Miami football training camp day 9: Williams hurt, Brown injury update

Tuesday’s Miami football training camp day nine brought more injury updates. Backup offensive lineman George Brown will have surgery this week on the MCL in his knee injured during Saturday’s scrimmage. Freshman quarterback Jarren Williams left practice early Tuesday.

It is not known how long Brown will be out for. He has the same injury that tight end Michael Irvin suffered last week. The Miami football team will be without Irvin up to four months. Brown, who is a Junior, played in only three games in 2017. He sat out the 2016 season after transferring from LSU.

Brown was initially the starting right tackle when the Miami football team began Spring Practice. He was struggling against the defense’s first unit.

Brown was demoted when Head Coach Mark Richt and Offensive Line Coach Stacy Searles moved Navaughn Donaldson from Right Guard to Right tackle and Hayden Mahoney into the starting lineup.

The other big injury news coming out of the Miami football training camp on Tuesday was an undisclosed injury to Four-star Freshman quarterback Jarren Williams. Miami Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown initially told reporters to ask Head Coach Mark Richt about Williams injury.

When pressed by the media, Brown responded, “He’s fine, he’s fine.” according to Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the Sun Sentinel. Cabrera Chirinos reported that Williams was being evaluated by the Miami medical staff.

"“Jarren Williams was a limited participant in practice…He is being evaluated by our medical staff,” according to Miami Athletics Communications Director Camron Ghorbi per Cabrera Chirinos."

Williams has been fourth on the depth chart through the first week and a half of training camp. He is behind incumbent starter Malik Rosier and Redshirt Freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon.

Williams is still getting used to being a College quarterback versus playing in high school. Richt spoke about how his prized Freshman signal caller is coming along.

"“Jarren, he just still kind of sometimes gets his head on a swivel and finds somebody and zings it to them. He doesn’t always know exactly where he’s going and why, but he’s got ability.”"

That’s similar information that Richt relayed about Williams this Spring. Williams spoke to the media on Monday during Miami Media Day about getting adjusted to being in college and learning football at the same time.

"“It’s been great. It’s a lot of ups and downs at first, just me kind of getting acclimated,…But it’s been going smooth…I think my second day, when we were getting into the playbook, I was like, ‘I don’t even know what’s going on.’ Reading coverages and stuff, it was a lot for me at first, but I was like, ‘This is college. I have to be able to do this.’"

Williams, Weldon and Perry are all unlikely to see much time this year unless Rosier is extremely ineffective or injured. Richt said he expects Williams to get playing time with the new redshirt rule instituted in June. Players can now receive playing time in four games without losing a year of eligibility.

The other news that came out of training camp on Tuesday was that Senior running back Trayone Gray was back working at fullback, Thomas Brown expects Gray to receive time at tailback and fullback in 2018.

"“He was not hesitant to move when I asked him to move. Didn’t have an attitude about it, he just accepted his role, embraced his role and kept working at it, and now he’s back in the mix at tailback.”"

Gray is accepting his new role humbly. He seems to be willing to do what’s best for the team.

"“I’m trying to get on the field wherever I can, wherever coach needs me to go, that’s where I’m going to go…So, I’ve been learning fullback and running back.”"

Gray gives the Hurricanes good size at the goal line at 6’2 235 pounds. The Miami football team was 126th out of 130 teams in FBS in third-down conversions last season. The Hurricanes converted a brutal 28.86 percent of their third-down attempts. Miami averaged less than two yards per carry last season on third down.

Gray only had seven carries last season for 42 yards. Four of those carries came with Miami winning by 15 points or more. Gray and Freshman Realus George should help the Hurricanes running game both as blockers and as short yardage plow backs that can move the pile.