After Wednesday’s practice, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz talked about the freshmen players he’s seen that he believes deserve more reps.
“(Gregory) Rousseau for sure would have been one, we’re sad to see him [injured] and hope we can get him back,” Diaz said. “Up front (Nesta) Silvera for sure will be in the mix, (Patrick) Joyner has a chance now with Rousseau being out. In the back end you’ve already seen more DJ Ivey, will continue to see him. Al (Blades), and Gurvan Hall you’ll start to see more and more as the weeks go on.”
After missing all of last week, senior DE Demetrius Jackson returned to practice yesterday, and Diaz feels his experience will be invaluable this week at Toledo in Miami’s first true road game.
“It’s very important, especially going on the road,” Diaz said on having Jackson back. “Noon kick, hostile environment…it’s going to be a really big spectacle up there. So to have an older guy, who has been in that experience and who has seen those types of environments - he’ll know what to do and be able to play at full-speed from the beginning – is important to us. We just want D-Jack back anyways. He’s a big part of our defense.”
UM’s defense struggled a bit with the Rockets’ passing game in their matchup last season at Hard Rock Stadium, giving up 344 yards through the air. While Toledo is breaking in a new QB this year, much of their receiving talent has returned in 2018, such as Cody Thompson and Jon’Vea Johnson.
“They really can do it all,” Diaz said on the Toledo receivers. “They’re as deep as a group, and this is not just my opinion, the numbers tell it. (You’re deep) as anyone in the country when you have three guys that have had 1,000 yard seasons. And they all have different skill sets, but the one thing they can all do is take you deep.”
Freshman corner Al Blades came into Miami during the summer and has quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff. Diaz says his ability to find a role in UM’s defense so early has everything to do with how he handles things between the ears.
“The transition from high school to college usually doesn’t have anything to do with their physical ability or their talent,” Diaz said. “All of our guys are talented. It’s the ones who mentally have that maturity to compete at that next level. Al stood out very early in training camp as a guy that was just not in awe of the speed of the game out here.
“Trajan Bandy gets kicked out of the game on the fourth play of the game against LSU, guess what? Al Blades, you’re the nickel. Maybe one of the most intimidating settings in all of college football, at Cowboys Stadium, and Al goes right in there and plays like he’s playing catch in his backyard. Obviously there’s something in his mental makeup and in his wiring that makes him believe that nothing is ever too big for him. He feels very confident in every situation he’s in.”
On DT Gerald Willis’ performance so far: “He’s quick, so he’s hard for guards,” Diaz said. “He’s also powerful and tough so it’s not all finesse. And he can be strong and sturdy at the point of attack.”
**Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Todd Hartley is looking for more from his starting punter in Zach Feagles, who has had a few bad kicks through UM’s first 2 games in 2018.
“I think he feels the pressure more than anybody else, to be honest with you,” Hartley said. “He understands that he was brought here to do a job, and our standard is to be the best in the country. That is our goal. And we are not there right now, okay? And he understands that better than anyone else.
“He understands that we are holding a very high standard, and he needs to hold a high standard as well. The kid’s working his butt off. I do believe he’s going to get there, and for some reason if he doesn’t we’ll try (Jack) Spicer and if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to find someone in the offseason. At this point right now the only thing we can do is promote that kid and give that kid every opportunity to get out of this funk. (In practice) he shows what he can do; we have to transition that to games.”
Hartley has had more success with his tight end unit so far this season. Despite losing veteran Michael Irvin II to injury in fall camp, Hartley has gotten his two freshmen tight ends in Will Mallory and Brevin Jordan ready to play, and both caught TD’s last week against Savannah State.
“They weren’t frustrated after Game 1 (vs. LSU) but wanted to do more to help the team,” Hartley said. “You tell young kids, `You’ll get your shot.’ They had just as many game plan targets against Savannah State as LSU, it just happened to come to them. And ended up with nine catches as a unit and three touchdowns. I think those kids just getting out there and seeing themselves make plays does wonders for their confidence.”
Freshman corner Al Blades was named the captain representing special teams this week for Toledo, and Hartley elaborated on how he earned that designation.
“A guy that came in, didn’t say much, wanted to be on the depth chart, worked his butt off at practice – you put him in game situations and he showed out,” Hartley said on Blades. “His performance is what earned him that spot. He’s a kid that, at the end of the [Savannah State] game, you’re trying to get some other kids that don’t normally play in the game, and I’m like, ‘hey Al, why don’t you take this rep off so we can put someone else in there?’ He says, ‘no, I’m not coming out.’ And I said, ‘alright, well get back in there then.’
“He’s a guy that tells me he wants to be in there. He’s a really good football player. He has great speed, he’s a great tackler, he has the right mindset and the right mentality to be an unbelievable special teams player. For a kid to be a captain Game 3 of his freshman year, that says a lot about the kid.”
In Hartley’s now third year at UM, only one other player has gotten that type of recognition as a freshman.
“[Travis] Homer, I believe, was a captain his freshman year,” Hartley said. “I don’t think it was Game 3. It might have been Game 7 or 8 – somebody can probably look that up. But he was a captain his freshman year on special teams. But Al was probably the first this soon, this early, for sure.”
