ANALYSIS: How depth chart could get fall shakeup with missing personnel in action

While this spring has not seen a lot of depth chart changes based on the initial ones and twos available to be seen during the portion of practice open to the media, when guys return off injury it will be very interesting to see what kinds of rotations Miami goes to.

Among the key missing personnel?

Well, there’s a lot of it, and we’ll start on the offensive side.

*OT Zion Nelson. The current first team LT Jalen Rivers could move to guard, or first team RT Francis Mauigoa could be moved to second team if Nelson is fully healthy in the fall off recurrent knee issues. If Rivers does move to guard it would be Anez Cooper as the odd man out, with Javion Cohen locked in as a starting guard. If Mauigoa is demoted to second team it would be Rivers as the likely starting RT with Nelson at LT.

When healthy, Nelson is a big-time lineman who at one point was projected as a future first-round NFL talent. For reference, here are Nelson’s Pro Football Focus grades: In 840 reps as a freshman in 2019 he graded out at a lowly 51.4 (with 70 considered a good grade). That included a 46.8 pass block grade and 51.2 run block grade. That improved to a 70.4 overall grade in 2020 (653 reps, 78.7 pass block grade, 63.8 run blocking), and in 568 reps in 2021 he graded out at a solid 73.3 percent (elite 85.3 as a pass blocker, 65.0 as a run blocker). He saw 61 reps of action in the one game this past season due to injury and had a grade of 54.2 in that one.

*TE Elijah Arroyo. Jaleel Skinner and Oregon transfer Cam McCormick have shared one reps this spring, but it could be Arroyo that’s the starter when he returns to action. Arroyo probably has the best all-around combination of pass catching skills and physicality of the three experienced guys in the Miami tight ends room.

The former 4-star prospect out of Frisco, Tex., played in every game and started once as a true freshman in 2021, catching five passes for 86 yards with a TD. This past season he had five catches for 66 yards in four games played. As for his Pro Football Focus grades? In 141 reps as a freshman he graded out at 61.0 overall with 70 considered a good grade (54.4 receiving, 57.9 pass blocking, 70.3 run blocking). This past season he played 138 reps and graded out at 54.9 percent (69.1 as a receiver, 53.4 pass blocking and 43.5 run blocking).

*RBs Mark Fletcher, TreVonte’ Citizen. Yes, we know Fletcher is a true freshman who won’t arrive till the summer. But he might have the best natural ability as a power runner with the ball in his hands on this roster. And if Citizen is back to form off a serious knee injury suffered last fall then he is right there with Fletcher as a power/speed back. Right now it’s returning starter Henry Parrish ahead of Don Chaney as the only two scholarship backs that are healthy, and Parrish was okay but nothing special last year. Chaney hasn’t been able to pass Parrish by but has made some nice plays in scrimmages, and he has to avoid the injury issues that beset him the last couple of years. Both Fletcher and Citizen were 4-star prospects in the last two classes with very high ceilings.

*DTs Leonard Taylor and Jared Harrison-Hunte. Taylor is of course a Miami starter and a star in the middle of the line. He will be a huge instant upgrade from what we’ve seen this spring, with undersized transfers Branson Deen and Thomas Gore not really wowing us so far. Harrison-Hunte, if he lives up to his potential, could start next to Taylor and certainly be in the two-deep regardless. From what we’ve heard there have been some big scrimmage runs up the middle, so getting those two guys back is a must.

Taylor is a major force on the national scene, an his Pro Football Focus grades last year back that up. He ended with 24 tackles, 10.5 TL (tied for team lead) and three sacks along with an interception and a team-high six QB hurries. He graded out in 329 reps at an outstanding 87.3 percent (79.5 run defense, 53.5 tackle grade, 85.5 pass rush grade). Also of note: As a true freshman in 2022 he played 200 reps and graded out at 71.7 overall (74.5 run defense, 58.7 tackle, 60.4 pass rush).

As for Harrison-Hunte? In 2020 as a redshirt freshman he showed flashes, starting one game and totaling six TFL and three sacks. Yes, that was also the year he blocked a kick by Clemson that was returned for a touchdown. He started eight games in 2021 and had 6.5 TFL and two sacks, then last year was primarily a backup with the team bringing in Darrell Jackson out of the transfer portal (Jackson has now transferred to FSU). Harrison-Hunte started twice last year and had 16 tackles and two sacks. Per Pro Football Focus he graded out at 67.8 overall (70 is considered a good grade) with a 66.1 run defense grade, really bad 27.6 tackle grade and 70.3 pass rush grade.

*DE Jahfari Harvey. It was good to see star DL Akheem Mesidor return to practice this past week, and he’s one of the ACC’s top talents. But don’t overlook the importance of Harvey on this line. He’s a veteran with savvy and great pass-rushing ability. While Harvey might not beat out rising young star Nyjalik Kelly to start, and Rueben Bain also looks like a guy that must get on the field in Year 1, Harvey will be called upon a lot to make plays this year as well. Harvey has started 13 games in his Miami career that began in 2019 and has totaled 19.5 TFL and 9.5 sacks. After playing four games off the bench in 2019 as a true freshman he started one game in 2020 and ended with 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks, then in 2021 started five times and had 26 tackles with 7 TFL and 2.5 sacks. This past season he was part of a heavy end rotation in Kevin Steele’s system and started seven times, ending with 31 tackles, 7.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks. His Pro Football Focus grades show 2022 was his best season – he graded out at 76.2 overall (70 is considered a good grade) with a 76.4 run defense grade, 74.9 tackle grade and 71.1 pass rush grade. That was in 412 reps. In 2021 he played 425 reps and graded out at 65.6 overall (66.9 run defense, 57.5 tackle, 65.2 pass rush), and in 243 reps in 2020 he graded out at 68.1 percent overall (70.9 run defense, 66.9 tackle, 65.4 pass rush).

*S James Williams: A big question we will look to glean when Williams returns to action in full (he’s been in a red jersey this week) is how new coordinator Lance Guidry will utilize him. Our guess? He’ll be in the box a lot. With Williams out we’ve seen Markeith Williams step up and steal some one reps from Brian Balom. On the other side is All-American Kam Kinchens. So safety is a well-stocked position.

As for Williams, he’s a former 5-star who started seven games as a true freshman in 2021, earning All-ACC honorable mention after totaling 31 tackles, 0.5 TFL and two interceptions (and missing the final two games due to injury). This past season he also played part of the year banged up but only missed one game – he was second on the team with 58 tackles (one off the team lead of Kinchens) along with 1 TFL, an interception, six pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He’s been pretty solid these first two seasons, although not up to the superstar level many expect given his unique skillset as an athletic 6-5, 224-pound safety who can also play in the box. His Pro Football Focus grades were pretty good this past year, at 73.5 percent overall (70 is considered a good grade). That included an outstanding 88.5 grade in coverage, 61.1 in run defense, 63.3 tackling and 56.4 pass rush. In 2021 he graded out at 63.6 overall (he played 384 reps that year compared to 656 reps in 2022) and had a 54.0 run defense grade, 47.9 tackle grade, 51.3 pass rush grade and another really good coverage grade at 78.1.

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