Additions: None
Departures: Michael Jackson (Graduation), Jhavonte Dean (Graduation), Gilbert Frierson (Moved to striker)
In 2018, the Miami Hurricanes actually led the nation in passing defense, giving up a paltry 135.6 yards per game. While the players in the secondary deserve to be commended for ultimately doing their job, that number is slightly misleading when you consider the competition. UM only played one passing offense in the national top 40 in passing yards per game, and that opponent, Florida State (28th), was completely outclassed by Miami in the trenches on offense and gave their QB no time to throw. Last season’s #3 corner, Jhavonte Dean, was consistently beaten and was a potential liability every time he stepped on the field, and Miami still went stretches of games making average QB’s look like world beaters. All this to say that while UM’s corners were overall a positive for the defense in 2018, there is still room for improvement to be had when looking towards this spring.
The Canes will have to do it without 2 of their top 3 corners from last season in Dean and Michael Jackson, as well as a startling lack of numbers/proven depth in a passing era of college football where it’s almost essential to have 3-4 quality corners; for reference, the Canes only have 4 corners total to work with this spring and only one with real crunch time experience.
That one experienced returning corner was arguably UM’s most reliable cover guy last season, and it was rare to see junior Trajan Bandy get beat in 2018. Bandy led UM in passes broken up with 8, tied for the team lead with 3 INT’s, and led all DB’s with 4.5 TFL. Bandy has proven to be a sure tackler for Miami and shown the initiative to learn his craft. He’s not a prototypical #1 corner at 5’9”, but he’s well-built, uses advanced technique to play bigger than his size, and has the type of versatility where he can play both outside and inside when needed. Bandy will be an invaluable presence to a young corner group heading into spring ball and he will be counted on to help the young guys along.
The battle to replace Jackson in the other starting role gets underway in spring ball, and the two main contenders are sophomores Al Blades Jr. (13 tackles, 1 TFL in 2018) and DJ Ivey (3 tackles). Despite enrolling later in the summer, Blades ended up getting the most burn of all the 4 freshmen corners in 2018 and really made an impression on coaches with his hard-working attitude and effort on special teams. At 6’1” 185, Blades has the size, length, ability, and work ethic to develop into UM’s next shutdown corner on the outside. He will be pushed by Ivey, who is just as highly regarded talent-wise and plays the position with great instincts, something Rumph loves. The pair will use the spring to get a head start on winning that #2 job across from Bandy, but they will both likely play a ton regardless of who starts, and they could potentially give UM a formidable trio at corner.
The only other corner on the roster is Nigel Bethel, who redshirted as a freshman last season. Bethel was considered a track star that would be a project as a football player when he came to UM, and it seems that the process is still ongoing. Bethel is still not where the staff wants him to be size-wise at 6’0” 170 pounds, but he has no competition for a spot in the rotation as of now and will get all the reps he can handle this spring to prove he deserves playing time in 2019.
UM added 4-star corners Christian Williams and Te’Cory Couch in the 2019 class, but the pair won’t join the fray until the summer.
Bottom Line
The lack of unproven depth and sheer numbers at corner is a real concern, and I am surprised UM did not bring in more here over the off-season. The battle for the #2 role between two prospects with elite potential in Blades and Ivey will be fun to watch. The good news is that even though they have the ability to be a stout group, with all else considered, the cornerback unit does not have to be all-world. The rest of Miami’s defense is ACC Championship caliber, and a ferocious and deep Miami front 7 will cover up for a lot of the secondary’s mistakes. Miami can still achieve their goal of an ACC Championship even with average play at corner; however, this group of Canes will be sure to aim higher.
I see a lot of comparisons to the 2017 season, where Miami also really only brought back one experienced corner in Malek Young and had to rely on talented, but unproven players to fill out the rotation. 2017 ended up working out just fine for the #28 UM scoring defense, and Mike Rumph will have to work that magic again to get the most out of his cornerback group in 2019.
