Perryman Named Freshman All-American

The Miami Hurricanes appear to finally have a solid up-and-coming linebacker on board. Thank God.

Freshman Denzel Perryman was among twenty-six players named to CBSSports.com’s Freshman All-American team today.

Perryman finished the season first among ACC freshmen with 69 tackles and ranked second on the team in tackles, while tied for third in tackles-for-loss at 6.5. In his first career start, against Georgia Tech, Perryman recorded seven tackles (three for loss) and his first career sack.

Perryman earned a starting role the final five games and had a career-high fourteen tackles in the season finale against Boston College.

Linebacker has been a sore spot at Miami for upwards of eight seasons now, honestly since Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams left UM after the 2003 season.

A stout defense in ’03, that went 11-2 on the season and reached the BCS for a fourth-straight season, the Canes saw a serious drop-off defensively in 2004 – especially at linebacker.

One just has to think back to a three-game stretch that season where Louisville, NC State and North Carolina put up a combined 100 points and 1,492 yards over twelve quarters.

While that defensive type of play doesn’t seem too foreign in 2011, entering 2004 the Canes were fresh off a 46-4 run the previous four seasons, with defense playing the role of backbone.

Miami has put out some good linebackers since. Jon Beason obviously comes to mind, as does a guy like Rocky McIntosh, who has fared better in the NFL than he did at ‘The U’. Last year it was Colin McCarthy. This spring it’ll be Sean Spence headed to the league to make his mark.

The Canes need a heady, hard-hitting, nose-for-the-ball type linebacker and Perryman looks the part. He’ll also looks to benefit from something recent standouts didn’t have; proper surrounding talent.

Last spring Miami brought in Eddie Johnson, Antonio Kinard and Gionni Paul (with Perryman) and look to have several linebackers on the hook for 2012, including James Burgess Jr., Raphael Kirby, Reggie Northrup and Josh Witt. There’s also the hope that Keith Brown gets back in the mix due to the coaching change at Illinois, where he’s currently pledged his allegiance.

The Canes also return juniors Kelvin Cain and Jimmy Gaines next season, but the lack of depth means there will be a ton of new faces defending the middle of the field.

Penn State is the original Linebacker U, but from the early 80s through early 00s, Miami in many ways took the crown. It’s since been lost, but for the Canes to get back to winning ways, it starts with the quarterback on the offense, as well as the quarterback of the defense – the middle linebacker.

Hopefully the latest Miami Freshman All-American is ready for the challenge. – C.B.

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