Eye on the U

Dye, lawyer still waiting to hear back from NCAA

The criminal complaint filed by Hurricanes football player Dyron Dye against former NCAA investigator Rich Johanningmeier will not lead to charges being filed.

Spokesman Ed Griffith of the state attorney's office told The Miami Herald last week there was no evidence that a crime had been committed even though Dye said Johanningmeier "coerced him into providing favorable answers for [the NCAA's] investigation."

Darren Heitner, Dye's attorney, said he and his client are waiting with much anticipation to see what the NCAA plans to do with the 6-5, 261-pound's eligibility. He interviewed with the NCAA for a third time last month. 

"Right now there is no indication his eligibility is at risk," Heitner said. "That said, during his third interview they mentioned there was a potential 10.1 [unethical conduct] violation. We haven't heard from the NCAA since the conclusion of the third interview. We hope that if there is any negative consequence they make it public knowledge quickly."

Injury report looks good for the Miami Hurricanes as they prepare to travel to Boston College for opener

 

The University of Miami injury report is out, and as Al Golden has been saying the past few days, the Hurricanes have made it out of fall camp relatively healthy.

In the first MIami ACC Injury Report just handed out to the media, there are no surprises.

Linebacker Raphael Kirby ("lower extremity'' -- that would be leg) and defensive tackle Curtis Porter ("upper extremity'' -- that would be appendectomy) are the only Canes listed as out for the game.

Actually, they're the only Hurricanes listed on the report. No one is listed as doubtful and no one is listed as probable, and no one is listed under the "Surgeries/Out for the Season'' category. Golden said he is hopeful Kirby returns by midseason.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

The many faces of Lieutenant Al Golden

Here are a couple of fun pictures from fans of UM coach Al Golden aboard Forrest Gump's boat -- The Jenny.

Golden spoke to reporters Tuesday in anticipation of the Boston College opener Saturday and talked about feeling like he's been involved in a storm for the past 19 months (amid an NCAA investigation and coaching the program) and made a reference to the infamous Oscar-winning movie.

"Somebody asked me about the storm the other day," Golden said. "I said it's been storming for 19 months now. I mean that's the truth. I feel like Lieutenant Dan in the Gulf on a shrimp boat. You call this a storm? That's where we're at."

 

 

Golden talks BC, opener and says of weathering the NCAA storm "I feel like Lieutenant Dan in the Gulf on a shrimp boat."

We're only five days away from the season opener at Boston College.

UM coach Al Golden spoke for 25 minutes during a press conference Tuesday to preview the game and as usual provided a few memorable lines. Nothing was better, though, then when Golden was talking about the season in general and external expectations.

"If we're worried about the external we're in for a long year," Golden said. "Somebody asked me about the storm the other day. I said it's been storming for 19 months now. I mean that's the truth. I feel like Lieutenant Dan in the Gulf on a shrimp boat. You call this a storm? That's where we're at."

Golden was obviously making a reference to the ongoing NCAA investigation and impending sanctions heading UM's way.

Here are a couple of other quick hitters from Tuesday's press conference at UM with Golden:

> As expected, Golden said offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, who missed all of fall camp dealing with a concussion and the death of two relatives, and defensive tackle Curtis Porter (appendectomy) will not be making the trip to Boston College.

> Golden said the final position battles for starting jobs at receiver (Allen Hurns or Phillip Dorsett and Kendall Thompkins or Rashawn Scott), strongside linebacker (Thurston Armbrister or Eddie Johnson) and safety (Kacy Rodgers or Deon Bush) will decided by Wednesday night, which means we probably won't know who won the jobs until Saturday.

> Golden expects 14-15 true freshmen to play in the opener and more possibly down the road. Preston Dewey won the third string job over Gray Crow and will travel to BC.

> Golden said freshman running back Duke Johnson "will not carry the work load" Mike James or Eduardo Clements will in the opener, but will get his touches. He said to expect all four running backs and all four tight ends to play Saturday.

> Told his players have used the term shocking the world when talking to reporters about this coming season, Golden quipped: "I'd like to sit them down right where you are sitting and shock them... let's not talk about it. Let's be about it."

> Golden said the cast on the right leg of freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby was removed on Tuesday. He said he expects to know more about Kirby in the next two to three weeks. Golden has been hopeful since Kirby was injured in camp that he might be able to return this season.

Boston College coach Frank Spaziani talks about the 9/1 opening game against the Miami Hurricanes

Just got off a teleconference with Frank Spaziani, the coach of Miami's first opponent, Boston College.  

Spaziani knows Al Golden quite well. Golden was the linebackers coach at BC from 1997 to '99. Spaziani has been at BC since 1997. Spaziani was the running backs coach in 97 and 98, and the defensive coordinator from 1999 through 2008. He became the Eagles' head coach in 2009.

Here are some of his comments. He made sure not to talk about anyone specifically from Miami, except for a few comments on quarterback Stephen Morris.

On Stephen Morris:

"Stephen is a very big league quarterback with skills. All you do is have to go back and look at the Maryland game he started last year. He didn’t skip a beat as far as their offense. They moved the ball and scored very well. I know the situation that they had last year was obviously a new situation in handling everybody, but he has all the skills and I’m sure with a whole season with the system under his belt and now an offseason and a preseason, we’re expecting an accomplished quarterback in there, and somebody that albeit hasn’t played a lot of plays, but has been in games and been around and I’m sure he’s going to be well schooled."

 Is it better to have the whole offseason to prepare for a team without having seen a lot of the opponents’ new faces, or having seen them on film in game action without as much time to prepare?

 "The positive is some of our guys have had experience and been on the field with them; they’ve got that to carry over. In openers for everybody throughout the country the motto is expect the unexpected. We know they’re well coached, everybody is going to be enthusiastic on both sides of the field and they have got great athletes, so expect the unexpected and take care of our own business and see what we have."

 How possible is it to put together any semblance of a real game plan for week 1. Is it more about you week 1 than opponent as opposed to other weeks where you can game plan more specifically?

 "Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It’s just natural the more you’ve seen people going into the season, it’s a better beat you can get on them. But those guys on offense and defense over there do a good job of keeping you off balance. You have to draw from something that they’ve done in the past. Everybody has something they hang their hat on and they’re going to put some new wrinkles in." 

  "That’s where experience comes in and helps you get through those things.  As I said, earlier, the best motto to go by is expect the unexpected. There is going to be things in that game that we haven’t seen on both sides of the ball and in special teams and certainly there is going to be stuff that they haven’t seen and it’s just a matter of who can adjust and who can handle it. That’s the excitement of a first game, really. It’s tremendous for everybody."

 Playing Miami the last game of last season and first this season, does that present an interesting dynamic? Does that change things?

 “You know, not really. I don’t think so. It looks like there should be some interesting  dynamics in that they’re back to back games but they’re back to back nine months apart or 10 months apart or whatever it is. They’re two different teams. A lot of things have changed from that game. The atmosphere, the psychology, the teamwork. they’re just two different teams. I could speak for our team and I’m sure Al would say the same thing.’’

 Is opening with a conference game a good thing?

 “I don’t mind it, because it’s the same for both of us. Miami is the same as us. There is no game earlier or they didn’t have any extra practice time. So, you have to play the game so why not get them going? That’s the way I look at it. It’s one week. Every week is an individual season. Conference game or no conference let’s find out who we are.’’

 Anybody in particular from Miami that stands out?

 “I cannot identify them they’re so fast. They have some very good players on both sides of the ball. Obviously their skill people and their size and their quickness. That’s an athletic football team with some good players and they’re well coached.”

 SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather forces Miami Hurricanes to practice in the Dolphins' indoor bubble

CANES IN THE BUBBLE

The Hurricanes moved their Saturday practice to the Miami Dolphins’ indoor practice facility in Davie.

Practice – closed to the public and media – was originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m., but was moved up to 1 p.m. “because of the weather conditions,’’ said UM director of communications Chris Yandle. “It rained in Miami all morning.’’

The university announced Saturday afternoon that it would be closing at 7 p.m. and would remain closed through Monday.

“We will resume operations Tuesday as of now,’’ Yandle said Saturday evening.

The Canes, who will open the season Sept. 1 at Boston College, are also scheduled for a Sunday practice session. Yandle said that session is obviously dependent on the weather as well.

SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST

Four Miami Hurricanes are among 312 seniors named to the 2013 Senior Bowl Watch List, game officials announced.

Senior running back Mike James, cornerback Brandon McGee, defensive tackle Darius Smith and safety Vaughn Telemaque are the UM representatives on the Senior Bowl’s inaugural watch list. The top 100 seniors in the nation will be invited to participate in the 2013 Senior Bowl, which is set for Jan. 26 at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Friday's first 15 for Miami Hurricanes: Quick notes (including Eddie Johnson practicing)

Good morning everyone.

The Hurricanes returned to practice today and are getting into their normal routine for the season, which means they start practice just after 9 a.m. and quit after 11 a.m.

Offensive right tackle Seantrel Henderson wore a white jersey with the No. 74 on it, as opposed to his usual No. 77. But he was practicing.

The other No. 74: Left tackle Ereck Flowers, the true freshman (with the first-team orange jersey) slated to make his first college start in his first college game Sept. 1 at Boston College.

Also, linebacker Gionni Paul, who hurt his knee in fall camp, was in a red jersey today, which means no contact. I saw him run off the field near the end of our viewing period.

The good news regarding the linebacker position is that redshirt freshmen Eddie Johnson, around whom plenty of talk was swirling regarding his status, was practicing.

Wide receiver Allen Hurns, recovering from a head injury, slipped into a yellow (limited) jersey today.

We'll be back at UM in a few minutes to do some interviewing.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Who would you take in a Canes' fantasy draft?

In the spirit of fantasy football draft season, I've decided to come up with a list of the top players at UM in terms of who I believe will provide the most quality production and leadership during the 2012 season.

Again, we haven't seen any of these guys beyond 15 to 30 minute sessions at practice. I'm formulating these rankings based on those brief glimpses and interviews I've done with players and coaches. Basically, if you were to ask me who I would take off this team to try and win, these are the guys I would take in order right now:

1. Denzel Perryman, So., LB: I think we took for granted last season the immediate impact this kid provided. He finished second on the team behind Sean Spence with 69 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two forced fumbles in 12 games, five starts. Because of the struggles at defensive tackle, Perryman (6-0, 230) could end up getting swallowed at middle linebacker on some plays. But he's UM's best defensive player and in the end whom Mark D'Onofrio will count on heavily to make up for the mistakes of others in his front seven.

2. Anthony Chickillo, So., DE: Again, another guy who made an immediate impact as a true freshman, tying for the team lead in sacks with five and starting nine games. He's head and shoulders above anybody on the defensive line right now and will be the second guy on defense opposing teams focus on taking out of plays. Like Perryman, Chickillo made huge gains in conditioning and strength in the off-season so he won't be pushed around in the least. But at times -- like Perryman -- he could get swallowed up because of double-teams, etc. Still, Chickillo is the best pass rusher on the team and should lead the team in sacks again.

3. Brandon Linder, Jr., RG: He's the glue on UM's best starting unit. If you talk about a guy on the offensive line who is probably irreplaceable, the 6-6, 312-pound former St. Thomas Aquinas standout is that guy. Linder has the most experience of any returning lineman (17 starts) and graded out at 90 percent last season, tied for the best mark on the team. He allowed 1.5 sacks, made only seven mental errors and was flagged five times in 2011. UM can't run the football effectively without him.

4. Stephen Morris, Jr., QB: He shot up my rankings by winning the starting job easily over Ryan Williams and looking as though the back surgery he had was no big deal. We'll see what happens when Morris starts taking hits. But his arm strength and athleticism has never been questioned. It's been the interceptions he's thrown early in his career. Seeing the job Jedd Fisch did with Jacory Harris last season (he finished 19th nationally in passer rating), though, gives me Morris has a bright future ahead of him.

5. Vaughn Telemaque, Sr., S: He never turned out to be the Ed Reed, turnover magnet Randy Shannon said he would be (4 career INTs, 5 career fumble recoveries). But Telemaque has been reliable in terms of tackling (he's been top five on the team three straight seasons) and is the most experienced player on the roster (36 career starts). He's currently ranked 20th at free safety among potential prospects who could get drafted by CBSsports.com. With a Reed-type senior season, Telemaque would drastically improve that and I think with a better supporting cast around him in the secondary, we'll finally see that.

6. Tracy Howard, Fr., CB: I'm sure Brandon McGee and Ladarius Gunter have done all they're supposed to do to put their names above others on the depth chart at cornerback, but this is the guy who makes you hopeful for the future. Howard wore a black jersey a lot during camp and will eventually be on the field as a full-time starter. He was an All-American and the No. 1 player at his position in high school. I've seen him play and believe the hype. He's going to make an impact.

7. Duke Johnson, Fr., RB: Even if he doesn't get the bulk of the handoffs early, Johnson figures to play a lot on special teams and get his touches because he's explosive. I'm thinking the ball will be in his hands 10 to 15 times a game between handoffs, catches and returns. Like Howard, Johnson is the future of this program and a huge building block moving forward. He's going to be who you want with the ball in their hands as the season goes on.

8. Phillip Dorsett, So., WR: He's the fastest receiver Miami has and my pick to lead the team in receiving this season. At 5-9, 187 pounds, he's the guy who will replace Tommy Streeter as the deep threat. I expect Dorsett to also do a pretty good job with Johnson on kickoff and punt returns.

9. Malcolm Bunche, R-So., LT: The strongest guy on the team with 36 reps of 225 pounds, Bunche is finally healthy enough to where it appears he can be dependable. He's always been fit, trim and athletic. All you worry about with him is experience. Bunche played in eight games last year and started just once against Virginia (at right tackle). Coach Al Golden said he just needs to show consistency. I'm banking on it.

10. Brandon McGee, Sr., CB: Like Telemaque, I'm expecting McGee to take the next step in 2012 and become more of a playmaker. He has one career interception. But being in the dog house with Al Golden and defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio -- as well as the push from the freshmen -- should make him better this season. McGee's tackling abilities are also a bit underrated. He had 38 last season and also had a sack. He's always been lightning fast.

11. Seantrel Henderson, Jr., OT: He's been through a lot this off-season and missed all of camp, but he did look physically good coming into the fall. He was lighter, healthier and appeared to be headed toward a breakout season. Now that he's back at practice and on campus, Henderson should put his troubles aside and start making the trek back. He knows there is a lot of money to be made if he gets his act together. He's still the highest listed player among potential 2013 NFL draft picks (CBSSports.com has him 152nd overall, 13th at OT, 4-5th round pick). In the end, UM is a better team with a good Seantrel Henderson on the field.

12. Rest of UM's starting offensive line: I'm going to cheat and list center Shane McDermott, left guard Jonathan Feliciano and freshman right tackle Ereck Flowers here because to me they're all about the same. Feliciano has more experience having started some last year. But talent-wise and ability he's on par with the other two guys in the starting lineup. As I said earlier, I think the offensive line is the best overall unit on the field for Miami.

> Ranking the rest of the Top 30: 13. RB Mike James (Sr.), 14. WR Allen Hurns (Jr.), 15. CB Ladarius Gunter (Jr.), 16. RB Eduardo Clements (Jr.), 17. LB Ramon Buchanan (Sr.), 18. P Dalton Botts (Sr.), 19. K Jake Wieclaw (Sr.), 20. WR Rashawn Scott (So.), 21. DE Shayon Green (Jr.), 22. TE Asante Cleveland (Jr.), 23. LB Jimmy Gaines (Jr.), 24. S Kacy Rodgers (Jr.), 25. DT Olsen Pierre (So.), 26. S Deon Bush (Fr.), 27. CB Antonio Crawford (Fr.), 28. LB Gionni Paul (So.), 29. DE Jelani Hamilton (Fr.), 30. TE Clive Walford (R-So.).

Grading UM at end of camp: Defense, coaching

Here is the second part of my report card from the end of fall camp focusing on defense and coaching.

