ESPN’s Blue Ribbon Preview : Miami Hurricanes

The following is ESPN’s Blue Ribbon Preview on the 2011 Miami Hurricanes, reprinted from this year’s Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook:

ABOUT : It’s hard to imagine a more striking contrast between the two schools where Al Golden has coached.

At Temple, he inherited one of the most downtrodden programs in Bowl Subdivision football — a school with one winning season in two decades. At Miami, he inherits one of the premier programs in the sport — a place that has won five national championships since 1983. Winning eight and nine games at Temple — as Golden did in his last two seasons there — is an astonishing level of success. But it will take more than that to satisfy Miami fans who have waited almost a decade since their last national title.

The 41-year-old Penn State graduate knows what he’s getting into.

“It’s a passionate fan base here,” he said. “Not just our alumni, but there’s a kind of a pro mentality down here. They’re everywhere. “I’m very happy at the end of the day with the expectations. When I put my head on the pillow, my expectations and the university’s expectation are the same.”

Those expectations include off-the-field demands too. Back in the Miami glory days, the ‘Canes were sometimes as renowned for their unsavory off-the-field antics as their triumphs on it. That’s something the Miami administration has worked hard to correct — with considerable success. It’s an area where Golden excelled at Temple. During his tenure, the school’s APR climbed from 858 to 926 and the graduation rate increased from 47 to 56 percent.

On the field, Miami has been good in recent years, just not quite good enough. Former coach Randy Shannon averaged seven wins a season during his four-year tenure and played in three bowl games. But he was 0-3 in those postseason games. And, after years of dominating the Big East, Miami hasn’t sniffed an ACC title since joining the league in 2004. Golden has to change that. But he refuses to put a timetable on his restoration job.

“All of our goals are internal,” he said. “We don’t share our goals with anybody on the outside. But clearly we’ve got to get back to being a real good football team. And the way you do that is eliminating the things that make you lose.”

And what are those? “I think we were 117th nationally in penalties and 119th in turnovers last season,” Golden said. “Clearly, we want to improve our football intelligence. We didn’t protect the ball well last year and we didn’t do a good job with penalties. Those two things are part of the focus, as well as conditioning.”

The new coach believes he made a good start last spring. He inherited some very good football players — just not enough of them. But Miami is still located in the middle of the deepest prep talent pool in the nation. Shannon went a long way toward restoring the ‘Canes recruiting base in south Florida. Golden has to take it the next step — and get it back to the golden days of Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson.

THE OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS : Golden had a good reason for dipping into the NFL ranks to find an offensive coordinator. He wants to re-connect with the style of attack that once made the ‘Canes great.

“Coming to Miami, I want to be a pro style offense and go back and try to go out and recruit the Ericksons, the Walshes, the Testaverdes, the Kosars and the Ken Dorseys,” he said. “I think Miami should be a pro style system.”

That’s what Jeff Fisch brings to the table. The ’98 graduate of Florida (where he trained under Steve Spurrier) comes to Miami after nine seasons in the NFL, including a year as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

His first job will be to transform either senior Jacory Harris (6-4, 195) or sophomore Stephen Morris (6-2, 210) into some semblance of the great Miami QBs of the past.

Harris, who has started 15 games over the last two years, has often flashed that level of skill, but has been wildly inconsistent. As a sophomore in 2009, he completed almost 60 percent of his passes for 3,352 yards. A year ago, bothered by a midseason concussion, his competition rate dropped below 55 percent. He threw for 1,793 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also threw 15 interceptions, and he’s thrown 50 interceptions in his career so far. “He’s had some great numbers, some great success,” Fisch said. “He has to learn that he doesn’t need to try and win every game on every play. It’s okay to punt or to check down or throw an incompletion or to scramble. I think he gets it.”

But the new offensive boss also likes Morris, who stepped in last season after Harris was banged up and threw for 1,240 yards and seven touchdowns … but he also had nine interceptions. “He’s a very good player,” Fisch said. “He has a very strong arm and has very good feet. He’s fast and tough and has great leadership intangibles.”

Golden was not ready to anoint a starter after spring. “I think this is going to go right up until the middle of August as to who we are going to select and then build our offense around them,” he said. “Clearly, the competition has a long way to go.”

Whichever quarterback loses the battle for the starting job will provide good depth at the position. And if Golden needs to go even deeper on the depth chart, he has senior Spencer Whipple (6-2, 205), who started his career at UMass, and saw limited duty a year ago, when he completed 6-of-12 passes for 54 yards.

RUNNING BACKS : Miami may have lost Damien Berry, the team’s leading rusher last season, but Golden and his staff still inherited a pair of talented running backs.

