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Re-focused freshman cornerback Tracy Howard confident his time to shine will come
When Tracy Howard announced on National Signing Day he wanted to be a Hurricane, the All-American cornerback didn't mention anything about coming in as a freshman and being content with sitting on the bench.
UM coach Al Golden shares a hug with freshman cornerback Tracy Howard after the Boston College game.
"I'm not really a guy who is going to talk and say I'm going to start. It's up to me to produce," Howard said moments after the ink dried on his signed national letter of intent back in February. "But do I feel like I'm going to produce and show out, compete and work hard? Yes, I do. And if I do that I'm going to start."
Despite earning a coveted black jersey (worn by starters) on the fifth day of training camp, Howard still hasn't won a starting job at Miami in his first season.
In fact, since getting in for 100 combined snaps in UM's first three games, Howard has seen his playing time dwindle. After not playing at all on defense in UM's fourth game of the season at Georgia Tech (defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said he didn't want his young players to get thrown off by an option offense), Howard has played just roughly 40 combined snaps over his last three games.
Why the reduction in playing time? UM coach Al Golden has never provided specifics, saying simply on Sunday that Howard "hit a wall" and has now started to respond in the past couple weeks.
Truth is, there were a couple layers to that wall.
First, between his disappointment of not being able to earn a starting job and the frustration of seeing his playing time get reduced, Howard admitted Wednesday he lost focus and confidence.
In the end, Howard also ended up exchanging words with his coordinator. "It was nothing disrespectful," Howard told The Miami Herald. "Just a coach and a player talking football."
Whatever that conversation turned out to be in the end, Howard has responded the way D'Onofrio has wanted him to over the last couple weeks. D'Onofrio said Monday Howard has "been dialed in" and has made a commitment to practicing better, particularly the last two weeks.
And that's ultimately why Howard got in for 20 snaps last Saturday against North Carolina (more than he had in his previous two games). Howard responded by making an impressive tackle on Tar Heels running back Gio Bernard near the Canes' sideline -- one of his five tackles on the season.
"I wasn't all the way locked in," Howard said when asked what Golden meant when he said he had 'run into a wall.'
"I was just coming out and playing with talent. Talent isn't really enough. You have to work on the little things - simple things like having your eyes on your luggage, keeping your eyes on keys, just real small things I had to pick up, things preventing me from being the starter off the bat. But I think I've picked it up. I think everything is going to get flowing."
At Miramar High, Howard earned a reputation for being a hard worker, who studied lots of film and prepared himself for every opportunity. He was tabbed by almost every recruiting outlet as the nation's No. 1 high school cornerback because of that -- and because of what he did during his career for the Patriots, finishing with 18 interceptions in three varsity seasons.
Howard said freshman safety Deon Bush, who has made four starts and is tied for eighth on the team with 24 tackles, has helped keep him centered through his struggles this season.
"Me and Deon are the best of friends," Howard said. "He's told me just put your head down, pray and keep chopping away."
Howard (5-11, 185) said although this season hasn't panned out exactly the way he's wanted it to for himself, he's going to continue to work to earn a starting job.
"I know in my heart one day my time is going to come and I'll make the best of my opportunity," Howard said. "Everything will be just like high school all over again."
Asked if he's considered leaving UM at all because he hasn't played as much as maybe he would like or thought he would, Howard responded: "No. No way."
"This is my hometown, my team, my city," Howard said. "I'm not going anywhere."
Youthful Canes defense at the midway point of a historically bad season
If you've been thinking this might be the worst Hurricanes defense of all time after just six games -- your eyes are not deceiving you.
At the midway point of the 2012 campaign, the Canes are on pace to shatter the school record book for the worst statistical season ever on defense.
They've already given up more points (208) than Larry Coker's team did in his final season as head coach in 2006 (201 points) and they are on pace to give up 416 in total -- 102 more points than UM did in 1984 under Jimmy Johnson and 2008 under Randy Shannon (tied for the current worst all time).
Yards? Take your pick, rushing or receiving. Both records appear as though they will go down easily.
