Following Tuesday’s practice, Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz touched on the QB competition heading into the Canes’ second spring scrimmage on Friday and discussed the progress made by UM’s quarterbacks.
“We want to have a really good competition and we want that to go all the way through training camp… We haven’t even discussed yet how the quarterback reps will be split up (in scrimmage #2),” Diaz said.
On freshman early enrollee Jake Garcia, Diaz said that he had returned to full strength off his foot injury and had begun fielding some first team reps along with Tyler Van Dyke.
“What impressed everyone is Jake was not cleared for team settings until the day before the scrimmage,” Diaz said. “That day we went out and practiced in helmets, then ‘Bang!’ here goes your first scrimmage. The way he handled himself - that first scrimmage day can be overwhelming - I thought the way he acted (was) like he’s been around a long time. Was very comfortable and the throws and all that different stuff - that’s what we were most pleased about. Both of them (Garcia and Van Dyke) played very well that day.”
Of the offensive line, Diaz spoke about the experience and depth the team has built over the years really paying dividends this spring.
“We can roll for sure more than five, it can be seven, eight, nine guys and not expect a drop-off,” Diaz said. “That’s been very encouraging.”
Diaz mentioned that some players have missed time this spring due to being in the team’s COVID protocol but, aside from DE Deandre Johnson, he did not name the all those players.
“Today was [Johnson’s] first day in a team setting for health protocol reasons - excited to get him more and more reps as we close out the spring,” Diaz said.
Miami’s first team at wide receiver has experienced heavy rotation in the early weeks of spring camp according to Diaz and he mentioned Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope as having shown improvement thus far.
“Charleston Rambo has also given us a big shot in the arm,” Diaz said of the receivers. “Xavier Restrepo makes plays every day in practice. Daz Worsham has made strides, Keyshawn Smith, we still think he has a big future and is pushing everybody.”
As previously mentioned, UM’s second scrimmage of the spring will be this Friday, and Diaz said that it will take place in the evening.
“We scrimmage in a game format, put an amount of time on the clock given the amount of people we have and go as long as we think we can scrimmage for,” Diaz said. “In the springtime, we have so much depth, we go ones vs. ones, but we have more than 11 ones.”
This offseason marks a return to the defensive coordinator role for Diaz, a position he held at UM for three seasons before being named head coach at the beginning of 2019, and he talked about how the transition has been from his perspective thus far.
“That’s been natural. I already had a role, just getting into the play calling - I’ve been doing that a long time,” Diaz said. “That’s been fun, easy… more important than who calls the plays, what the play is. The guys have responded – defensively, we’re trying to get back to having an edge about us, we lost the edge. That’s what this spring is about.”
On Zach McCloud’s move from LB to DE, Diaz has been impressed with the transition thus far, comparing it to how Trent Harris adjusted to the same move.
“Zach has exceeded my expectations,” Diaz said. “I didn’t think he’d look so natural so soon… Some guys you say `Just go’ - at defensive end, there’s a lot more ‘Go, go, go’, where at linebacker, you have to process where to go. A guy like Zach, as tough as they come, so experienced, intelligent, is soaking up all of Jess Simpson’s coaching like a sponge. He looks like he’s played defensive end more than 10 days of practice.”
Diaz also reaffirmed that no fans will be allowed at Miami’s spring game.