Anthony Chickillo is looking for three quality players to run with him on the defensive line

> Defensive line: Coaches were looking for players to emerge, but it wasn't a stellar fall camp for this group -- particularly at tackle. Redshirt junior Curtis Porter (6-1, 308), whose career has been riddled with injuries, has an off-the-field health issue he's dealing with and its uncertain when he will be back. Senior Darius Smith (6-2, 315), who started seven games last season, lost his starting spot. That's left junior Luther Robinson (6-3, 290) and sophomore Olsen Pierre (6-4, 300) -- with seven career tackles between them -- sitting at the top of the depth chart. Freshmen DeQuan Ivery (6-1, 303) and Earl Moore (6-1, 300) are their backups. The situation at end is a little less dire, even though sophomore Anthony Chickillo (6-4, 262) is the only pass rusher with a college sack under his belt. He had five last year. Juniors Shayon Green (6-3, 260) and Kelvin Cain (6-3, 245), a pair of converted linebackers, have been praised during camp. But beyond those three, only true freshmen Jelani Hamilton (6-5, 271) and Tyriq McCord (6-3, 236) have excited coaches enough to be listed on the depth chart.

Grade: D. Chickillo might feel like a one-man show at times this season unless some other guys step up here. UM ranked 68th in run defense last season, giving up 161.92 yards a game. The Canes also produced just 23 sacks, 59th in the nation. By the way, what happened to sophomore Ricardo Williams? Suddenly he's invisible on the depth chart again.

> Linebackers: The return of second-leading tackler and sophomore Denzel Perryman, who has moved over to the middle, should ease the loss of Steelers' third round pick Sean Spence. But there are plenty of questions at linebacker beyond that. Junior Jimmy Gaines (6-3, 232) has been battling an ankle injury from the spring throughout camp and hasn't locked down a starting spot despite being one of the most experienced players on the field. He's currently Perryman's backup. Fifth-year senior Ramon Buchanan (6-1, 228) is back and the starter at weakside linebacker, but it's unclear how effective he'll really be coming back from knee surgery. Meanwhile, a number of other young, inexperienced players are in the mix for playing time. At strongside linebacker, sophomore Thurston Armbrister (6-3, 222), a converted safety, and redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson (6-1, 238) are listed as co-starters. Johnson, however, may have bowed out of the race recently as it appears he could face disciplinary action. Another player in the mix for playing time, sophomore Gionni Paul (6-1, 230) still doesn't appear to be 100 percent healthy after sustaining a knee injury early in camp. It also hurts that true freshman Raphael Kirby, who had been impressing since the spring, went down with what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury. Freshman Gabe Terry (6-3, 215) could see some third down work as a pass rusher.

Grade: C. Without all the injuries, this group might have had a chance to be real good and deep. But there are a lot of questions now heading into the start of the season. If a converted safety all of a sudden is your starting strongside linebacker you have to be concerned.

> Defensive backs: UM signed eight defensive backs in their 2012 class and one -- freshman Vernon Davis -- has already left because of how tough the competition is. While senior Brandon McGee (6-0, 194) was in-and-out of Al Golden's doghouse at times in camp, it appears he's solidified a starting spot at field corner. The other guys who will be at corner with him are all new arrivals with the exception of sophomore Thomas Finnie (5-10, 183), who is battling for the backup job at boundary corner. Junior transfer Ladarius Gunter (6-2, 198) has impressed coaches with his ability to break up passes in camp and is the starter there. Former Miramar High All-American Tracy Howard (5-11, 185) wore a black jersey for most of camp and appears as though he's worked himself into the top three at the position. Freshman Antonio Crawford (5-11, 188) has also flashed and is McGee's backup. At safety, fifth-year senior Vaughn Telemaque (33 career starts) will provide more leadership and experience than anyone at any other position. Junior Kacy Rodgers (6-2, 210) has run with the first team throughout camp alongside Telemaque, but has recently gotten a push from 6-1, 195-pound true freshman Deon Bush, an All-American out of Miami Columbus.

Grade: B. No position has improved more dramatically than the secondary. The results may not be immediate in terms of wins and losses because the talent is so young. But in the long run, Miami should be much improved in the coming years. UM ranked 95th in pass efficiency defense last season and produced just 6 INTs while giving up 16 TDs. My guess is the INTs and defensive pass efficiency rating goes up.

> Coaching: For the first time in a long time there wasn't a single coaching change on the staff at Miami from one season to the next. There hasn't been that kind of stability since the last national championship season of 2001. Having the same offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator two years in a row should help a lot. The question on defense is how much assistant Mark D'Onofrio will use a 3-4 scheme instead of a 4-3 scheme. Considering UM's problems at both linebacker and on the defensive line, it will be interesting to see what combinations D'Onofrio uses. Offensively, the Hurricanes should be able to try and stretch the field more with Morris under center and not Jacory Harris.

Grade: A. With all the Hurricanes have had to deal with in terms of the NCAA investigation, for Golden and his staff to still produce a Top 10 recruiting class and get so many freshmen ready to play in a short amount of time Canes fans have to be ecstatic. Golden and his staff have definitely opened the door up to real competition and position battles. The guys who don't like it have moved on. If Golden can improve on last year's 6-6 record with this young, injured team that still is missing quality players at defensive tackle, he will have done a fine job this season. 

Grading UM at end of camp: Offense, special teams

With school starting Wednesday, the Canes getting a day off Thursday, and preparation for Boston College beginning in earnest Friday, here's a closer look at where the team stands position-by-position at the end of camp based on observations and interviews with players and coaches.

> Quarterbacks: It didn't really take junior Stephen Morris long to wrestle the starting job from sophomore Memphis transfer Ryan Williams. Even before he went out and performed well in the team's first fall scrimmage, Morris (6-2, 214) pretty much had it in the bag by showing his leadership and displaying his physical strength and ability coming off back surgery in the spring. Scouts will tell you Morris has a stronger arm and is a more elusive quarterback than 6-5, 221-pound Williams, who should make for a decent backup because of his accuracy, but at times lumbers in the pocket too long. The key for Morris in keeping the job will be avoiding turnovers. He's thrown seven touchdowns compared to 11 picks in his career. Coach Al Golden said he would like for a third-string quarterback to emerge between freshmen Preston Dewey and Gray Crow. So far, nobody really has, which means both could end up red-shirting if Morris and Williams stay healthy the whole season.

Grade: B. Believe it or not, Jacory Harris finished 19th in the nation last season in passing efficiency (150.61). Now let's see what offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch can do with a quarterback who has a stronger arm. I'm expecting good things from Morris if receivers emerge.

> Running backs: Replacing the team's first 1,000-yard back in a decade in the explosive Lamar Miller won't be easy. But so far senior Mike James (5-11, 220) has received a lot praise in camp. While James will get the bulk of the work early, don't be surprised if true freshman Duke Johnson (5-9, 188) runs past everybody and into the leading role quickly. The former Miami Norland All-American has already worked himself into a backup role alongside junior third-down and short-yardage specialist Eduardo Clements (5-9, 195). Junior Maurice Hagens (5-11, 240) will probably hardly see the field since Miami will rarely be in two-back sets. But when he's in there, he will be the guy opening up holes at fullback.

Grade: B. Miller finished 18th in the country last season in rushing and the Canes finished 71st as a unit. Johnson could eventually provide the same explosion as Miller. But there's no doubt losing Miller hurts. It's like losing your cleanup hitter in baseball. Everyone in the lineup is affected.

> Receivers: The Hurricanes need some youngsters to step up here -- and fast. With last year's top two targets in Tommy Streeter and Travis Benjamin gone, the hope was junior Allen Hurns (6-3, 192) and sophomores Phillip Dorsett (5-10, 185) and Rashawn Scott (6-2, 198) would elevate themselves. But injuries have slowed Hurns and Scott, opening the door for fifth-year seniors Kendal Thompkins (5-10, 182) and Davon Johnson (6-0, 188) to work themselves into the mix. Johnson hasn't caught a pass since 2008. Thompkins has six catches for 66 yards in his career. The only freshman who appears to know the playbook well enough to play is former Miramar High standout Malcolm Lewis (6-0, 192). At tight end, Fisch believes junior Asante Cleveland (6-5, 260) and redshirt sophomore Clive Walford (6-4, 248) can combine for 50 catches. Together, they have 27 catches for 292 yards in their careers. I'm betting on the under.

Grade: C. I've got no doubt Hurns, Dorsett and Scott are talented, but you have to wonder how Thompkins and Johnson -- not good enough to sniff the field in their first four seasons -- are suddenly in the mix for real playing time. This unit worries me the most on offense.

> Offensive line: Junior Seantrel Henderson (6-8, 340) finally made it out for a fall practice on the first day of school Wednesday, but only after missing 21 practices and all of training camp. Henderson, penciled in to be the starting right tackle and the second-most experienced starter on the line (11 starts), has since lost his job to true freshman Ereck Flowers (6-6, 314). What may be more troubling than Henderson's absence (he lost a friend and a relative and was involved in a car accident) and having a true freshman at right tackle, is that Flowers was able to surge past older players such as fourth-year junior Jermaine Johnson (6-6, 318) and fifth-year senior Ben Jones (6-5, 315) with ease. Those two at the moment are the primary backups at tackle and guard on the right and left sides respectively. Outside of that, the starting lineup looks solid with junior right guard Brandon Linder (6-6, 312) and sophomore left guard Jonathan Feliciano (6-5, 314) providing 25 games combined of starting experience. New sophomore starters Shane McDermott (6-4, 295) at center and Malcolm Bunche (6-7, 323) have received solid reviews throughout camp. But staying healthy will be a huge key as it appears quality depth is light. Freshman Danny Isidora (6-4, 320) could be an option later in the year.

Grade: B. Linder, Flowers, McDermott, Feliciano and Bunche should provide a solid starting five and something for opponents to respect. But when Johnson, who was almost switched to defense, and Jones, who hasn't played his entire career, are your sixth and seventh options, it's time to worry a little about depth. Canes fans eager to wave good-bye to Henderson should think twice. Miami, by the way, gave up 19 sacks last year (43rd fewest in the country).

> Special Teams: Punter Dalton Botts, the only Hurricane to make the All-ACC Preseason Team, has been the only player to wear a black jersey from the start of fall camp until the end. He finished season second-best in the ACC in punt average at 42.7 yards per punt last season and should be a strong asset. Senior kicker Jake Wieclaw was 11 of 14 on field goal attempts last year and limited opponents to a 18.6 kick return average, which ranked 13th nationally. With Benjamin gone, UM will turn to Dorsett and Duke Johnson to handle punts and kickoffs. Johnson excelled at it in high school. Dorsett handled four kickoffs and averaged 20.5 yards a return last season as a freshman

Grade: B. Johnson and Dorsett will end up being just as explosive as Miller and Benjamin were in their careers, if not better. Botts and Wieclaw should both have very good senior years. It will be interesting to see how the NCAA kickoff rules change the game. Now, kickoffs are at the 35 and balls that end up in the zone go out to the 25.

Wednesday practice report: OT Seantrel Henderson is back, but LB Eddie Johnson...

Very quick notes before I run to meeting.

Just finished with Al Golden and the first 15 minutes of Miami Hurricanes football practice.

Rumors are rampant that there is some type of situation going on with redshirt freshman linebacker Eddie Johnson, who just happens to be a co-first-team outside linebacker with Thurston Armbrister. I'm hearing there is something to those rumors, but I don't want to report anything until it's confirmed -- if it's confirmed.

Golden said Johnson was inside the Hecht Athletic Center and would be coming out shortly. He was not out there during our viewing. We asked about his status and Golden said his status was the same. "Nothing has changed,'' Golden said.

If Johnson's status is in jeopardy, then it appears Armbrister would be the starter, with true freshman Gabe Terry as the backup -- at least that's what the depth chart says. Johnson is listed as 6-1 and 230 pounds. He is from Atlanta, Ga.

* Golden confirmed that cornerback Vernon Davis left the team. "There was no problem,'' Golden said. "He asked for a release and we released him. That's it.''

Davis' high school coach told our Manny Navarro yesterday that Davis was heading to West Virginia to play for the Mountaineers.

* Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson was back at practice today. He has been cleared to play, Golden told us.

*Also cleared to practice for the first time in a long time (maybe all camp) is defensive lineman Cory King.

*We didn't see any players in yellow (limited) jerseys or red (no-contact) jerseys today. That's good news as far as injuries.

* Golden said between 60-65 players will be on the travel roster for Boston College. He will finalize that probably by "Sunday or Monday."

* Golden said cornerback Brandon McGee had his best day of practice during fall camp on yesterday.

* School starts today for the Hurricanes.

"The grind is over,'' Golden said, noting that the players are happy they have off from practice tomorrow. "The grind is over but the process endures. Stay to it. Don't worry about the outside.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Davis' high school coach said freshman CB left Canes in search of more playing time

Vernon Davis grew up dreaming of playing for the Miami Hurricanes. But that dream apparently died after a few weeks of training camp.

The freshman cornerback from Miami Coral Reef received his release from scholarship Tuesday and according to his former high school coach will be headed to West Virginia on Wednesday morning.

"He just felt like he couldn't trust their coaches anymore," Coral Reef coach Chevas Clements said. "He wasn't happy. He saw how he had slid down the depth chart and how UM was going out and getting all these commitments from guys like [Miami Northwestern's] Artie Burns and [Southridge's] Jamal Carter. When was he going to play?"

Davis, a three-star recruit and former All-Dade First Team selection by The Miami Herald, asked for his release on Friday. Clements said UM coaches tried to convince him to stay. But in the end, Davis' heart was set on leaving.

"At West Virginia they got two walk-ons who are backups," Clements said. "He knows he's got a much better chance to get on the field there."

Clements said Davis was on his way to Coral Reef to fax his information to West Virginia. Per NCAA rules, Davis will sit out the 2012 season.

"He was going to redshirt anyway," Clements said. "Honestly, I would have preferred if he stayed at Miami. I like the coaches there. But he was dead-set against it."

Four of the remaining seven new arrivals in the secondary are expected to make it onto the travel roster: LaDarius Gunter, Tracy Howard, Antonio Crawford and Deon Bush.

Canes freshman CB Vernon Davis has sought release; expected to transfer

Hurricanes freshman cornerback Vernon Davis has requested to be released from his scholarship, The Miami Herald has learned, and is expected to transfer to another school as early as Tuesday afternoon.

A source said Davis, a former standout at Miami Coral Reef, let UM know of his intentions on Friday.

Reached by phone, Davis' mother confirmed her son was considering transferring from the program, but didn't want to elaborate on where he might be considering going.

"Nothing is official yet," Theodofia Davis said. "I'd prefer you talk to him about it."

Davis wasn't listed on the Canes' most recently released depth chart Monday, but remains on the team roster. He was one of eight incoming defensive backs the program signed between January and February.

A UM spokesman said that as of 10:30 a.m. Davis was still on the team. But obviously, things can change quickly.

A three-star recruit according to Rivals, ESPN and Scout.com, Davis was an All-Dade First Team selection by The Miami Herald as a senior.

Stay tuned.

Golden: Final travel roster spots to be decided over next 48 hours; Porter has non-football related health issue

In case you were wondering, the 60-man travel roster for the Hurricanes' season-opener at Boston College Sept. 1 hasn't been set yet. But it pretty much should be in the next 48 hours. 

UM coach Al Golden said Monday was the first round of cuts and hinted that anybody listed on the depth chart with an "OR" next to their name could be battling for one of the last spots. Those who don't make it will go from a contributing role to a supporting role when the team begins to install it's game plan for the Eagles on Friday.

"We have eliminated some guys from the equation and there's another group here who really have to compete here today, this afternoon and tomorrow," Golden said before his team

took the field Tuesday morning for the team's final two-a-day of the fall.

“There’s a lot of guys that are down — they’re not getting as many reps as they were. That’s typical of that. Hopefully guys will respond today. But it’s been a very fun camp. What they lack in age and experience, they’re making up for in want-to and and maturity.”

> Defensive tackle Curtis Porter missed his second consecutive practice Tuesday. Porter was spotted in a yellow, non-contact jersey last week. Asked if this might be a long-term issue, Golden said: "I don't know to be honest with you. It's day-to-day right now in terms of the information I'm getting. He's got a health issue -- it's not football related."

> Receiver Allen Hurns returned to a full-contact jersey Tuesday after being limited or in a non-contact jersey for the past week with a “head injury.” Hurns was catching passes from JUGS machine along with tight end Clive Walford during the 15 minutes the media got to watch of practice. Check out the video below.

> Still no sign of Seantrel Henderson, who has yet to practice fully at camp. Golden wasn't even asked about him on Tuesday.

