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The first day of Canes’ fall camp kicked off today in preparation for the opener against the Florida Gators. It was Miami’s first open practice that I can remember, and along with the fast pace of the drills, the crowd made things electric. It was an excellent kickoff for the Manny Diaz era. Let’s get into the takes.
**Of course, we need to start with QB play. Each of the three had their moments, but I’d have to say Tate Martell won the day by a tad. To my eye, he was much more comfortable out there running the offense from where he was this spring, not a lot of hesitation. He’s letting it rip with confidence and not thinking too much out there, while his accuracy is much improved. He was at his best when the team went to full 11-on-11 play, and bought time with his legs to extend plays, but threw a pretty bad pick towards the end where he stared down his receiver. Jarren Williams was second up, but split time on the 2nd team with N’Kosi Perry. Perry in particular had multiple great sideline throws, dropping some dimes in there with good coverage. I still think Williams throws the prettiest ball overall, but he didn’t how have many ‘wow’ moments as Martell or Perry today. Just one man’s opinion of how day 1 went, but obvious the competition is still ongoing and I have no doubt that each of the three will keep pushing each other until something is decided.
**I also got my first look at Peyton Matocha, and although he mostly worked with scout team, he threw a nice ball and didn’t try to do too much, took what the defense gave him. He had a nice scramble in 11-on-11’s where he picked up a good chunk of yards. A definite redshirt at this point though.
**KJ Osborn was the standout of the receivers, with Mark Pope a close second. Interestingly enough, Osborn worked a lot out of the slot and was having his way with the strikers. He worked the middle of the field well and had a very strong rapport with Martell. Although he had one pretty bad drop, Pope had more than a few nice catches and was having no problems getting open. Marshall Few is a great route runner and was giving guys on the third team fits. Jeff Thomas on crossing routes seemed like a staple of the offense. The receivers and tight ends were running a lot of motion, and Mike Harley got a jet sweep.
**Lorenzo Lingard was working with the scout team all practice. He was sporting a bulky brace on his knee and doesn’t look 100% quite yet. He’s going to have to get eased into action.
**Don’t know how ready he’d be if he got thrown into the fire, but Adam ElGammal certainly looks the part of an offensive lineman. Easily 300+ and was moving well with it, good bend too. Watched him take a few reps against Cameron Williams, seemed like they were evenly matched.
**Larry Hodges stood out to me as well. I like his build and he didn't look out of place as a true freshman, he's clearly a very cerebral player that understands the nuances of the position and getting open. I think he could see playing time this year.
**Christian Williams did get beat, but I liked what I saw from him from an athletic standpoint and think he has a great future. Ditto for Te’cory Couch, who’s length was giving receivers trouble. Couch had a pick off a deflection in 7-on-7 play. Derrick Smith read Tate Martell well and jumped a curl route in the middle of the field for a pick when Tate took too long to make a decision.
**Trevon Hill is going to be very good, but I wouldn't pencil him into the opening day lineup just yet. Hill's athletic ability is undeniable and he's going to be a big part of UM's defense this year, but he seemed pretty gassed the second half of practice. It's going to take some time for him to get into football shape, while I thought Scott Patchan was a standout today and won't give up his job without a fight. He easily won the majority of his reps against Kai-Leon Herbert, and also got into the backfield on one play, tipped the pass, and intercepted it.
**It's going to take a little while for Sam Brooks to get the hang of linebacker, but his speed is undeniable. He notably blew up a screen and had the defense going wild. UM is going to need him to step up big time with the injury issues at LB.
**In a humorous moment, new UM punter Louis Hedley boomed his first punt and sends the crowd into loud cheers. He got a hold of a few, but I thought he was a mixed bag overall. A solid start, but he'll need to find more consistency.
Depth Chart
Offense (1st Team/2nd Team)
QB- Tate Martell/Jarren Williams OR N’Kosi Perry
RB- DeeJay Dallas/Cam Harris
WRX- Jeff Thomas/Mark Pope
WRZ- Dee Wiggins/Jeremiah Payton
WRSlot- KJ Osborn/Mike Harley
TE- Brevin Jordan/Will Mallory
LT- Zion Nelson/John Campbell
LG- Navaughn Donaldson/Cleveland Reed
C- Corey Gaynor/Jakai Clark
RG- DJ Scaife/Tommy Kennedy
RT- Kai-Leon Herbert/Zalon’tae Hillery
Defense (1st Team/2nd Team)
DE- Jon Garvin/Gregory Rousseau
DE- Scott Patchan/Trevon Hill
DT- Patrick Bethel/Chigozie Nnoruka
DT- Jon Ford/Nesta Silvera
MLB- Shaq Quarterman/Zach McCloud
WLB- Michael Pinckney/Darian Stephenson
STRK- Romeo Finley/Gilbert Frierson
CB- Trajan Bandy/Nigel Bethel
CB- Al Blades/DJ Ivey
S- Gurvan Hall/Robert Knowles
S- Amari Carter/Derrick Smith
**Of course, we need to start with QB play. Each of the three had their moments, but I’d have to say Tate Martell won the day by a tad. To my eye, he was much more comfortable out there running the offense from where he was this spring, not a lot of hesitation. He’s letting it rip with confidence and not thinking too much out there, while his accuracy is much improved. He was at his best when the team went to full 11-on-11 play, and bought time with his legs to extend plays, but threw a pretty bad pick towards the end where he stared down his receiver. Jarren Williams was second up, but split time on the 2nd team with N’Kosi Perry. Perry in particular had multiple great sideline throws, dropping some dimes in there with good coverage. I still think Williams throws the prettiest ball overall, but he didn’t how have many ‘wow’ moments as Martell or Perry today. Just one man’s opinion of how day 1 went, but obvious the competition is still ongoing and I have no doubt that each of the three will keep pushing each other until something is decided.
