The Latest at The U …

Fall ball is underway and the season is weeks out. The big man had surgery, a ‘soft tape’ has surfaced, a safety earned another year of eligibility, an early enrolee is living up to the hype and players are recovering from injury and others are making the most of a second chance. Lots finally starting to go at ‘The U’, thank God.

Seantrel Henderson had back surgery Monday and according to head coach Al Golden, it was a success. Henderson was released from the hospital on Tuesday but there is still no timetable on a return. Rehab will start soon and fingers are crossed that No. 77 can return this season. All depends on the healing process, though. Either way, glad the big guy is on the road to recovery.

A piece ran in the Herald last Sunday regarding a “bulked-up” defensive line taking the field this fall … which is welcomed news. When you think back to dominant Miami defenses, there was always a solid front four and aggressive pass rushers – which hasn’t been the case at UM in years now.

According to new defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, the line is the heart and soul of this year’s Hurricane defense. “The strength of our defense, if you talk about the three units as a whole,” said D’Onofrio, “would be the defensive line.”

The d-line has flown under the radar the past few years, but when you start rattling off some of the names that will take the field this year – Oliver Vernon, Adewale Ojomo, Micanor Regis and Marcus Forston – there’s reason for excitement. All have shone as some point in the careers and for the first time all are all healthy and in tip top shape.

Capable back ups are also ready to go, providing depth and filling out the rotation. Curtis Porter, Andrew Smith, David Perry, Luther Robinson, JUCO transfer Darius Smith (who some are comparing to a green Vince Wilfork) and freshmen Olsen Pierre and Jalen Grimble. Miami has so much depth on the defensive line (finally) that defensive tackle Jeremy Lewis has shifted to the offense line – which is another strength for this year’s Canes.

More exciting defensive line-related news comes from the progress of Third Generation Cane, Anthony Chickillo. The freshman defensive end is earning first-team reps in 3-4 packages and is wowing coaches with his ability to learn, while minimizing mistakes.

Chickillo isn’t the only youngin’ making a name for himself. Sophomore linebacker Jimmy Gaines is pushing senior Jordan Futch for the middle linebacker spot, while redshirt freshman Shane McDermott is all over senior Tyler Horn at center. Senior Ramon Buchanan is holding down weakside linebacker, but true freshman Denzel Perryman is locking down second team and coaches expect him to play this season.

The Youth Movement is refreshing for many reasons. It means brand new talent is taking, but it also means that upperclassmen can’t rest on their laurels as there are hungry new guys clamoring for their jobs – which benefits everybody and is a big reason the once-stagnant culture is changing.

Regarding Buchanan, a good article regarding Ramon’s second chance ran in the Herald earlier today.

The story behind his March arrest may never be known, but half a year later the focus shifts to what’s been done since and according to all, Buchanan is renewed.

“Coach Golden gave me a second chance and I respect and appreciate him for that,” said Buchanan. “I want to be a leader and do everything Coach Golden asks of me.”

Coach D’Onofrio describes Buchanan as “remorseful” while linebacker coach Micheal Barrow is quick to state that the behavior was out of character for the senior linebacker.

Buchanan has since sat down with the arresting officers, offering up and in-person apology and he’s completed 95 of his ordered 100 hours of community service.

The sports world loves a good comeback story and America is all about second chances. We don’t get too many third or fourth shots to get it right, so glad to hear No. 45 is taking care of business and realizes what he almost lost before going through the actual process of losing it.

Lots of talk this week about Coach D’Onofrio having a lowlight film called a “Soft Tape”, which is the last place any defensive player wants to wind up. D’Onofrio has compiled footage of guys shying away from contact, arm tackling or generally not playing hard-hitting defensive football.

Nice work, Coach.

As mentioned here several time before, kids want to be coached up and as much as they want to impress their mentors, even more so, they don’t want to let them down. They also don’t want to be ripped by peers, adding more motivation to staying far away from the infamous “Soft Tape”.

On paper these are little motivating tactics, but in reality, these are program-defining and culture changing. Think back to the Jimmy Johnson era and the psychology the legendary coach employed when trying to fire up his players. Things like the “Soft Tape” are cut from that same cloth and hopefully they yield similar results.

Rumor Of The Week: The Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan won’t give up her source (for obvious reasons), but has stated that insiders have Stephen Morris ahead of Jacory Harris in the quarterbacks race. Coaches are being a bit more diplomatic, giving Morris the nod for the first practice, but stating that Harris came back strong day two.

Either way, curious to see how it all plays out in the coming weeks. Morris sounds like the logical choice if the two are neck-and-neck, but benching Harris could shut the senior down if you need him at some point. Not an easy decision, but faith that the coaches will get it right … as they have to. The season is riding on it.

Check out a great piece by Dave Hyde from last weekend’s Sun-Sentinel if you missed it. Hyde breaks down the Golden way and the stress on coaching, discipline and motivation. Now can it all come together quickly? Time will tell.

Lastly, Quote Of The Week from Coach Golden: “We were behind six times in fourth quarters last year and lost every game. That’s a factor of conditioning. That can be fixed. We were 119th in penalties, 117th in turnovers and last in red-zone offense. That’s a factor of discipline.”

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