The 1,504 rushing yards given up already are nearly double of what the 1989 national championship team allowed (1,520, 2nd fewest all-time), and should easily surpass what the 1944 Canes allowed (2,492 yards, the current worst) by the time UM is on its way out of Virginia on Nov. 10.
The record for most passing yards allowed -- 2,695 in 2009 -- should end up going down around the same time at Virginia. These Canes are on pace to give up 3,112 yards through the air in all. That's 1.7 miles.
Total yards? Miami has already surrendered 3,060. These Canes should easily crush the record of 4,369 allowed during the 1997 season. Same with first downs. UM's given up 158 of those in six games. The current record is 238 set by the 1997 squad.
Sacks? This UM team is on pace to end up with the fewest in that category too. They've got seven and would finish with 14 -- two fewer than the 1984 team which has the current low of 16 sacks.
Now, before you run down to Coral Gables with pitch forks and ask Al Golden to hand over his best friend -- defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio -- take a deep breath. This is also one of the youngest defenses in the country. I know what you're thinking: No excuses (that's Miami's mantra right?)
Well, for all the armchair defensive coordinators out there complaining D'Onofrio doesn't blitz enough and there is too much cushion in pass coverage (I agree), ask yourself if anyone out there could honestly do a better job with 19 first or second-year players (that would be true freshmen, redshirt freshman or true freshman) on the Canes' two-deep.
Eight of those young guys -- Anthony Chickillo, Corey King, Olsen Pierre, Eddie Johnson, Denzel Perryman, Gionni Paul, Ladarius Gunter and Deon Bush -- are all slated to start against North Carolina Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.
I'm not saying there isn't some talent to work with here or that D'Onofrio deserves a free pass from criticism. But no Canes defensive coordinator in the last five seasons has had to work with so much youth (trust me, I looked it up).
That probably goes for any Canes defensive coordinator since UM started winning national titles.
I'm pretty sure you remember when UM was dominant prior to this sour stretch of football -- sophomores freshmen and redshirt freshmen weren't being counted on to play a high number of snaps. Right now, eight 1st or 2nd year players are starters and 19 of them total are among the 29 players in the two deep. Those are players who all arrived in 2011 or later.
Last year, D'Onofrio only had nine players in his two deep of 23 who were 1st or 2nd year players. Only three -- Perryman, Kelvin Cain and Chickillo -- started UM's final regular season game against Boston College.
In 2010, there were only six 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two-deep of 24. Defensive end Olivier Vernon was the only starter in that group.
In 2009, there were 12 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two deep rotation of 26. Four were starters in the bowl game: Vaughn Telemaque, Brandon Harris, Sean Spence and Marcus Robinson. That defense gave up the most passing yards ever in school history.
In 2008, there were also 12 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two deep rotation of 24. Five were starters in the bowl game: JoJo Nicolas, Brandon Harris, Spense, Robinson and Steven Welsey. That 2008 team gave up 314 points -- tied for the most points allowed in Canes history.
I took a look at every depth chart in the ACC as well to see how UM stacks up in terms of youth. Miami is pretty much in a league of its own.
The closest ACC teams with as much youth on defense as these Canes:
> Clemson has nine players in their 24-man two-deep on defense who are 1st or 2nd year players. Five of them are starters -- all in the front seven. The Tigers by the way rank 71st in scoring defense (27.33 ppg), 96th in total defense (445 ypg) and 102 in rush defense (202.67 ypg) and sacks.
> Boston College has 12 players in their 22-man two-deep on defense who are 1st or 2nd year players. Four are starters. The Eagles rank 82nd in scoring defense (29.0 ppg), 52nd in total defense (416.6 ypg), 117th in rushing defense (259.0 ypg), 35th in pass efficiency defense (115.06), 110th in sacks and have forced 10 turnovers (t-7th in ACC).
> Florida State has 13 of its 26 players listed on the two deep who are 1st or 2nd year players. But only one of them is a starter -- cornerback Nick Waisome. Virginia has 13 1st or 2nd year players on its 26-man two-deep. Three are starters. North Carolina has 14 of 24 players in its two-deep that are 1st or 2nd year players. Only two are starters, both in the secondary.
