SB Nation - Olsen Pierre

Hurricanes First Scrimmage - The Good, The Bad, and The Kicking Game

Lt. Philip Nolan — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 01:07:03 -0000

The Canes held their first fall scrimmage today at around 1pm. It was closed off to basically everyone, including the families of the players. This is pretty much to be expected this early in the practice game, so no surprises there. On the actual field of play, however, there were plenty of surprises. Not all of them were good, though.

That being said, hit the jump and let's take a look at what went down.

The scrimmage was sort of a mix up of different game scenarios, so when you add up the total touchdowns (yes, there were a LOT), you have to keep in mind that they ran a bunch of goal line sets, 2 minutes drills, etc. There was plenty of time for the defense to put in work, and that time helped expose one of the things that we here at T7F highlighted early on as an area of concern. More on that in a bit.

For starters, there were a total of 15 (fifteen) touchdowns spread out among the offense. Now remember, a lot of those came in short yardage situations, but there were also more than a few regular game flow scores. Here's a breakdown of who scored what and how, courtesy of Susan Miller Degnan over at the Herald:

Duke Johnson - 9 rushes for 49 yards and 3 TD (10 yard run, 13 yard run, 1 yard run), 3 catches for 44 yards and 1 TD (37 yard screen pass)

Mike James - 13 rushes for 137 yards and 3 TD (1 yard run, 1 yard run, 51 yard run)

Eduardo Clements - 10 rushes for 55 yards and 1 TD (2 yard run)

Rashawn Scott - 3 catches for 23 yards and 2 TD (2 yard pass from Williams, 3 yard pass from Williams)

Dyron Dye - 2 catches for 13 yards and 1 TD (3 yard pass from Williams)

Dallas Crawford - 3 rushes for 3 yards and 1 TD (2 yard run)

Allen Hurns - 1 catch for 29 yards and 1 TD (29 yard pass from Morris)

Phillip Dorsett - 3 catches for 27 yards and 1 TD (10 yard pass from Morris)

Maurice Hagens - 1 catch for 3 yards and 1 TD (3 yard pass from Morris)

What stands out here is that Duke Johnson may not be the feature back this year, possibly even next, but good lord is this kid going to be fun to watch. One on one in the open field, I am already willing to place bets on the fact that there may be no one who could stop him. Mike James also appears to have looked very good. Golden raved about him in the post scrimmage interview (posted below). Golden said that James looks stronger, faster, better, and pretty much any other word you can think of from that song. Overall, the run game looks like it is going to be pretty damn good, with yet another stable of running backs for defenses to choose from. The receiving stats show that things are rounding into shape, with Malcolm Lewis showing that he can in fact be a starter. Walford and Dye showed that they will be passing targets as well, with Dye making good on a previous comment that the TE group calls the end zone their home.

The QB situation revealed that while the top two guys are extremely close and will anchor the offense, the gap between them and the two rookies is a LOT larger than previously thought. Frankly, Kevin Olsen should have nothing to worry about when he gets here, unless something drastic changes over the next year. To be fair, it may just have been that Crow and Dewey did not get a lot of work, but they were both 0 for 3 passing, and that is not good. Stephen Morris was the man on top today, finishing 24 of 36 for 193 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The pick came off a batted ball in a 2 minute drill, so while it is still a turnover, it wouldn't necessarily be classified as Morris' fault. Ryan Williams also had a big day, going 12 for 17 for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. Coaches said recently that Morris has connected on somewhere along the lines of 78 percent of his passes throughout the off season. That kind of consistency is much needed, and shows why his transfer was a welcome one.

The defense also showed more than a few surprises, along with an unfortunate lack of turnover prowess. A.J. Highsmith led the team with 9 tackles, which is a great sign since he is battling for a safety position. His counterparts also did well, with Telemaque registering 5, Deon Bush tallying 3, and Kacy Rogers with 4. The corner backs also showed why coaches are raving about the position, with Tracy Howard getting 7, Brandon McGee with 4, Thomas Finnie with 3, Antonio Crawford with 2, and Rayshawn Jenkins, Nate Dortch, Ladarius Gunter, and Vernon Davis getting 1 each. It is becoming harder and harder to not see Howard in the backfield from day one. He still has some work to do, but he has definitely been outperforming his age. Brandon McGee seems to be back to what he needs to be after an apparent illness, and that is good to see. If for whatever reason he does end up slipping, Gunter and Jenkins are playing well and will be great reserves.

