Former Miami Hurricanes QB Explains How Coaching Can Elevate WR Room, Why Guidry's Defense Is Effective
I sat down with former Miami Hurricanes starting quarterback Malik Rosier to pick his brain on Miami's transition into new offense and defensive schemes.
Miami returns most of their wide receiver group who underwhelmed in 2022. The leading receiver among wideouts was Colbie Young with 376 yards and five touchdowns.
The unit was marred by injuries, poor offensive line play (which disrupted everything offensively,) and shuffling between three different quarterbacks. Plus, the scheme and play-calling from former coordinator and WR coach Josh Gattis weren't exactly inspiring.
I asked Rosier how much the returning receivers can improve in 2023 strictly based on the new scheme from OC Shannon Dawson and the teaching of new WR coach Kevin Beard.
"One hundred percent," Rosier said, when asked if the WR room can benefit from their new situation. "A lot of these receivers are used to using their speed to create separation (in higschool,) but in college, you've gotta learn how to stem, you've gotta understand your leverage. These are things that (Kevin Beard) is gonna teach them. In Dawson's offense there are a lot of mesh concepts. I am a huge fan of adding in mesh. It's all about teaching receivers coverage recognition. Players have to know where the holes are and where the weaknesses are."
I picked Rosier's brain on why new defensive coordinator Lance Guidry is known for confusing opposing quarterbacks.
Guidry excels in disguising coverages. "One thing that you're gonna see Guidry run a lot is quarters, which is a cover two look but it's not really cover two," Rosier explained. "It causes a lot of issues because you have double layering across the middle."
"Most of the time, as a quarterback, it's a lot easier to hit a slant or something coming towards me. In this quarters look, you throw at the corners and you throw outside. You're basically going to be double-teaming the tight end and the slot guy. It makes it harder for quarterbacks because you have to target them outside and those are lower-percentage throws."
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