Perryman has high ankle sprain; UM should know more Sunday morning
After getting steamrolled on defense for two straight weeks to open the season, Hurricanes coaches and players insisted there was no way they could afford to look past Bethune-Cookman and start game-planning for Georgia Tech's spread-option offense last week.
Now, it appears UM (2-1) could have to get ready for the Yellow Jackets -- who ran for 461 yards in a 56-20 win over Virginia Saturday -- without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman.
The sophomore from Coral Gables sustained a high right ankle sprain in the second quarter Saturday, according to a source. Although the degree of the sprain remains unknown, Perryman told family and friends he could put weight on the injured ankle after the game.
Perryman was wearing a black boot to protect the ankle while standing on crutches on the UM sideline in the second half. He had x-rays performed at halftime. Results were negative, the source said. But he will be reevaluated Sunday morning.
Losing Perryman would obviously be a huge blow for UM, which already came in ranked 89th in run defense and gave up 233 yards on 53 attempts (4.4 per carry) to the FCS-level Wildcats in a 38-10 win Saturday.
Junior Jimmy Gaines, who is returning from an ankle injury himself, replaced Perryman at middle linebacker for most of the second half. Perryman had four tackles Saturday including one for loss.
UM had a handful of other players go down with injuries. Backup safety Andrew Swasey, who was also seen on crutches, and long-snapper Sean McNally were injured in the first quarter and never returned. Backup linebacker Thurston Ambrister injured his right shoulder late in the game.
Despite the injuries and the yardage the Wildcats put up, UM coach Al Golden thought progress was made on defense.
"Is it perfect yet? No. It's not perfect. But kids were fighting, flying around," Golden said. "We didn't get the takeaways we wanted to get. Again, that's hard to do. We had a veteran team a year ago and didn't keep [Bethune-Cookman] out of the end zone like we did [Saturday]. We improved. Clearly, we have to go back to work [Sunday]."
UM produced three sacks -- two by freshman defensive end Tyriq McCord. But Golden was disappointed with how many other sacks the Canes let slip through their fingers Saturday.
"I just didn't wrap up," said defensive end Shayon Green, who had eight tackles to lead UM again. "They just slipped through my hands, I don't even know. It happens. I'll look at the film. That's easy to fix."
Flowers' emergence leaves Canes with a big question: What do you do with Seantrel?
University of Miami offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch pretty much had a delightful time breaking down game film of Saturday's win at Boston College.
Sure, his unit got off to a little bit of a slow start (early drops) and didn't score on their final two drives. But there was a whole lot of goodness in between. The Canes offense scored 34 points (seven came on Denzel Perryman's INT return), produced 415 yards of total offense and saw a lot of promising signs from a boatload of freshmen.
One would assume Fisch doesn't have much to concern himself with. But he does (at least a little). What should he do with Seantrel Henderson?
The high school All-American and USA Today Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 returned to work with the regular unit on Tuesday (he spent last week on the scout team after missing all of camp) and no longer has the starting spot at right tackle. Freshman Ereck Flowers, who graded out at 94 percent at right tackle Saturday, appears as though he's locked into that role now.
Could Henderson slide over to the left side? Could the Canes line him up at guard? It certainly doesn't seem like a bad problem to have. But it's one Hurricanes coaches don't really seem to have an answer for yet -- other than Henderson and more backups need to play. Saturday at BC, the only backup who got into the game was guard Jeremy Lewis, and he was in for a total of two snaps.
"We're going to have to play more guys," UM coach Al Golden said. "Ben Jones, Jeremy Lewis, Jared Wheeler, Seantrel -- we're going to try to have a better rotation. I don't know what the heat will be like Saturday. But we're going to have to play more guys there."
While Golden said the Canes will always go with their best five starters and said that "now it's up to Seantrel to chip away," Fisch didn't seem eager to get Henderson on the field or switch him to another spot on the line. Asked about how much playing time Henderson could get at Kansas State, Fisch was non-committal and said, "I need to see the film." As for where he will play, Fisch said: "He's a tackle."
"We could probably give him some work on the other side. But I don't think we're going to do that right now," Fisch said. "We're going to continue to let him play in the position he's most comfortable with."