> As for the freshmen quarterbacks, Golden said he would like for someone to emerge as possibly the team's third quarterback. Golden said Gray Crow started out in front of Preston Dewey, but Dewey has "responded." When asked if the loser will get redshirted, Golden said: "maybe."

"We're looking for those two guys to develop," Golden said. "We don't know at what point we'll need them this year. We definitely need some separation there. We'll see how it shakes out."

New Depth Chart Released by Hurricanes; and Quick Hits from Monday Practice

 Good morning.

Monday update after day off for team on Sunday. Scroll to end of this blog for complete depth chart.

Al Golden released his newest depth chart following the abbreviated scrimmage (lightning) on Saturday afternoon.

*The first-team defensive tackles are now sophomore Olsen Pierre and redshirt junior Luther Robinson. Curtis Porter, who started camp with a black jersey, is nowhere to be found. Golden said he has "a health issue'' that UM is being careful with right now, but gave no specifics otherwise. Darius Smith was demoted to second-team behind Luther.

*At outside linebacker, it's Thurston Armbrister OR Eddie Johnson.

*At safety it's Kacy Rodgers on one side OR true freshman Deon Bush on first team.

* Receiver Allen Hurns, who was upgraded from a red (no contact) jersey to yellow (limited) Monday for what he said was a head injury (also didn't elaborate), has an OR between his name and Phillip Dorsett's. Below those guys are senior Davon Johnson OR freshman Malcolm Lewis.

*Another interesting move on the other side. Receiver Kendal Thompkins, a fifth-year senior, is now listed on top with an OR between his name and sophomore Rashawn Scott's.

*At running back, after starter Mike James, there's an OR between Eduardo Clements and Duke Johnson. Johnson, a true freshman, moved up a spot from the last depth chart, with Dallas Crawford moving down to No. 4.

* At cornerback, Brandon McGee remains No. 1 on one side, with Ladarius Gunter on the other. Freshman Tracy Howard is now listed as No. 2 behind Gunter, with an OR between his name and Thomas Finnie's.

OTHER NOTES:

Seantrel Henderson is still not at camp. Golden said he's still on the team, but "has to get his personal house in order.'' Seantrel, of course, isn't on the depth chart.

Yellow (limited) jerseys Monday: WR Hurns, TE Dyron Dye, CB Larry Hope.

Red (no contact) jerseys: DL Cory King.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

MIAMI HURRICANES POST-SCRIMMAGE DEPTH CHART Updated Aug. 20, 2012     OFFENSE WR 1 ALLEN HURNS -OR- 6-3 192 Jr.   4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 185 So.   24 Davon Johnson -OR- 6-0 188 Sr.   9 Malcolm Lewis 6-0 192 Fr. LT 79 MALCOLM BUNCHE 6-7 325 RSo.   55 Ben Jones 6-5 310 Sr. LG 70 JONATHAN FELICIANO 6-5 314 RSo.   55 Ben Jones -OR- 6-5 310 Sr. 68 Jeremy Lewis 6-4 316 RSr. C 62 SHANE MCDERMOTT 6-4 295 RSo. 75 Jared Wheeler 6-5 314 RJr. RG 65 BRANDON LINDER 6-6 308 JR.   78 Jermaine Johnson -OR- 6-6 316 RJr.   63 Daniel Isidora   6-4 320 Fr. RT 74 ERECK FLOWERS 6-6 314 Fr.   78 Jermaine Johnson 6-6 316 RJr. TE 82 ASANTE CLEVELAND 6-5 263 Jr.   46 Clive Walford 6-4 250 RSo.   49 Dyron Dye 6-5 255 RJr.   85 David Perry 6-7 260 RSo. FB 33 MAURICE HAGENS 5-11 240 Jr.   43 Sean Harvey 6-4 262 RSo. QB 17 STEPHEN MORRIS 6-2 214 Jr.   11 Ryan Williams 6-5 221 RSo. RB 5 MIKE JAMES 5-11 220 Sr.   23 Eduardo Clements -OR- 5-9 195 Jr.   8 Duke Johnson 5-9 188 Fr.   25 Dallas Crawford 5-10 190 RFr. WR 83 KENDAL THOMPKINS -OR- 5-10 182 RSr. 80 RASHAWN SCOTT 6-2 198 So.   86 Herb Waters 6-2 185 Fr.       DEFENSE DE 71 ANTHONY CHICKILLO 6-4 262 So.   99 Jelani Hamilton 6-5 271 Fr. DT 93 LUTHER ROBINSON 6-3 288 RJr.   98 Darius Smith 6-2 315 Sr. 66 DeQuan Ivery 6-1 303 Fr. DT 91 OLSEN PIERRE 6-4 300 So.   72 Earl Moore 6-1 300 Fr. DE 51 SHAYON GREEN 6-3 260 RJr.   94 Kelvin Cain -OR-  6-3 245 So. 17 Tyriq McCord 6-3 236 Fr. OLB 34 THURSTON ARMBRISTER -OR- 6-3 222 So. 44 Eddie Johnson 6-1 238 RFr.   58 Gabe Terry 6-3 215 Fr. MLB 52 DENZEL PERRYMAN 6-0 229 So.   59 Jimmy Gaines -OR- 6-3 230 Jr.   36 Gionni Paul 6-1 230 So. OLB 45 RAMON BUCHANAN 6-1 226 RSr.   31 Tyrone Cornileus 6-2 210 Jr.   57 Nantambu-Akil Fentress 5-9 205 So. CB 21 BRANDON MCGEE 6-0 194 Sr.   39 Antonio Crawford 5-11 188 Fr. S 22 KACY RODGERS II -OR- 6-2 210 Jr.   2 DEON BUSH 6-1 190 Fr.   29 Rayshawn Jenkins 6-1 203 Fr. S 7 VAUGHN TELEMAQUE  6-2 204 RSr.   30 A.J. Highsmith -OR- 6-0 202 RJr.   29 Rayshawn Jenins 6-1 203 Fr. CB 37 LADARIUS GUNTER 6-2 198 Jr.   3 Tracy Howard -OR- 5-11 185 Fr.   20 Thomas Finnie 5-10 183 So.       SPECIALISTS P 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 205 Sr.   40 Jake Wieclaw 6-2 193 RSr. FG 40 JAKE WIECLAW 6-2 193 RSr.   18 Matt Goudis 6-0 170 RFr. KO 40 JAKE WIECLAW 6-2 193 RSr.   18 Matt Goudis  6-0 170 RFr. H 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 205 Sr.   11 Ryan Williams 6-5 221 RSo. LS 60 SEAN MCNALLY 5-10 214 RJr. 61 Paul Kelly 6-1 262 RSr. SS 60 SEAN MCNALLY 5-10 214 RJr. 61 Paul Kelly 6-1 262 RSr. PR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 185 So.   9 Malcolm Lewis 6-0 192 Fr. KR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 185 So.   8 Duke Johnson 5-9 188 Fr.

 

Second and final fall scrimmage cut short because of lightning -- stats not provided by UM

   Had fun at CanesFest. Here's UM's release about Saturday's scrimmage. Practice resumes Monday morning, when we'll talk to Coach Al Golden about what he saw in the short time his players scrimmaged.

Please note that UM did not release any statistics from the scrimmage.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Lightning Cuts Second #CanesCamp Scrimmage Short

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The second scrimmage of #CanesCamp was expected to be a barometer for the Hurricanes, now only two weeks away from their 2012 season opener at Boston College. Unfortunately for head coach Al Golden and his staff, the team’s intrasquad scrimmage was cut short in the middle of the second quarter due to lightning in the area.

Less than a week after their first scrimmage, Saturday’s orange versus white match-up was less situational and more action-packed. Artificial crowd noise was pumped through speakers during every drive, signature third down music was played to rattle the offense, and referees enforced penalties on both sides to ensure the scrimmage on the Greentree Practice Fields replicated the intensity of a real game.

 Though offensive playmakers impressed in the first scrimmage, standout defensive performances from both the first and second team were the story during Saturday’s abbreviated action. Touchdown runs from Mike James and Duke Johnson, along with a sack in the endzone by Kelvin Cain for a safety, gave the white team a 16-0 lead before the lightning alarm sounded.

 After clearing the field and waiting nearly an hour for the lightning detector signal, the scrimmage was cut short by the coaching staff. The Hurricanes return to the field Mon., Aug. 20, for Day 16 of #CanesCamp.

BankUnited CanesFest on tap following closed scrimmage: from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Canes fans can meet and greet their favorite Hurricanes athletes and coaches from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the BankUnited Center on campus in Coral Gables.

The football players will sign autographs, and fans can purchase single-game and season tickets for the upcoming season. UM also will bring out trophies from the UM Sports Hall of Fame, including the National Championship trophy and Heisman Trophy, and allow fans to take photos with them.

As usual, there will be interactive games and inflatables for the kids, and according to a UM release, "fans young and old alike will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run through the smoke.''

 USA Olympics coach Amy Deem, who heads the UM track program and earned some serious gold, will be in attendance.

Of note: The Miami Athletics Ticket Office is moving to the BankUnited Center and will offer fans one free ticket for the Sept. 15 home opener vs. Bethune-Cookman if they buy one. There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased.

Tomorrow's scrimmage is before CanesFest, but again, it is closed to family, friends, media and the public.

And unfortunately, don't expect any substantial statistics to come out of that scrimmage. I think Al Golden is going to withhold the stats this time -- except for maybe a few. We'll see.

Of note from Friday's practice: WR Allen Hurns (head) is still in a no-contact red jersey; DE Anthony Chickillo (sinus infection) was out of his limited yellow jersey and in a regular green one.

Have a safe weekend.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

Check out these duds! From Maryland to Notre Dame (Beneficiary: The Miami Hurricanes)

 So, look what Miami is getting in the Notre Dame game. Not just The Irish, but the Irish with attitude -- compliments of adidas.

The Hurricanes got a dose of uniform wackiness at Maryland last season. I think I was the only person on the planet who liked those bizarre Maryland duds.

Here's the statement Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly made about the unis:

“The Shamrock Series is a great opportunity for our football program to play in an exciting venue located in an area with so many Notre Dame fans,” Kelly said. “This year’s game at Soldier Field will be part of an incredible weekend for the University in Chicago and will be a great experience for our team. The players absolutely love the uniforms designed by adidas for this game and they will help make it a memorable night.”

By the way, note that Kelly said "in an area with so many Notre Dame fans.''

Soldier Field is definitely NOT a neutral site for this game. (I changed that line for those of you who thought I even considered that Soldier Field is neutral.)

Maybe the uniforms will help give the Hurricanes an edge.

UM will be wearing its traditional unis, I'm sure to Al Golden's delight.

Addendum: Did you like when MIami wore its Pro Combat unis? Or do you prefer traditional?

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

Thursday camp notes: Golden not pleased, Chick in yellow, Hurns in red, few in black

The question was fitting, especially if UM Hurricanes Coach Al Golden needed to light a fire under his weary troops.

"How do you think you guys have done up to this point? Are you guys hitting a wall?"

"They've got to fight through it -- the proverbial wall. There's no light at the end of the tunnel right now. We've got a long way to go. We've got two today, one tomorrow, and then the scrimmage, so we've got a long way to go. We have four next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then we'll break camp.

 "We're not where we need to be right now..."

Golden was asked if this is the hardest part of camp. Fall camp opened Aug. 3, two weeks ago Friday.

"This is it right here,'' Golden answered. "This is the hardest part, this is where teams can get divided with that self-preservation mode set in. Two today, one tomorrow, and then a scrimmage, so we're trying to fight that. We don't want to just survive this portion of camp; we want to thrive, unite and rise above it."

Golden said that "everybody's going through it and we've got to get that selfishness out of our locker room. There's no place for it. It's hard on everybody. It's hard on the coaches, who don't see their families for these two weeks. It's hard on the players, it's hard on everybody that supports them. Having a bad attitude or being negative -- the negativity -- we have to get that out of our building.

"We're not where we need to be yet in terms of that, but we're a lot further than we were last year.''

Golden even pointed out that middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, no longer in a first-team black jersey (only two players had them on Thursday), needs to be pushed through the end of camp so he can "be the playmaker we know he can be.'' The coach said Perryman was "in that little camp rut right now.''

*The only players wearing the  black jerseys Thursday were punter Dalton Botts and defensive end Shayon Green.

* There were several players on offense wearing the first-team orange jerseys.

INJURY REPORT

* DE Anthony Chickillo, an integral part of this defense, was in a yellow jersey for the second consecutive day. Chick told reporters he had a stomach flu yesterday, Golden told us he had a sinus infection. Today, Golden said of Chickillo: "I don't know how much he'll do. If he can handle that then he'll progress back to a jersey.''

* WR Allen Hurns, who Golden raved about this camp, is wearing a no-contact red jersey. "Allen's being held out right now,'' Golden said. "I don't know for how long, but we're just being careful with his head. I don't really discuss the injuries. I'm just telling you it's a head injury ad we're holding him out.''

* LB Gionni Paul (knee) "is doing better,'' Golden said. "I was pleased that he fought through the [special teams] scrimmage.''

GONE AGAIN

Junior OT Seantrel Henderson was not at camp again (yesterday, too). Coach told us Henderson left Wednesday for another funeral in Minnesota, but I think at this point he is strictly focusing on who is at camp, not who is missing.

"He's definitely not back today. He's not cleared yet. He's home right now. I'll let you guys know when he's cleared and when he's back. Obviously this is practice 15 or 16. He hasn't taken any of them yet.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

D'Onofrio: Biggest concern at linebacker is continuity; compares finding right combination to solving 'Rubik's cube'

Got a chance to speak to defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio Wednesday for a quick one-on-one conversation about the state of his linebackers, who have been hobbled by injuries throughout camp.

With the season set to begin on Sept. 1 is D'Onofrio worried he might not have enough talent or depth?

"The only thing I'm concerned about is getting the continuity we want by having three starters and three backups and guys who may be involved as role players, special teams. Just getting that thing set," D'Onforio said. "We've had a lot of mix and match lineups throughout camp. Unfortunately, I went through it last year at all positions. So, there's always a silver lining. When this happens you create depth at multiple positions. Guys have to play. Anytime you go through this you're creating more layers of depth that are solving problems. Now, if you get a situation during the season, it's quicker to solve the problem. You're not not scrambling on a Monday to figure out who you can plug where. That said, we're still a ways away from the game. We got some guys coming back. Hopefully we'll get some continuity over the five or six practices here and have it look the way we want it to look."

When UM released it's most recent depth chart, sophomore Thurston Armbrister (6-3, 222) was listed at first team at strongside linebacker along with sophomore Denzel Perryman (middle linebacker) and senior Ramon Buchanan (weakside). While D'Onofrio is certainly happy with the growth Armbrister has displayed over the first 14 prctices of camp, the more likely scenario is junior Jimmy Gaines, who is currently listed as the backup to Perryman in the middle and who has experience playing all three positions will end up starting for the Canes Sept. 1.

But Armbrister, a former safety, has worked himself into a role at the very least.

"He's a guy who I think is going to help us, provide depth for us. I think he can be a factor in different packages in third down and obviously he has to do a great job on special teams," D'Onofrio said.

"The thing that surprised me about Thurston is he's a long guy who plays with great leverage. He's got long legs, limbs. I think he's going to be really big. He can play up on the tight end and do a good job in space and he's tough and he's physical. But he's learning. It was one of those moves where you go ahead and take a look at it and feel like you hit it on pretty good. "

Beyond his veterans and Armbrister, D'Onforio said he thinks redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson "is extremely talented. He has all the skills you would look for and he understands the defense. So I think he'll help us.

"Gionni [Paul] is a guy who has a year under his belt. Again, these are just guys who have been banged up, so they haven't gotten as much [reps] as we've wanted at this point and were held out of the scrimmage. We're just trying to put it all together.

"It's like a big rubic's cube right now. But we do have enough guys right now that can play for us and help us win. It's just a matter of getting them all healthy at the same time and getting them in the right spots. That's what we're working on in the next six days."

MORE TIDBITS

> UM coach Al Golden said while Kirby's injury will not require surgery, "he will be out awhile." Kirby was spotted on crutches and wearing a hard cast on his right leg from the knee down on Wednesday.

