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The news cycle between Signing Day and spring practice can be slow, so we took the best tidbits of the week and combined them into one coherent piece.
Here's your Hurricanes news and notes for the week.
**Arkansas State may plan to sue Miami if they do not fulfill their $650k "liquidated damages" obligation for “significant and disruption and damages” pursuant to the cancelled game between the two schools back in September in the face of Hurricane Irma.
Miami cited the force majeure (circumstances beyond control) clause for why they do not have to fulfill the contract, while offering to reschedule the current game anytime between 2024-2028. However, Arkansas State has found this unacceptable, prefers to reschedule the game in 2020 or 2021, and is threatening moving forward with legal action if Miami does not pay the $650k fee. Miami's lawyers and AD Blake James are confident in their position, though, and do not plan to pay the sum.
**In an interview with ESPN's David Hale, Mark Richt did not hesitate when naming Malik Rosier a returning starter at QB, saying it will have to take someone upping the level of competition for that to change. The full quote:
"Malik is the starting quarterback, for sure. Someone's got to dethrone him. Someone's got to beat him out if that's going to happen. It's not like -- to say it's wide open, every position is wide open because we want a competition at every level. Every player that comes back talks about the greatest competition they had was on the practice field. And I also want to go into this season with a sort of first-year mentality. Let's go compete. Show us you're ready to take somebody's job. But Malik is the starting quarterback, and he's going to be unless somebody knocks him off the perch."
Speaking about Rosier's competition, Richt said while N'Kosi Perry has a skillset that's going to be fun to watch someday, he's still "learning what to do."
"He got a lot better. He's learning what to do. He's got a great skill set, but you can't compete until you really know what to do. He came in the summer, and he wasn't as ready as he might've been if he was a midyear enrollee. If he'd had all spring and summer and fall, maybe he makes a bigger push toward the job. But on the flip side, Malik played his tail off. I've said it a bunch of times: The guy earned it in practice. He practiced better than everybody and by a clear margin. But does N'Kosi have a skill set that's going to be fun to watch one day? No doubt about it."
**Former Hurricane TE Greg Olsen donated $100k to the indoor practice facility project this week, which put the final cap on the $2 million goal set for ex-players in which over 80 players have donated.
With the IPF on schedule to open in August, the program says it is still $1 million short of their $34 million overall fundraising goal.
**Mike Rumph said earlier this week that one player has a chance to play both ways this year. And who might that be? 2018 WR/DB signee Nigel Bethel from Miami Northwestern, per Barry Jackson.
“He’s a tremendous athlete who I think could be an asset on both sides of the ball. He has done it at the highest level of high schools. He’s a deadly returner and came over and guarded the best guys man to man when he needed to. He’s a triple threat type of kid.”
On another note, Rumph also said Malek Young, who suffered a career-ending spinal/neck injury in the Orange Bowl, will still remain around the team and attend practices.
**In recruiting news, the Canes are expected to host some big-time prospects on unofficial visits over the weekend. IMG's star backfield teammates 4-star RB Trey Sanders and 4-star RB Noah Cain will be on campus, while 4-star RB Cesare Mellusi from Naples and 4-star WR Jeremiah Payton from Neptune Beach will join the IMG pair in Coral Gables. Payton in particular is on commitment watch, per our own Erick Marrero.
**The long-wait to see the Canes back on the field is close to being over. The team will start on-field preparation for the 2018 season when spring practice begins March 20. And this year, there will be a spring game (likely at Hard Rock Stadium), after not having one the previous season due to renovations at HRS.
Here's your Hurricanes news and notes for the week.
**Arkansas State may plan to sue Miami if they do not fulfill their $650k "liquidated damages" obligation for “significant and disruption and damages” pursuant to the cancelled game between the two schools back in September in the face of Hurricane Irma.
Miami cited the force majeure (circumstances beyond control) clause for why they do not have to fulfill the contract, while offering to reschedule the current game anytime between 2024-2028. However, Arkansas State has found this unacceptable, prefers to reschedule the game in 2020 or 2021, and is threatening moving forward with legal action if Miami does not pay the $650k fee. Miami's lawyers and AD Blake James are confident in their position, though, and do not plan to pay the sum.
**In an interview with ESPN's David Hale, Mark Richt did not hesitate when naming Malik Rosier a returning starter at QB, saying it will have to take someone upping the level of competition for that to change. The full quote:
"Malik is the starting quarterback, for sure. Someone's got to dethrone him. Someone's got to beat him out if that's going to happen. It's not like -- to say it's wide open, every position is wide open because we want a competition at every level. Every player that comes back talks about the greatest competition they had was on the practice field. And I also want to go into this season with a sort of first-year mentality. Let's go compete. Show us you're ready to take somebody's job. But Malik is the starting quarterback, and he's going to be unless somebody knocks him off the perch."
Speaking about Rosier's competition, Richt said while N'Kosi Perry has a skillset that's going to be fun to watch someday, he's still "learning what to do."
"He got a lot better. He's learning what to do. He's got a great skill set, but you can't compete until you really know what to do. He came in the summer, and he wasn't as ready as he might've been if he was a midyear enrollee. If he'd had all spring and summer and fall, maybe he makes a bigger push toward the job. But on the flip side, Malik played his tail off. I've said it a bunch of times: The guy earned it in practice. He practiced better than everybody and by a clear margin. But does N'Kosi have a skill set that's going to be fun to watch one day? No doubt about it."
**Former Hurricane TE Greg Olsen donated $100k to the indoor practice facility project this week, which put the final cap on the $2 million goal set for ex-players in which over 80 players have donated.
With the IPF on schedule to open in August, the program says it is still $1 million short of their $34 million overall fundraising goal.
**Mike Rumph said earlier this week that one player has a chance to play both ways this year. And who might that be? 2018 WR/DB signee Nigel Bethel from Miami Northwestern, per Barry Jackson.
“He’s a tremendous athlete who I think could be an asset on both sides of the ball. He has done it at the highest level of high schools. He’s a deadly returner and came over and guarded the best guys man to man when he needed to. He’s a triple threat type of kid.”
On another note, Rumph also said Malek Young, who suffered a career-ending spinal/neck injury in the Orange Bowl, will still remain around the team and attend practices.
**In recruiting news, the Canes are expected to host some big-time prospects on unofficial visits over the weekend. IMG's star backfield teammates 4-star RB Trey Sanders and 4-star RB Noah Cain will be on campus, while 4-star RB Cesare Mellusi from Naples and 4-star WR Jeremiah Payton from Neptune Beach will join the IMG pair in Coral Gables. Payton in particular is on commitment watch, per our own Erick Marrero.
**The long-wait to see the Canes back on the field is close to being over. The team will start on-field preparation for the 2018 season when spring practice begins March 20. And this year, there will be a spring game (likely at Hard Rock Stadium), after not having one the previous season due to renovations at HRS.
