Two games into the 2014 season, certain players’ performances have been less than impressive. On the flip side, luckily, the Miami Hurricanes have had a fair share of unexpected standouts.
Need To Step It Up
Brad Kaaya, QB
Kaaya has underwhelmed me with his quarterback play to this point; however, this may be a result of my personal expectations for him. After beating out a fifth-year senior, I expected Kaaya to seriously “wow” me. Grading on a freshmen curve, I suppose, he has been solid. Kaaya has completed 56.9% of his passes, thrown for 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, not including a goal line fade to Tyre Brady against FAMU that should have been intercepted. In addition, regarding the deep ball to Dorsett against FAMU that has drawn Kaaya much praise, I feel Dorsett’s excellent adjustment and awareness in the back of the end zone resulted in those six points more so than the pass, which likely gets intercepted against a more talented defense.
Stacy Coley, WR
Following a poor performance at Louisville, Coley lost his spot with the top two receivers against FAMU to junior Herb Waters. It remains unclear whether or not his health played a factor (shoulder), but because he returned punts during the first half of the game, I speculate it did not. Through two games, Coley has 3 receptions for 9 yards, all of which occurred against Louisville.
Worth noting: Coach Golden held Coley out of practice Tuesday, and the team will reevaluate his health Wednesday. Look for Coley to get healthy and return to game-changing form against Arkansas State.
Tracy Howard, CB
The former five-star prospect has yet to start a game in 2014. Artie Burns and Ladarius Gunter have manned the starting corner back positions up to this point. Although this may simply be a result of tremendous depth in the secondary, Howard, a 2013 All-ACC honorable mention and 12 game starter, surprised me coming off the bench. Versus FAMU, he was responsible for two substantial gains in the passing game. Despite good coverage on each play, Howard failed to turn around and allowed the receiver to make a relatively easy catch.
Need To Keep It Up
Braxton Berrios, WR
Braxton Berrios has been Kaaya’s go-to receiver so far, especially during crucial downs. With 6 catches for 63 yards against FAMU, the freshman wide-out is proving to be a consistent and reliable target for the Canes. Although Berrios failed to make an impact in the season opener, this early freshman-to-freshman chemistry could lead to an impressive connection between the two throughout their college careers.
Thurston Armbrister, OLB
The red shirt junior out of Hollywood Hills, a converted safety, the once undersized linebacker, Thurston Armbrister is making plays! In his first two seasons on the active roster, Armbrister recorded 2 sacks. Through two weeks of 2014, he has 3 sacks, 2 of which have resulted in fumbles. For two seasons, Armbrister was just a guy. Now he is making plays. If the strong side linebacker can continue this caliber of play, a position once considered a weakness in 2014 may end up tp be a strength when you pair him up with Denzel Perryman.
Artie Burns, CB
The sophomore defensive back has beaten out Tracy Howard for a starting corner back role in training camp and has yet to look back. All spring and summer, the only image I had of Artie Burns was Devante Parker manhandling him in the Russell Athletic Bowl. He has since been labeled as the most physically gifted corner on the team by his coaches, and is off to a stellar start to his 2014 campaign.
Worth A Mention
Team leaders Duke Johnson, Anthony Chickillo, and Denzel Perryman have each made impacts as expected.