Now to the biggest issue on the defense right now, the linebackers. The biggest problem right now is that they are thin due to various injuries, although none of them are serious. One of the bright spots is seeing Ramon Buchanon out there flying around, finishing with 7 tackles today. Tyrone Cornelius also had 7, including a sack. Denzel Perryman had 3, Jimmy Gaines had 3, Gabriel Terry had 3, rarely seen Nantambu Fentress had 2, and Akil Craig had 1. JaWand Blue finished with a sack as well. It will definitely be nice to see Eddie Johnson and Paul back out there helping out. Once they are healthy, the position should get a lot more reliable. The defensive line is certainly not impressing CAG, with none of them really stepping up the way he would like to see. Anthony Chickillo hit for 4 tackles including a sack for 10 yards, and as far as the line is concerned, that's about it. While they all had their fair share of tackles, they are playing pretty vanilla right now, and that will need to change if they are going to impose their will on opposing offenses. Curtis Porter joined Chick with 4 tackles, Shayon Green had 2, Tyriq McCord had 2, Jalen Grimble had 2, Earl Moore, Olsen Pierre, Luther Robinson, Jake O'Donnell, Dwayne Hoilett, and Darius Smith all had 1. Outside of Chick and Porter, the rest of the guys seem to be going through the motions. I could easily see McCord putting things together and stepping up as a freshman, but it would be a lot more comforting if guys like Pierre, Smith, Robinson, and Green stepped their game up.

The offensive line drew praise from Golden, especially in red zone situations. He did say that they still had some learning to do, but they were playing well. If you are wondering about Seantrel Henderson, Kehoe said a few days ago that he would say it is safe to assume that he will earn his starting job back. He is not fully cleared for practice yet, but is just a day or so away. If you are looking for the most consistent position on the team right now, it is hands down the kicking game. That depth chart is set for good, with Jake Wieclaw booming field goals of 56 and 51 yards.

Overall, the scrimmage provided a lot of learning points, and showed quite a bit of talent at a few positions. What makes it even better is that this one apparently went well enough for Golden to say that the depth chart should be set by next week, potentially by the next scrimmage this coming Saturday. That will go a long way in helping guys get settled in, although it does provide a bit of worry that guys may get complacent knowing they are starting (although with this coaching staff, I don't see that happening.)

(Video courtesy of HurricaneSports)

Leave your questions below, and GO CANES!

Hurricanes Depth Chart: Final Spring Edition

Lt. Philip Nolan — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:07:41 -0000

The coaches released their final depth chart from the Spring football session today, and while a lot of it is exactly what you would expect, there are a few surprises. Obviously this thing is subject to a LOT of change come July, when the rest of the guys finally get to campus (Golden said on the ACC Spring Football Teleconference that he expects all of the players to be in place by July 1st). Other good news is that Golden sees everyone that has been injured to be completely healthy and ready to go by the start of the season. Hit the jump to see the updated depth chart.

OFFENSE

QB
Stephen Morris OR
Ryan Williams

FB
Maurice Hagens
Sean Harvey

RB
Mike James
Eduardo Clements

WR
Rashawn Scott
OR Allen Hurns

LT
Malcolm Bunche
Ben Jones

LG
Jon Feliciano
OR Jermaine Johnson

C
Shane McDermott
Jared Wheeler

RG
Brandon Linder
Jeremy Lewis

RT
Seantrel Henderson
Ereck Flowers

WR
Phillip Dorsett
Kendal Thompkins

TE
Asante Cleveland
Clive Walford
David Perry

This is all pretty standard stuff. They are still listing the QB chart as an "or" situation, but it has become pretty clear that Stephen Morris has a hold on the starting spot, and is not going to let it go. Hagens was never going to be challenged at his FB spot, and until Dillard and Johnson get to school, James and Clements were the incumbent backs. Dallas Crawford is not listed with them, although he remains an intriguing part of the offense, specifically at tailback. What you see with the WR's is most likely what you will see when it is all said and done. The two incoming guys most likely to make an impact are Malcolm Lewis and Robert Lockhart, but they will have a lot of work to do to catch up. Angelo Jean-Louis, as it has been discussed before, most likely will need a year of prep school before coming to Miami. The offensive line is experienced and, frankly, gigantic. They did not play particularly well throughout the spring, but they are all very well aware of that and will get that ship righted. Having Jon Feliciano back in the mix after injury will be huge for them. After taking zero tight ends in this year's class, the situation at that spot on the field is actually looking very nice. Asante Cleveland and Clive Walford have the makings of the next great Miami tight ends, and should see a lot of action this year.