At this point, the only thing you can feel pretty positive about is that Henderson will travel with the Canes to Kansas State. Playing time? That's another issue. If Flowers continues to perform like he has, it may be awhile before Henderson gets in.
"I thought he played extremely well," Fisch said of Flowers. "Did not at all say that's a freshman. Did not at all say that was a mistake, it was his first time doing it. He was poised. He was tough. He was physical. He communicated well. He had a good day."
MORE NEWS & NOTES FROM TUESDAY
> Fisch said what he liked most about Stephen Morris' start Saturday (28 of 45, 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was that he never strayed from the game plan and took chances downfield. "That was really the most important thing we preached last week that we were going to be real patient. We didn't want to kind of put ourselves in difficult situations, force any throws downfield," Fisch said.
"We felt like that was not a team you kind of good deep on. I think we threw three balls over 10 yards in the air and he executed that well. The three balls he did throw downfield they were all catchable balls. I was proud of him. That makes a huge difference when your quarterback does that."
As for his freshmen, Fisch pretty much my sentiments from today's early morning blog that Saturday's opener "was just another game for them."
"These guys are coming off state championship games, coming off playing on ESPN and some of these other All-Star Games and they were ready for that," Fisch said. "It didn't seem very big for Duke Johnson. It didn't seem very big for Malcolm Lewis. It didn't seem very big for Ereck Flowers for sure. Those guys, it just seemed like any other game. That was an awesome thing. That's what you need."
> As I told you Sunday, Fisch said not to expect to see the hurry-up offense every week. Every game plan is different.
"We went into that game against Boston College saying the best way to attack them was pushing the tempo and felt as if that was going to be something against that team and that defense. Coming off playing them the last game the year before you kind of have to show them some other wrinkles," Fisch said. "We'll continue each week to determine the best way to move the football and how we're going to do it. Whether it be running the ball. Whether it be stretching the field or hurrying up. That's what we'll go out and execute on game day."
After failing to punch it into the end zone late in the game last season in a 28-24 loss to Kansas State, Fisch said the focus this week in practice will be on "finishing strong." Golden said that loss stuck with the Canes all season.
"I don't think we finished the game real well last week," Fisch said. "So, we have to become a better finishing team. Obviously, it cost us a game against Kansas State and probably could have cost us against North Carolina and probably could have cost us on Saturday. We're going to finish strong and hopefully see what happens."
> Left guard Jonathan Feliciano said the Hurricanes offensive line was so well conditioned Saturday "we could have gone another couple quarters." UM ran 79 offensive plays.
> What has elevated redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson to a starting role at strong side linebacker in the team's latest depth chart?
"I see more consistency," Golden said ."It showed up on game day. If you can contrast the play where he caused the fumble - that was who we were the other day. We made a mistake, but finished the play. We weren't paralyzed by our mistakes, kept fighting, and Eddie's play personifies that. He gets beat, chases and knocks the ball out. It's hard to teach that aggressiveness and recklessness, and it's good to see he had that first time out."
#### I'll have a story on UM's defense and what went wrong Saturday in tomorrow's paper along with quotes and insight from defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio.
Grading the Canes - Week 1: UM has obvious work to do on defense after BC win
Enjoy this one. Savor it. Al Golden definitely is and told his team to do the same.
His young Hurricanes battled back from a pair of quick upper cuts Saturday afternoon at Boston College and survived 542 yards of offense from a team that finished last in the ACC last year in that department and still won 41-32.
Not bad, especially when you consider seven Canes -- LB Thurston Armbrister, S Kacy Rodgers, CB Thomas Finnie, DL Olsen Pierre, RB Duke Johnson, OT Ereck Flowers and C Shane McDermott -- were all making their first career starts and several others were getting their first real taste of action. Like youth movements? The Canes put eight players on the field who weren't here last year -- including seven true freshmen (Deon Bush, Tracy Howard, Tyriq McCord, Malcolm Lewis, JaWand Blue, Flowers and Johnson).
Saturday was fun if you bleed orange and green. But the truth is, Golden knows much tougher challenges lie ahead. As talented as those freshmen are UM is going to have to solve major issues on defense moving forward if the good times are going to keep rolling.
