- 3 months ago
Alex Donno breaks down Miami’s offensive line, including his projected starters and the depth behind them, while highlighting some of the new players to watch this season. Plus, he compares the impact of transfer portal additions versus freshman talent, explains why he considers the secondary the deepest unit on the roster and discusses QB Darian Mensah’s big-play ability and potential to push the ball downfield more than Carson Beck did last season.
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00:00Alex Donnell, host of Locked on Canes podcast, to talk a little bit along with all those old podcasters out
00:07there
00:07and everybody in the media talking about the seventh-ranked Miami Hurricanes getting ready a week from tonight
00:13as we say good morning.
00:15Donnell, how you doing, bud?
00:16First of all, you all right?
00:17Everything's good?
00:18Yeah, Joe, I'm excited.
00:19We got, you know, some games week zero this weekend, including a few future Miami opponents.
00:25We get the scout, and then next week it's go time.
00:28Yeah, so let's get right into the big thing, and I'm guessing, we don't know yet,
00:35but I'm guessing I'd go 100% that right now Mario Cristobal knows exactly who the starting five on that
00:43offensive line's in,
00:44and that's the biggest question on this loaded team is not that there's any concerns with talent,
00:51but you need experience with the talent.
00:53Give me your best guess on the starting five when they line up for play one against Stanford.
01:01Yeah, I'll start with the tackles on each side.
01:03I think since returning healthy for training camp, I think Samson Okunlola, in my opinion,
01:10is going to be the starting left tackle.
01:12You know, there were some questions before he came back from injury.
01:15Is it going to be a guard or a tackle?
01:16I'm going to say left tackle for Samson Okunlola.
01:18I'm going to say right tackle for Matthew McCoy.
01:22I'm going to say starting center for Ryan Rodriguez, which is pretty obvious based on how he's performed.
01:29And it's a little bit...
01:31I'm going to wrestle in.
01:35I'm wrong about this.
01:37The guard is the bigger...
02:11...guarding guard spots, but I'm going to pencil in the freshman.
02:14When it's all said and done, do one or both of those freshmen end up being starting tackles, in your
02:19opinion?
02:21Yeah, I believe that by the time their time at Miami is complete,
02:25they will have had probably a couple of years at tackle, especially Cantwell.
02:30Because I think he was...
02:32To me, he was born to play tackle, but he's versatile enough.
02:35And Mirabal loves to get his best five on the field, regardless of exact position.
02:40But I think at some point, Cantwell will be a tackle, and probably Congdon as well.
02:44I thought that's interesting.
02:47I'm glad you...
02:47Yeah.
02:48Is there a chance they rotate seven or eight guys in that first game?
02:51That would not surprise you if they mixed in a couple of guys, especially inside?
02:56Not at all.
02:57And I think that's the way Mirabal and Cristobal want to do it.
03:00Not only for the first game, but important for the first game.
03:02And the first couple of games, of course, a lot...
03:04I suspect a lot of guys will hopefully play against FAMU in the second game.
03:08But they want to really...
03:10Cristobal always says it.
03:11Mirabal always says it.
03:12They want to have eight to ten offensive linemen that they view as starting caliber.
03:18Like eight to ten guys that are interchangeable.
03:21And, you know, if there's attrition or, God forbid, injuries during the season,
03:24you know you've got multiple different options who can step in and be starters.
03:29Let me ask you about the freshman class.
03:31Kind of lost when you have a loaded team.
03:34The good old true freshman, although we just talked about a couple of guards.
03:38Who else got a chance?
03:40They got four or five super talented guys I know they're crazy about.
03:44For you, who's some guys we could see in the first game on offense or defense?
03:49Yeah, J.J. Dunnigan, Joe, in the defensive backfield.
03:52True freshman out of Manhattan, Kansas.
03:55His father played at Kansas State is why they live in that specific part of that state.
04:01He's 6'4", about 215, 220, really fast, really athletic,
04:06and just really physically and mentally mature.
04:09You know, Dunnigan, he made the most of his reps throughout spring and fall camp.
04:14I don't personally expect him to start, but I think he's going to get a lot of playing time.
04:18I think he could be potentially this year's version of what Bryce Fitzgerald was last year
04:23as a true freshman, where Fitzgerald wasn't an everyday starter, but he was a rotational guy
04:29and had an amazing year last year.
04:31I think Dunnigan could be that.
04:33I believe running back J.V. on Mallory, even in a super deep room, Joe,
04:38and it's going to be really tough for Coach Cristobal, Dawson, and Favion Upshaw,
04:43the running backs coach, to figure out that rotation because there's so many guys who could play
04:48a running back, but J.V. on Mallory, to me, is someone who's really proven himself
04:53during camp, could be part of that rotation.