DEFENSE

RE
Anthony Chickillo
Ricardo Williams

RT
Darius Smith
Luther Robinson

LT
Curtis Porter
Olsen Pierre

LE
Shayon Green
Kelvin Cain

OLB
Jimmy Gaines
Eddie Johnson

MLB
Denzel Perryman
Raphael Kirby

OLB
Ramon Buchanan
Tyrone Cornelius
OR Gionni Paul

CB
Brandon McGee
Thomas Finnie

S
Ray Ray Armstrong
AJ Highsmith

Safety
Vaughn Telemaque
Kacy Rodgers
Andrew Swasey

CB
Ladarius Gunter
Larry Hope

The defensive side of the ball is where we see a few welcome surprises. The first one is one that fans have been waiting for all spring long, and that is the re-emergence of Vaughn Telemaque. He is listed currently as the starting safety above Kacy Rodgers and Andrew Swasey AJ Highsmith, who had been more or less outplaying Telemaque, has been moved to the other side to back up Ray-Ray Armstrong (which should also tell you how well he has been playing so far.) Do you see the other surprise? This is one that we all have been wanting to see for a year or two, not just during the spring. Yup, that's right: Brandon McGee has finally taken over the starting corner back slot BY HIMSELF. He had been listed as a co-first teamer with Thomas Finnie, but now has set himself apart. This is a testament not only to the work ethic that Golden has been preaching and trying to instill, but also to McGee's buying in to the way things are being run. His current attitude is the same one we are seeing out of Ray-Ray, who finally seems to be getting it. A couple of previously injured guys have returned to their rightful positions as well. Ramon Buchanan has come back to help anchor the line backers, with Denzel Perryman and Jimmy Gaines filling the other two spots. Perryman has been getting a LOT of competition from Raphael Kirby, and that MLB spot is going to be a fun one to watch over the course of the year. The other aforementioned injured player is Shayon green, who now finds himself back in front of Kelvin Cain. This has pushed rookie Dwayne Hoilette off of the depth chart, but this is not all that unexpected seeing as he is so new. Ladarius Gunter and Larry Hope show up on the other side of the CB chart, and this is presumably where you will see Tracy Howard's name before long.

I'm not going to list or go too much into the special teams depth, because basically all you need to know is it is Wieclaw and Botts. The returners are Phillip Dorsett and Dallas Crawford, and they both should provide quite a bit of excitement, although they have huge shoes to fill with the departure of Travis Benjamin. Overall the team is looking very nice, and will only appear more talented on paper once the roster is full and everyone has reported. It's hard not to get a bit excited for the season with the way things are shaping up. The biggest problems last year were conditioning and give-a-damn, and Golden and his crew have drilled that into this entire roster throughout the spring, and will continue to do so over the summer and on into the fall.

GO CANES!

Miami Hurricanes Spring Depth Chart: Behold Al Golden's Latest Masterwork In Trolling

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:25:21 -0000

The Miami Hurricanes released their initial spring depth chart today, which is when Al Golden gets to troll half of his team and the entire fanbase by listing players that will never, ever start or sometimes even play ahead of guys that everyone knows will be starting come the fall. The depth chart is allegedly based on who performed the best or worked the hardest in off-season conditioning, and I guess in that sense it may give a hint as to who is laziest on the team, but otherwise it's mostly a joke that will lose its meaning as the years go on and walk-ons that are listed as "starters" eventually lose that designation when the subsequent depth chart is released.

So without further adieu, here's how the offense and defense are listed headed into spring practice.

QB: Ryan Williams / Gray Crow / Preston Dewey

Stephen Morris is out this spring, so Williams predictably assumes his role. Both Crow and Dewey should redshirt, but I suspect those will flip as practice continues on.

RB: Mike James / Eduardo Clements / Dallas Crawford

No surprises here, although you have to figure that at some point Duke Johnson will work his way in here.

FB: Maurice Hagens / Mike James

No surprises here, either, as Hagens is basically the only fullback on the team. Jedd Fisch doesn't use the fullback that often, though, but Hagens may get some short yardage carries this year.