Sophomore speedster Lamar Miller (5-11, 212) made that clear during the spring game, when he ripped off touchdown runs of 70 and 64 yards. He showed that kind of promise last year as Berry’s top backup when he averaged 6.0 yards a carry while rushing for 646 yards and six TDs.

Balancing Miller’s elusiveness is junior Mike James (5-11, 222), a powerful slasher who averaged 5.7 yards a carry a year ago while rushing for 398 yards and three TDs. Sophomore Storm Johnson recorded an astonishing 13.2 yards a carry as a freshman but saw most of his action as a kick returner and carried just nine times from scrimmage. The Georgia native decided to transfer in mid May, leaving the ‘Canes somewhat thin in the backfield.

“The first thing I wrote [after the team’s first spring scrimmage] is to find a way to get more than one running back on the field,” Golden told the Miami Herald last spring.

Sophomore Maurice Hagens (5-11, 232) and converted tight end John Calhoun (6-3, 250) will see action at fullback when the ‘Canes go with a blocking back. Redshirt freshman Darion Hall (5-11, 195), a speedster from Naples, Fla., also adds depth at tailback.

RECEIVERS : The situation at wide receiver is very much like the situation at running back the ‘Canes lost their top performer from 2010 but still have a wealth of experienced talent returning.

Make no mistake — tall, talented Leonard Hankerson will be missed.

But in senior Travis Benjamin (5-10, 175), Golden still has a home-run hitter at the wideout position. Nicknamed “The Little Engine,” the explosive Benjamin caught 43 passes for 743 yards and three touchdowns last season, almost matching his cumulative total for his first two seasons at Miami. He’s also a valuable kick returner. Golden would like to see the tiny receiver add some strength before the season. “It’s going to make him a better player because he’ll be more durable and able to play with a little more power,” the coach told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

On the other side, Miami has senior LaRon Byrd (6-4, 220), a big target who caught 41 passes for 441 yards as a junior. Golden also has senior Aldarius Johnson (6-3, 205), who missed most of spring practice with an ankle injury. But he has good experience after catching 62 passes for 673 yards in his career.

Fisch is intrigued by what untested junior Tommy Streeter (6-5, 215), who caught just one pass a year ago, and sophomore Allen Hurns (6-3, 185), who has never caught a college pass, bring to the table. “Both of these guys have great value,” he said.

Junior Kendal Thompkins (5-10, 182) will also vie for playing time. There’s even more competition at tight end, where the ‘Canes came out of spring with four players listed as potential starters at the position. USC transfer Blake Ayles (6-5, 265), a senior, and Chase Ford (6-6, 245), a junior college transfer who actually caught more passes last season (7 for 96 yards) than starter Richard Gordon, seem to have the best credentials.

But redshirt freshman Clive Walford (6-4, 245) and sophomore Cory White (6-6, 275), a converted tackle, are also in the mix. “That’s a sign we’ll use a lot of tight ends in this offense,” Fisch said. “We feel comfortable when any of those guys come in a game. It’s valuable to have all of them.”

OFFENSIVE LINE : Four starters return off last year’s starting offensive line, but what Golden likes about the group are the distribution of classes — two seniors, a junior and a sophomore. “The offensive line is probably the one position at Miami that looks the way it should look in terms of symmetry,” Golden said.

Fisch points to the continuity provided by offensive line coach Art Kehoe, who has won five national title rings on the Miami staff. “He’s the best offensive line coach in the country,” he said. “We’re really excited about our offensive line.

Senior guard Harland Gunn (6-2, 310) is the most experienced returnee with 18 career starts. But junior guard Brandon Washington (6-4, 320), a first-team All-ACC pick last season, is the most polished blocker up front. He has a chance to be the best offensive lineman in the ACC. Senior center Tyler Horn (6-4, 305) moved into the starting lineup for the first time a year ago and started all 13 games for the ‘Canes.

However, the biggest — and potentially the best — prospect up front is massive sophomore tackle Seantrel Henderson (6-8, 345). He moved into the starting lineup as a true freshman early last season and earned first-team freshman All-America honors. The nation’s top-rated recruit in 2010, Henderson first committed to USC, then switched to Miami.

Henderson struggled last spring with injuries, but in the long run, Golden thinks his big man can be even better after dropping 40 pounds (down from 385). “The expectations with him are almost unrealistically high,” Golden said. “But if he just learns to follow the process and doesn’t have the ups and downs and can just ignore the outside expectations, he’s going to be a really good player.”

But as good as Henderson can be, it’s not certain that he can beat out redshirt freshman Malcolm Bunche (6-7, 320), who was voted the team’s most improved offensive player in spring and was listed as the starter on the post-spring depth chart. Fisch insisted that was a reflection of Bunche’s emergence, not a knock on Henderson.