“(Gregory) Rousseau for sure would have been one, we’re sad to see him [injured] and hope we can get him back,” Diaz said. “Up front (Nesta) Silvera for sure will be in the mix, (Patrick) Joyner has a chance now with Rousseau being out. In the back end you’ve already seen more DJ Ivey, will continue to see him. Al (Blades), and Gurvan Hall you’ll start to see more and more as the weeks go on.”
After missing all of last week, senior DE Demetrius Jackson returned to practice yesterday, and Diaz feels his experience will be invaluable this week at Toledo in Miami’s first true road game.
“It’s very important, especially going on the road,” Diaz said on having Jackson back. “Noon kick, hostile environment…it’s going to be a really big spectacle up there. So to have an older guy, who has been in that experience and who has seen those types of environments - he’ll know what to do and be able to play at full-speed from the beginning – is important to us. We just want D-Jack back anyways. He’s a big part of our defense.”
UM’s defense struggled a bit with the Rockets’ passing game in their matchup last season at Hard Rock Stadium, giving up 344 yards through the air. While Toledo is breaking in a new QB this year, much of their receiving talent has returned in 2018, such as Cody Thompson and Jon’Vea Johnson.
“They really can do it all,” Diaz said on the Toledo receivers. “They’re as deep as a group, and this is not just my opinion, the numbers tell it. (You’re deep) as anyone in the country when you have three guys that have had 1,000 yard seasons. And they all have different skill sets, but the one thing they can all do is take you deep.”
Freshman corner Al Blades came into Miami during the summer and has quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff. Diaz says his ability to find a role in UM’s defense so early has everything to do with how he handles things between the ears.
“The transition from high school to college usually doesn’t have anything to do with their physical ability or their talent,” Diaz said. “All of our guys are talented. It’s the ones who mentally have that maturity to compete at that next level. Al stood out very early in training camp as a guy that was just not in awe of the speed of the game out here.
“Trajan Bandy gets kicked out of the game on the fourth play of the game against LSU, guess what? Al Blades, you’re the nickel. Maybe one of the most intimidating settings in all of college football, at Cowboys Stadium, and Al goes right in there and plays like he’s playing catch in his backyard. Obviously there’s something in his mental makeup and in his wiring that makes him believe that nothing is ever too big for him. He feels very confident in every situation he’s in.”
On DT Gerald Willis’ performance so far: “He’s quick, so he’s hard for guards,” Diaz said. “He’s also powerful and tough so it’s not all finesse. And he can be strong and sturdy at the point of attack.”
**Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Todd Hartley is looking for more from his starting punter in Zach Feagles, who has had a few bad kicks through UM’s first 2 games in 2018.
“I think he feels the pressure more than anybody else, to be honest with you,” Hartley said. “He understands that he was brought here to do a job, and our standard is to be the best in the country. That is our goal. And we are not there right now, okay? And he understands that better than anyone else.
“He understands that we are holding a very high standard, and he needs to hold a high standard as well. The kid’s working his butt off. I do believe he’s going to get there, and for some reason if he doesn’t we’ll try (Jack) Spicer and if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to find someone in the offseason. At this point right now the only thing we can do is promote that kid and give that kid every opportunity to get out of this funk. (In practice) he shows what he can do; we have to transition that to games.”
Hartley has had more success with his tight end unit so far this season. Despite losing veteran Michael Irvin II to injury in fall camp, Hartley has gotten his two freshmen tight ends in Will Mallory and Brevin Jordan ready to play, and both caught TD’s last week against Savannah State.
“They weren’t frustrated after Game 1 (vs. LSU) but wanted to do more to help the team,” Hartley said. “You tell young kids, `You’ll get your shot.’ They had just as many game plan targets against Savannah State as LSU, it just happened to come to them. And ended up with nine catches as a unit and three touchdowns. I think those kids just getting out there and seeing themselves make plays does wonders for their confidence.”
Freshman corner Al Blades was named the captain representing special teams this week for Toledo, and Hartley elaborated on how he earned that designation.
“A guy that came in, didn’t say much, wanted to be on the depth chart, worked his butt off at practice – you put him in game situations and he showed out,” Hartley said on Blades. “His performance is what earned him that spot. He’s a kid that, at the end of the [Savannah State] game, you’re trying to get some other kids that don’t normally play in the game, and I’m like, ‘hey Al, why don’t you take this rep off so we can put someone else in there?’ He says, ‘no, I’m not coming out.’ And I said, ‘alright, well get back in there then.’
“He’s a guy that tells me he wants to be in there. He’s a really good football player. He has great speed, he’s a great tackler, he has the right mindset and the right mentality to be an unbelievable special teams player. For a kid to be a captain Game 3 of his freshman year, that says a lot about the kid.”
In Hartley’s now third year at UM, only one other player has gotten that type of recognition as a freshman.
“[Travis] Homer, I believe, was a captain his freshman year,” Hartley said. “I don’t think it was Game 3. It might have been Game 7 or 8 – somebody can probably look that up. But he was a captain his freshman year on special teams. But Al was probably the first this soon, this early, for sure.”