"Crushed," Golden said of his own reaction to the injury. "Great kid. Worked really hard. I think knowing his work ethic and character I wouldn't rule out him from coming back this season. Maybe he'll have a chance to come back midseason."

Still, Golden said MRIs have to be performed, so he isn't 100 percent if that will be possible.

> Defensive end Anthony Chickillo was practicing in a yellow jersey for limited contact Wednesday. Chickillo told me he had a stomach flu. But Golden said he heard something about a sinus infection. Either way, Chickillo expects to be out a couple days. He said he's taking medicine.

> UM had a special teams scrimmage Tuesday afternoon and Golden said freshmen Malcolm Lewis and Duke Johnson each had punt returns for touchdowns. Punter Dalton Botts also looked strong, Golden said. Safeties Kacy Rodgers and Deon Bush had great days in special teams coverage, Golden said.

> Turns out Armbrister got his first name Thurston from his grandmother, who happened to be a big fan of Gilligan's Island and Thurston Howell III. Armbrister, by the way, said he has an older brother who was a walk-on at Florida State.

As for his own recruitment to Miami, Armbrister was a late summer addition in 2011. His other offer: Northern Colorado.

"I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove because people didn't think I could do it," Armbrister said. "A lot of schools didn't give me a chance."

> While coaches have been hoping for someone to break out at defensive tackle, D'Onforio told me: "I think it's going to be a group by committee as opposed to saying we have an elite guy or an elite star. We need some young guys who came in to keep improving."

D'Onofrio said freshman Dequan Ivery, listed by mistake as the starter, "flashed in Sunday's scrimmage" and has stood out among the freshmen defensive tackles.

"At defensive end, Chickillo, Shayon Green, Kelvin Cain have played a lot. I think we're looking to get something else, too," D'Onofrio said. "It's going to be a common theme -- guys who have been around and guys who haven't -- mixing and matching. I think that's good. We're not going to lose many guys from this defense and they'll keep growing."

Freshman LB Kirby has hard cast on right leg; Golden hopeful he will return midseason

Freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby, injured in Sunday's scrimmage, was seen walking onto campus on crutches Wednesday morning. Kirby had a hard cast from his knee down on his right leg.

UM coach Al Golden said before practice that the injury will not require surgery and that he hopes Kirby will be back mid-season. 

Before getting injured, Kirby had been running on the second team at middle linebacker behind Denzel Perryman.

We'll have more from Wednesday's practice shortly.

Stephen Morris WILL start at Boston College. The others? 'If guys don't make a move by Saturday, it's over.'

UM Coach Al Golden was bombarded with questions about the new depth chart today.

Golden insisted the depth chart is not used as a motivational tool.

"I’m not one of those ploy guys. It is what it is,'' Golden said. "The problem is we have guys who think it’s something that it isn’t. ‘Oh, they’re going to play me anyway.’ It’s really not. As coaches, this is practice – what? – 13. We’re settling in now. If guys aren’t ready by Saturday, if they don’t make a move by Saturday, it’s over. After that, it’s time to move. We’re not really into playing games. You guys ask a lot of questions about a lot of guys that, really, we coach the guys that are out here everyday and the guys that are dependable and reliable. That’s who we want to play with."

As far as Stephen Morris goes, Jedd Fisch emphatically indicated, when asked about the opener at Boston College, that Morris would be the starter for that game. "Yes,'' Fisch asked if he'd be the guy against BC. "He's our starting quarterback.'' 

Both Golden and Fisch were effusive about Morris, while also praising backup Ryan Williams.

(I must say, from my perspective, both quarterbacks are a pleasure to deal with. Nice guys. Respectful. Good attitudes. And Williams has really demonstrated a lot of class in this whole competition. Impressive.)

 Some Golden notables from Tuesday:

 *On defensive end Kelvin Cain not being on the depth chart:

"He's not. He hasn't participated in over a week. Hopefully he'll fight his way back here today. Some of those guys need to make a move. We're running out of time. Kelvin was injured, yes." (NOTE: Cain was at practice Tuesday.)

*On freshman Gabe Terry, listed as second-team OLB behind Thurston Armbrister:

"Gabe Terry is going to be a football player. He doesn't know whether the ball is stuffed or pumped, but he flies around, man. He plays with energy, [is] relentless in pursuit. He needs to start to understand and be consistent and learn the defense and always be in the right positon, but with those characteristics, we certainly will find ways to get him on special teams and then as he grows his role will increase. ...This guy flies around. I'm not worried about his weight. I'm just worried about whether or not he learns the defense and is where he needs to be and becomes reliable.''

* On Seantrel Henderson not being on the depth chart at right tackle. (NOTE: Henderson was at practice in full pads Tuesday.)

"That's all it is is a fact. He has not practiced yet.If you can even imagine. He's practiced whatever.. We're going into today 13 -- he has not practiced yet. He is going to a funeral. What the travel plans are, I don't know. It's either going to be late tonight or tomorrow from what I understand.''

"He's got to get going. The issue is not really about how I feel, the issue is that there's not as many opportunities anymore to compete. If they are going to make it it's going to be because somebody either screws up or somebody gets injured, and now you'll get your opportunity. It's hard for me right now to say that Seantrel with no practices can perform better than Ereck Flowers and Jermaine Johnson. It's hard for anybody to say that. He needs to go perform. Flowers is playing really well right now, so well that he's beating out Jermaine Johnson, who's having a great camp.''

QUICK NOTE: UM  informed us that the original depth chart distributed last night had an error in it. Freshman Dequan Ivery is not a first-team defensive tackle. Ivery is actually third string behind starter Darius Smith and backup Curtis Porter. On the other side, Olsen Pierre is first team, followed by Luther Robinson OR Jalen Grimble.

* Only five defensive (and one special teams) players on Tuesday wore the black jerseys designated for first-team players: P Dalton Botts, DE Anthony Chickillo, DE Shayon Green, CB Brandon McGee, LB Ramon Buchanan -- and freshman CB Tracy Howard, who is listed under McGee on depth chart.

* Linebackers have been ailing. Eddie Johnson had been out, as had first-team OLB Thurston Armbrister (finger in eye, according to Golden) and Gionni Paul (knee) and now, the newest injury is to Raphael Kirby, who previously was behind Denzel Perryman in the middle but is not longer on the depth chart. Golden said he "got banged up in the scrimmage,'' but did not elaborate. "As soon as we find out what his status is, we'll release that. That's all I can say right now.'' Doesn't sound optimistic.

    Armbrister returned to the practice field Tuesday, and Eddie Johnson, now not on the depth chart, was wearing a yellow (limited) jersey. Gionni was neither in a red nor yellow jersey, and he was participating, but limping pretty badly. Jimmy Gaines (foot) returned for the scrimmage, and now he's listed behind Denzel in the middle. Basically, the position that defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio sounded pretty secure about last week needs some healthy bodies back.

    *Defensive end Anthony Chickillo was seen walking off the field by a trainer, then being examined under a tent, during the media's 15 minutes of practice viewing. Brian "The Beast'' London @allcanesradio said it appeared that UM people were examining his neck, head -- or what Randy Shannon might call "upper extremities.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 LOOK BELOW FOR NEWEST DEPTH CHART

MIAMI HURRICANES POST-SCRIMMAGE DEPTH CHART  OFFENSE WR 1 ALLEN HURNS 6-3 195 JR.   4 Phillip Dorsett 5-10 187 So.   24 Davon Johnson 6-0 184 Sr.   9 Malcolm Lewis 6-0 192 Fr. LT 79 MALCOLM BUNCHE 6-7 323 RSO.   55 Ben Jones 6-5 315 Sr. LG 70 JONATHAN FELICIANO 6-5 314 RSO. 68 Jeremy Lewis 6-4 312 RSr. C 62 SHANE MCDERMOTT 6-4 296 RSO. 75 Jared Wheeler 6-5 312 RJr. RG 65 BRANDON LINDER 6-6 312 JR.   63 Daniel Isidora -OR- 6-4 312 Fr.   64 Hunter Wells 6-4 300 RFr. RT 74 ERECK FLOWERS 6-6 314 FR.   78 Jermaine Johnson 6-6 318 RJr. TE 82 ASANTE CLEVELAND 6-5 260 JR.   46 Clive Walford 6-4 248 RSo.   85 David Perry 6-7 265 RSo.   49 Dyron Dye 6-5 258 RJr. FB 33 MAURICE HAGENS 5-11 238 JR.   43 Sean Harvey 6-4 260 RSo. QB 17 STEPHEN MORRIS 6-2 214 JR.   11 Ryan Williams 6-5 223 RSo. RB 5 MIKE JAMES 5-11 222 SR.   23 Eduardo Clements 5-9 192 Jr.   25 Dallas Crawford 5-10 190 RFr.   8 Duke Johnson 5-9 188 Fr. WR 80 RASHAWN SCOTT 6-2 202 SO. 83 Kendal Thompkins 5-10 184 RSr.   86 Herb Waters 6-2 185 Fr.    DEFENSE DE 71 ANTHONY CHICKILLO 6-4 265 SO.   99 Jelani Hamilton -OR- 6-5 271 Fr.   95 Jake O'Donnell 6-6 243 Fr. DT 98 DARIUS SMITH 6-2 313 SO.   96 Curtis Porter  6-1 308 RJr. 66 DeQuan Ivery 6-1 303 Fr. DT 91 OLSEN PIERRE 6-4 296 SO.   93 Luther Robinson -OR- 6-3 290 RJr.   92 Jalen Grimble 6-2 292 So. DE 51 SHAYON GREEN 6-3 260 RJR.   97 Dwayne Hoilett -OR- 6-3 230 So. 17 Tyriq McCord 6-3 236 Fr. OLB 34 THURSTON ARMBRISTER 6-3 222 SO. 58 Gabe Terry 6-3 215 Fr. MLB 52 DENZEL PERRYMAN 6-0 230 SO.   59 Jimmy Gaines 6-3 232 Jr. OLB 45 RAMON BUCHANAN 6-1 228 RSR.   31 Tyrone Cornileus 6-2 215 Jr. CB 21 BRANDON MCGEE 6-0 197 SR.   3 Tracy Howard 5-11 185 Fr. S 22 KACY RODGERS II 6-2 212 JR.   2 Deon Bush -OR- 6-1 195 Fr.   29 Rayshawn Jenkins 6-1 203 Fr. S 7 VAUGHN TELEMAQUE  6-2 202 RSR.   30 A.J. Highsmith 6-9 208 RJr. CB 37 LADARIUS GUNTER 6-2 198 JR.   20 Thomas Finnie -OR- 5-10 185 So.   39 Antonio Crawford 5-11 188 Fr.    SPECIALISTS P 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 207 Sr.   40 Jake Wieclaw 6-2 197 RSr. FG 40 JAKE WIECLAW 6-2 197 RSr.   18 Matt Goudis 6-0 172 RFr. KO 40 JAKE WIECLAW 6-2 197 RSr.   18 Matt Goudis  6-0 172 RFr. H 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 207 Sr.   11 Ryan Williams 6-5 223 RSo. LS 60 SEAN MCNALLY 5-10 208 RJr. 30 A.J. Highsmith 6-0 208 RJr. SS 65 BRANDON LINDER 6-6 312 Jr. 60 Sean McNally 5-10 208 RJr. PR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 187 So.   9 Malcolm Lewis 6-0 192 Fr. KR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 187 So.   8 Duke Johnson 5-9 188 Fr.

 

Canes release new depth chart: Stephen Morris is starting quarterback

NEW DEPTH CHART RELEASED MONDAY NIGHT, AUG. 13, 2012

 

 

 

 

PREVIOUS DEPTH CHART (PRE-FALL CAMP) RELEASED AUG. 2, 2102 (COMPARE IT TO NEW DEPTH CHART ABOVE)    OFFENSE WR 1 ALLEN HURNS 6-3 192 Jr.   4 Phillip Dorsett 5-10 185 So. LT 79 MALCOLM BUNCHE 6-7 325 RSo.   76 Taylor Gadbois -OR- 6-8 310 Fr.   55 Ben Jones 6-5 310 Sr. LG 70 JONATHAN FELICIANO 6-5 318 RSo. 68 Jeremy Lewis 6-4 316 RSr. C 62 SHANE MCDERMOTT 6-4 295 RSo. 75 Jared Wheeler 6-5 314 RJr. RG 65 BRANDON LINDER 6-6 308 Jr. 78 Jermaine Johnson 6-6 316 RJr.   63 Daniel Isidora 6-4 320 Fr. RT 77 SEANTREL HENDERSON 6-8 340 Jr.   74 Ereck Flowers 6-6 314 Fr. TE 82 ASANTE CLEVELAND 6-5 263 Jr.   46 Clive Walford 6-4 250 RSo.   85 David Perry 6-7 260 RSo.   49 Dyron Dye 6-5 255 RJr. FB 33 MAURICE HAGENS 5-11 240 Jr.   43 Sean Harvey 6-4 262 RSo. QB 17 STEPHEN MORRIS -OR- 6-2 214 Jr.   11 RYAN WILLIAMS 6-5 221 RSo. RB 5 MIKE JAMES 5-11 220 Sr.   23 Eduardo Clements 5-9 195 Jr. WR 80 RASHAWN SCOTT 6-2 198 So. 83 Kendal Thompkins 5-10 182 RSr.       DEFENSE E 71 ANTHONY CHICKILLO 6-4 262 So.   90 Ricardo Williams 6-5 248 RFr. T 98 DARIUS SMITH 6-2 315 So.   93 Luther Robinson  6-3 288 RJr. T 96 CURTIS PORTER 6-1 305 RJr. 91 Olsen Pierre 6-4 300 So. E 51 SHAYON GREEN 6-3 257 RJr. 94 Kelvin Cain 6-3 238 Jr. OLB 59 JIMMY GAINES 6-3 230 Jr. 44 Eddie Johnson 6-1 234 RFr. MLB 52 DENZEL PERRYMAN 6-0 229 So.   56 Raphael Kirby 6-0 218 Fr. OLB 45 RAMON BUCHANAN 6-1 226 RSr.   36 Gionni Paul -OR- 6-1 232 So.   31 Tyrone Cornileus 6-2 210 Jr. CB 21 BRANDON MCGEE 6-0 194 Sr.   11 Larry Hope 6-0 180 Fr. S 22 KACY RODGERS II 6-2 210 Jr.   30 A.J. Highsmith 6-0 202 RJr.   29 Rayshawn Jenkins 6-1 203 Fr. S 7 VAUGHN TELEMAQUE  6-2 204 RSr.   28 Andrew Swasey 5-10 200 Sr..   2 Deon Bush 6-1 190 Fr. CB 37 LADARIUS GUNTER 6-2 198 Jr.   20 Thomas Finnie 5-10 183 So.       SPECIALISTS P 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 205 Sr.   40 Jake Wieclaw 6-2 193 RSr. PK 40 JAKE WIECLAW 6-2 193 RSr.   18 Matt Goudis  6-0 170 RFr. H 13 DALTON BOTTS 6-3 205 Sr.   11 Ryan Williams 6-5 221 RSo. LS 60 SEAN MCNALLY 5-10 214 RJr. 30 A.J. Highsmith 6-0 202 RJr. SS 65 BRANDON LINDER 6-6 308 Jr. 60 Sean McNally 5-10 214 RJr. PR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 185 So.   25 Dallas Crawford 5-10 192 RFr. KR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10 185 So.   25 Dallas Crawford 5-10 192 RFr.

Stop the presses: Faulkner just released an email saying Ray-Ray still has to be cleared academically

 

Just got this email from Faulkner assistant athletic director Doug Amos. The drama continues.(SEE PREVIOUS BLOG)

(Check out the last sentence).

"Ray Armstrong, the former safety at the University of Miami, has applied for admittance but has yet to be officially accepted by Faulkner University. His acceptance is pending the receipt of transcripts and other materials required by the admissions office. Once accepted, Armstrong will be allowed to practice with the Faulkner football team. Prior to competing for the Eagles this fall, Armstrong must clear the NAIA Eligibility Center.

Armstrong was initially listed on the football team’s roster but when it was realized he had yet to be recognized as a student by the institution his name was removed."

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Ray-Ray Armstrong already on roster at Faulkner University in Alabama -- he won't file any legal action against Hurricanes

The Ray-Ray Armstrong saga has gone the way of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., an NAIA school whose football team plays the likes of Bluefield College, Point University, University of the Cumberlands and Kentucky Christian.