There was also hot competition at the other tackle spot, where sophomore Jermaine Johnson (6-6, 320) and junior Ben Jones (6-5, 310) are locked in a battle for the starting job. Further depth will come from redshirt freshman Shane McDermott (6-4, 290) at center and from sophomores Jared Wheeler (6-5, 315) and Brandon Linder (6-6, 310) at guard.

THE DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE : While Miami will remain in its traditional 4-3 defense under its new staff, first-year defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio promises some tweaks he just isn’t ready to reveal what will be changing.

He inherits seven starters from a pretty solid defense that led the ACC against the pass and ranked No. 22 nationally in total defense.

But D’Onofrio points out that the ‘Canes lost four starters, including three who were drafted in the first three rounds by the NFL. That includes All-ACC defensive end Allen Bailey, who led the team in sacks. But the ‘Canes do return a strong nucleus on the defensive front. “We look at it as the glass is half full,” D’Onofrio said.

He’s very happy with what he’s seen from junior Marcus Fortson (6-3, 300) who returns after starting 12 games a year ago. He recorded three sacks and a pass interception from his tackle spot. He’ll team inside with senior Micanor Regis (6-3, 305) to give the ‘Canes a formidable inside anchor.

Backing them up will be sophomores Luther Robinson (6-3, 295) and sophomore Curtis Porter (6-1, 300). True freshman Olsen Pierre (6-4, 265), who enrolled mid-semester and was on hand for spring practice, is also in the mix.

Pierre could also swing to end, but D’Onofrio has plenty of candidates there, starting with junior Olivier Vernon (6-4, 265), who recorded six sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss last season. Junior Adewale Ojomo (6-4, 270), who backed up Bailey a year ago, is ready to move into the starting lineup after a strong spring performance. But seniors Marcus Robinson (6-1, 255) and Andrew Smith (6-3, 250) bring a lot of experience to the position.

In addition, the strength of Golden’s first recruiting class was at defensive end. Tampa product Anthony Chickillo (6-4, 248) was one of the stars of the Under-Armor All-America game and could see early action. And Jalen Gimble (6-2, 280) from Las Vegas is a five-star prospect who could help at end or tackle.

D’Onofrio expects to play a lot of people up front, but he’s looking for consistency of effort. He hopes that his Miami players were watching ESPN on draft night when Temple defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson — a player the new Miami defensive boss developed — was drafted by the Jets in the first round. “Jon Gruden said that watching Temple tape, that nobody plays as hard,” he said. “That’s what we have to have. I think our front four has great experience, even without Bailey.”

LINEBACKERS : When Miami defenses are really great as they were during most of the 1980s and 1990s — the ‘Canes have usually been anchored by a great linebacker somebody in the mold of Ray Lewis or Jonathan Vilma or Jon Beason.

Golden inherits a player who may be of that quality in senior Sean Spence (6-0, 224). The 2008 ACC defensive rookie of the year was hampered by injuries as a sophomore but blossomed into a second-team All-ACC player last season after recording 110 tackles, including 16.0 for loss. “I was more impressed by Sean than by anybody else on the defense,” D’Onofrio said. “He adapted to our scheme quickly and by the end of spring, he was running it like he had been in it a long time.

Spence is a fixture at one outside position. Opposite Spence, D’Onofrio feels very good about returning starter Ramon Buchanan (6-1, 222), a senior with 55 tackles, including 8.0 for loss. There’s more of a question in the middle, where senior Jordan Futch (6-3, 235) brings explosive athletic ability, while sophomore James Gaines (6-3, 220) offers more consistency.

That position remains unsettled, as do the backups behind Spence and Buchanan. Redshirt freshman Travis Williams was the top backup after spring, but he decided to transfer. Junior Sean Goldstein (6-0, 232) and sophomore Kelvin Cain (6-3, 230) thrust themselves into the discussion with strong spring games. Cain actually started seven games last season as a freshman. Junior C.J. Holton (6-1, 230) was injured last spring, but could also be in the mix.

D’Onofrio also suggested that one or two of the four freshmen in Golden’s first recruiting class could find the field this fall. On paper, Gionni Paul (6-0, 230) from Lakeland, Fla., and Denzel Perryman (6-0, 217) from Coral Gables would seem to have the best credentials.

DEFENSIVE BACKS : While the loss of Bailey up front and middle linebacker Colin McCarthy leave voids, by far the biggest defensive hole that Golden must fill comes in the secondary, where the team’s three top cornerbacks left after last season — two moving on to the NFL.

On the other hand, the ‘Canes do return three experienced safeties, including junior Ray-Ray Armstrong (6-4, 215) who earned second-team All-ACC honors last season despite starting just four games. “He’s a playmaker,” D’Onofrio said. “He’s had some problems with consistency and with attention to detail, but he showed he can make plays. He’s a physical presence.”

