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Position Group Superlatives: Safeties

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firstandcanes said:
I'm still trying to make sense of Derwin Lames getting first team ACC last year over Jaquan. His experience is going to be invaluable this year for Hall ame the other young db's.
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Don’t do that to yourself family. Production and great character, couldn’t ask for a better Cane
 
Lance Roffers said:
If I asked you who had the best SPARQ score of any Miami recruit who participated in Nike Opening events since 2014 would you be surprised when I told you it was Braxton Berrios? He still has the fastest short shuttle time during that timeframe at 3.81 of any player, period. His 40" vertical placed 58th out of every single player. His 131.37 SPARQ score bests Travis Homer's 126.51.

The notion that Braxton Berrios was this scrappy white guy without a ton of athletic talent is misguided. It's crazy to me he tested better coming out of high school than he did at the NFL Combine.
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As Stan said im not discounting Berrios athleticism at all
 
If I remember correctly Banda was giving high praise to Redwine during a post practice presser so let's not make it seem like it is a felony to say he could be MVP.

Johnson is fantastic though.
 
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Can’t wait to see what GH26 can do. Surely he can surpass Knowles “production” on the field. Or maybe Knowles will shock the world?
 
Robert Knowles tested out as a 54.33 SPARQ athlete, which is obviously very poor. The area that shows on the field though is his 5.41 short-shuttle. His change-of-direction skills are quite limited. That would be 3,061 out of 3,104 athletes since 2014 who have participated in the event. Courtel Jenkins- at 318 pounds- ran a 5.43 short shuttle.

I have to imagine he slipped while running the test, as his 5.41 time is so bad that the next worst time for a defensive back was 4.87. Jaquan Johnson ran it in 4.38 seconds; more than a full second faster. The fastest time recorded by a defensive back was Minkah Fitzpatrick, who ran it in 3.81 seconds. Alabama obviously believes in the test very heavily as two of the three fastest times were turned in by Alabama defensive backs and all of their defensive back recruits combined average 4.0 seconds in this event.

He simply doesn't have the athleticism to play meaningful snaps at S here.
 
Agreed Reg, that shows the making of a true leader and one the young players will gravitate towards especially during the stresses of the season. And who better to show them the way but JJ. Class player and even better man
 
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Lance Roffers said:
Robert Knowles tested out as a 54.33 SPARQ athlete, which is obviously very poor. The area that shows on the field though is his 5.41 short-shuttle. His change-of-direction skills are quite limited. That would be 3,061 out of 3,104 athletes since 2014 who have participated in the event. Courtel Jenkins- at 318 pounds- ran a 5.43 short shuttle.

I have to imagine he slipped while running the test, as his 5.41 time is so bad that the next worst time for a defensive back was 4.87. Jaquan Johnson ran it in 4.38 seconds; more than a full second faster. The fastest time recorded by a defensive back was Minkah Fitzpatrick, who ran it in 3.81 seconds. Alabama obviously believes in the test very heavily as two of the three fastest times were turned in by Alabama defensive backs and all of their defensive back recruits combined average 4.0 seconds in this event.

He simply doesn't have the athleticism to play meaningful snaps at S here.
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Is that his SPARQ from 4 years ago? So we are assuming he didn't improve at all with 4 years of training? I get he isn't some super athlete but to say he cant improve is unfair.

That said, Knowles gets the most hate of any player on our roster by far on here. Even more then Rosier. I get why but lets give the kid a chance to show he can improve before throwing him to the wolves. The coaches are not going to put up with those mental lapses he had in the FSU game this year from him. If they see he cant hack it, they will yank him like they did Cager last year. But at least give the kid a chance before assuming he will just plain suck due to limited athletic ability.
 
reg said:
Jaquan has been a great leader since he first arrived at Miami. The leadership moment that stands out to me the most is when Redwine forced a fumble against Pitt, but Jaquan recovered the fumble, which means he would be the recipient of the turnover chain. Jaquan walked over to Sheldrick and handed him the ball so that Sheldrick would receive the turnover chain. Everybody and their mama wanted to rock the turnover chain, but Jaquan gave it up.

In the grand scheme of things, we are just talking about a chain, and a nice gesture. However, the moment was much bigger than what showed up on the surface.
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That’s why it should be 2 chains,
1 for who caused it and 1 for who gets the rock.
 
Jassid82 said:
Is that his SPARQ from 4 years ago? So we are assuming he didn't improve at all with 4 years of training? I get he isn't some super athlete but to say he cant improve is unfair.

That said, Knowles gets the most hate of any player on our roster by far on here. Even more then Rosier. I get why but lets give the kid a chance to show he can improve before throwing him to the wolves. The coaches are not going to put up with those mental lapses he had in the FSU game this year from him. If they see he cant hack it, they will yank him like they did Cager last year. But at least give the kid a chance before assuming he will just plain suck due to limited athletic ability.
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I'm absolutely certain he has trained and improved during his time in college. I'm also absolutely certain everyone else has as well.

The word "suck" etc. has not come out of my mouth (keyboard) to describe him. I'm simply saying he doesn't the athleticism to play S here and that was borne out while watching film of him play football. The lack of movement skills really shows up when watching him play S. It isn't just in trying to cover receivers but also in his tackling. Individuals with poor movement skills tend to be poor tacklers as well. Top it off with the fact that he's also not a large S and he can't play in this scheme. He can absolutely contribute on special teams and on scout team. I'm not advocating for him to lose his scholarship as he was offered a scholarship, accepted it, has done what the coaches ask of him, and represents the school I love.

Stating he isn't athletic enough to play S here isn't intended to hate on the young man, it's intended as analysis. That's all.
 