04:56And, you know, I'll give a shout-out also, another very deep position group, Joe,
05:01but Samorian Wingo, wide receiver out of St. Augustine.
05:04He was put yesterday on the Sean Alexander preseason freshman player of the year watch list,
05:12and, you know, he comes off a great senior season at St. Augustine,
05:16had double-digit touchdowns, a bunch of yards.
05:19He's been playing well.
05:20And then I think we could see a couple of tight ends, Joe, freshman tight ends get on the field
05:25because it's not the deepest of positions, but true freshman tight ends, Gavin Mueller
05:29and Israel Briggs, both seem to be developing nicely, and I think they're going to get
05:33their opportunities behind Elijah Lofton.
05:35You know, it was a great recruiting class.
05:37I think we all know that, and, you know, it's such big business now to know everything,
05:43and your fan bases know who you're after and who you want to get and all those things.
05:47Man, it would be a waste to some of those guys not to get a chance to play.
05:51That's why sometimes I feel like we hit the transfer portal too hard instead of let some guys
06:00make a few mistakes and get out there knowing that these guys are – that's just my opinion,
06:05that they don't get more of an opportunity to come in.
06:09We've seen like we have two or three guys every year, though, to be fair.
06:12They ended up having breakout years, right?
06:15Yeah, I mean, Malachi Tony had a pretty decent year last year, Joe, as a true freshman.
06:20That guy playing his face was pretty good.
06:22Yeah, that guy too.
06:23And Gerard Pringle also, you know, didn't really get his opportunities until later in the year,
06:28but Pringle played so well at running back last year.
06:31You remember when there were a couple games regular season when Mark Fletcher was banged up,
06:35Pringle actually got a couple of starts and played well late in the regular season.
06:39Made a great catch on a pass in the end zone.
06:42Really nice hands there with that play.
06:44Hey, so deepest position on this team for you as you look at it, either side of the ball?
06:52You know, I might say defensive secondary, Joe.
06:55I think a lot of people would say wide receiver or running back, and they're not wrong,
06:59but I think the DB room, I've really been pleased with everything Omar Thornton is doing
07:06since transferring over from Boston College.
07:08His teammates, his coaches are really, really high on him.
07:12We've got some guys right now that weren't always healthy the last couple years
07:16who are healthy right now, thank goodness, like Damari Brown, who seems to be really healthy.
07:22And when he's healthy, he's a lockdown guy.
07:24He's just been plagued by injuries to this point.
07:26And you've got O.J. Frederique and Xavier Lucas at the top of your cornerback room.
07:31You've got safety depth in the form of, we talked about J.J. Dunn again.
07:35Dylan Day is another one.
07:37And two top-line starters at safety when it comes to Zechariah Poyser and Bryce Fitzgerald now.
07:43It is funny.
07:44I think Miami's got one of the top defensive back rooms in the country.
07:49And you also have guys like Ethan O'Connor and Jabory Antoine.
07:52And true freshman Camden Portis.
07:54I didn't shout him out before talking about the true freshman,
07:57but the son of Clinton Portis has been doing really well in practice, Joe.
08:01He might, I could see him maybe later in the season,
08:04maybe getting some opportunities kind of the way Jabory Antoine did last year.
08:09I love these lists when they come out.
08:12And that is five canes in the top, what, top 100 there with Malachi at number four,
08:18which is just incredible.
08:19Not surprising.
08:21And also a breakout player in Armando Blunt, which I do agree.
08:25If I was to ask you right now one guy you think is going to lead this team in sacks,
08:30I know we had a couple guys really good a year ago.
08:33Who are you going with right now early on, the guy to lead this team in pressures and sacks?
08:38I think a boring answer, but I think I might go with the most obvious choice,
08:44and that's Damon Wilson coming off of his track record.
08:48Had almost double-digit sacks in the SEC last year.
08:52Seems to have been practicing very well.
08:55So I'm going to lean to Damon Wilson, Joe.
08:58But Miami's got some other good defensive ends.
09:01You mentioned Blunt and Marquise Lightfoot, everybody's really high on.
09:05So if you see a point where maybe Wilson's getting some extra attention
09:09and you give a little more freedom to Marquise Lightfoot, maybe he's the guy.
09:13But I'll go with Wilson.
09:15Yeah, it's just so fun to talk.
09:17And I get asked about this all the time.
09:20The one thing this team didn't have to me was a guy that could sprint
09:24and blow the doors off the roof there and make big plays, right?
09:28We made some great catches in clutch with being well covered.
09:32I thought our receivers did a really good job last year.
09:36But we didn't have a guy to really get separation down the field.