Armstrong’s development at safety has allowed the ‘Canes to shuffle the deck in the secondary to address the void at cornerback. “We looked at our three safeties and decided which one could best make the switch to corner,” D’Onofrio said. “We wanted to get our four best backs on the field.”

The answer was senior JoJo Nicolas (6-1, 200), who has started 18 games at safety in his career. He’s now trying his hand at cornerback.

That leaves Armstrong and junior Vaughn Telemaque (6-2, 200) to start at safety. Depth will come from sophomore Eduardo Clements (5-9, 195), junior Alonzo Highsmith (6-0, 195) and junior Andrew Swasey (5-10, 195). In addition, sophomore Kasey Rodgers (6-2, 200) could see time at both safety and cornerback.

That could depend on how the competition at corner works out. Beyond Nicolas, little is certain. Junior Brandon McGee (6-0, 190) was injured most of last season, but he’s the team’s most experienced corner — and maybe the fastest. But he emerged from spring looking up at converted running back Lee Chambers (5-10, 185) on the depth chart.

“He was more consistent,” D’Onofrio said. “That’s what we want — not guys who flash one day and not the next.”

Freshman Thomas Finnie (5-10, 170), a Miami prep product who enrolled last spring, is also in the mix to see playing time at corner. Incoming freshman Dallas Crawford (5-9, 193) from Ft. Myers, Fla., will also get a long look this fall.

SPECIAL TEAMS : Miami, historically deadly on kick returns, was near the bottom of the ACC in kickoff returns last season and dead last in the league in punt returns.

The ‘Canes do have one potential weapon on wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown against Ohio State. The problem was that his other 22 returns netted just 27 yards.

Running back Lamar Miller was the team’s best kickoff returner last season, although he didn’t get many chances. When he did, he averaged almost 27 yards a return. Eduardo Clements and Storm Johnson got more chances, but both averaged closer to 20 yards a return.

Incoming freshman Kevin Grooms (5-9, 165) has 4.4 speed and last season returned six punts for touchdowns at South Broward High School in Hollywood, Fla. He could contribute right away as a kick returner.

KICKERS : Matt Bosher — the first kicker taken in the NFL draft — leaves a huge void both at punter (where he was first-team All-ACC in 2010) and place-kicker (where he was first-team All-ACC in 2009).

Junior Jake Wieclaw (6-2, 200), who has never kicked in a game, and sophomore walk-on Alex Irastorza (6-3, 190) vied for the job in spring, but should face a preseason challenge from Matt Gouldis (6-0, 160) a top recruit from West Hills, Calif.

PUNTERS : The departure of Matt Bosher, who won first-team All-ACC honors as both a place-kicker and as a punter, leaves a huge void in the Miami kicking game.

Juniors Wieclaw and Cameron Dean (6-3, 225) vied for the punting job last spring, but Dalton Botts (6-3, 198), a junior college kicker from Taft, Calif., will be the favorite to land the job this fall.

NEWCOMERS : South Florida boasts the nation’s greatest concentration of prep football talent. That hotbed has helped Florida State, Florida and, most of all, Miami become mega-powers over the last three decades.

Golden understands that his ultimate success and failure will depend on how deeply he can drink from that talent pool. That’s one reason the ‘Canes played not one, but three spring football games — in three different Florida counties. That’s also why Miami has a national recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach Brennan Carroll, and a Florida recruiting coordinator, running backs coach Terry Richardson. The true test will come in February when Golden signs his first real class. His 2011 haul was a transitional class that includes a few gems, but nothing like the breath of talent that Miami used to bring in during its glory years.

Golden’s best pickups were at defensive end, where he landed four prime prospects, including the top-rated player in the class Tampa’s Anthony Chickillo. The ‘Canes also addressed immediate needs with pickups at wide receiver and linebacker. The class also includes a junior college punter (Dalton Botts) and a freshman place-kicker (Matt Goudis), who should compete immediately for the chance to replace the irreplaceable Matt Bosher.

One of the most intriguing pickups doesn’t have a real position. But Kevin Grooms is a tiny jet who could contribute at slot back, running back, wide receiver, defensive back or as a kick returner.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS : Miami still retains a strong nucleus of good players. Talent hasn’t been the issue in recent years — consistency has been.

Golden’s task is to stabilize the team’s level of performance. All last spring, he and his staff rewarded consistency, even over players with a higher upside. They stressed conditioning and discipline. “I thought we made a lot of progress,” the first-year coach said. “I know that journey is going to be a long one, but I’m pleased with the effort we made. There wasn’t much resistance on the part of the players. They really bought into it and really improved.”

The Hurricanes are probably not ready to rejoin the annual chase for the national title, but if Golden can get more consistent play at quarterback and cut down the team’s turnovers and penalties, Miami is talented enough to make a run at the ACC championship.

Comments

comments