Armstrong's dad, Albert, told me he is extremely happy and already is there.

"He's already in Alabama. He's very excited,'' Albert said. "I was surprised to see him as excited as he is. He's looking forward to playing football again. He sounds like a young kid ready to go.''

Armstrong, a senior safety, will wear No. 8 for his new program, which describes itself on its website as "a private Christian university'' that is affiliiated with the Church of Christ and was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School.

Oh, and as far as any legal action Ray-Ray was threatening against UM -- forget it.

I got this statement from his lawyer, Matt Morgan, of Orlando:

"My co-counsel, Andrew Parker Felix and I believe that the University of Miami acted improperly in dismissing Ray-Ray from their football program and significantly infringed upon Mr. Armstrong's due process rights. However, despite the existence of several potential merit based claims against the University of Miami, Ray-Ray has decided to continue his education and college football career with another program that has welcomed him like family.

The fundamental inequities present in the instant matter are troubling for college sports and an individual's constitutional rights. However, we respect the decision that Ray-Ray has made and wish him continued success."

Said Albert Armstrong: "He's looking forward to taking his next step forward.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

UM releases non-conference men's basketball schedule

This release just in today, per UM Sports Information:

  The University of Miami men’s basketball team officially released its 2012 non-conference schedule, highlighted by six contests at the BankUnited Center and five match-ups against teams that qualified for the 2012 postseason.

   The Hurricanes kick off their non-conference slate Nov. 2 with an exhibition game against St. Leo and conclude two months later with a home match-up against La Salle (Jan. 2). Other highlights include Michigan State’s visit for the annual ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Nov. 28) and the Hurricanes’ trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-25).

“There are basically three components to your schedule - non-conference, the ACC regular season and ACC tournament. We always schedule very competitive non-conference opponents so that will help prepare us for the very, very rigorous ACC challenges that we’ll have ahead of us. This year’s non-conference schedule is particularly difficult, because of the number of teams that we will face that were in postseason play last year.”

 Miami opens its regular season campaign with a trio of in-state competitors: Stetson (Nov. 9), Florida Gulf Coast University (Nov. 13) and Jacksonville (Nov. 16).

Detroit (Nov. 24) and Michigan State (Nov. 28), who both made the NCAA Tournament in 2012, will travel to Coral Gables for two highly anticipated match-ups in late November. The Spartans, who earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16, were ranked No. 9 in ESPN.com’s preseason Top 25 poll.

The Hurricanes will play at home only once in December, as five of the month’s six games take place outside Coral Gables. They will face UMass in Amherst, Mass., (Dec. 1). before a trip home and a showdown with UNC-Charlotte (Dec. 14).  After their brief stay, the Canes will make the drive to Orlando, Fla., for a match-up with in-state rival UCF on Dec. 18.

Jim Larranaga and staff will spend the holidays in Hawaii for the annual Diamond Head Classic, which includes six teams that qualified for the postseason in 2012. The Hurricanes will face either Arizona or East Tennessee State (Dec. 23) following their opening day matchup with the University of Hawaii (Dec. 22). The Hurricanes will conclude the tournament on Christmas Day with possible matchups against San Diego St., Ole Miss, San Francisco or Indiana State (Dec. 25).

The Hurricanes will wrap up their non-conference schedule Jan. 2 at home against LaSalle before opening up conference play on the road against Georgia Tech.

“Even though we have 18 games now in the ACC, we wanted to really challenge ourselves in the non-conference and we feel like we’re going to do that,” said assistant coach Eric Konkol. “Each team brings a different element to our schedule, which will create a very strong RPI and balanced slate for us.”

Individual game tickets for non-conference matchups go on sale Nov. 1. To order your tickets, call l305-284-2263. 

 For the complete Miami men’s basketball schedule, see schedule page.

 

Nov. 2	St. Leo (Exhibition)	Coral Gables, Fla.
Nov. 9	Stetson	Coral Gables, Fla.
Nov. 13	at Florida Gulf Coast University	Ft. Myers, Fla.
Nov. 16	Jacksonville	Coral Gables, Fla.
Nov. 24	Detroit	Coral Gables, Fla.
Nov. 28	Michigan State	Coral Gables, Fla.
Dec. 1	at UMass	Amherst, Mass.
Dec. 14	UNC-Charlotte	Coral Gables, Fla.
Dec. 18	at University of Central Florida	Orlando, Fla.
Dec. 22	Diamond Head Classic – Hawaii	Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec. 23	Diamond Head Classic – Arizona/East Tennessee St.	Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec. 25	Diamond Head Classic – San Diego St./Ole Miss/San Francisco/Indiana St.	Honolulu, Hawaii
Jan. 2	La Salle	Coral Gables, Fla.

 

 

Al Golden on radio this morning: Quarterback decision could come Monday afternoon, plus Henderson news & lots more

Just listened to Al Golden being interviewed by Joe Rose on WQAM:

Some key points:

*The quarterback decision between junior Stephen Morris and redshirt sophomore Ryan Williams could come this afternoon.

Golden: "The players are off this morning, we're in the middle of reviewing the tape and getting our grades and quality control and everything done. The players will be over here in that 1:30 to 4:30 range, so if we're going to have a decision today it's going to in that time frame. I don't want to do anything without sitting down with [offensive coordinator] Jedd [Fisch] and the staff and then certainly the student-athletes.

"It's been really close. What has made it really close is Ryan William's accuracy in camp has been superb. I think he has been 78 percent in camp. And clearly Stephen has not even a hint that he had back surgery in spring. Really came back in great condition. His core is solid. His velocity has been excellent, so we're pleased with the direction that's going.''

Rose: "So we could know something between the next 24 or 48 hours on the quarterback position?"

Golden: "We could. We really could.''

*On OT Seantrel Henderson:

"We're trying to get him back. He's 12 practices behind, which is difficult. He has a funeral he has to attend this week, so hopefully that will be an up and back deal, for someone in his family. Hopefully we'll get him out here.That's the biggest thing right now. We're losing time and in his absence -- we've already talked about Ereck Flowers -- Jermaine Johnson has been playing probably the best football of his career. and Ben Jones has really done a nice job. We've got to get Seantrel to the point where he has some consistency to be the same guy every day.''

* On freshman right OT Ereck Flowers, who is right now slated to start at right tackle, where Henderson was expected to start:

"When you think about it, he wasn't one of those four or five star guys. He was kind of under the radar a little bit. He was a basketball player that ended up being a football player. But  he's strong -- 24, 25 reps [at 225 pounds] as a freshman. He's 315 pounds [and 6-6]. He's got excellent feet. You have to be smart and you have to be really disiciplined to be the starter at right tackle as a freshman for 12 practices and play the way he has played."

*On freshman cornerback Tracy Howard wearing the black jersey of a starter:

"I'm not surprised because of the way he competes and way he studies. He talks the game. He's in the hallways talking the game, asking questions about the game. He brings energy. He is the same guy everyday. If you're at his position, you better bring it everyday or you're going to get beat out."

*On how many true freshman Golden can see getting playing time at Boston College opener:

"There's going to be a lot. In the first game I'm sure there is going to be 15 or more. As the season goes on it could be 18.''

*On freshman running back Duke Johnson:

"He has been good. [Running backs coach] Terry Richardson said it best. He had no idea Duke was this serious about football. Duke is very humble but he's kind of a prankster when he's not going and he's got that smile. But man, oh man, when he crosses that line he's just one of theose guys. He works so hard and prepares. We had no idea that he was like that."

*On the positions that concern him most?

Linebacker certainly because we're not as deep there as we need to be. Josh Witt had to retire [concussions] earlier this summer which hurt our depth, and our experience wasn't great there anyway. We need to stay healthy there and we need some guys to come back and help us out." Golden said Eddie Johnson, Gionni Paul have been injured, "and Thurston Armbrister was having a great camp and then he got a finger in the eye and was out three days. But I think he'll be fine.

 "Other than [defensive end] Chick [Anthony Chickillo], right now that defensive line needs to really take shape. Chick is playing at a high level and Shayon Green has been doing a nice job but we need some inside guys to step up and say, 'You know what, I'm the star, I'm the guy. You're not going to want to take me out.'''

*Who did Golden vote for No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll?

"I don't even know who I have. I can't remember. It was either USC or LSU. I can't even remember. I don't have it in front of me, but I did it two weeks ago. My mind is on nothing but camp. But the first one is a tossup between whoever has the most talent coming back and that kind of thing. And obviously USC with their quarterback -- he's a difference maker.''

* On kicker Jake Wieclaw, who hit field goals of 51 and 56 yards in scrimmage:

"Last year I told him we'd have to get inside the 32 or 30 for me to really feel comfortable and then yesterday the ball was on the 39 and I called for him right away because he has just been banging them, and it would have been good from 62. A really nice job from Jake.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami Hurricanes' first fall scrimmage in the books: Al Golden talks about it here, PLUS STATS ...

The first scrimmage of 2012 fall camp is over, and the season seems that much closer.

Here is the transcript I just did of WQAM's Joe Zagacki, the voice of the Hurricanes, interviewing UM Coach Al Golden after the scrimmage (thanks to HurricaneSports.com). I'll get the stats to you as soon as I get them.

Coach Al Golden’s post-scrimmage interview with WQAM’s Joe Zagacki, Voice of the Canes:

First scrimmage of the year. What’s your reaction to what you saw today?

“I think we’re going to learn a lot from it certainly. We had a good tempo. We’ve got to work on getting in and out of the huddle a little better – our cadence and our alignments and certainly our substitution patterns on defense. There will be a lot that we can learn from, certainly.”

You had some big plays today. The first couple of drives, big plays with Mike James, big plays with Allen Hurns and also Duke Johnson.

“We need that. We need some guys to step up. We lost a lot of our explosive players from a year ago in Street [Tommy Streeter], Lamar [Miller] and Trav [Travis Benjamin], so now there’s a void there and we need guys to step up, regardless of what there age is.’’

Mike James taking his game to another level in terms of physical play? He had a 51-yard run plus he was hard to bring down.

“We’ve been saying it all camp, he looks quicker, he looks faster. He’s always been strong; last year was a tough year for him, he was hobbled with turf toe all year. He just looks different this year. Hopefully Mike will stay healthy and give us what we thought he would be.

It looks like your quarterbacks had a good day. It looks like Stephen ended up with 22 or 23 completions?

“I don’t know what the final tally was but I thought he did a nice job. A couple of throws he rushed, didn’t set his feet but overall I thought they both showed command of the offense and hung in there. I think we just had the one interception late on the batted ball in the two-minute [drill]. But other than that, I thought we made a lot of progress at that position.’’

Good news, bad news was you had one turnover?

“Yeah. You know, we didn’t take it away on defense and we didn’t cause any fumbles, so it certainly is good news, bad new. The bad news is the challenge is going to remain that we need to intercept the ball and take it away more on defense. I don’t think that’s going to change. We need to be better than we were a year ago.’’

Your red-zone offense a year ago was very good. Today, it looked like your offensive line was starting to impose their will in the red-zone drills, and Duke had a nose for the football?

“Yeah, he found it. He has a low center of gravity and has a knack for diving and getting in the end zone, so that’s good. I thought Eduardo [Clements] ran really well today. He made a couple of cuts. A couple of other times he could have pressed it and hit it a little bit quicker, but he’s really doing a nice job. He plays really hard.

“The offensive line played hard. It’s a good scrimmage for us to learn from overall. We had a lot of young guys in there at linebacker because of some injuries, so we’ll get a look at them. We’ll regroup tomorrow night.’’

Tracy Howard got a good dose today of physical college football as well?

“Yeah, we got the ball to the perimeter a couple of times, so his play was challenged, as was all the corners. One of the things we’ve noticed is unselfishness on the perimeter with our wide receivers. They’re really blocking well and giving it up for each other on the perimeter.’’

Wieclaw hit one for 51 yards?

“The ball was spotted on the 39.. How far was it? I thought it was.. He bombed it. Bombed it. Unless I was wrong I thought the ball was on the 39. He bombed it. He was excited. He got a good leg to it. Overall, we made all our field goals today. So, that’s good.”

Some of your concerns on defense?

“Overall, I think our depth at linebacker is our first concern. We’re going to have to have some guys rise up there and we’re going to have to have some other guys get healthy, to be quite honest. In the secondary we played a lot of young guys, so that’s not really a concern. The fact of the matter is those guys are going to have to grow up quickly.

“We saw Deon [Bush] out there a lot, Rayshawn [Jenkins] out there a lot, Tracy Howard out there a lot, Antonio Crawford. So those guys are going to all have to grow up gradually. And then the defensive line, we’ve got to get one guy that can really dominate the game for us (inaudible).’’

Is this a depth-chart moving day?

“It certainly is. We’ll work on that tonight and tomorrow and we’ll reset, we’ll have another six days before Scrimmage 2 and go a little bit longer and basically we’ll have the team set. I’m not saying some guys aren’t going to come in the last week or so, but we’ll basically have the team set by.. next week.’’

Next week fans have an opportunity to meet and greet the Hurricanes and their coaches at BankUnited CanesFest, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, right after scrimmage No. 2.

UM opens its 2012 campaign at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at Boston College. Thankfully, football season is not all that far away.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

HERE ARE THE STATS (please keep in mind that these stats include portions of the scrimmage that were separate from the flow of normal play, such as a two-minute drill at the end of the scrimmage, etc):

Scoring

Maurice Hagens 3 pass from Stephen Morris

Mike James 1 run

Duke Johnson 1 run

Dyron Dye 3 pass from Ryan Williams

Rashawn Scott 2 pass from Williams

Eduardo Clements 2 run

Jake Wieclaw 56 FG

Allen Hurns 29 pass from Morris

D. Johnson 37 pass from Morris

James 51 run

Matt Goudis 24 FG

James 1 run

D. Johnson 13 run

Scott 3 pass from Williams

Goudis 42 FG

Wieclaw 51 FG

Dallas Crawford 2 run

Phillip Dorsett 10 pass from Morris

D. Johnson 10 run

 

Rushing

Mike James 13-137 3 TD; Eduardo Clements 10-55 2 TD; Duke Johnson 9-49 3 TD; Stephen Morris 1-17; Dallas Crawford 3-3 1 TD; Danny Dillard 1-7; Ryan Williams 3-5; Brandon Yosha 2-0.

 

Passing

Stephen Morris 24-36-1-193 4 TD; Ryan Williams 12-17-0-121 3 TD; Preston Dewey 0-3-0-0; Gray Crow 0-3-0-0.

 

Receiving

Duke Johnson 3-44 1 TD; Malcolm Lewis 3-42; Allen Hurns 1-29 1 TD; Phillip Dorsett 3-27 1 TD; Davon Johnson 2-24; Rashawn Scott 3-23 2 TD; Kendal Thompkins 5-22; Herb Waters 3-19; Clive Walford 1-17; Eduardo Clements 3-14; Dallas Crawford 2-14; Dyron Dye 2-13 2 TD; Mike James 3-13; Jontavious Carter 1-10; Maurice Hagens 1-3 1 TD.

 

Tackles

A.J. Highsmith 7-2-9; Tyrone Cornelius 6-1-7; Tracy Howard 5-2-7; Ramon Buchanan 5-2-7; Vaughn Telemaque 3-2-5; Brandon McGee 3-1-4; Kacy Rodgers II 3-1-4; Anthony Chickillo 3-1-4; Curtis Porter 3-1-4; Thomas Finnie 3-0-3; Denzel Perryman 2-1-3; Jimmy Gaines 2-1-3; Deon Bush 2-1-3; Gabriel Terry 3-0-3; Shayon Green 2-0-2; Nantambu Fentress 2-0-2; Antonio Crawford 2-0-2; Tyriq McCord 2-0-2; Jalen Grimble 1-1-2; Rayshawn Jenkins 1-0-1; Nate Dortch 1-0-1; Ladarius Gunter 1-0-1; Vernon Davis 1-0-1; Akil Craig 1-0-1; Earl Moore 1-0-1; Olsen Pierre 1-0-1; Luther Robinson 1-0-1; Jake O’Donnell 1-0-1; Dwayne Hoilett 1-0-1; Darius Smith 1-0-1.

