Miami Hurricanes Football: Five things to watch as Canes begin spring practice Miami looks to improve on 9-4 mark from last season By Christy Cabrera Chirinos, Sun Sentinel Its been just three months since a season that started with so much promise and seven straight wins for Miami ended with a disappointing 36-9 loss to Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Since then, theres been plenty of news out of Coral Gables with Hurricanes coach Al Goldens name being linked to the open job at Penn State, top juniors announcing their intent to return, and Miami landing one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. This weekend, the Hurricanes begin spring practice with the hope of improving on last years 9-4 record. Here are five storylines to watch during Miamis 15 spring practice sessions that begin Saturday. 1. Whos the QB? The graduation of Stephen Morris means there will be a quarterback competition at Miami. Former Miramar High standout Ryan Williams enters spring as the favorite for the job. The Memphis transfer has experience as a starter and saw time in four games as Morris backup last season, completing 22-of-32 passes for 369 yards with three touchdowns. Kevin Olsen, a former Under Armour All-American who redshirted last season, arrived at Miami with plenty of fanfare and has a strong arm. But hes dealt with some off-field issues, including a bowl game suspension. Gray Crow, who played in two games last season, will get some reps, but its the battle between Williams and Olsen that is worth watching. 2. Defense, defense, defense While Golden cited some improved overall numbers for Miamis defense at seasons end, the unit struggled down the stretch. The Hurricanes finished the season ranked 89th among Football Bowl Subdivision programs in total defense and gave up more than 500 yards six times last season, including five times in the last six games. At seasons end, Golden said he didnt expect to make wholesale changes in regards to coaches or scheme, but he didnt rule out player personnel changes. The defensive line and linebackers are two groups to monitor this spring. 3. On the line The Hurricanes lost senior offensive linemen Seantrel Henderson and Brandon Linder, but Jonathan Feliciano opted to return for his senior season. He, along with Shane McDermott, will be among the most experienced players at the position, but younger linemen like Alex Gall, Taylor Gadbois and Sunny Odogwu earned praise from coaches during the season and bowl prep. Their continued development through spring will be key. Also back is Danny Isidora, who missed most of last season with a foot injury. Also notable, early this week, Miami confirmed that lineman Hunter Knighton is dealing with a serious health issue. 4. Ground game Running back Duke Johnson, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Miamis 41-14 loss to Florida State, isnt expected to practice this spring. That should give the rest of the Hurricane backs plenty of reps. Without Johnson, Miamis running game faltered late averaging just 99 yards in the Hurricanes last five games. Dallas Crawford, who was second behind Johnson with 558 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs, enters spring listed as a defensive back on Miamis current roster. That means highly-touted Joseph Yearby, an early enrollee from Miami Central, could see some time early in his career along with Gus Edwards and Walter Tucker, who is moving from fullback to running back. 5. New faces Along with Yearby, Miami welcomed seven more early enrollees who will see their first action as Hurricanes this spring — defensive end Trent Harris, offensive linemen Trevor Darling and Kc McDermott, defensive tackle Calvin Heurtelou, defensive back Ryan Mayes and linebackers Darrion Owens and Juwon Young. Another early enrollee, receiver Braxton Berrios, is also on campus but is injured and not expected to practice. Bruce Bruce
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 15:17:18 +0000
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