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- Nov 11, 2019
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Offseason Additions: None
Offseason Departures: Pat Bethel (Graduation), Chigozie Nnoruka (Graduation)
The Canes will be looking at the defensive tackle position to take the next step in 2020. In 2018, the positional play was elite with Gerald Willis wreaking havoc up front. With Willis graduating, the unit took a step back in 2019 while remaining solid as the defensive end rotation stepped into the limelight. Pat Bethel, who was a consistent presence in the rotation throughout his career, is gone, as is grad transfer Chigozie Nnoruka. While this creates an opportunity for increased playing time for the heralded freshmen from the 2019 recruiting class, the defensive line will be relying on three experienced players to lead the group.
Senior Jon Ford, who started all 13 games last year, is back to anchor the line and would appear to have one of the starting spots locked up. The mammoth defensive tackle, standing at 6-5 and 318lbs, had 3.5 TFL and 3 sacks in 2019. Ford will look to build on these numbers and become a more dominant force in the middle for Miami.
There has been a consistent buzz about Nesta Silvera since he arrived on campus as a highly touted recruit from the 2018 class. A breakout season was expected from Silvera last year but a foot injury in camp caused him to miss the first four games. Silvera’s 6 tackle, 1 sack performance against FSU showed the talent that all Canes’ fans knew he had. Now entering his junior year and finally fully healthy, Silvera is projected to be the starter opposite Ford and be the playmaker in the middle that this defense needs to be elite.
Jordan Miller will be line to see an increased workload in 2020 with the departures of Bethel and Nnoruka. The redshirt sophomore played in all 13 games last year, giving him the valuable experience needed at the college level. Miller was a project coming in as an under the radar recruit in 2018, showing good athleticism at well over 300lbs. We saw glimpses of that athleticism last year, specifically against Florida State, where Miller was able to get into the backfield and drag Cam Akers to the ground for a TFL. Another year of conditioning and training under Strength Coach David Feeley will only help Miller take the next step. With Miller’s athleticism at 320lbs, his ceiling is as high as anyone’s on the roster.
There will be two talented redshirt freshmen looking to make an impact this year. Jalar Holley, recently known for his sideline dancing, has the athletic ability to see snaps in a rotational role in 2020. The Georgia native redshirted last year but did see some playing time against Bethune Cookman and Louisiana Tech. Jared Harrison-Hunte will be competing with Holley for that 4th DT spot but both will be expected to see snaps in every game. Harrison-Hunte is yet another athletic DT option for Stroud to mold. Michael Scibelli was a walk-on who earned a scholarship and could potentially see snaps in blowouts.
The position group didn’t add any new faces but freshman Elijah Roberts, who is starting out at defensive end, is a candidate to move down to DT as he continues to grow and add weight. Redshirt freshman Jason Blissett, who many expected to be a DT, is also at defensive end after a redshirt year spent gaining muscle. The numbers at DT aren’t optimal, but with five legitimate options as well as defensive ends that could move inside on passing downs, it’s not a pressing concern.
Bottom Line
Even with Greg Rousseau opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL draft, the focus of opposing offenses will still be on defensive ends, namely Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. This will create plenty of 1-on-1 opportunities for the defensive tackles to shine. For Miami’s defense to be elite this season, the production needs to increase whether that’s by one player stepping up or a committee approach.
Ford (4th year senior), Silvera (3rd year junior), and Miller (3rd year sophomore) are no longer young players and will be expected to take the next step in their development. Should that happen, this defensive tackle position group can be one of the more productive groups in college football. The development of Holley and Harrison-Hunte is something to keep an eye on as they will be a big part of the future of the position over the next 3 years.
Offseason Departures: Pat Bethel (Graduation), Chigozie Nnoruka (Graduation)
The Canes will be looking at the defensive tackle position to take the next step in 2020. In 2018, the positional play was elite with Gerald Willis wreaking havoc up front. With Willis graduating, the unit took a step back in 2019 while remaining solid as the defensive end rotation stepped into the limelight. Pat Bethel, who was a consistent presence in the rotation throughout his career, is gone, as is grad transfer Chigozie Nnoruka. While this creates an opportunity for increased playing time for the heralded freshmen from the 2019 recruiting class, the defensive line will be relying on three experienced players to lead the group.
Senior Jon Ford, who started all 13 games last year, is back to anchor the line and would appear to have one of the starting spots locked up. The mammoth defensive tackle, standing at 6-5 and 318lbs, had 3.5 TFL and 3 sacks in 2019. Ford will look to build on these numbers and become a more dominant force in the middle for Miami.
There has been a consistent buzz about Nesta Silvera since he arrived on campus as a highly touted recruit from the 2018 class. A breakout season was expected from Silvera last year but a foot injury in camp caused him to miss the first four games. Silvera’s 6 tackle, 1 sack performance against FSU showed the talent that all Canes’ fans knew he had. Now entering his junior year and finally fully healthy, Silvera is projected to be the starter opposite Ford and be the playmaker in the middle that this defense needs to be elite.
Jordan Miller will be line to see an increased workload in 2020 with the departures of Bethel and Nnoruka. The redshirt sophomore played in all 13 games last year, giving him the valuable experience needed at the college level. Miller was a project coming in as an under the radar recruit in 2018, showing good athleticism at well over 300lbs. We saw glimpses of that athleticism last year, specifically against Florida State, where Miller was able to get into the backfield and drag Cam Akers to the ground for a TFL. Another year of conditioning and training under Strength Coach David Feeley will only help Miller take the next step. With Miller’s athleticism at 320lbs, his ceiling is as high as anyone’s on the roster.
There will be two talented redshirt freshmen looking to make an impact this year. Jalar Holley, recently known for his sideline dancing, has the athletic ability to see snaps in a rotational role in 2020. The Georgia native redshirted last year but did see some playing time against Bethune Cookman and Louisiana Tech. Jared Harrison-Hunte will be competing with Holley for that 4th DT spot but both will be expected to see snaps in every game. Harrison-Hunte is yet another athletic DT option for Stroud to mold. Michael Scibelli was a walk-on who earned a scholarship and could potentially see snaps in blowouts.
The position group didn’t add any new faces but freshman Elijah Roberts, who is starting out at defensive end, is a candidate to move down to DT as he continues to grow and add weight. Redshirt freshman Jason Blissett, who many expected to be a DT, is also at defensive end after a redshirt year spent gaining muscle. The numbers at DT aren’t optimal, but with five legitimate options as well as defensive ends that could move inside on passing downs, it’s not a pressing concern.
Bottom Line
Even with Greg Rousseau opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL draft, the focus of opposing offenses will still be on defensive ends, namely Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. This will create plenty of 1-on-1 opportunities for the defensive tackles to shine. For Miami’s defense to be elite this season, the production needs to increase whether that’s by one player stepping up or a committee approach.
Ford (4th year senior), Silvera (3rd year junior), and Miller (3rd year sophomore) are no longer young players and will be expected to take the next step in their development. Should that happen, this defensive tackle position group can be one of the more productive groups in college football. The development of Holley and Harrison-Hunte is something to keep an eye on as they will be a big part of the future of the position over the next 3 years.