 

PBUs

Dwayne Hoilett 3; Tyriq McCord 1; Rayshawn Jenkins 1; Nate Dortch 1.

 

Sacks

Anthony Chickillo 1-10; Tyrone  Cornileus 1-9; JaWand Blue 1-5.

 

Interceptions

Tyrone Cornileus 1.

 

Fumble Recoveries

Jacoby Briscoe 1.

 Field Goals

Jake Wieclaw 2-2 (56, 51); Matt  Goudis 2-2 (24, 42).

Brandon McGee is back in black; plus freshman receiver Malcolm Lewis is running with the 1st team

A lot of news nuggets and notes from today's media day at UM:

DEFENSIVE BACKS COMPETITION GETTING CLEARER

Cornerback Brandon McGee was back in a black jersey Saturday -- four days after it was taken away from him and given to freshman Tracy Howard. But McGee, who was starting on the outside, did most of his work at nickel and Howard and Ladarius Gunter still had their black jerseys on.

"Great day yesterday taking a leadership role and great day today," Golden said of McGee. "Good too see that from Brandon."

Defensive backs coach Paul Williams said McGee playing a lot of nickel doesn't necessarily mean he will end up playing there solely. But Williams did say McGee is the most experienced nickel corner the team has.

"He ran it all last year and we're in a situation with a lot of young guys where he's just one of the few who is good at it," Williams said. "That's a hard spot. It's hard to find a guy that's good at that spot."

Williams said he's trying to develop freshman Vernon Davis and sophomore Thomas Finnie at the nickel spot as well. Williams said safety Kacy Rodgers has also seen some time there.

> Hard to imagine there is a happier assistant on the team than Williams, who now has arguably the most talented group on the team with eight new additions. Ultimately, Williams said six cornerbacks and four safeties will travel to Boston College on Sept. 1 for the opener.

Who is in the mix at cornerback aside from Howard, McGee and Gunter and Finnie? Williams said freshmen Antonio Crawford and Davis have worked themselves very much into the conversation.

"He's talented," Williams said of Crawford. "He's fast. He can break on a ball. He's going to be a good player.

"They're all really talented. We've just got to be careful because it's got to the guys who are really ready. That's why the scrimmage is huge with these young guys. That's why I don't just want to say they're in. Until we get that scrimmage and throw the bullets at 'em and see the pros and cons, see how they're going to react, we can't lock things down."

> Safety appears to be a different story. Rodgers appears to have the starting safety spot opposite Vaughn Telemaque locked down. "He hasn't blinked yet," Williams said of Rodgers.

> As good as Tracy Howard is, Williams said he isn't perfect.

"He got some work to do," Williams said. "The biggest part of it is just technique. One of his biggest flaws right now is technique. He's not a finished product by no means. But he's got talent. He's trying to get better everyday. You tell him something, he tries everything to fix it."

Williams said it didn't take Howard long to impress him though. In one of the first practices, Williams said, "Tracy made a play on a ball, a fade ball where I was like 'OK, this kid has a chance.'"

FRESHMEN MAKING A PUSH AT RECEIVER

As much love as Robert Lockhart has received early on in camp, former Miramar standout Malcolm Lewis is a bit ahead of the rest of the freshman according to both Al Golden and Jedd Fisch.

In fact, he's been getting first team snaps for the last two days. 

"Robert has a long way to go in terms of just learning the plays and reading the coverages. But there's no doubt his innate skills are there. Now we have to develop that discipline and process. Malcolm is a little bit further ahead in terms of his overall process and consistency. I'm excited about that group. Herb Waters is doing a nice job. That group has really come at a good time for us," Golden said.

Lewis, who said he's turned a lot of baby fat into muscle since arriving at UM, credits former roommate and fellow receiver Phillip Dorsett (the only true freshman to start on the Canes' offense last season) and junior Allen Hurns for helping him pickup the playbook quickly.

"They've been good mentors to me, teaching me the playbook inside and out," Lewis said. "We use flash cards. The play will be on the front and the name will be on the back. I got to say the routes, what's my responsibility with each coverage and what I've got to do. I'm getting it down pact. At first it was a challenge, but now everything is becoming easier. It's about concept. There's a purpose for everything."

Lewis said Dorsett has given him good advice too.

"He said 'Don't take the freshman route. Just pretend like you've been here before and you know what you're doing. And always have confidence in every rep,'" Lewis said. "So far, it's worked."

> Lockhart said he's gained five pounds of muscle since his arrival from prep school and considers himself a physical receiver with good route running skills. He likens his game to 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree.

"I'm just very excited to be out here making plays," Lockhart said. "I plan on making some big plays, getting my name out there."

> As for the defensive tackles, Golden wants to see someone separate themselves on Sunday.

"I think our depth is making progress. Do we have one or two guys that are going to give the other team a fit yet? I want to see that," Golden said. "Luther Robinson, Olsen Pierre, Curtis Porter, Darius Smith, I want to see someone separate tomorrow.

"I want to turn on the film and see man, we just couldn't deal with him. Finally, we have a defensive tackle the way Miami should there. I'm looking for someone to go in there and really dominate a game and cause havoc for us and give the offensive problems and we want to see the young guys and see what they can do."

Barring a letdown in Sunday's scrimmage, expect Stephen Morris to be named UM's starting QB

Stephen Morris wasn't supposed to look this good coming off off-season back surgery.

Ryan Williams was supposed to give him a good fight. That may still happen. But after 11 practices at the University of Miami, it's becoming more and more apparent Morris is on the verge of being named the Hurricane's starting quarterback.

And a solid performance in Sunday's first scrimmage of the fall (closed to the media and public) will probably lock it down.

UM coach Al Golden said he's going to give Morris and Williams equal reps with the first team. Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said both quarterbacks have been throwing accurately "at a very high level of completion percentage" and "neither one is making a whole lot of mistakes or turning the ball over."

But Morris, who has the stronger arm and more experience, might just be better than Williams at this point and unless he has a setback in Sunday's scrimmage (closed to the public and media), expect the Hurricanes to announce the junior as the starter as early as Monday.

"I get a sense everyday just watching them," Golden said when asked Saturday if there has been any separation in the battle. "But they'll both get a chance to throw to the [first team] receivers and then we'll get it on film and evaluate it.

"I think they've been really competitive. I am surprised at Stephen's conditioning and strength level. I really thought -- and we all did -- there would be a gradual integration for him. But he's been all-in to every practice. His conditioning, his core strength is really holding up well."

Fisch echoed those sentiments.

"I think the biggest thing that caught me off guard with Stephen is just how quickly he's been able to be 100 percent. There is no drop off at all," Fisch said. "As a matter of fact, I think he's better. I think his arm is stronger. His feet are fast. And mentally, it's not even close. The spring for him was like a redshirt year and an opportunity to be with me and talk football the entire practice."

Fisch said Morris benefitted from taking UM's freshman quarterbacks this spring and coaching them up on his own.

"He learned how to be more demonstrative as a leader, learned how to be someone who is not afraid to communicate with the other guys and let them know what he thinks," Fisch said. "Physically, the fact he didn't throw at all in the spring made his arm more lively."

Asked what he thinks Williams needs to do to win the job, Fisch said: "We don't look at it that way -- with what someone has to do. We'll come up with a decision on who is going to lead this team and then everybody is going to be on board with it, including the quarterback room.

"But right now, they just have to be prepared. As we all know one play and the next guy is up anyway. Whether you are the starter or not, you have to prepare like the No. 1 guy and really what's going on is that they're both doing a really good job leading the team... now it's just a matter of who is going to give us the best chance to win."

Canes' fab freshmen speak for first time since camp opened

Pizza, salad, Gatorade nutrition bars and a large contingent of strange and silly Hurricanes beat reporters. 

That's what the football team was treated to Saturday after practice when they attended the annual media day luncheon. And for the first time since camp opened, freshmen were available for interviews. 

So, naturally, that's where everyone flocked. Here are a few video interviews with some of the fab freshmen: cornerback Tracy Howard, running back Duke Johnson, right tackle Ereck Flowers, safety Deon Bush and receiver Malcolm Lewis.

Seantrel Henderson: "I took a couple hard losses... and I'm just trying to get back on the field"

Seantrel Henderson had big plans for his junior year at the University of Miami.

Junior Seantrel Henderson spoke to the media Saturday for the first time since attending his friend's funeral and being involved in a car accident.

He was going to come in healthy and in the best shape of his life, ready to start playing like the athlete everyone hoped and expected him to be when he was named USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 and the top high school senior lineman in the country. 

But the past couple weeks have been really hard on the 6-8, 340-pound junior. He had a friend and a relative pass away, and a couple days before he returned home to Minnesota to attend the funeral of his friend, Henderson was involved in a car accident in Miami on Aug. 1 while driving with a suspended license. He suffered a minor concussion and has yet to be cleared to return to action.

He said at Saturday's UM media luncheon that hopes to be back "either next week or the week after." But it's clear Henderson is dealing with what happened emotionally and physically and focusing on football hasn't been easy.

"I took a couple hard losses to my friends and family members and I'm just trying to get back on the field, get back in shape so I can help my team the way I want to and the way they need me to," said Henderson, who was back at practice on a stationary bike for the first time in three days.

"It is kind of difficult and I can't say I'm all the way past it."

Henderson, cited for three infractions in the accident and fined $484, said he was wearing his seat belt during the crash, but didn't elaborate on specifics. A public information officer told The Miami Herald recently Henderson wasn't alone in the crash and at least one teammate was with him, but that no one was seriously injured.

"It was kind of scary," Henderson said. "I'm just glad to still be alive... To be honest, I don't want to relive it. I'm kind of past that. It was just real scary. I really didn't know what happened at first. I just kind of blanked a little bit."

While Henderson has been out, true freshman Ereck Flowers has seized the opportunity at right tackle. He's impressed coaches and could end up starting Sept. 1 at Boston College if Henderson doesn't return soon and reestablish himself as the starter. Henderson said he knows "I have to take control of it now."

"Our first game is in less than a month. I know I only have so much time," Henderson said.

I know it's going to be a little difficult just for the simple fact I haven't been out there. But just in terms of being in shape and things like that, I'm just trying to get my wind back. Once I do it, I'm going to work as hard as I can."

Fisch not scared to start Flowers at right tackle 'or any freshman who deserves' it

CORAL GABLES -- Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch only called on one true freshman to start for him last season -- receiver Phillip Dorsett, who did it once in a 6-3 win at South Florida.

True freshman Ereck Flowers (74) continues to work with the first team with Seantrel Henderson out.

Fisch's second season at the helm of the Hurricanes' offense could feature quite a few more starts from baby-faced Canes -- and former Under-Armor All-American Ereck Flowers (6-6, 314) of Miami Norland could be the first in line.

With Seantrel Henderson now listed as day-to-day according to coach Al Golden and it unclear when the 6-8, 340-pound junior will be back following his car accident and concussion, Flowers continues to run with the first team. And he continues to impress.

"He's doing great. I'm really impressed with him. He's running with the ones everyday," Fisch said. "There is no hesitancy. You wouldn't think he's a freshman the way he's playing. He understands the system. He's next to Brandon Linder everyday and he can communicate. I'm really proud of the way Ereck is playing and all the potential he's showing us. He's strong. He's physical. He's athletic and he really seems to enjoy the game. 

"I don't have any apprehension at all starting any true freshman that deserves to be the starter."

Flowers, a former basketball standout who didn't begin focusing on football until his junior year at Miami Dr. Krop, was known best at Norland for his run blocking and opening up holes for fellow Canes freshman and Mr. Florida football Duke Johnson. But so far at UM, Flowers' pass blocking has also passed the eye-test according to Fisch.

"I think his pass [protection] has been excellent," Fisch said. "He has great feet and he's been doing a great job with us there."

MORE TIDBITS FROM FRIDAY'S PRACTICE

> As expected, linebacker Jimmy Gaines returned to practice Friday morning after missing the first week with an ankle injury he carried over from the spring. Gaines, the only linebacker with starting experience at all three linebacker spots, dodged a question about whether or not he's 100 percent.

Golden said he would bring Gaines back along slowly and reiterated that he probably won't play in Sunday's scrimmage. Gaines said he spent the off-season studying with former teammate Sean Spence and continues to talk to him on a regular basis.

"I'm ready for him to start flying around again," teammate Denzel Perryman said. "He adds a lot. Jimmy knows all three positions. If I ever get stuck on anything, I can just turnaround and ask him or somebody else can turnaround and ask him and we get the answer."

> Golden said he expects sophomore linebacker Gionni Paul to return on Tuesday. "Gionni was doing good [before he was hurt]," Golden said. "We need Gionni to step up, not just at linebacker but as a special teams player. He's a physical run and hit guy for us. We need him back."

> Golden said sophomore linebacker Thurston Armbrister was "banged up" Thursday, but didn't elaborate how long he would be out or limited.

> Sophomore receiver Rashawn Scott, who broke out this past spring, said he spent the off-season studying Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and former Hurricane Andre Johnson and the way they create separation. Scott is working mostly at split end. He said his improved grasp of the Hurricanes playbook has really helped him play a lot faster. Scott played in a wildcat offense in high school.

"I couldn't play fast last year," Scott said. "Now, I know exactly where I'm supposed to be and where everybody else is supposed to be."

> Running back Mike James said he hasn't had to humble freshman Duke Johnson at all. 

"Duke is humble. In fact, I have to tell him, let it hang out, don't hold back," James said. "There's a difference between confidence and cockiness. I told him if you make a play, celebrate it. Let everybody know. It's alright."

> Redshirt freshman Ricardo Williams, listed as the backup to Anthony Chickillo at defensive end, has gained 35 pounds in the past year, going from 220 to 255. Williams said it has helped him improve tremendously on run defense. 

"I feel like I still got my speed and my quickness," Williams said. "I'm at 255, but you don't really see it."

> Kicker Jake Wieclaw said his focus in camp has been trying to get his kicks up higher and quicker this season. Wieclaw said he had two field goal attempts blocked last season.

He's also adjusting to the new NCAA kickoff rules. Starting this season, teams will kick off at the 35-yard line instead of the 30 and the kicking team can’t line up for kickoffs behind the 30-yard line -- a move intended to limit the running start kicking teams have during the play and potential injuries.

Another significant rule change affects touchbacks, which will now be moved to the 25-yard line instead of the 20. Touchbacks on other plays, such as punts in the end zone or fumbles that go out of the end zone, will remain at the 20-yard line.

"It's kind of a trade-off," Wieclaw said. "The 35 is a little bit shorter field so it's easier to get it out there. So hang time is something we're focusing on. We don't always wanted to just kick out of the end zone and let them have it at the 25."

Last season, Wieclaw booted four touchbacks. UM ranked 13th nationally in kickoff coverage defense, allowing just 18.58 yards per return -- 2nd in the ACC.

Seantrel Henderson was involved in car accident before returning home for friend's funeral

Seantrel Henderson was involved in a car accident last week in Miami before he went home to Minnesota to attend the funeral of a close friend, a source at the University of Miami confirmed to the Miami Herald Thursday.

According to Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts records, Henderson -- projected to the be team’s starting right tackle -- was cited for three infractions by the Florida Highway Patrol during an accident that took place Aug. 1. Among the infractions Henderson was cited for according to public records: driving with an expired driver’s license; disobeying a traffic sign; and driving without a license unkowingly. He has been fined a total of $484.

It's unknown if there were any other people injured or involved in the accident. 

UM coach Al Golden told reporters before Thursday morning's practice that Henderson had a medical issue, which he believed to be a concussion, and that the 6-8, 340-pound offensive lineman has yet to be fully cleared to return to action.

Henderson returned to the team Sunday night from Minnesota and did conditioning drills Monday and Tuesday at Greentree Practice Field. But he hasn't been on the field for practice since.

USA Today was able to speak with Henderson's father, who told them it has been a rough few weeks for Henderson. Besides his friend's death and the car accident, an aunt on his mother's side recently passed away from cancer.

"He's probably going to miss some more practice because of the injury," his father, Sean Henderson told USA Today. "I think he's strong enough to get through all of this. He's done some kid stuff, but he's maturing. I believe he's understanding his role as a junior to be a leader on the team. His grades are good, his back is fine. I think he's in the best shape of his life right now."