Now, to the first round of grades/observations for the Canes:
> Play/Player of the Game: True freshman Duke Johnson had three huge plays -- including touchdown runs of 56 and 54 yards -- to spring UM to life and rally them to victory. But the biggest play in my opinion was the two yards he picked up on 4th and 1 and UM down 14-0 left in the 1st quarter. For all the talk about Duke's lack of size, Johnson barreled past three defenders to get the first down. BC was flagged an additional 10 yards for a facemask on the play. If Johnson doesn't stick his nose in there, the flag might not happen. Eduardo Clements scored three plays later to make it 14-7.
> Offense: A. Hard to find much wrong with what the offense did other than the three big early drops that lead to UM falling behind 14-0 (and a couple of flags on the offensive line that hurt). Allen Hurns, Kendal Thompkins and Rashawn Scott all looked bad early, but Hurns recovered nicely and had a career day at receiver with eight catches for 81 yards. He scored big points with me when he raced over the middle of the field on 3rd and 16 and snagged a 21-yard pass from Stephen Morris on the drive that eventually put UM ahead for good when they were down 23-21. If Hurns doesn't make that catch, maybe game sways a different way. Stephen Morris, meanwhile, was truly fantastic. He scrambled for a couple of big first downs and put several tough balls on the money en route to a 28 of 45 for 207 yards, 1-INT, 1 TD performance. The pick wasn't his fault either. It was Scott's. The offensive line, meanwhile, was stellar. UM ran for 208 yards on the ground and gave Morris plenty of time when he needed it. Morris was sacked just once.
> Defense: D. No pass rush. No pass defense. And not a lot of good other than three turnovers, Denzel Perryman's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown and a couple stops on 3rd-and-1. We can debate about UM's coverage woes. BC quarterback Chris Rettig threw for 441 yards and two touchdowns. But when nobody breathes on you and you have time to order pizza, bake a cake and plan the rest of your Saturday night before making a pass, how else is the pass defense you are going against supposed to look? UM obviously didn't produce a single sack and there were times when receivers (Alex Amidon 10 catches, 149 yards) had nobody around them. But I believe this all stemmed from the success BC had running the football early for big chunks. The Eagles only finished with 101 yards on 34 attempts (3.0 average), but they ran play action off their early success and kept UM's secondary off balance. Meanwhile, Rettig exposed horrendous coverage by the Canes' linebackers and safeties who always seemed out of position when the quarterback rolled out. Whatever defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio planned in terms of creating a pass rush failed miserably. He's got to devise something new. It's going to obviously take time. But Saturday was a day to forget.
> Special teams: A. Now you know why punter Dalton Botts is so respected. He took a bad snap right before halftime that could have turned out badly and got it off. He finished with five punts for 40.6 yards including two inside the 20. Miami's return team of Johnson and Phillip Dorsett, meanwhile, put a good enough scare into BC after the first half the Eagles basically refused to kick it to them anymore. The Eagles, meanwhile, never took over possession outside of their 30-yard line following a kickoff or punt. That's good coverage.
RISING STOCK
- WR Allen Hurns. Emerged as the go-to-guy when times were tough at receiver.
- QB Stephen Morris. Coaches were right. He is a lot better. Tremendous arm. Very few mistakes.
- RT Ereck Flowers. Didn't hear his name for anything bad during the broadcast once. Seantrel Henderson is going to have trouble getting his job back.
- WR Davon Johnson. Came in with six career catches. Had a huge third down catch down the sideline to pick up a first down. That wins you more chances.
STOCK SLIPPING
- S Vaughn Telemaque. He was already getting bushed by true freshman Deon Bush for playing time. He was out of position too often.
- RB Mike James. He finished with 54 yards on 14 carries (3.9 a carry) and had a couple nice runs. But the Duke arrived Saturday. It's going to be hard for James to take on the lead role with him around.
- WR Kendal Thompkins. He started after shining in practice all camp. But he dropped at least two balls in the game and finished without a catch. Just disappointing.
- Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio. He's a standup guy, a great quote and a good coach. But his defense can't go on like this.
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
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.
