- Joined
- Feb 22, 2018
- Messages
- 2,291
Summer Additions: Cameron Williams (2019 signee), Trevon Hill (VT grad transfer), Jaelan Phillips (UCLA transfer)
Summer Departures: Patrick Joyner (moved to linebacker)
Before spring practice, I declared that the defensive end group is the deepest and most talented position group on the team. Nothing that has happened since then has affected my thought process. The defensive ends showed out during spring football and proved once again that they, along with the defensive tackles, will be the engine of Miami’s defense.
It all starts with Jonathan Garvin. Garvin is the best returning starter on Miami’s defensive line and will look to make the case that he is the best defensive end in the country this season. Garvin will likely be leaving for the NFL once his junior campaign concludes, so this is his money year. In 2018, Garvin totaled 60 tackles, 17 TFL, and 5.5 sacks. He will look to improve on that in 2019.
The oldest returning player of the group is redshirt senior Scott Patchan. At 6’6’’ 255 pounds, Patchan has all the tools to be successful. Unfortunately, to this point, his career has been defined by injury and switching positions due to depth concerns. Patchan has a chance to change that this year. Following spring, the starting end position opposite Garvin had not been solidified, but it was Patchan lining up in that spot the vast majority of the time. Patchan will have another chance to earn the starting role this fall.
For a year and a half, coaches and media members have been praising Gregory Rousseau for his elite talent and work ethic. Because Rousseau suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2018 season and took a redshirt year, fans still have not been able to see what all the hype is about. With fall practice only a few days away, the stars have aligned for Rousseau. He made it through the spring injury-free, and the second starting end position is open enough for him to win it over Patchan.
Freshman Jahfari Harvey arrived in January and has improved by leaps and bounds since then. When Harvey arrived on campus, he looked more like a linebacker, but he has lived in the weight room and transformed into a true defensive end. Harvey is probably not ready to challenge for the starting role just yet, but as we saw during spring, he could be a guy who comes in on pass-rushing downs. His play made Miami more comfortable in moving Joyner back to linebacker.
Virginia Tech grad transfer Trevon Hill was one of the best portal acquisitions of the offseason. Some magazines have Hill listed as the best defensive end in the conference, ahead of Garvin. Hill is probably the favorite to win the second starting job, but Rousseau and Patchan will have a head start since Hill is not yet enrolled will not be participating when practices start on Friday. He is expected to be cleared soon, so it will be interesting to watch him and see how quickly he can adjust to how the defense is run at Miami. He is also working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, so his progress will be one of the keys of the fall.
UCLA transfer Jaelan Phillips is another newcomer who will not be a participant come Friday, but Phillips must sit a year before he is eligible at Miami regardless. Once Phillips does arrive on campus and join the team for practice, he will still need some time to get back to where he once was since he has been out of football for almost a year now. Once Phillips does get up to speed and back into football shape, Miami will have another elite talent.
The only new roster addition from spring that will be a participant when practice starts on Friday is Cameron Williams. At one point it looked as if Williams would not qualify for Miami, but when summer B rolled around, Williams was on campus. Williams is likely in line to receive a redshirt this season since he arrived on campus so late and there is so much talent in front of him.
Bottom Line
Miami has five guys that can be rotated in and out of the game while still keeping the quality of play at an extremely high level. This group, in terms of both depth and overall talent, can match up with any other defensive end group in the country.
Summer Departures: Patrick Joyner (moved to linebacker)
Before spring practice, I declared that the defensive end group is the deepest and most talented position group on the team. Nothing that has happened since then has affected my thought process. The defensive ends showed out during spring football and proved once again that they, along with the defensive tackles, will be the engine of Miami’s defense.
It all starts with Jonathan Garvin. Garvin is the best returning starter on Miami’s defensive line and will look to make the case that he is the best defensive end in the country this season. Garvin will likely be leaving for the NFL once his junior campaign concludes, so this is his money year. In 2018, Garvin totaled 60 tackles, 17 TFL, and 5.5 sacks. He will look to improve on that in 2019.
The oldest returning player of the group is redshirt senior Scott Patchan. At 6’6’’ 255 pounds, Patchan has all the tools to be successful. Unfortunately, to this point, his career has been defined by injury and switching positions due to depth concerns. Patchan has a chance to change that this year. Following spring, the starting end position opposite Garvin had not been solidified, but it was Patchan lining up in that spot the vast majority of the time. Patchan will have another chance to earn the starting role this fall.
For a year and a half, coaches and media members have been praising Gregory Rousseau for his elite talent and work ethic. Because Rousseau suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2018 season and took a redshirt year, fans still have not been able to see what all the hype is about. With fall practice only a few days away, the stars have aligned for Rousseau. He made it through the spring injury-free, and the second starting end position is open enough for him to win it over Patchan.
Freshman Jahfari Harvey arrived in January and has improved by leaps and bounds since then. When Harvey arrived on campus, he looked more like a linebacker, but he has lived in the weight room and transformed into a true defensive end. Harvey is probably not ready to challenge for the starting role just yet, but as we saw during spring, he could be a guy who comes in on pass-rushing downs. His play made Miami more comfortable in moving Joyner back to linebacker.
Virginia Tech grad transfer Trevon Hill was one of the best portal acquisitions of the offseason. Some magazines have Hill listed as the best defensive end in the conference, ahead of Garvin. Hill is probably the favorite to win the second starting job, but Rousseau and Patchan will have a head start since Hill is not yet enrolled will not be participating when practices start on Friday. He is expected to be cleared soon, so it will be interesting to watch him and see how quickly he can adjust to how the defense is run at Miami. He is also working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, so his progress will be one of the keys of the fall.
UCLA transfer Jaelan Phillips is another newcomer who will not be a participant come Friday, but Phillips must sit a year before he is eligible at Miami regardless. Once Phillips does arrive on campus and join the team for practice, he will still need some time to get back to where he once was since he has been out of football for almost a year now. Once Phillips does get up to speed and back into football shape, Miami will have another elite talent.
The only new roster addition from spring that will be a participant when practice starts on Friday is Cameron Williams. At one point it looked as if Williams would not qualify for Miami, but when summer B rolled around, Williams was on campus. Williams is likely in line to receive a redshirt this season since he arrived on campus so late and there is so much talent in front of him.
Bottom Line
Miami has five guys that can be rotated in and out of the game while still keeping the quality of play at an extremely high level. This group, in terms of both depth and overall talent, can match up with any other defensive end group in the country.
