ANALYSIS: Top 5 Miami Hurricanes breakout players for the coming season … No. 3

Miami breakout player No. 5 Isaiah Horton … Miami breakout player No. 4 Jacolby George

With spring practice in the rearview mirror, we are taking a look at five players who have not yet broken out at Miami but appear poised to do so. Today we are on No. 3, CB Daryl Porter, Jr.

NO. 3 MIAMI HURRICANES BREAKOUT PLAYER, CB DARYL PORTER, JR.

Let’s flash back for a moment. When Porter, Jr. arrived from West Virginia prior to last season, it was expected he would immediately jump into a starting role opposite Tyrique Stevenson. That didn’t happen. Porter struggled, and DJ Ivey beat him out. Porter wound up playing 205 reps and opposing QBs hit 10 of 16 pass attempts against him for 110 yards. He had 11 tackles, two for losses, with a pass breakup.

As for his Pro Football Focus grades? He was at 64.1 percent overall in 2022 with a 61.7 cover grade (70 is considered good).

So why is he No. 3 on this list?

Well, he looked like a different player this spring. His confidence was high, he ran with receivers and made plays on the ball. It’s what Miami coaches expected to see when he arrived from the Mountaineers – in 2021 there (his second college season) he graded out at 71.7 overall in 716 reps, including a 71.0 cover grade. Porter, Jr. ended fourth on the team with 46 tackles, including an interception.

So he has the ability.

Porter, Jr. spent the spring mainly with the ones opposite Davonte Brown, and with his physical style of play Lance Guidry’s defense seems a strong fit. He can blitz, help in run support and make plays one-on-one down the field.

“Daryl Porter really stands out,” coach Mario Cristobal said late this spring. “(He’s) playing at a high level.”

A first breakout season at Miami does, indeed, seem like it could be in the cards. But he’ll have to continue to show he can get the job done this fall with guys like Chris Graves, Malik Curtis and pre-spring portal arrival Terry Roberts. A new portal guy like Jaden Davis could add more competition as well.

“I plan to be more aggressive, I feel like I know the defense even more now,” Porter said the week of the Spring Game. “I know we’re all competing for a starting job.”

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