Departures: Michael Jackson (Graduation), Jhavonte Dean (Graduation), Gilbert Frierson (Moved to striker)
In 2018, the Miami Hurricanes actually led the nation in passing defense, giving up a paltry 135.6 yards per game. While the players in the secondary deserve to be commended for ultimately doing their job, that number is slightly misleading when you consider the competition. UM only played one passing offense in the national top 40 in passing yards per game, and that opponent, Florida State (28th), was completely outclassed by Miami in the trenches on offense and gave their QB no time to throw. Last season’s #3 corner, Jhavonte Dean, was consistently beaten and was a potential liability every time he stepped on the field, and Miami still went stretches of games making average QB’s look like world beaters. All this to say that while UM’s corners were overall a positive for the defense in 2018, there is still room for improvement to be had when looking towards this spring.
The Canes will have to do it without 2 of their top 3 corners from last season in Dean and Michael Jackson, as well as a startling lack of numbers/proven depth in a passing era of college football where it’s almost essential to have 3-4 quality corners; for reference, the Canes only have 4 corners total to work with this spring and only one with real crunch time experience.
That one experienced returning corner was arguably UM’s most reliable cover guy last season, and it was rare to see junior Trajan Bandy get beat in 2018. Bandy led UM in passes broken up with 8, tied for the team lead with 3 INT’s, and led all DB’s with 4.5 TFL. Bandy has proven to be a sure tackler for Miami and shown the initiative to learn his craft. He’s not a prototypical #1 corner at 5’9”, but he’s well-built, uses advanced technique to play bigger than his size, and has the type of versatility where he can play both outside and inside when needed. Bandy will be an invaluable presence to a young corner group heading into spring ball and he will be counted on to help the young guys along.
The battle to replace Jackson in the other starting role gets underway in spring ball, and the two main contenders are sophomores Al Blades Jr. (13 tackles, 1 TFL in 2018) and DJ Ivey (3 tackles). Despite enrolling later in the summer, Blades ended up getting the most burn of all the 4 freshmen corners in 2018 and really made an impression on coaches with his hard-working attitude and effort on special teams. At 6’1” 185, Blades has the size, length, ability, and work ethic to develop into UM’s next shutdown corner on the outside. He will be pushed by Ivey, who is just as highly regarded talent-wise and plays the position with great instincts, something Rumph loves. The pair will use the spring to get a head start on winning that #2 job across from Bandy, but they will both likely play a ton regardless of who starts, and they could potentially give UM a formidable trio at corner.
The only other corner on the roster is Nigel Bethel, who redshirted as a freshman last season. Bethel was considered a track star that would be a project as a football player when he came to UM, and it seems that the process is still ongoing. Bethel is still not where the staff wants him to be size-wise at 6’0” 170 pounds, but he has no competition for a spot in the rotation as of now and will get all the reps he can handle this spring to prove he deserves playing time in 2019.
UM added 4-star corners Christian Williams and Te’Cory Couch in the 2019 class, but the pair won’t join the fray until the summer.
Bottom Line
The lack of unproven depth and sheer numbers at corner is a real concern, and I am surprised UM did not bring in more here over the off-season. The battle for the #2 role between two prospects with elite potential in Blades and Ivey will be fun to watch. The good news is that even though they have the ability to be a stout group, with all else considered, the cornerback unit does not have to be all-world. The rest of Miami’s defense is ACC Championship caliber, and a ferocious and deep Miami front 7 will cover up for a lot of the secondary’s mistakes. Miami can still achieve their goal of an ACC Championship even with average play at corner; however, this group of Canes will be sure to aim higher.
I see a lot of comparisons to the 2017 season, where Miami also really only brought back one experienced corner in Malek Young and had to rely on talented, but unproven players to fill out the rotation. 2017 ended up working out just fine for the #28 UM scoring defense, and Mike Rumph will have to work that magic again to get the most out of his cornerback group in 2019.
