STATE OF THE U 2023: DB/special teams analysis

CaneSport continues its State of The U series with a closer position by position look, unfiltered and objective, based on what Miami has returning, the projections and whether this will be an improved unit or not.

Today’s focus: Miami’s defensive backs and also special teams:

OVERVIEW

The Miami Hurricanes cornerback and safety positions couldn’t have more disparate outlooks entering the season. At safety the team has a pair of starters returning: All-American Kam Kinchens is back, and he’s joined by former 5-star James Williams, who has a tremendously high ceiling in his own right. At corner? The team brought in four transfers, including a JUCO prospect, to try and shore up a position that lost boundary starters Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey. So let’s start with the good news first, which is at safety. Kinchens had six interceptions last season and 59 tackles, both leading the team, and he already has his name in the rafters at the Indoor Practice Facility. Williams was second on the team with 58 tackles and had an interception and six pass breakups. Both are NFL level players (some are already projecting Kinchens as a first-rounder next year) and it could be the nation’s best tandem. But then you look at cornerback, and you see a lot of question marks. The starters there in the spring were UCF transfer Davonte Brown (started 31 games there and had 30 tackles and two INTs last year) and 2022 West Virginia transfer Daryl Porter, Jr., who wasn’t able to beat out Ivey last year. It says a lot that after the spring the team went out and added three more corners – Oklahoma transfer Jaden Davis, Vanderbilt transfer Ja’Dais Richard and JUCO arrival Demetrius Freeney. Entering spring we think it’s going to be Brown and Davis (who started 22 games at Oklahoma and last year had 35 tackles and 2 PBU) that are the leaders for the starting role, but competition will be fierce. It’s also worth noting that Te’Cory Couch is the returning starter at nickel, and he had 37 tackles and six PBU last year. In Lance Guidry’s attacking style defense you need to have corners that consistently hold up one-on-one, so this position is one to keep a very close eye on in fall drills. Jaden Harris is another CB returner, with true freshmen Robert Stafford and Damari Brown talented newcomers who probably need some seasoning before they will contribute.

STATE OF THE U: QB ANALYSIS … RB analysis … WR analysis … TE analysis … OL analysis … DL analysis … LB analysis

BIGGEST QUESTION

Can the cornerbacks hold up in the regular one-on-one coverage that Lance Guidry likes to employ? Even with Stevenson and Ivey last year the Miami D ranked No. 79 in the nation in passing yards allowed and No. 101 in team passing efficiency defense. It’s why you saw Miami so active in the portal trying to bring in some talent that can perhaps get the job done. If the corners don’t hold up then Guidry won’t be able to be as aggressive with his defensive calls, and that would be a bad sign for the overall D in 2023. So Miami desperately needs at least a couple of the boundary guys to step up.

BOLD PREDICTION

James Williams will have more interceptions than Kam Kinchens. There, we said it. Williams is an ultra-rare talent and on paper is more physically gifted than Kinchens with his length, size and 5-star athletic ability. But Williams has been held back his first two years by bumps and bruises and also a tendency to freelance and lose his cool a bit. We think Lance Guidry, whose specialty in addition to coordinator is as safeties coach, will use Williams all over the field including in the box. He’ll give Williams a chance to constantly be around the ball and in the thick of things making plays. And we think Williams will respond in a big way.

PROJECTION: POSITION WILL BE BETTER/WORSE THAN LAST YEAR?

The DBs had a lot of talent last year, with an All-American in Kam Kinchens who many think will be an NFL first-round pick, plus fellow safety James Williams an NFL talent as well. And the two corners that are gone – Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey – were both drafted … Stevenson in the second round, Ivey in the seventh. Plus the team had a returning starter in nickel Te’Cory Couch who performed fairly well. So there’s a bit of a disconnect when you consider that level of talent last year and the fact that Miami ranked No. 79 against the pass in 2022. This year we see a safety position that should be right up there with the nation’s best … and a cornerback spot with a lot of question marks. Can the boundary CB tandem be better than the Stevenson/Ivey combination? We aren’t sure on that one. 2022 GRADE … B+; 2023 PROJECTED GRADE … B+

MIAMI SPECIAL TEAMS

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

PK ANDY BORREGALES

The Hurricanes have a returning kicker with plenty of talent in Andy Borregales, and entering his third season at Miami, the expectation is he will be one of the ACC’s top kickers and a consistent kickoff guy (in 2021 he had 45.1 percent go for touchbacks; last year that number increased to 64.9 percent). He’s been pretty good to this point at UM – Borregales hit 17 of 21 field goals as a true freshman in 2021 (long of 55) and this past season made 17 of 20 with a long of 49. He’s also made all 77 of his extra points. Borregales says he’s put on 10+ pounds of muscle this offseason and has increased his leg strength.

P DYLAN JOYCE

Joyce is a 23-year-old true freshman who will replace Lou Hedley as the team’s only scholarship punter, and Joyce looked like he had a very solid leg this spring. Like Hedley, he was signed out of Prokick Australia and has a background in Australian rules football. Joyce is a 6-2, 213-pound punter with the leg strength to put the ball 60 yards downfield in the air. Again, though, there is always a question of consistency with a true freshman punter. So we will find out early in the year if Joyce has what it takes mentally to really be solid in every scenario for Miami. As his Prokick Australia coach, Nathan Chapman, said, “I would say what you’re probably going to see is Lou Hedley with less tattoos. You’ve got the same skillset. You’ve got the same body type. You’ve got the same athlete. You’ve got the same movement. You’ve got the same speed, strength, all those types of things.”

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