D'Onofrio: Veteran corners need to be careful about how many days they miss

Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio hasn't been shy about paying compliments to his crop of talented new cornerbacks. He also hasn't been afraid to yank a black jersey from one of his veterans and hand it over to a newcomer.

Thursday, D'Onofrio continued to hammer home that message by saying he wouldn't be afraid to start a first-year player in the season opener at Boston College Sept. 1 and by taking direct aim at the work ethic of senior Brandon McGee.

"I just need Brandon to be consistent," D'Onofrio said when asked to discuss why freshman Tracy Howard took the black jersey from McGee three days ago. "I need Brandon's effort everyday to match his talent. I need him to give every ounce. Again, he's a senior and needs to perform at that level.

"We can't come out here every day and have a pep rally and strike up the band. You got to be responsible for you. I can't try to light a fire under you everyday. You got to be responsible for that fire. He's done some good things and gotten better. But the challenge is to be the same guy everyday."

McGee, the only cornerback on the roster with a college start under his belt, hardly seems worried. In fact, he seems to think the only reason he lost the job was because he missed a day because of a stomach virus.

"It's just a grind. It's camp. Things change weekly. I'm not new to this," McGee said. "I missed a day of practice because I was having some issues with my health and now I'm bouncing back, feeling better. I just keep making strides from here. It's going to take care of itself."

> Sophomore Thomas Finnie, who also lost his black jersey earlier this week to junior college transfer Ladarius Gunter, missed three consecutive days with an ankle injury before returning Thursday.

Golden seemed encouraged by the fact Finnie fought to get back on the field quickly.

"He's one of the guys you have to go to the trainer and say, 'Listen, he's going to tell you he's not hurt, but if he's limping, he's hurt,'" Golden said. "Thomas has got a great work ethic, he's tough, so hopefully he'll be ready to go."

Still, D'Onofrio said missing practice hurts and had a direct message for Finnie and McGee.

"You should be careful about how many days you miss," he said. "You don't want to go out of the huddle because you don't know who is coming in."

MORE NEWS & NOTES FROM THURSDAY

> Golden said Gunter, who is the starting boundary corner, has made a big turnaround at camp.

"Ladarius started off really poorly, I mean really poorly. So much so that by day three, he was third team," Golden said. "But he did not give up, he just kept studying, kept preparing, had a great attitude. I think anybody around the program would say the last three practices he's been really, really good. So hopefully he'll continue; he'll develop some consistency."

Gunter said he's dropped a handful on interceptions throughout camp and is mad at himself over it. Gunter said along with Finnie, freshmen Antonio Crawford and Nate Dortch are working at boundary corner. He said Howard, McGee and freshmen Larry Hope and Vernon Davis are working at field corner.

> D’Onofrio believes there is good competition at defensive tackle between Curtis Porter, Darius Smith, Olsen Pierre, and Luther Robinson. “I think those guys have separated themselves,” D’Onofrio said, “and I think we need to have some other guys step up from there.”

With Corey King out, D’Onofrio said he is looking for someone to emerge from a group of Jalen Grimble, DeQuan Ivery, Jacoby Briscoe and Earl Moore. “I need some more depth to come from that group,” D’Onofrio said. "We got to be able to have six to count on."

> Defensive end isn't a spot D'Onofrio has a whole lot of confidence in right now beyond Anthony Chickillo and Shayon Green.

"Right now we've got [Kelvin] Cain, [Dwayne] Hoillett and [Tyriq] McCord behind Shayon [Green]," he said. "Shayon can also go an play in Chick's spot. We're working Jelani Hamilton, who is coming on. We've worked [Jake] O'Donnell, Ricardo [Williams] at that position. I kind of like the tackle position. But I'm trying to find more guys to count on out of that group. Some will rise out of it. When you have seven or eight at end and seven or eight at tackle, eventually it will flush out. But right now it hasn't.

"We still have players at both spots and we're looking to see who are going to be the next guys on the plane when we go to Boston College."

> D'Onofrio said he's not looking for Tracy Howard to be a leader, even though many of his teammates say he's already showing flashes of that. "Tracy is just going about his business and he's doing the job," D'Onofrio said. "All I know is he's coming out here and playing well. He studies the game, he works hard."

> If Seantrel Henderson (concussion) isn't ready to go for the season-opener, look for freshman Ereck Flowers to get a chance to start at right tackle. Offensive line coach Art Kehoe loves him.

" He's a freshman, but he's not really a freshman because he came in January," Kehoe said. "He knows the system... now he's starting to figure it out. He's being aggressive, jumping cadence more and he's finishing plays more."

> Golden wouldn't say if he's decided when if he'll announce who has won the starting quarterback competition (Aug. 13th or Aug. 19th) even though many players have said Stephen Morris is the favorite over Ryan Williams. Golden and D'Onofrio said coaches are still installing the playbook and evaluating what players can do in those plays. The team's first scrimmage is Sunday.

"They'll both get reps with the ones on Sunday and then we'll sit back as a staff Sunday night, Monday night and evaluate it," Golden said.

> Freshman receiver Robert Lockhart continues to draw praise from Golden. Lockhart caught a pair of touchdown passes in practice Wednesday.

"He's faster than we thought he would be," Golden said. "We knew he had a great vertical and ball skills, and that's what attracted us to him, but he's faster than we thought, which is a great benefit because we never had him in camp... We have to continue to learn. We're asking him to do a lot, but hopefully he'll continue to learn. He's very talented. We're excited about him."

> Golden is confident junior strongside linebacker Jimmy Gaines will be back out at practice Friday. Golden, though, said Gaines wouldn't play in Sunday's scrimmage and be transitioned into his spot next week.

"Jimmy's been getting reps, we've just been protecting him," Golden said.

Seantrel Henderson story takes another strange twist

University of Miami coach Al Golden told reporters when Seantrel Henderson returned to the team Sunday after attending the funeral of a friend that he would likely need to go through a few days of conditioning before getting back out on the field.

Now, it looks like the guy penciled in as the Canes starting right tackle may need a little more time than that.

Golden said Thursday morning that Henderson has not been cleared to practice yet because he may have a concussion. Hard to imagine how Henderson accomplished that considering he isn't on the field and isn't supposed to be getting hit.

But this smells funny. Stay tuned.

> Golden said linebacker Gionni Paul, who had been running with the first team on the weak side, will only be out 2-3 days after injuring his knee during practice Wednesday.

"It was a Category Five drill and Gionni tried to tackle Duke [Johnson] and Duke spun out of it. And when Duke spun out, Gionni hit the floor and another player hit his knee. Duke kept going and then shook Larry Hope and thats when everybody went crazy," a player told The Miami Herald Thursday of how Paul was injured.

Is it bad? "Yeah," the player said. "I think so."

> Offensive lineman Cory White and linebacker Jimmy Gaines (ankle) were wearing yellow non-contact jerseys. Freshman defensive end Jelani Hamilton was in shorts and a t-shirt. He has a brace on his right knee -- the same knee he injured last season as a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High.

Quick news from UM Canes Practice No. 6 Wednesday in Coral Gables

1. Coach Al Golden, as expected, did not comment on the Ray-Ray Armstrong situation, and basically said he'd let the administration deal with it.

2. Freshman running back Duke Johnson, who was wearing a red no-contact jersey yesterday after suffering a bad migraine Sunday, is fully back in practice, wearing his usual No. 8 white jersey. Note: Duke is wearing a heavily tinted visor to protect him from the sun for precaution related to his migraines. But that visor will soon increasingly become lighter during practice to get him ready for the season.

3. CB Tracy Howard is still wearing the first-team black jersey, which coaches indicated he earned because he is consistent and works hard every day. DB coach Paul Williams said former black-jersey corner Brandon McGee must practice in a consistent manner if he wants to earn the shirt back.

4. Some of the players in red jerseys yesterday wore yellow (limited) jerseys Wednesday: tight end Dyron Dye, cornerback Thomas Finnie, TE Cory White and linebacker Jimmy Gaines.

5. Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson was not on the field practicing, but we could see him in the weight room through the window, working out. Remember, Coach Golden said he'd have to go through full conditioning testing, etc., to get back fully to practicing.

6. Linebacker Ramon Buchanan was in a gray U T-shirt with gray shorts today, working with the linebackers as a player-coach. Buchanan had been recuperating from reconstructive knee surgery, and he recently told us he was fine and ready to go. Not sure about his status. But I do know Golden is smart about not wanting to overwork or overtax certain players who are easing into situations. He used player-coaches a lot last fall

7. Quarterback Stephen Morris indicated to me he is looking forward to when the starting quarterback is named. He did not give his prediction on the winner in that derby.

8. Today is the first two-a-day session. However, we will not have access to practice or players or coaches this afternoon.

9. We were told Sunday's scrimmage is closed.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

Will Ray-Ray Armstrong file injunction for reinstatement?

 An attorney representing former UM Hurricanes safety Ray-Ray Armstrong told me he plans to file an injunction to reinstate Armstrong to the team.

The Orlando-based attorney, Matt Morgan, sent me a tweet tonight, saying "We do not agree with the way they have handled Ray Ray. A very talented athlete's career is at stake.''

I then talked to Morgan by phone, and he said, "Here you've got Miami making a decision on its own to kick him off the team without the NCAA telling them to. You ask why? I believe it's because they're under investigation by the NCAA.

"We're saying Miami is offering up a sacrificial lamb in Ray-Ray.''

Armstrong was dismissed from the team recently for an undisclosed reason, though his father told The Miami Herald it was because Armstrong initially lied, and then told the truth, to UM officials about being at a Miami Beach hotel with his girlfriend -- the owner of a public relations company that represents professional athletes. 

"The underlying issue is Ray-Ray was at a hotel with his girlfriend, the girlfriend picked up charges to her personal credit card, so there is no NCAA violation,'' Morgan said. "They're thinking an agent is putting him up in the room but it turns out to be his girlfriend. You can't avoid hanging out with your girlfriend, just because her occupation happens to be a PR person."

Armstrong was suspended last season in connection to the NCAA case involving UM's relationship with former booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro.

Armstrong's statement, provided by Morgan: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the University of Miami. I hope they reconsider their decision and allow me to play football as a Hurricane this season.''

Chris Freet, UM's associate athletic director for communications and marketing, told me UM had not heard from the lawyer as of Tuesday night, and that he had no other comment.

 Morgan said the injunction is "three-quarters of the way completed'' and that he intends to file it by the end of the week.

 

 SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

Duke Johnson's reflection, the Canes' young (and old) receivers and Sunday's first scrimmage of fall

A humorous anecdote from Tuesday's practice:

Hurricanes linebacker Denzel Perryman said he had Duke Johnson as a roommate during the summer and he could tell that Duke was "putting on a little weight" and "getting bigger" because Johnson would stand in front of the mirror and flex.

What would Perryman do?

"I would just tell him to sit down.

"We talked before and I was telling him, 'You've got to put [the hype] to the side. Right now you kind of start over. You're not in high school anymore; you're in college. You know everybody that's out here is All-American -- they were top guys in their city.'''

YOUNG RECEIVERS LOOKING GOOD

Here's the transcript from our interview today with receivers coach George McDonald:

What’s the biggest learning curve for a young receiver?

“I think the learning curve for all of them is one is the tempo that we play at. You know the high intensity in practice and just the volume of plays that we put in. You know, sometimes the
number of plays we have in one day is the number of plays we have in one season,
so just the learning curve. It’s the same thing from high school to college, college
to the NFL. It’s just the volume of information you get daily.”

How’s Malcolm Lewis looking?

“Malcolm’s doing a good job. I mean he’s really doing a nice job. He’s a real polished receiver. You know it’s the same thing, just the conditioning, just the volume of plays. But all the guys that we’ve signed, they’ve definitely shown they have the ability to play. Now how fast all that happens will play itself out. But they’re all doing really well right now.”

What in particular does Malcolm do that impresses you?

“I think the biggest thing about Malcolm is that he can make the first person miss. His run after the catch ability is really a specific trait that he has. He’s elusive after he catches the ball then he
gets the ball up the field really fast.”

And Lockhart's leaping ability?

“Now Lockhart, you know he has really, really good ball skills. He can track the ball amazingly. All of them have unique traits but that’s one of his strong traits right there.”

Coach Golden talked about Kendal’s consistency.

“Kendal’s done a great job. And he’s a guy that’s just kept working, kept working, and this year, I hope this is the year that he puts everything together. But up to this point I mean he’s done an awesome job in terms of knowing the system, playing hard every day and competing every day.”

Does he feel the pressure of being the old guy?

“No I don’t think he feels any pressure. I think he feels relieved. It’s just like, ‘hey, you know it’s my
time’. I think it’s a great opportunity for him and I think he’s maximizing all his
opportunities right now.”

How much do you plan to get the younger guys into the rotation?

“Coach Golden’s philosophy is get the talent into the game. So the
most talented players are going to play and obviously we have a lot of young,
talented players that might receive a position so we’re going to try to get as many
as we can in the game."

SUNDAY'S SCRIMMAGE is set for 1 p.m., and I'm pretty sure it's closed to the public (and media). However, if that changes, I will let you know.

 SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

(Expanded) Quick Hits from UM Canes Tuesday Practice

Biggest eye openers:

1. True freshman CB Tracy Howard wearing coveted first-team black jersey reserved for best and brightest. This kid is for real!

2. True freshman RB Randy "Duke" Johnson wearing red no-contact jersey (but still partaking in drills). Johnson suffers from occasional migraines and got a whopper a couple days ago. He doesn't get many, but when he does they can be nasty. Word is he was feeling a lot better Tuesday, but UM coaches were being cautious by keeping him in the red jersey for today, a source familiar with the situation said. Doctors are aware of the situation.

3. Sr CB Brandon McGee not in black first-team jersey (see 1). Not good for Brandon, a great kid. Disappointing, but it's still way early.

4. Four players in red no-contact jerseys: RB Johnson, TE Dye, DL King, CB Finnie

Note: Today is first day in full pads (Except for Seantrel, still in first phase of practicing)

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Relief, joy for Canes: big Seantrel Henderson (looking trim) is back with team and at practice

The ending to the newest Seantrel Henderson saga is a good one for the University of Miami and its football fans. Henderson, UM's 6-8, 340-pound right tackle, returned last night to the team and addressed his teammates.

He's out there now on Monday at practice No. 4, and looks really good -- as trim and fit as I can ever remember seeing him. He can't wear pads yet, but he was doing blocking drills this morning for the 15 minutes of media viewing -- and sprinting from drill to drill.

His teammates seemed genuinely happy to have him back, and the offensive linemen are relieved as well.

"It's good to have him back,'' said UM coach Al Golden. "We'll see where he's at in terms of going through the acclimation process and then we'll go from there. He's got to go through helmets [and shorts, without pads] for two days.

"You guys are the only ones talking about it. There's no one else talking about it. He was away at his friend's funeral. He came back yesterday, went to all the meetings last night and now we're moving forward.

"Again, we're just trying to improve. He started two games and played 200 plays last year. That's like a lost year. We're trying to improve on what he did last year."

Golden said Henderson has to go through all the conditioning tests that his teammates recently conquered. "This is not the NFL where you just show up and go out and practice. You gotta do two days in helmets, you gotta do compliance items, you've got to fill out all these different forms. That's why we take a whole day to process everybody. It's going to take a while for him.

"We got a lot done yesterday, now we've got to get him transitioned here.''

"Just to have him back and see his smiling face always makes us all happy,'' said guard Jonathan Feliciano. "He brings us up. It's going to create a lot more competition."

Fifth-year senior receiver Kendal Thompkins called Henderson "a real big part of the team.

"We know the talent he brings to the team, and his personality, man. He's a cool guy and he's a funny guy to be around. Just to feel his presence again is a good feeling.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Seantrel's welcome wearing thin? Other news from Day 3 of UM Canes camp

As you no doubt know by now, offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson has missed the first three days of University of Miami football camp, and not many would be surprised if he were out again Monday for Day Four.

Al Golden seems to give his players chances to grow and learn from any shortcomings, but I suspect patience is wearing very thin -- and that has nothing to do with the funeral Seantrel returned to Minnesota to attend.

My updated story will be online later at MiamiHerald.com. No revelations. But coaches are obviously already making position shifts, or practicing different combinations, on the offensive line. I know Art Kehoe believes in doing that anyway, but I still think they're preparing just in case.

