Miami Hurricanes Football: Offensive Players to Watch as Spring Practices Begin

On Tuesday morning, the Miami Hurricanes stepped onto the Greentree Practice Fields for the first time in 2015. There will be a total of 15 spring practices which include 2 scrimmages (March 5th & March 21st) and the annual spring game on March 28th at Lockhart Stadium (view the complete spring practice schedule here).

Now that spring practices are underway, let’s take a look at some players on the offensive side of the ball to keep an eye on:

QB Malik Rosier: It’s obvious that Brad Kaaya will be the starting quarterback heading into the 2015 season, however, the backup spot isn’t exactly secured by any one player. Rosier is likely the favorite to land the backup spot, although, he will definitely have to put some work into solidifying his spot. If you are unaware, Rosier is on the baseball team and is a reserve center fielder. Being the two-sport star that he is, Rosier will miss approximately 5 of the 15 spring practices due to schedule conflicts with baseball. Rosier will have to take full advantage of the practices that he is able to attend because redshirt junior Gray Crow will not go away quietly.

RB Joe Yearby: The Canes will not be able to replace the departure of Duke Johnson, however, they will need to get some ‘above average’ production from the running back position in order to have a successful season. Joe Yearby will likely be the go-to guy but he will also split carries with Gus Edwards who will be the ‘change of pace’ back. Yearby needs to work diligently this spring because there will be some talent behind him at the running back position in Trayone Gray (who may play some WR), Walter Tucker, and true freshman Mark Walton (who will be arriving in the summer). Any lack of production from Yearby and he could easily lose some carries.

WR Rashawn Scott: There is an abundance of talent at the receiver position but one receiver to really keep a close eye on in the spring is Rashawn Scott. Scott took a redshirt last year due to a shoulder injury. He will be looking to put it all together (and stay healthy) in his senior season and I have a feeling he will be a breakout player this year. Scott showed a glimpse of what he is capable of in his sophomore season (2012) when he finished as the team’s second-leading receiver with 512 yards and 3 touchdowns on 35 catches in only 9 games.

WR Stacy Coley: Canes fans all know the story here. Coley experienced the infamous ‘sophomore slump’ last season after an amazing freshman campaign. Word on the street is that Coley has put in a lot of hard work this offseason and is ready to go for 2015. I have a lot of confidence that he will get back on track and will be a force this upcoming season.

TE Standish Dobard & Jerome Washington: This will be a battle to watch for the #1 spot, although both tight ends will see plenty of playing time. Dobard played in every game last year (started 3) totaling 7 receptions for 147 yards (21 yard/avg). Washington comes in as an early enrollee who was rated the #1 JUCO tight end in the country this past recruiting cycle. Replacing Clive Walford won’t be easy but the talent is definitely there. Believe it or not, I don’t expect a huge drop off from the tight end position.

The Entire Offensive Line:  This entire group will be one to closely monitor. The Canes lost 3 talented offensive lineman in Jon Feliciano, Ereck Flowers and Shane McDermott. The two starters that return are Danny Isidora and Trevor Darling. Due to injuries, Nick Linder was thrown into the fire last season and played extremely well. KC McDermott also played very well before suffering a season-ending knee injury (he took a redshirt last season and is expected to miss most of the spring). There are a few more lineman that can provide some valuable experience such as Taylor Gadbois (may miss most of the spring due to injury last season), Alex Gall, Hunter Knighton, Hunter Wells. There is also a newcomer that will definitely be in the mix for playing time named Jahair Jones. Jones comes in as an early enrollee who was rated the #10 JUCO offensive lineman in the country. Overall, there is some depth along the offensive line but the Canes absolutely can not afford to have another injury plagued season like they did last year. It will be up to Coach Art Kehoe to pick the best 5 to start and Canes fans should be very confident in his decision-making.

Side Note: 5 more offensive lineman are set to join the Canes during the summer, with 4* Tyree St. Louis and 4* Bar Milo being the most likely to push for starting spots.

Be on the lookout for the ‘defensive players to watch’ post in the next few days….stay tuned!