he continues to improve.
-Third-year redshirt freshman Don Chaney Jr. was a full participant in practice! He wasn't wearing a non-contact jersey and Cristobal told us after practice that Chaney is fully healthy.
-Wide receivers coach Kevin Beard is fun to watch in action. He's animated, hands-on, and does a lot of the drills himself to set the example for his players.
-Shannon Dawson, the new OC and quarterbacks coach, is also a joy to observe. When he gets fired up you can hear the Louisiana in his voice.
-Many have asked me about incoming freshman running backs Chris Johnson and Mark Fletcher. Neither are enrolled early so we will not see them make their practice debuts until fall camp
-Offensive tackle Zion Nelson and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor will both miss the spring period as they recover from injuries. Cristobal told us that both are making great progress and will be ready well before fall camp begins. The staff is being cautious with both.
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