Golden said Jermaine Johnson is now playing tackle instead of guard (he's listed as a guard on the newest depth chart), and Jon Feliciano, who says he's still a guard, practiced yesterday at right tackle. Not sure about Sunday because the line just did blocking drills while reporters were there for our 15 minutes of viewing. Feliciano told us that freshman Ereck Flowers was practicing as the first-team right tackle.

D'ONOFRIO HIGH ON FRESHMEN CBS

I spoke with defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio today, and asked him to tell me the freshmen players who have really "jumped out'' at him.

"Good question,'' he said. "We have so many of them, which is good, and I'm trying to evaluate them all right now.'' Then he went on to name cornerbacks Tracy Howard, Vernon Davis and Antonio Crawford.

"Those three right now have stood out to me,'' he said. "The safeties have done a good job in Deon Bush and Rayshawn Jenkins, but the three corners have stood out because of playmaking ability, competitiveness and commitment. They are guys that really like football.

"I heard an interesting quote last night from Curtis Martin. He was talking about getting inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he talked about Bill Parcells one time questioning, and saying, 'Just be careful that you understand the difference between routine and commitment.' He always thought of himself as a hard worker and I thought that kind of hit home with some of these guys.

"Routine is when the guys step in and they go to the meetings and they go to practice and they do what they're supposed to do. But commitment is when they do extra. These guys are willing to do extra questions. They're studying their books at night. You've got to kick them out of the meeting room. That's what I've noticed early on.''

MORE D'ONOFRIO REFLECTIONS

D'Onofrio, as well as Golden, want defensive tackles Curtis Porter and Darius Smith to take it to another level conditioniong wise. Smith already has dropped more than 35 pounds (to his current 324) from the beginning of last season's training camp. Smith said he'd like to lose at least another 10 pounds.

Porter, who had a severely injured finger last season, played in only the last two games.

"I think Curtis [Porter] right now, we're trying to see where he is conditioning wise,'' D'Onofrio said. "He has played a quarter of the season at most the last two years. He's a long way away from being where we want him to be and it's going to take a hard training camp.''

"Darius has gotten his weight closer to where we want him to be, but he's got another step to go. There are nine defensive tackles now in camp and they're all going to get opportunities. The picture is not clear there.''

Concluded D'Onofrio: "I need conditioning and the ability to make plays, those are the issues at the end of the day.''

SHAYON PROUD IN BLACK

Defensive end Shayon Green is wearing a black jersey that goes to first-teamers. He said "It symbolizes the starters and toughest guys on the team. It's unbelievable [to wear one despite] coming from two knee surgeries.''

* Outside linebacker Jimmy Gaines (foot) was limited again in practice

* Golden gushed about fifth-year senior receiver Kendal Thompkins, saying he had a great summer from a conditioning standpoint. "What I see right now is I see Kendal, who is a fast young man who is able to do that now for a 2 1/2- hour practice. That was never the case a year ago. ''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone seen Seantrel? He wasn't at practice, necessitating (temporary?) position switch for teammate; And congrats to Cortez!

We all were looking forward to seeing Seantrel Henderson out at practice for Day 2 of fall camp. At least I was looking forward to it, as I requested him for an interview.

But Seantrel was not at camp Saturday morning.

Taking Henderson's place Saturday at right tackle: Jonathan Feliciano, who is listed on the current depth chart as the first-team left guard. Feliciano, if you recall, played tackle during the season but was switched to guard in the spring.

Taking Feliciano's place at left guard: usual backup Jeremy Lewis.

Delayed flight? Coach Al Golden was asked.

Golden: "I have no idea what... again, when I told you guys Friday he'd be  back... I have no idea what his schedule is, but I think he's supposed to arrive back today.''

Golden said Friday that Henderson did not attend practice because he was in Minnesota to attend the funeral of a friend. But he also said he'd be back for Saturday morning's practice session.

This wouldn't be more than a blip on the radar if there weren't a track record here. The 6-8, 340-pound Henderson, a junior, has been the subject of controversy a few times since he arrived at UM in 2010.

    He was the 2009 USA Today High School Offensive Player of the Year, the only lineman to ever win the award.

    He's polite and candid when we talk to him. We just don't hear from him very often.

   Golden suspended Henderson the first weekend of spring practice in early March, 2012, for violating an undisclosed team policy.

   Golden said during our one-on-one interview two weeks ago at the ACC Football Kickoff that Henderson was "absolutely not'' suspended after showing up "significantly late'' to the start of a summer session. "It's not a function of anything else in the summer other than missing class and being accountable to your teammtes and the university,'' the coach told me. He then went on to say that Henderson was "doing great'' despite being punished internally for arriving late.

  Golden reiterated during our interview that Henderson was showing "a sense of accountability on his part that he hasn't displayed or exhibited in the past, and I think it shows maturity and it shows signs of adhering to a process, a discipline. I'm hopeful.

    "We're like everybody else on the planet when it comes to Seantrel,'' Golden said that day. "We want to maximize his ability, we want to maximize his talent and give him the skillset, the discipline, the strength, the explosion to be the type of player we know he can be.''

   Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow. Either way, I received word from UM that he will not be available for interviews until further notice.

   CORTEZ KENNEDY A PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER!

   Way to go Cortez! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

    He will be officially enshrined at 7 p.m. Saturday (ESPN and NFL Network).

   I remember nearly four years ago when I called Cortez Kennedy to ask him about his reaction to learning he was one of five UM greats selected for the UM Football Ring of Honor.

  "I couldn't believe it,'' Kennedy, a former defensive tackle, said by phone from his Orlando home. "I'm in the Seattle Seahawks' Ring of Honor, and this has even more meaning to me. Just think of all the UM greatness that came before and after me.''

   Kennedy, now 43, was the MVP of the Hurricanes' 1989 national championship team.

   "I respect every player that came through the U, because we sacrificed so much on and off the field,'' he said. "It was hard for me to even tell some of the former players I was selected, because so many of them deserve to be in that ring.''

 Kennedy registered 58 sacks and scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery in his 11-season career with the Seattle Seahawks.  

 I'm sure he'll cherish the moment Saturday, and all Canes Fans will be right there with him.

  SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Hurricanes 'kick the hell' out of once dreaded summer conditioning finale -- then open fall camp

   Coach Al Golden predicted it would happen, and turns out he was right.

   On the eve of the opening of fall camp on Friday, every one of his Hurricanes passed the once dreaded yearly conditioning test.

    “To be honest with you, they kicked the hell out of that drill last night,’’ Golden said of Thursday night’s test, which requires each player to run 14 consecutive 40-yard dashes (with a short amount of time to jog back to begin each dash) in a specified time. “A year ago that drill killed us.

    "They put the time in. They put the energy in. They made sacrifices. They had the discipline to go out there and do that. Everybody that has ever been around that conditioning drill – you can’t do it alone. You can’t do it without energy, without the support of your teammates and obviously without unity and I think that proved it last night.’’

    Linebacker Denzel Perryman said there were "a lot of hoo-rahs" during and after the test. "The big guys were the last ones to run through and pretty much when they were coming back on the last one almost half the team ran back with them. When they crossed the line they were jumping around."

   Perryman said 6-3, 295-pound redshirt junior defensive tackle Luther Robinson "crushed the time'' in his first attempt after failing the test in previous years. "We had people run next to him to push him, standing there to make sure he didn’t give up.

   "He did great.''

   As for his own strength and conditioning skills, Perryman said his bench press went from 375 to 400, his 225-pound reps went from 24 to 30 and his squat went from 495 to 515.

"It’s all just hard work and a mental thing, going into the weight room with a great attitude,'' he said. "I feel like this team can be really great. Everybody is out here ready to go. everybody is locked in in the playbook, talking to coaches, watching film, doing extra work.''

 Safety A.J. Highsmith said the conditioning test "pumped up" Golden. "He was excited about it. He loved the energy we had and the way we attacked it. You have to attack it the same way you do it in a fb game -- just come out and start swinging. Don’t wait around. Take advantage of it right away.''

CHICK DRAWS CROWD

Sophomore defensive end Anthony Chickillo, who had a team-leading (tied with former Cane Marcus Robinson) five sacks last season, is intent on causing havoc this season.

"The game has slowed down a lot for me,'' Chickillo said. "I know what teams are trying to do. I'm ready for a big year."

 Added Chickillo: "We're tired of losing. That's something we're willing to say. We're tired of losing. We're going to have a good team this year and we're going to be ready for Boston College."

  Chickillo did not want to discuss the recent Yahoo! Sports article that alleges he took improper benefits. But he did seem confident in saying he didn't expect to be declared ineligible by the NCAA. 

   Practice on Saturday is bright and early: 7:30 a.m. interviews followed by 8:20 a.m. practice. It is closed to the public.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

  

Former UM receivers coach Aubrey Hill resigns from Gators; implicated in Yahoo! Sports report

Former University of Miami receivers coach Aubrey Hill, a Miami native, has resigned from the same position at the Universty of Florida.

Hill's last season at UM was in 2010.

Hill was implicated by Yahoo! Sports as allegedly being involved in impermissible recruiting activies in the UM-related case involving former UM booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro, and Shapiro's alleged accomplice, former UM equipment manager Sean Allen.

"Aubrey informed me he was resigning for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the University of Florida ,'' Florida coach Will Muschamp said in a written statement. "Aubrey didn't want to be a distraction to our team and our football program and he thought it was best for him to move on.

"I appreciate Aubrey's efforts and wish him the best moving forward. He will always remain a Gator.''

 Hill played at UF in the early 1990s.

 "I have too much love and respect for this program to become a distraction as I deal with some personal issues,'' Hill said in a written statement. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to have worked with Coach Muschamp, a tremendous staff and great group of players. The future is very bright here and the University of Florida will always have a special place in my heart. Go Gators.''

  Florida announced that UF offensive coordinator Brent Pease, a former receivers coach at Boise State, will work with wide receivers along with graduate assistant Bush Hamdan.

 SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

It's finally here: 2012 UM Canes fall football camp (just a tad later than expected)

Fall camp opens for the Miami Hurricanes at 2:10 p.m. Friday -- about six hours later than expected because of a school conflict with tests.

But your Hurricanes are bound to be fired up no matter what time they hit Greentree Field.

UM Coach Al Golden addressed the media Thursday, with quarterback competitors Stephen Morris and Ryan Willams in the audience (awaiting interviews).

Some notes going into Day One:

* OT Seantrel Henderson is excused from the first day of practice because he is in Minnesota attending the funeral of a childhood friend.

* Morris and Williams are expected to split reps until a starter is named.

* Some players who had good summers and emerged as leaders (among others), according to what Golden said he has been told: WR Allen Hurns ("fantastic"); OL Shane McDermott, Brandon Linder, Jon Feliciano; TE Asante Cleveland; RB Mike James; Morris and Williams; DE Anthony Chickillo; DE Shayon Green; DT Luther Robinson; LB Denzel Perryman and Raphael Kirby; CB Brandon McGee; S Vaughn Telemaque.

* The only player not expected to be full go at practice is TE Cory White (knee).

* Players were scheduled to be tested earlier tonight in conditioning. They were to run 14, 40-yard dashes in a certain amount of time. "That would simulate one of the longest drives you'd have in a game -- 14 plays,'' Golden said. "It's a test that's been around forever. I joke with the players that it's a test I made two years ago at Temple, so they better make it.''

If they don't? "They have to get up and hang with the parrots in the morning,'' Golden replied.

* Golden does not believe in a two-quarterback system.

* Golden has no qualms about playing freshmen.

"We're going to have some young guys on the field. Our team knows. We're not going to stratify this year at all. You're not going to hear me say, 'He's a freshman running back.' We're going to stratify by position but we're not going to stratify by year in school.

"..If we're putting them out there, he better play like a Miami Hurricane. We have a no excuse mentality right now in our building and I think it's gaining traction with the players. If you're out there playing, you need to perform at the level we need you to execute at.''

*Freshmen RB Duke Johnson and CB Tracy Howard "bring energy" and are "fun to have in the building,'' according to Golden. "I think they understand what it means to play for Miami. Both of them come in with the mindset they want to be the best."

Golden said "Randy Duke Johnson, he gets it. He looks at this and that [photo in the Hecht Athletic Center] and says, 'I want to be better than that guy.'''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

UM depth chart going into fall practice

PRE-FALL CAMP DEPTH CHART

OFFENSE

WR
1 Allen Hurns, 6-3, 192, Jr.
4 Phillip Dorsett, 5-10, 185, So.

LT
79 Malcolm Bunche, 6-7, 325, RSo.
76 Taylor Gadbois, 6-8,310, Fr. OR 55 Ben Jones, 6-5, 310, Sr.

LG
70 Jonathan Feliciano, 6-5,318, RSo.
68 Jeremy Lewis, 6-4, 316, RSr.

C
62 Shane McDermott, 6-4, 295, RSo.
75 Jared Wheeler, 6-5, 314, RJr.

RG
65 Brandon Linder, 6-6, 308, Jr.
78 Jermaine Johnson, 6-6, 316, RJr.
63 Daniel Isidora, 6-3, 320, Fr.

RT
77 Seantrel Henderson, 6-8, 340, Jr.
74 Ereck Flowers, 6-6, 314, Fr.

TE
82 Asante Cleveland, 6-5, 263, Jr.
46 Clive Walford, 6-4, 250, RSo.
85 David Perry, 6-7, 260, RSo.
49 Dyron Dye, 6-5, 255, RJr.

FB
33 Maurice Hagens, 5-11, 240, Jr.
43 Sean Harvey, 6-4, 262, RSo.

QB
17 Stephen Morris, 6-2, 214, Jr. OR 11 Ryan Williams, 6-5, 221, RSo.

RB
5 Mike James, 5-11, 220, Sr.
23 Eduardo Clements, 5-9, 195, Jr.

WR
80 Rashawn Scott, 6-2, 198, So.
83 Kendal Thompkins, 5-10, 182, RSr.

DEFENSE

E
71 Anthony Chickillo, 6-4, 262, So.
90 Ricardo Williams, 6-5, 248, RFr.

T
98 Darius Smith, 6-2, 315, Sr.
93 Luther Robinson, 6-3, 288, RJr.

T
96 Curtis Porter, 6-1, 305, RJr.
91 Olsen Pierre, 6-4, 300, So.

E
51 Shayon Green, 6-3, 257, RJr.
94 Kelvin Cain, 6-3, 238, Jr.

OLB
59 Jimmy Gaines, 6-3, 230, Jr.
44 Eddie Johnson, 6-1, 234, RFr.

MLB
52 Denzel Perryman, 6-0, 229, So.
56 Raphael Kirby, 6-0, 218, Fr.

OLB
45 Ramon Buchanan, 6-1, 226, RSr.
36 Gionni Paul, 6-1, 232, So. OR 31 Tyrone Cornileus, 6-2, 210, Jr.

CB
21 Brandon McGee, 6-0, 194, Sr.
11 Larry Hope, 6-0, 180, Fr.

S
22 Kacy Rodgers II, 6-2,210, Jr.
30 AJ Highsmith, 6-0, 202, RJr.
29 Rayshawn Jenkins, 6-1, 203, Fr.

S
7 Vaughn Telemaque, 6-2, 204, RSr.
28 Andrew Swasey, 5-10, 200, Sr.
2 Deon Bush, 6-1, 190, Fr.

CB
37 Ladarius Gunter, 6-2, 198, Jr.
20 Thomas Finnie, 5-10, 183, So.

SPECIAL TEAMS

P
13 Dalton Botts, 6-3, 205, Sr.
40 Jake Wieclaw, 6-2, 193, RSr.

PK
40 Jake Wieclaw, 6-2, 193, RSr.
18 Matt Goudis, 6-0, 170, RFr.

H
13 Dalton Botts, 6-3, 205, Sr.
11 Ryan Williams, 6-5, 221, RSo.

LS
60 Sean McNally, 5-10, 214, RJr.
30 AJ Highsmith, 6-0, 202, RJr.

SS
65 Brandon Linder, 6-6, 308, Jr.
60 Sean McNally, 5-10, 214, RJr.

PR
4 Phillip Dorsett, 5-10, 185, So.
25 Dallas Crawford, 5-10, 192, RFr.

KR
4 Phillip Dorsett, 5-10, 185, So.
25 Dallas Crawford, 5-10, 192, RFr.