WR: Allen Hurns / Rashawn Scott

No shock here. Hurns is ostensibly Miami's best returning receiver, and Scott should get a shot at playing time before the freshmen arrive.

TE: Asante Cleveland / Clive Walford

Cleveland didn't play all year, so it's a bit surprising to see him above Walford here, and this is one that just may stick, as Cleveland is pretty talented, even though Walford is probably the better overall tight end.

LT: Malcom Bunche / Erick Flowers

Bunche was in this spot for most of the spring and summer last year and then never saw the field, so this may be bullshit. Bunche has talent though and is in line to start at one of the tackle spots this year. It's doubtful that Flowers sees the field at all this coming season considering UM's depth at tackle.

LG: Jonathan Feliciano / Jeremy Lewis

Feliciano started some at tackle last year but is not nearly as talented as Bunche or Seantrel Henderson. If he can thrive at guard, it would be a huge help to UM's offensive line. Lewis is a converted defensive tackle who is unlikely to see the field next year outside of special teams.

C: Shane McDermott / Jared Wheeler

Pretty standard here, though I'd expect Wheeler to get some looks as a back up at guard.

RG: Brandon Linder / Ben Jones

Linder will be here until he leaves UM. Jones is a converted tackle on his last year of eligibility who has never seen the field at UM outside of special teams, and I doubt he'll see major time at guard barring an insane rash of injuries.

RT: Jermaine Johnson / Seantrel Henderson

Henderson will be a starter next year unless this coaching staff has lost its mind, but it does seem like they like to motivate him by burying him on these earlier depth charts. Johnson went from a starter under Randy Shannon to completely MIA under Al Golden, but he has size and talent and shouldn't be ruled out for playing time.

DE: Anthony Chickillo / Ricardo Williams

Chickillo will be here until he leaves UM. Williams is a redshirt freshman who is an unknown to anyone outside of the coaching staff, but there's enough of a lack of depth at defensive end that Williams could see time on passing downs if he's bulked up in the past year or so.

DT: Darius Smith / Junior Alexis

Smith is a presumed starter, while Alexis is a walk-on redshirt freshman who hopefully won't see meaningful time next season.

DT: Olsen Pierre / Curtis Porter

Porter is the most talented tackle on the team, so this is probably a bit of trolling on Golden's part, though Pierre has long been a favorite of the staff and will be in the rotation at tackle this year.

DE: Shayon Greene / Dwayne Holliet

Green may start opposite of Chickillo if he can stay healthy, and Holliet is a true freshman who may see some playing time thanks to enrolling early and Miami needing any help it can get at end.

OLB: Kelvin Cain / Eddie Johnson / Josh Witt

This is presumably Ramon Buchanan's spot, but he's out for spring. Cain may have a chance to start though, as he's showed flashes of competence in his two years at UM, which passes as good enough for this defense. Johnson is a redshirt freshman who is basically a total unknown, and Witt is an early enrollee who will likely be redshirted unless he gets thrown out on special teams.

MLB: Jimmy Gaines / Gionni Paul / Raphael Kirby

Gaines looked completely lost at MLB last season, but may get the start here this season by default. Paul is undersized and it's hard to envision him playing a major role this season. Kirby is another early enrollee whose natural fit is outside and is likely to redshirt.

OLB: Tyrone Cornelius / Denzel Perryman

This, I assume, is more or less a transparent joke.

CB: Larry Hope / Ladarius Gunter

Hope is an early enrollee who I doubt will see playing time this year. We saw Thomas Finnie atop depth charts all of last year before barely stepping on the field once games started, as Golden and his staff opted for experience over talent. Gunter is a junior college transfer who likely isn't very good but may get thrown to the wolves because of his age. Tracy Howard figures to come into play at this spot once he gets on campus.

FS: Ray Ray Armstrong / A.J. Highsmith

As expected.

SS: Andreu Swasey / Vaughn Telemaque

This, obviously, will change.

CB: Thomas Finne / Keion Payne / Brandon McGee

McGee will start here come game time, and he probably had an underrated season at corner last year for UM, but I guess he didn't try very hard this offseason, which is really encouraging. Finnie will probably get on the field this year after being kept under wraps as a true freshman. Payne may figure into the corner rotation, or he may not.