**I also got my first look at Peyton Matocha, and although he mostly worked with scout team, he threw a nice ball and didn’t try to do too much, took what the defense gave him. He had a nice scramble in 11-on-11’s where he picked up a good chunk of yards. A definite redshirt at this point though.
**KJ Osborn was the standout of the receivers, with Mark Pope a close second. Interestingly enough, Osborn worked a lot out of the slot and was having his way with the strikers. He worked the middle of the field well and had a very strong rapport with Martell. Although he had one pretty bad drop, Pope had more than a few nice catches and was having no problems getting open. Marshall Few is a great route runner and was giving guys on the third team fits. Jeff Thomas on crossing routes seemed like a staple of the offense. The receivers and tight ends were running a lot of motion, and Mike Harley got a jet sweep.
**Lorenzo Lingard was working with the scout team all practice. He was sporting a bulky brace on his knee and doesn’t look 100% quite yet. He’s going to have to get eased into action.
**Don’t know how ready he’d be if he got thrown into the fire, but Adam ElGammal certainly looks the part of an offensive lineman. Easily 300+ and was moving well with it, good bend too. Watched him take a few reps against Cameron Williams, seemed like they were evenly matched.
**Larry Hodges stood out to me as well. I like his build and he didn't look out of place as a true freshman, he's clearly a very cerebral player that understands the nuances of the position and getting open. I think he could see playing time this year.
**Christian Williams did get beat, but I liked what I saw from him from an athletic standpoint and think he has a great future. Ditto for Te’cory Couch, who’s length was giving receivers trouble. Couch had a pick off a deflection in 7-on-7 play. Derrick Smith read Tate Martell well and jumped a curl route in the middle of the field for a pick when Tate took too long to make a decision.
**Trevon Hill is going to be very good, but I wouldn't pencil him into the opening day lineup just yet. Hill's athletic ability is undeniable and he's going to be a big part of UM's defense this year, but he seemed pretty gassed the second half of practice. It's going to take some time for him to get into football shape, while I thought Scott Patchan was a standout today and won't give up his job without a fight. He easily won the majority of his reps against Kai-Leon Herbert, and also got into the backfield on one play, tipped the pass, and intercepted it.
**It's going to take a little while for Sam Brooks to get the hang of linebacker, but his speed is undeniable. He notably blew up a screen and had the defense going wild. UM is going to need him to step up big time with the injury issues at LB.
**In a humorous moment, new UM punter Louis Hedley boomed his first punt and sends the crowd into loud cheers. He got a hold of a few, but I thought he was a mixed bag overall. A solid start, but he'll need to find more consistency.
Depth Chart
Offense (1st Team/2nd Team)
QB- Tate Martell/Jarren Williams OR N’Kosi Perry
RB- DeeJay Dallas/Cam Harris
WRX- Jeff Thomas/Mark Pope
WRZ- Dee Wiggins/Jeremiah Payton
WRSlot- KJ Osborn/Mike Harley
TE- Brevin Jordan/Will Mallory
LT- Zion Nelson/John Campbell
LG- Navaughn Donaldson/Cleveland Reed
C- Corey Gaynor/Jakai Clark
RG- DJ Scaife/Tommy Kennedy
RT- Kai-Leon Herbert/Zalon’tae Hillery
Defense (1st Team/2nd Team)
DE- Jon Garvin/Gregory Rousseau
DE- Scott Patchan/Trevon Hill
DT- Patrick Bethel/Chigozie Nnoruka
DT- Jon Ford/Nesta Silvera
MLB- Shaq Quarterman/Zach McCloud
WLB- Michael Pinckney/Darian Stephenson
STRK- Romeo Finley/Gilbert Frierson
CB- Trajan Bandy/Nigel Bethel
CB- Al Blades/DJ Ivey
S- Gurvan Hall/Robert Knowles
S- Amari Carter/Derrick Smith
