The Miami football team will have limited depth at defensive end for in their Independence Bowl game against Louisiana Tech later this month. A pair of early NFL Draft entrants have made the edge of the defensive line in flux.
The Miami football team lost defensive ends Trevon Hill and Jonathan Garvin early to the NFL Draft. Hill is a graduate transfer but taking the time off to prepare for the draft. Garvin decided to forego his senior year in 2020 to enter the draft. Garvin and Hill’s departures have opened up the snaps at DE in the Independence Bowl.
Greg Rousseau and Scott Patchan will almost definitely start at DE in place of Hill and Garvin. Miami will be extremely thin on the edge against Louisiana Tech. Freshman DE Jahfari Harvey will be the probable beneficiary of more snaps. Harvey will jump from the fifth DE on the depth chart to third for the Independence Bowl.
Head coach Manny Diaz spoke about the extra time that Harvey and other players will receive in practice and the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech. The focus was primarily on Harvey regarding Hill and Garvin’s departures from the Miami football program and leaves the Hurricanes extremely thin at DE.
Under the redshirt policy enacted by the NCAA that began in 2018, Harvey can play against Louisiana Tech and still maintain his redshirt. Players can play in up to four games in one season and still maintain their redshirt status. The Independence Bowl will be the fourth game Harvey has played in this season.
Manny Diaz on getting younger players more reps in practice and playing time in the bowl: "I'd like to see that. We look at this as a bridge to 2020. ... That's the advantage of having these two weeks of practice."
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) December 9, 2019
Says he's "excited" about seeing guys like Jahfari Harvey play.
Harvey played in the first three games this season before sitting out the rest of the year to maintain his redshirt. As the fifth defensive end in the rotation on the Miami football team, Harvey was not going to receive much playing time. Diaz spoke about the opportunity for Harvey during a Monday conference call.
"“We look at it as a bridge to 2020. It is a bride to next season. That is the advantage of having these two weeks of practice and getting more reps for these young guys. It is a chance to work out next year’s team this year.There is no doubt that any young guys that have eligibility that can still have a redshirt year, we want to push those guys into the game. This is why we kept Jahfari Harvey with one game left. He has been a problem to block in practice. He is going to get out there and play and he is going to factor for us next season.There is definitely a springboard effect out of these two weeks and with the bowl game."
Harvey will have a lot of production to help make up for. Garvin and Hill combined for 64 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this season. Garvin’s numbers were down significantly from a breakout 2018 season until the final four games of this year. Rousseau has 49 tackles and leads Miami with 18 TFLs and 14 sacks.
Patchan started earlier in the season before he was supplanted by Rousseau. The senior finished with 25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and one sack. The fifth-year senior could petition the NCAA for a sixth season because of injuries. As of now, Rousseau, Patchan and Harvey are the only DEs Miami has for the Independence Bowl.
Miami could also play linebacker Patrick Joyner some snaps at DE in the Independence Bowl. Joyner was moved from the line to LB in spring practice in 2019. He has missed most of the season with a groin injury. Miami is thin at LB as well as upfront. Joyner recorded five tackles and 2.5 sacks in three games in 2018.
Using the bowl game is critical preparation for the Miami football team as Diaz stated as a bridge to 2020. As it stands now Harvey is likely to be the starter at defensive end opposite Rousseau unless Patchan is granted a sixth season. Miami will also add four-star DE Cameron Williams who is redshirting this season.
The Hurricanes have four defensive linemen committed to the 2020 class. Three of those are edge rushers including two four-star commits. Chantz Williams and Elijah Roberts are highly thought of and could push for playing time as true freshmen in 2019. If Rousseau wasn’t hurt he would have been impactful in 2018.