09:39I'm not talking about Malachi in the middle.
09:41This has nothing to do with Malachi.
09:43Do we have that guy?
09:44I'm hoping we have more than one.
09:48You know, we got to – because Dre Jacobs, Vandrevious Jacobs,
09:51who transferred from South Carolina, was pretty effective as a deep ball guy
09:56and a big play receiver with the Gamecocks.
09:59I'm hoping that that really translates to Miami
10:02and that his chemistry with Darian Mensah really picks up in a big way.
10:06You know, I'm always wondering what we're going to see with more playing time
10:11from a guy like Josh Moore, Joe, who's big.
10:14I'm with you.
10:14He's 6'4", you know, 220 range, but he's also got some speed
10:20if he can create separation consistently.
10:22And then, you know, I think Dalen Upshaw, you know,
10:25he's more similar to Malachi Tony in body type,
10:29but he can play on the outside as well.
10:31I'm wondering about him.
10:33So I'm hoping, Joe – and again, this is speculative
10:36because we have to see this all come together on the field this year.
10:39But I can also tell you Miami's got a quarterback
10:42who I believe is going to go down the field more
10:46than Carson Beck did last year in Darian Mensah.
10:49Like, Mensah has really excelled in explosive plays,
10:52so I think his receivers will get more opportunities.
10:55So I got one more goal this year.
10:57One more goal.
10:58I know you agree with me on this one.
10:59One, we got to get our backup quarterback some playing time.
11:03Quality, like second half, we're not worried about hurting anybody's feelings.
11:07If we got a nice lead and it's late third, early fourth quarter,
11:11you got to run your offense, man, and let's get some experience.
11:15I know we got a five-star guy on his way in,
11:18but I'd like to get our guys right now some playing time.
11:22Yeah, and Luke Nichol –
11:24That hasn't happened in a couple years.
11:25It's crazy.
11:25Yeah, it hasn't, and I think Luke Nichol, who's heading into his second year,
11:30the development has been positive, his growth.
11:34But we've primarily seen him in practice.
11:36He got into probably a couple of games last year,
11:39but it was limited opportunities last season.
11:42And this is really, I think, an important year for Miami's quarterback room
11:47beyond Darian Mensah because we're not expecting to have Mensah for two seasons.
11:51I guess it's possible because of his eligibility, but we expect him to go on to the NFL.
11:56So you're going to have to have a chance, and it's not only in practice,
12:00it's also getting into some games just to make sure that Luke Nichol is someone
12:05who Mario Cristobal and Shannon Dawson have full confidence can lead this team.
12:10Because going into that transfer portal for a high-end quarterback, Joe,
12:15it's a big decision, and it's also a really expensive decision.
12:18I believe they're done after this.
12:20I think they're done, and I think they should be with the way they've recruited
12:24quarterbacks out of high school.
12:26Expensive.
12:28Expensive to do.
12:29Watch the prices from, what, 1.8 to 4.2 to God Only Knows.
12:33I'm calling this one God Only Knows for sure.
12:37It's going up like the gas prices.
12:39The quarterback prices go up the same way.
12:41Next year, somebody's looking at 10-plus going, holy crap.
12:45I'll be buying everybody houses next year.
12:47Hey, thank you so much, bud.
12:49I appreciate you coming on a little bit.
12:51A little teaser, man.
12:51A week from Friday.
12:53We can all talk about it.
12:54It's going to be fun.
12:55Can't wait.
12:56Thanks, Joe.
12:56Thanks, Hollywood.
12:57Alex Donnell, host of Locked On.
13:00Kane's podcast next Friday night.
13:02I think they leave Tuesday and heading out to Palo Alto.
13:06A nice area, by the way, out there.
13:09I played in that stadium.
13:12Is that where all the tech companies are?
13:13That's where the 49ers beat us in our last Super Bowl.
13:17There's history everywhere.
13:18That's like where Apple is, isn't it?
13:20All the Stanford has got all those companies.
13:26They all went to Stanford.
13:27Those guys all went to school.
13:29And they have all these special funds that keep things going in that little private school.
13:33That school can spend a lot of money if they want.
13:35So you ended up playing pro football.
13:37You could have been one of those tech companies.
13:38No, so I played in the East-West All-Star game there.
13:41And then I played in the big game there, Stanford.
13:46And then I played in the Super Bowl there where we lost.
13:48It's the last Super Bowl.
13:49There's history everywhere.
13:50Where they're opening is where the Miami Dolphins lost their last time they were in a Super Bowl.
13:56And we lost.
13:57Super Bowl 19.
13:58I'm giving a little history lesson today.
14:00All right, man.
14:01We've got to go to break here.
14:02Hurricane season.