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Paul Austria said:
When it comes to the safety position for the Miami Hurricanes, depth and experience are the least of their worries as the Canes basically return everyone from last season, and the decisions of Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine to return for their senior seasons has made the jobs of safeties’ coach Ephraim Banda and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz a lot easier. Barring any injuries, this could easily be one of Miami’s best units.


Most Valuable: Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine

Despite his smaller stature at 5’10”, Jaquan Johnson has established himself not only as one of the best safeties in the nation, but also one of the best overall players in the nation as well. The 2nd-team All-American started all 13 games last season and led the team in total tackles with 96 and tied for the team lead with four interceptions. Johnson has established as the “head honcho” in leading this year’s Miami defense.

Making the move from cornerback to safety, Redwine has shown he is the perfect complement to Johnson. Standing at 6’1”, he has given the Canes much comfort and has proven to be very reliable, finishing with 59 tackles to go along with two sacks.


Sleeper: Amari Carter & Gurvan Hall

Carter played sparingly during his freshman season but he’s absolutely made the most of it. Ever since Coach Richt assumed the head coaching position, there has been so much talk of the goal to “bringing the U back” and Carter epitomizes that phrase. He’s the DB that’s lurking and waiting for that opportunity to deliver a big hit on a wideout trying to make a catch down the middle. It took only one game for Carter to leave his mark on the field, forcing a fumble in his first career game against Bethune-Cookman. If his name gets called early should Johnson or Redwine get hurt, he will thrive.

Hall is a true freshman and he will most likely be receiving some game action due to the more lenient redshirt rule in effect. He missed most of spring practice with a knee injury but teammates were raving about how rangy and physical he was early on. The talent is absolutely there, and remember, Nick Saban landed a helicopter on this kid's high school football field to try and recruit him to Alabama.


Something to Prove: Robert Knowles

This year is crucial for Knowles, especially knowing that he’s now entering his junior season and he has not gotten regular playing time on defense. When Redwine had to exit Miami’s matchup with FSU last season with an injury, Knowles’ number was called. What followed however was something out of a disaster movie. Coverage was blown and Knowles allowed two touchdowns, which consequently both led to FSU taking the lead. One mishap and Knowles can easily slide down the depth chart with Carter, Smith, and even Gurvan Hall waiting in the wings as well.
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The redshirt rule has nothing to do with Hall. Because of our depth & his talent he will absolutely be playing more than 4 games. #BeBetter
 
Cane_J15 said:
Not at all remember when the coachea forst got here lol! Grace, AQM, gone 3 freshman! I love Braxton Berrios to death but Thomas, Harley, Pope, Fleming in the slot is Talent upgrade (Berrios was a winner) so are these guys! I wish Dean would step it tf up man if not tho Freison gonna take his ****! Its Great to be a Cane!!!
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A slot talent upgrade, yes. A slot production upgrade, no. Not this year anyway. I would love to be wrong.
 
S.O.M. said:
A slot talent upgrade, yes. A slot production upgrade, no. Not this year anyway. I would love to be wrong.
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Berrios’s lack of production in prior years was never due to lack of talent, but rather a system that failed to make the most of it.

The system issues have been addressed, and whether it’s Thomas, Pope, or Harley in the slot, we have plenty of talent.

Where they may come up short, though, is experience and raw determination, both of which Berrios overflowed.
 
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Loose Cannon said:
Berrios’s lack of production in prior years was never due to lack of talent, but rather a system that failed to make the most of it.

The system issues have been addressed, and whether it’s Thomas, Pope, or Harley in the slot, we have plenty of talent.

Where they may come up short, though, is experience and raw determination, both of which Berrios overflowed.
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IIRC, Berrios had a nice freshman season

Soph. season had an early knee injury that hampered him

Jr campaign, the injury to Cager IMO had a ripple effect at it kicked Berrios out wide where he's not really suited to play

Finally last seaon, playing where he is best suited he had a great year
 
Loose Cannon said:
Berrios’s lack of production in prior years was never due to lack of talent, but rather a system that failed to make the most of it.

The system issues have been addressed, and whether it’s Thomas, Pope, or Harley in the slot, we have plenty of talent.

Where they may come up short, though, is experience and raw determination, both of which Berrios overflowed.
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I don't completely agree. How was the system that different last year than the previous (under cmr)? I think BB always had the talent but his jr. year he had a number of drops. He struggled on the balls that Kaaya drove down the field on a line, with a couple literally bouncing off his facemask. This past year he caught everything thrown his way.

Either way, as you also admit, that experience had a big impact on his production. The young guys are super talented but we likely don't see the slot produce the same numbers BB did as these kids figure out cfb. JMO.
 
You guys can hate Knowles all you want but the coaches obviously like something about him. He was most improved DB in the spring and ahead of Carter for a reason. It always amazes me how some dudes on a message board know better then our coaches.

Would it be good if either Carter and Hall surpassed him? Sure, the more talented depth we have, the better we will be. But I'm not going to actively root against a kid because of a couple of poor plays he made last season. I root for all Canes to succeed.
 
I would like
canesthing3 said:
You guys can hate Knowles all you want but the coaches obviously like something about him. He was most improved DB in the spring and ahead of Carter for a reason. It always amazes me how some dudes on a message board know better then our coaches.

Would it be good if either Carter and Hall surpassed him? Sure, the more talented depth we have, the better we will be. But I'm not going to actively root against a kid because of a couple of poor plays he made last season. I root for all Canes to succeed.
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If A.Carter can't beat out Knowles than that is not good on Carter's behalf

Nevertheless I would like to see hall on the field early and often. Dude is a game changer
 
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