Miami Hurricanes Defense Not Dominant Says DC Manny Diaz

The returning and incoming players in the secondary will all have a chance to prove their worth. It has to be remembered who is being replaced though. Jamal Carter led Miami in tackles last season. Corn Elder was arguably their best defensive player a season ago.

Replacing them, plus Rayshawn Jenkins and Adrian Colbert should not be taken for granted. There are no guarantees when players are stepping into a bigger role or moving up in competition. Diaz commented on the players he lost and how those on the roster now might fare replacing them.

"“Well, if this guy plays as well as [former starting cornerback] Corn Elder… ‘Well, if this guy plays as well as [former starting safety] Jamal [Carter]….We don’t know until we play. So the fact that we’re being told that we’re dominant is really just, that has not been proven yet. So we have to have a little bit of an edge and a chip on our shoulder to prove that.’’"

Sophomore defensive end Joe Jackson understands what he and his teammates need to do with the expectations for the defense this season.

"“We are not trying to get big-headed by it,…We know we have to work hard to get where we were last year and we have to work even harder to get past that and meet everyone’s expectations and our own.’’"