Where Miami Got Better, Where It Didn't

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:32 -0000

With 33 signees, the Miami Hurricanes are bringing in the biggest recruiting class in the country. But that doesn't mean that Al Golden and his staff dramatically improved the team at every position. They connected in quite a few important places, but also swung and miss on a few key players, and still left some holes in the depth chart unfilled. This, of course, is still a great looking class that sets Miami up to rebuild from the bottom up while not having the bottom fall out, but it's not perfect. Let's look at the positions where Miami helped itself, and where it's really going to have to focus on as the 2013 recruiting cycle heats up.

Better

Cornerback: The Canes snagging Tracy Howard is arguably the story of recruiting in the state of Florida for the 2012 cycle, and his impact on this class looks just about immeasurable. From a PR and morale standpoint, it's hard to think of anything within reason that would have been better than Miami keeping Howard home with a big push in the final stretch. If he isn't starting in Game One, then that game will merely start the countdown until he does. But Miami also added a bunch of depth at the position, signing what looks like at least five corners behind Howard, though you never know how these things will shake out when guys get on campus and start getting bigger. Guys like Nate Dorch and Larry Hope and Vernon Davis weren't highly pursued, but Golden and his staff only need to hit on a few of the group to make a big impact.

Wide Receiver: The fledgling days of the Canes having depth at wide receiver is officially over. Tommy Streeter and Travis Benjamin are gone, and so are LaRon Byrd and Aldarius Johnson. Miami is, at the moment, left with Allen Hurns, who disappeared in the second half of last season, and Phillip Dorsett, who looked good for a freshman but may be confined to the slot . Golden and his staff reeled in Malcom Lewis, one of the top WRs in the state, as well as Robert Lockhart, a four-star that was stolen from Virginia Tech. Herb Waters and Jontavious Carter are solid three-star prospects that will fill out the depth chart. The Canes missed on a few big name prospects -- namely Amari Cooper, who went from Northwestern to Alabama, and Riquan Southward, who spurned the Canes for the Urban's Ark -- but there is good talent here at a position of need.

Defensive end: If Anthony Chickillo and Adewale Ojomo can stay healthy, the Canes have a pretty decent pair of starting defensive ends heading into the 2012 season. But after that it gets grizzly, with the remaining scholarship ends of note -- Shayon Green, Jalen Grimble and Olsen Pierre -- all more or less playing out of position. So it was huge for the Canes to pick up two four-star defensive ends in Jelani Hamilton and Tyriq McCord, along with high three star Dwayne Hoilett. Golden and his staff will need to pile on in the 2013 class because lines are always susceptible to quick attrition, but this is a good start.

Not That Better

Defensive tackle: The Canes still have some talent at defensive tackle if Curtis Porter and Luther Robinson can ever stay on the field for any significant amount of time, and there's some depth there if someone like Grimble can move inside full-time. But it's still a sore spot for the Canes, and has been for years with the exception of 2010, and the Miami defense will improve exponentially with some studs inside on the line. Unfortunately, the three tackles signed in the 2012 class require a bit of dreaming. Jacoby Briscoe out of Louisiana may be a steal, but he's still a project, and Earl Moore is a player out of Tampa who didn't see any serious action from the schools who usually dominate that area. Golden flipped local product Dequan Ivery on Signing Day, but the fact that his first offer from Miami came at the final minute tells you exactly where the staff's true evaluation of him is.

Linebacker: Miami pulled Raphael Kirby out of Georgia, and he's easily one of the five most important players in this class. But after that, there's not much help for a core of linebackers who, Ramon Buchanan and Denzel Perryman aside, are inexperienced and questionably talented. The loss of Reggie Northrup, though overshadowed by the triumph of landing Tracy Howard, really stings considering Miami's need at the position, and the Canes were unable to truly replace him. Stealing Jawand Blue from Virginia Tech is a start, but neither he nor fellow three-star Josh Witt are considered studs, and Golden and his staff will have to do a lot of coaching to bring the entire position group up to an acceptable level.

Safety: The Canes signed Deon Bush, and he's probably the most important player in this class after Howard and Duke Johnson. But with Vaughn Telemaque and Ray Ray Armstrong gone after the 2012 season, the Hurricanes need bodies as much as talent, and Bush is the only true safety signed in this class. Miami will likely look to sign a few in the upcoming class, and made a push this time around for eventual FSU commit P.J. Williams, but the next few years are not looking pretty at the position, even taking Bush into account.

