Who is the most underrated player on Miami football team in 2018?
The Miami football team is loaded with potential first-round talent entering 2018. As many as five players could challenge to be All-Americans and first-round selections in the NFL Draft. Who should be considered the Hurricanes most underrated player?
Several players could be considered as the most underrated player on the Miami football team. The five players with a chance to be All-Americans and first-round NFL Draft picks would not be among the Hurricanes most underrated.
Defensive end Joe Jackson, linebackers Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney and defensive backs Jaquan Johnson and Michael Jackson are all potential All-Americans and first-round picks. That leaves over half of the defensive starters and the entire offense to select from.
Linebacker Zach McCloud has lived in the shadow of his classmates Quarterman and Pinckney since the three gained notoriety when they all started every game as Freshmen in 2016. Quarterman and Pinckney earned True Freshmen All-America status that season.
Sheldrick Redwine joins Johnson and Michael Jackson as returning starters in the secondary from 2017. Upfront Gerald Willis is expected to dominate at defensive tackle after taking the 2017 season off from playing in games. Willis dominated on the scout team and in the Spring.
On offense wide receiver Ahmmon Richards also earned a spot on the Freshman All-American team in 2016. He broke Michael Irvin’s 31-year old Miami football record for receiving yards by a Freshmen two years ago. Richards struggled throughout 2017 with injuries that sidelined him for six of Miami’s 13 games.
Running back Travis Homer helped save the Miami offense by nearly rushing for 1,000 yards in 2017. He nearly accomplished the milestone despite not starting until week five.
Homer became a starter when Mark Walton was lost for the season with an ankle injury. Walton re-aggravated the ankle against Florida State in the fourth game of the season.
None of the aforementioned players were selected by ESPN as the Hurricanes most underrated player. The four-letter network picked “The most underrated player on each Top 25 team” earlier this week. ESPN chose Miami defensive end Demetrius Jackson as its most underrated Hurricane.
Jackson was off to a great start in 2017 before he was sidelined for the season with a knee injury. When healthy the last two seasons Jackson has been extremely productive. In 16 games combined between 2016 and ’17 Jackson has produced 46 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and six pass breakups.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote up the summary on Demetrius Jackson.
"“Before a knee injury shut him down midway through the season, Jackson recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks playing opposite Joe Jackson on Miami’s defensive line.Miami needs depth and production on a line that lost two tackles to the NFL. Demetrius Jackson’s return, along with those of (ends) Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin, could be significant.”"
Paired with Joe Jackson this season they give Miami one of the best defensive end tandems in the country in 2018. The two Jacksons, Thomas and Harris combined for 41 of Miami’s 111 tackles for loss and 23 of their 44 sacks last season.
Next: Miami Hurircanes defense has three separate units that can dominate in 2018
Rising Sophomore Jonathan Garvin, Junior Scott Patchan and Freshman Gregory Rousseau will complement the two Jacksons at end as Miami tries to continue being among the nation’s leaders in sacks and tackles for loss.