Post-Spring Analysis: Question as to level of Miami Hurricanes defensive backs top end talent/depth
With Miami’s 15 spring practices in the rearview mirror, it’s worth taking a position by position look at where things stand, and today we are breaking down the defensive backs:
PROJECTED MIAMI DB DEPTH CHART
CB First team Damari Brown, second team D’yoni Hill
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 Jadais Richard
QB position breakdown … RB breakdown … WR breakdown … TE breakdown … OL breakdown … DL breakdown … LB breakdown
POST-SPRING ANALYSIS
This position is certainly a concern coming off spring ball looking ahead to the fall. Gone are four starters from last year – safeties James Williams and Kam Kinchens along with starting corners Jaden Davis and Te’Cory Couch. The lone full-time returning starter here is Daryl Porter, Jr., who in his first starting role at UM had 23 tackles, 4 PBU and no interceptions. Damari Brown started the final four games last season as a true freshman and looked okay, but he missed spring ball injured so it’s hard to gauge his progress. For now we are listing both as staters, and newly added portal transfer D’yoni Hill out of Marshall and Jadais Richard are probably the next corners up. Richard could make a move on the depth chart after a strong spring He transferred in from Vanderbilt before last season but was a backup who played limited reps. Also trying to work in here is Robert Stafford in Year 2, and Demetrius Freeney, who redshirted as a junior college arrival last year, can also perhaps get on the two-deep.
At safety?
The team returns Markeith Williams, who started the bowl game with Kinchens and James Williams opting out and had eight tackles in that game. Another returner is Jaden Harris, who got starts last year when Kinchens was out and had some bright moments but also some struggles. The talent and depth issues at safety are why Miami added a couple of transfer portal guys in the first window – Mishael Powell, who played safety last year at Washington but lined up at nickel for Miami this spring, and Vanderbilt safety transfer Savion Riley. Don’t rule out Powell moving back to safety with perhaps Richard or Brown able to work at nickel.
Last year Miami ranked No. 55 in the nation in passing yards allowed and No. 33 in team passing efficiency defense. Given the losses on the back end, it’s hard to say this can be a better unit right now.
Also note that there are true freshman options here like safety Zaquan Patterson, but it’s tough to rely on first-year guys.
A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD
Let’s break down the corners first. Per Pro Football Focus Daryl Porter, Jr. (23 tackles, 0 INTs) graded out at a solid 80.6 percent with an 80.2 cover grade.
Damari Brown ended with 14 tackles and graded out at 63.0 percent in 331 reps per PFF.
Jadais Richard only played 187 reps, grading out at 67.7 percent per PFF, had 14 tackles).
Nickel Mishael Powell played 876 reps this past season at Washington as a safety and had a 69.0 overall grade. Powell allowed 49 of 66 passing against him for 432 yards. He has experience playing corner, nickel and safety, and last year he ended with 38 tackles, 2.5 for losses, and three interceptions – one of those was an 89-yard return for a TD with 8:11 remaining and the Huskies trailing by one point to Arizona State. He added nine pass breakups. In 2022 he started nine games and had 29 tackles, 1.5 for losses, and off the bench in 2021 he had 11 tackles and three pass breakups. Again, keep in mind that Powell could move back to safety in the fall.
Hill? Per PFF this past season he checked in at a solid 74.1 percent overall with an 84.1 tackle grade and 70.9 cover grade. He was noted allowing 34 of 61 completions for 517 yards with three TD passes given up and one interception (55.7 pass completion percentage against, 15.2 yards per completion allowed). In 2022 he only played 20 reps. Hill had 55 tackles and an interception along with 10 pass breakups last year, playing 671 reps.
Now on to safety.
Savion Riley graded out at 61.4 percent overall in 343 reps per PFF, with a 59.7 percent run defense grade and 64.5 percent tackle grade.
Riley arrived from Vanderbilt, and two years ago he had 48 tackles in eight games there (including 12 tackles at Florida), missing four games due to an upper body injury. Riley allowed 14 of 19 completions for 150 yards when targeted.
Jaden Harris played 130 reps and graded out at a low 54.4 percent per PFF, and he ended with seven tackles and a shared TFL.
So the numbers essentially show some promise but not a ton of production aside from Powell at Washington. And that was playing safety. But he should be more than good enough if he does remain at nickel for Miami given his prior corner experience.
Still, though, a lot more solid play is needed from the guys returning that have played a decent amount of reps.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As you can see above, there are some top end DB talent/depth issues. At corner Porter should be effective and Powell is good enough at nickel. Brown also should be better in year 2 after getting limited starting experience. But are they elite and is there depth? Can Hill, Richard or Freeney step up as difference-makers? Powell might be better at safety. And at safety you can hope maybe Riley is an answer, but he along with the other safeties on the roster are very much unproven. Also consider that, on paper, the DBs were perhaps a little bit better than average a year ago. And this group doesn’t appear to be better than that one overall. So if there are areas of concern on this entire team, we’d point to the DBs at the top of that list. Miami needs to have guys step up here in the fall.
The post Post-Spring Analysis: Question as to level of Miami Hurricanes defensive backs top end talent/depth appeared first on On3.