Miami DT Marcus Forston Out For the Season

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:36:19 -0000

Don't adjust your screens! Yesterday, less than a week after Miami lost starting senior OLB Ramon Buchanan for the season to a knee injury, starting DT Marcus Forston blew his knee out in practice and will also be out for the remainder of the season. The Miami defense was already struggling mightily this season, having given up an average of 202 rushing yards a game, which is good for 104th in the entire country, and third worst amongst BCS teams. And that was with Forston, the most talented lineman on the team, on the field for all but one game.

Without him, the Canes, who were supermodel-thin at defensive tackle to begin with, might be on their way to having the worst defense in the entire BCS.

As it stands now, Micanor Reigs -- who has been Miami's best lineman this season -- will remain as one of the starting defensive tackles. Beside him will be Adewale Ojomo, who was converted from defensive end even before this injury. Ojomo was one of Miami's better defensive ends, but he has basically no experience inside and weighs less than 275 pounds. Backing them up will be Darius Smith, who has played some this year and has size, but who is still in his first season of FBS football, as well as freshmen Jalen Grimble and Olsen Pierre. Those latter two are talented, but only a select few freshmen linemen can really make an impact in their first years, and Miami needs to hope that it only has to use them sparingly.

The end result is that no less than six Miami underclassmen will be seeing major time on defense in Blacksburg this weekend. Yes, Sean Spence and Ray Ray Armstrong and Regis and Ojomo will be out there, but there's no mistaking it: rebuilding is here.

All Aboard the Depth Chart Carousel!

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:12:04 -0000

Miami's depth chart is not settled. It may never be settled. Here is how things look heading into tomorrow night's game versus Ohio State.

Quarterback

Jacory Harris will start. We will likely find out very early into the game whether or not this is the right decision. Stephen Morris was very impressive against Maryland, but all indications are that Harris rightfully won the job this off-season.

Running back

No changes here. Lamar Miller will start, and we'll obviously see a lot of Mike James.

Wide reciever

Allen Hurns, who was also impressive against Maryland, keeps his starting job. Travis Benjamin replaces LaRon Byrd, although obviously playing time for receivers is very fluid. In any event, it shows how highly regarded Hurns is that he beat out both Byrd and Tommy Streeter.

Tight ends

No changes expected here, although Blake Ayles is out for the season due to a concussion. It's the third of his career, and I expect that it's up in the air whether or not he'll ever play football again. Otherwise, we'll see the same rotation of John Calhoun, Asante Cleveland, Chase Ford and Clive Walford that we saw in the Maryland game. Theoretically one of these guys will eventually separate himself from the others, but we'll see.

Let's jump for the rest of the depth chart.

Offensive tackles

Either Al Golden has no idea what to make of his offensive tackles, or he's trolling them. Both Joel Figueroa and Brandon Washington played surprisingly well against Maryland, but according to Golden, it's possible that Washington will start against Ohio State at left tackle and never before seen redshirt freshman Jonathon Feliciano will start at right tackle. The only explanation for this would be an injury to Figueroa, and UM is always coy about injuries, so we'll see.

Interior offensive line

The line up of Harland Gunn at left guard, Tyler Horn at center and Brandon Linder at right guard seems unlikely to change (barring injury) until the return of Seantrel Henderson.

Defensive end

Andrew Smith played well against Maryland, and he'll retain his starting job. Golden said that he has yet to decide who, between Adewale Ojomo and Anthony Chickillo, will start at the other defensive line spot. Chickillo played against Maryland though he didn't make much of a tangible impact, and it would be very surprising to see Golden— who has opted for experience in most position battles— not choose Ojomo.

Defensive tackle

Marcus Forston is back and in the starting line up. Micanor Regis will start next to him, but Jalen Grimble, Olsen Pierre and Darius Smith will all play, with Smith likely seeing the most playing time.

Linebacker

Sean Spence is back, and he will start at outside linebacker. Ramon Buchanan retains his spot on the first team opposite Spence, with Jimmy Gaines sliding into the middle. Miami's freshmen linebackers (Gionni Paul and Denzel Perryman) saw substantial time against Maryland, but I expect we'll see a lot less of them with Spence back and the other two positions pretty much settled.

