Miami Hurricanes defense getting a lot of offseason recognition
The Miami Hurricanes had one of the best defenses in College Football in 2017 and that should continue in 2018. The turnover chain captured the imagination of the country and many college football experts proclaimed the U as being back.
The College Football season less than 100 days away many sports media sites are starting to make early predictions for the 2018 season. The Miami Hurricanes defense has caught the eye of many prognosticators.
Despite the losses of starting defensive tackles R.J. McIntosh and Kendrick Norton and their primary backup Anthony Moten, a lot is still expected from the Hurricanes defense in 2018. Six of the seven starters at linebacker and in the secondary return this fall. Defensive end Joe Jackson is the lone returning starter up front.
Miami’s linebacking core is what makes the Hurricanes special according to ESPN. The Hurricanes return the all Rising Junior starters at linebacker of Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud. They are starting as a unit for the third consecutive year. That’s hard to find in college football.
Quarterman could be an All-American candidate. Pinckney should challenge for All-ACC. McCloud often gets lost behind his more lauded teammates but he has made an impact in his two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes. ESPN’s Andrea Adelson discussed the trio.
"“The Hurricanes return their starting linebacker group, a unit that has started together since entering as true freshmen three years ago. Shaq Quarterman is the player to watch among the trio, but Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud can’t be overlooked. Quarterman was second on the team in tackles, while Pinckney had 11 tackles for loss.”"
Athlon did an entire preview of the upcoming Miami Hurricanes season. They analyzed the offense, defense and specialist. They were critical of how the Miami defense performed in the final three games of 2018. Miami overall was praised about the talent the Hurricanes have returning.
"“Miami’s defense is fast and physical…Defensive ends Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin have high-round NFL talent. All signs point to a breakout season for defensive tackle Gerald Willis, who sat out last year to address personal issues. He was a “terror” on scout team, (Head Coach Mark) Richt says.If inexperienced defensive backs step up around safety Jaquan Johnson and cornerback Michael Jackson — both of whom had four interceptions as juniors — Miami’s secondary should wear the chain plenty.”"
The Bleacher Report ranks the Miami Hurricanes defense as the ninth best in the country. They are only one of two ACC teams ranked in the top ten. Clemson is the top-ranked defense entering 2018 per the Bleacher Report ranking of the nation’s top ten defenses.
Bleacher Report’s analysis covers the linebacking core, cornerback Michael Jackson and safety Jaquan and the likely emergence of Gerald Willis this season. They are concerned about the development of the other defensive tackles on the Miami Hurricanes roster.
"“Key players: Shaq Quarterman is the undisputed leader of Miami’s defense at middle linebacker, and both defensive end Joe Jackson and cornerback Michael Jackson have attracted first-round NFL draft buzz. Jaquan Johnson had All-American-level production at safety in 2017, and Michael Pinckney is a rising star at outside linebacker.Potential weakness: What do the ‘Canes do at defensive tackle? Gerald Willis III has enormous talent, yet his college career has included a bizarre, winding path to 2018. The arrival of Illinois grad transfer Tito Odenigbo helps the position, but the bigger questions are the development of Pat Bethel and Jonathan Ford and whether true freshman Nesta Silvera can make a positive impact.What to expect: The attacking style of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz combined with a veteran linebacking corps should help Miami hide some deficiencies up front and remain stout against the run. It should also incite plenty of “Turnover Chain” sightings, especially with Jackson and Johnson roaming the secondary.”"
Bleacher Report seemed to have a better handle on the Hurricanes than Athlon does. The Hurricanes secondary has three very experienced starters returning. Michael Jackson, Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine give the younger players behind them excellent mentors this season.
Trajan Bandy proved as a True Freshman last season that Diaz and Richt can count on their first-year defensive backs to contribute. The Hurricanes bring in an excellent group of Freshman defensive backs. Some of them are likely to contribute this season.
The Hurricanes are going to need Ford to improve a lot from a Freshman season when he did not see a lot of snaps. Silvera is also going to have to live up to his potential.
The schedule should be advantageous. Miami replaces Notre Dame with Florida International. The other ACC crossover game will likely be more difficult. After hosting Syracuse in 2017, the Hurricanes travel to Boston College this season. The Orange were 4-8 in 2017, BC was 7-6.
Next: Miami Hurricanes S Jaquan Johnson came back to win National Championship
With another year of experience and seven returning starters, the defense is motivated to erase the three-game losing streak that ended the 2017 season. Jaquan Johnson told the Miami Herald on Tuesday that he returned to Miami for his Senior season to win a National Championship.