ANALYSIS: CaneSport’s pick as top defensive position group must come through for Guidry D to be a success

ANALYSIS: Top Miami offensive position group

Yesterday we broke down the Miami offensive side of the ball and the top position group there, which perhaps surprised some with the offensive line coming out No. 1. Today we turn to the defensive side.

Let’s start in the back end, where arguably the ACC’s best returning safety tandem is All-American Kam Kinchens and James Williams. The duo led the team in tackles with 59 and 58, respectively, and combined for 12 pass breakups and seven interceptions along with two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
So that’s the top returning unit, right?

Well, not so fast. We aren’t analyzing the starters, but the entire group. And the depth at safety is concerning with the team convincing Brian Balom to return out of the portal but then having Balom passed by Markeith Williams on the depth chart as spring ball went along. Neither are proven. Aside from them you have only true freshman Kaleb Spencer, who looks the part but is in Year 1. So there is a major depth concern at safety.

At corner the team lost starters Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey, who were both NFL Draft picks. And even with them and Kinchens/Williams, by the way, this pass defense was not good in 2022, ranking No. 79 in pass yards allowed (233.6) and No. 101 out of 130 teams in passing efficiency defense (142.52). But back to the CB spot. The team brought in a pair of transfers before the spring, Davonte Brown from UCF and Terry Roberts from Iowa, and recently added Oklahoma’s Jaden Davis as well. Brown spent the spring as the main first team corner opposite Daryl Porter, Jr., who struggled as a backup last year after coming on board from West Virginia. Te’Cory Couch is solid as the returning nickel, with unproven second-year Jaden Harris behind him. Other corners looking to earn playing time this spring were Malik Curtis and Chris Graves. There will be an influx of talent this summer with the freshmen arrivals (Damari Brown, Robert Stafford) and Davis, which can help. But Davis struggled last year in a bad Oklahoma defense. The bottom line is the cornerback spot has some issues to sort out.

Then you move to linebacker in Lance Guidry’s 4-2-5 and you have OLB Wesley Bissainthe who could be a future star but had 30 tackles, none for losses, in a lot of action last year. In the middle Francisco Mauigoa looked the part after arriving at Miami from Washington State and should start over Corey Flagg. Aside from those three who do we think are solid players? Well, there’s lot of unproven guys. Chase Smith has been beset by injuries, Keontra Smith is a veteran who has never put together a really good season, and then there are four freshmen arrivals in Bobby Washington, Malik Bryant (both here this spring with Bryant working off injury), Raul Aguirre and Marcellius Pulliam. So potential, but not a lot of proven top guys/depth at linebacker.

At defensive tackle? The team lost starter Darrell Jackson and key backup Jordan Miller to the transfer portal and brought in Branson Deen from Purdue and Thomas Gore from Georgia State. Deen looked this spring like he can help the team, but both are undersized and it would be a stretch to say either is going to be a major force inside. So Leonard Taylor, who was out this spring, is the main guy here that is a proven playmaker. Jared Harrison-Hunte has been plagued by injury issues, including missing the spring, and Jacob Lichtenstein is a role guy. Ahmad Moten is still a project but does flash at times off a redshirt, and Joshua Horton will come in this summer as a true freshman. So not much top end talent/proven depth here, and the team is likely to use ends Akheem Mesidor and true freshman Rueben Bain inside to supplement the position.

Which brings us to end.

And yes, you guessed it, defensive end is our pick as the top Miami position group on this side of the ball.

You have the aforementioned Mesidor, who is one of the conference’s top returners after tallying 10.5 TFL and a team-leading seven sacks. Jahfari Harvey is another returning starter (he split time starting with departed Mitchell Agude last year) and ended 2022 with 5.5 sacks. Nyjalik Kelly flashed as a true freshman and will push Harvey for the starting job this fall (Harvey missed spring off injury) – in limited reps Kelly had four sacks (if he had the same number of reps as Harvey last year with the same production level he’d have finished with nine sacks). Plus Bain should make a major impact rushing the QB as a freshman – he showcased some of that in the spring game with his three sacks. And second-year DE Cyrus Moss could find a role as a pass rusher (he still has to bulk up more) while Chantz Williams is experienced and true freshmen Jayden Wayne and Collins Acheampong hope to find roles as well.

Miami’s rushing defense wasn’t great last year, ranking No. 54 in the nation (142.9 yards allowed). But the sack totals were excellent, ranking No. 10 in the nation with 3.08 per game.

In Lance Guidry’s attacking style D and with the talent off the edge, this group can be a major disruptive force. And it better be, because Guidry will blitz a lot and leave his corners on an island. And if the blitz doesn’t get there … well, Miami fans best just hope and wish for the ends to be a top group not just on this defense but in the ACC.

In this style of D they’ll need to be.

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