Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 36 Terry Roberts
No. 50 Miami DT Thomas Gore … No. 49 Malik Curtis … No. 48 Kaleb Spencer … No. 47 Ahmad Moten … No. 46 Jaden Harris … No. 45 Logan Sagapolu … No. 44 Markeith Williams … No. 43 Frank Ladson … No. 42 Chris Graves … No. 41 Keontra Smith … No. 40 Robby Washington … No. 39 Emory Williams … No. 38 Jacurri Brown … No. 37 Brashard Smith
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we break down No. 36, Terry Roberts.
NO. 36 MIAMI CB TERRY ROBERTS
Why he’s No. 36
Miami brought in a pair of cornerback transfers prior to spring ball (and since added Jade Davis as well): Terry Roberts from Iowa and Davonte Brown from UCF. This spring it was Brown working with a transfer from a year ago, Daryl Porter, Jr., as the main first team cornerbacks. Roberts was down the depth chart. But don’t rule out this veteran 5-11, 180-pounder from having a sizable role this season with Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey (last year’s starters) gone. Roberts has plenty of potential but has been limited by injury in previous seasons. He only played six games this past season due to injury, starting at cornerback in three of them. And two years ago he missed most of the year due to injury as well. The sixth-year senior finished this past season with 13 tackles and an interception along with two pass breakups. In 2021 he had 14 tackles and his first career INT along with three pass breakups. Per Pro Football Focus he played just 32 reps in 2019 and 39 in 2020, then worked in for 168 reps in 2021 and graded out at 64.7 percent (with 70 considered a good grade). He had a 66.4 cover grade. This past season he graded out at a very solid 79.0 in his 202 reps, including a 79.9 cover grade. His weakness has been tackling, with a 51.7 grade in 2022 and 40.9 in 2021 (and six missed tackles the last two years).
What he needs to do to move up this list
Show coaches that he understands the defense and has the speed to stick with opposing deep threats down the field. Roberts also has to show he can stay healthy, since it seems he’s always nicked up. The opportunity is there with a thin cornerback depth chart that doesn’t have a lot of guys you point to and say “That’s a shutdown corner.” But Roberts needs to step up this fall and show way more than he did this spring when he never was able to really emerge from a second team role.
Realistic season objective
Roberts can push to start but is most likely going to be a guy in the two-deep that can try and provide quality reps. As a veteran there’s no reason coaches can’t rely on him to understand the defense and no moment should be too big for him. It’s an unproven cornerbacks room, so any boost he can provide will be welcome to a group that struggled last year ranking No. 79 in the nation in passing yards allowed (233.9) and No. 101 in pass efficiency defense (142.52).
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