Cornerback

Does it really matter? Mike Williams, who looked positively Van Dyke-ian in all the wrong ways, gets the start. Opposite him is Brandon McGee, who happened to get burned on a crucial 52-yard reception despite being perhaps the fastest player on the entire team. Thomas Finne and Lee Chambers will back them up, but I'm not convinced that they aren't the best options outright.

Safety

No changes here: Both JoJo Nicolas and Vaughn Telemaque will start, although we may see more of Thomas Finnie at safety and Nicolas at corner if Miami's other corners look as bad as they did versus Maryland.

Special Teams

Jake Wieclaw will kick, Dalton Botts will punt. Lamar Miller and Brandon McGee will return kicks. Travis Benjamin will likely replace Phillip Dorsett on punt returns.

Buckeyes vs Hurricanes coverage

The Connect: Injuries, Suspensions, Etc.

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:13:34 -0000

Game day is but seven days away. But, first things first: ~~suspensions~~ injuries! Here's the damage, and how the Canes might be affected against Maryland:

Cory White (season): White has been moved between tackle and tight end various times throughout his UM career, and he wasn't expected to play any significant role this season. This injury should go unnoticed.
Blake Ayles: Ayles was a likely starter at tight end, but Miami is deep at the position and can afford a hit there. Though Ayles' injury hasn't yet been announced, I've heard that he's suffering from a concussion, so we'll see how long this stretches out for. Expect to see a heavy dosage of Clive Walford and Asante Cleveland alongside Chase Ford in Miami's base, two tight end set. It also wouldn't be a surprise to frequently see Maurice Hagens in an h-back role versus the Terrapins.
Seantrel Hednerson: This one comes as no surprise. The good news is that Al Golden told WQAM's Joe Rose that Henderson should be back at some point this year. Still, this will be a big test for UM. This past weekend, Golden intimated that the starting left tackle job will be won by either Malcom Bunche or Joel Figueroa. Bunche is an unknown who was supposedly impressive in camp, but Figueroa was a disaster in a short stint at right tackle last year and likely wouldn't be too much better at the more important spot this year. If Bunche can't win the job, the loss of Henderson will be magnified.

Shayon Green: Miami could use depth at the middle linebacker position, but Green is another unknown commodity. He was handed the first team MLB job last year in camp before that experiment quickly failed, and then he was again injured. The loss of Green might be felt only on special teams.

Curtis Porter / Luther Robinson: These are the biggest two injuries. One area where Miami was sorely lacking last season was depth at defensive tackle, where both Porter and Robinson were unable to contribute on a consistent basis. The 2011 season is unfortunately starting off on the same note. For now, Marcus Forston and Micanor Regis are solidly penciled in as starters, but the two players behind them— transfer Darius Smith and freshman Olsen Pierre— are neophytes. If Forston gets suspended for any amount of time, there will be, almost literally, a gaping hole at defensive tackle.

In that same interview with Rose, Golden gave a hint as to what the team might look like once the various suspensions are handed out. He praised both Thomas Finnie and A.J. Highsmith, so expect those two to fill spots left vacant by, say, JoJo Nicolas and Ray Ray Armstrong. He also complimented Gionni Paul and Denzel Perryman, both of whom should be first line to replace a suspended Sean Spence. He also singled out Anthony Chickillo, and it would be of no surprise if he started in a spot vacated by Adewale Ojomo or Olivier Vernon. Lastly, he noted the play of freshmen wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott, meaning that both would likely see a lot of playing time if Miami was without Travis Benjamin and Aldarius Johnson.

A Prospective, Post-Shaprio 2011 Miami Depth Chart

rayrayrayrayrayrayrayray — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:15:26 -0000

The punishments that Miami is facing based on Nevin Shapiro's allegations are months, if not years, down the road. That said, 12 current players are named in Yahoo's story, and most of them are vital to Miami's success in 2011. As I've already noted, the allegations against the Canes players currently on the team are on the mild side of what is included in the totality of the investigation. But, they're also not nothing. Most of the allegations involve shady visits to Shapiro's Biscayne Bay mansion, pool games with cash prizes, and various dinners and parties at clubs while said players were on UM's roster. Using recent precedent— most notably the Ohio State scandal, as well as the A.J. Green incident— I think it's reasonable to assume that the players will be suspended for about half the season. It should be noted that a few players (most notably Ray Ray Armstrong) are implicated with Shapiro during their recruitment, which could bring on harsher penalties for them. What might the Canes starting line up look like minus those players? Well, it wouldn't be pretty, for one. But, let's take a look anyway, shall we?

