ANALYSIS: Best guess post-spring defensive depth chart
The Miami Hurricanes wrapped up spring practice with Saturday’s spring game … and notable were plenty of banged up players that are expected back healthy this summer including DL Akheem Mesidor, CB Damari Brown and DT Joshua Horton. There also are expected to be second transfer portal window arrivals (with the portal opening today), notably a DL or two and a couple of players in the secondary and perhaps even a linebacker.
For the purposes of our projected depth chart looking ahead, though, we are just using the players on the current roster post-spring.
So without further ado, here is our best guess defensive depth chart based on that looking to the fall. Note that we are projecting the first and second team, but several positions will of course have major fall battles for the starting spot.
BEST GUESS OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE First team Rueben Bain, second team Jayden Wayne
DT First team CJ Clark, second team Thomas Gore
DT First team Marley Cook, second team Joshua Horton
DE First team Akheem Mesidor, second team Elijah Alston
ANALYSIS: Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor are two of the league’s top returning talents, but a lot will hinge on Mesidor being back in form after surgery for torn ligaments in both feet. That is very much a question mark. Plus Nyjalik Kelly was slow to come back off injury and is transferring. So the defensive end depth that once seemed pretty stacked has some questions, which is why Miami is taking transfers there that will help, and in particular Elijah Alston appears ready for an immediate role as a standout pass rusher after coming in from Marshall. Miami’s also targeting former commit Romello Height in the transfer portal. The interior line is stacked with transfers – three of the four we list on the depth chart came from other programs. CJ Clark was underwhelming this spring, spending much of the spring with the second team, and Miami really needs him to step up. While Mesidor can help inside his foot issues really need to be resolved before we feel good about that. So aside from Bain there’s just no one we are comfortable saying we can rely on them as a bigtime playmaker on the D line at this point. Also of note: We don’t see Jared Harrison-Hunte making much of a difference.
LINEBACKER
WLB First team Wesley Bissainthe, second team Chase Smith
MLB First team Francisco Mauigoa, second team Popo Aguirre
SLB First team Cam Pruitt, second team Bobby Washington
ANALYSIS: The depth here took a hit with the losses of KJ Cloyd and Corey Flagg, who ate up a lot of reps last year, and while we feel very good about starters Bissainthe and Mauigoa there are a lot of question marks behind them. True freshman Cam Pruitt stepped up big this spring but it’s hard to rely on a first-year guy at this spot. And Popo Aguirre also looked the part, but he is in second year and played very few reps last year. Oft-injured Chase Smith also has question marks. So a lot has to be sorted out here behind the starting two. Note that Miami usually is in a 4-2-5, but we listed the strongside depth chart as well for when the team plays against run-heavy looks.
DEFENSIVE BACK
CB First team Damari Brown, second team Jadais Richard
S First team Savion Riley, second team Zaquan Patterson
S First team Jaden Harris, second team Markeith Williams
Nickel First team Mishael Powell, second team Dylan Day
CB First team Daryl Porter, Jr., second team Robert Stafford
ANALYSIS: This team was hit by four starters in the secondary departing (CBs Jaden Davis and Te’Cory Couch, safeties Kam Kinchens and James Williams). The personnel here is a bit underwhelming in terms of what they have done previously and how they looked this spring, so perhaps another portal addition or two can help (Marshall CB transfer D’yoni Hill is on the radar). As it stands now the corners are decent with Daryl Porter and Damari Brown both starting games last year, and Jadais Richard looked very much improved as the next corner up (although he’s a bit handsy and drew several penalty flags this spring). At nickel Mishael Powell (started at CB and S at Washington) was routinely beaten by Xavier Restrepo trying to cover him down the field, but perhaps that’s a sign more of how good Restrepo is and not as much an indictment of Powell in coverage. Safety is also an issue. There’s no real proven experience there and no one really stood out to us this spring. That opens the door for a freshman like Patterson to emerge, but coordinator Lance Guidry told us it takes at least a year for him to really trust a safety in his system. So there are certainly issues to resolve.
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