First things first, here's the full list of current Canes players named in Robinson's story: Ray Ray Armstrong, Travis Benajmin, Dyron Dye, Marcus Forston, Jacory Harris, Aldarius Johnson, JoJo Nicolas, Adewale Ojomo, Marcus Robinson, Sean Spence, Vaughn Telemaque, and Olivier Vernon. Subtracting those players from Miami's starting line up will radically alter what the team is projected to look like. Here's the damage.

via naplesnews.com

Quarterback: Stephen Morris

The supposedly heated quarterback race is effectively over. Morris takes the reigns, which might not be the worst thing in the world, but it leaves Miami one injury away from the return of the Spencer Whipple era.

Running back: Lamar Miller

Maybe the one saving grace in this report is that Miami's potential superstar is not implicated. A small victory, but one nonetheless. The onus on Miller to carry the team to anything resembling success becomes exponentially greater.

Wide receiver: LaRon Byrd / Tommy Streeter

If Benjamin is suspended, Byrd takes over as the clear number one option. After him, the options for the second receiver slot are extremely murky. Tommy Streeter has been impressing in practice recently, but it remains unknown if he's ready to step into a starting role. If Aldarius Johnson is also suspended, that then leaves UM with a whole host of unproven talent, most notably Phillip Dorsett, Allen Hurns and Kendal Thompkins. Not pretty, so Streeter gets the nod.

Tight end: Blake Ayles / Chase Ford

Miami's tight end situation remains untouched. Ayles is likely entrenched, the second spot may be up for grabs.

Offensive line: Jermaine Johnson / Brandon Linder / Tyler Horn / Harland Gunn / Brandon Washington

The offensive line also remains intact. The projection of Johnson as well as both guards is a bit of speculation, but I think it's what we'll be seeing in College Park. This line now truly becomes Miami's backbone, and it will be crucial for them to help the team establish a running game that takes the pressure off of its depleted passing game.

via espn.com

Defensive line: Olsen Pierre / Darius Smith / Micanor Regis / Anthony Chickillo

With the subtractions of Ojomo, Forston, Robinson and Vernon, Miami's defensive line is absolutely decimated. The defensive end position is a complete mystery, and becomes in serious danger of being almost nonexistent. The leading returning veteran would be Andrew Smith, but I don't think that the current staff sees him as an every down end. That leaves Pierre, who has long been a favorite of the staff, and Chickilo, Miami's top incoming recruit. Losing Forston would be a massive blow, and I think the run-stuffing Smith steps in front of Curtis Porter, who is reportedly injured anyway.

Linebacker: Jimmy Gaines / Jordan Futch / Ramon Buchanan

Losing Spence throws the already tenuous linebacker situation in flux. Buchanan remains on the outside, and I think initially the team would move current starting MLB Gaines outside and insert Futch, a senior, into the middle. I wouldn't be surprised if at any point, including to start the season, Gaines moves back to the middle and Spence's spot is filled by a rotation of incoming freshmen: Eddie Johnson, Gionni Paul and Denzel Perryman.

Cornerback: Brandon McGee / Michael Williams

Losing Nicolas opens up the corner spot that he had all but locked down. Everything aside from that was fluid, but I'd expect Miami to opt for experience in McGee and Williams, the Wake Forest transfer. There will also be a heavy dosage of Thomas Finnie, and it would not be a surprise to see him take the spot opposite McGee. Lee Chambers and Dallas Crawford would also likely be in the mix.

Safety: Alonzo Highsmith / Kacy Rodgers

With the loss of both Armstrong and Telemaque, Miami might be the first team to ever contemplate not playing any safeties. Right now, Highsmith is listed as a back up alongside Andrew Swasey, the walk-on son of strength coach Andreu Swasey. It's quite possible that the coaching staff would give Swasey the nod, but I'm willing to bet that they'd be unwilling to take that leap. In my estimation, that leaves a few players that were recently moved off of the position: Rodgers and Eduardo Clements. Considering that Armstrong and Telemaque are thought to be the best safety tandem in the conference, it makes sense that the more talented back ups would be moved to positions of greater need, but that would need to be reversed now. In my estimation, Rodgers would get the nod over Clements, mainly because he worked at the position last season.

All in all, this is looks exceedingly grim. Time to drink up.