Miami football freshmen made impact during spring practice
The Miami football team only conducted four spring practices before sports were shut down globally due to the COVID-19/coronavirus over the last week. Several Hurricanes freshmen made an impact in only about a quarter of the allotted practices.
The 2020 Miami football recruiting class was 13th nationally despite coming off of a 6-7 season. Fourteen of the 21 signees in the Hurricanes 2020 recruiting class were early enrollees in January. Several of those players were making an impact as Miami began spring practice in early March.
This spring projected to be a big one for the Miami football team on both sides of the ball. The Hurricanes hired new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, new offensive line coach Garin Justice and new wide receivers coach Rob Likens this offseason. Lashlee was going to use the spring to install a new offense.
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On defense, Miami welcomed new defensive ends Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillips and had linebacker corps decimated by injury. Acclimating the freshmen with a lot of changes on both offense and defense, head coach Manny Diaz and his staff were going to have a challenging spring.
As spring practice began before the Miami football team was off last week for spring break several freshmen were making an impact. Running back Jaylon Knighton, wide receivers, redshirt Jeremiah Payton and Xavier Restrepo, quarterback Tyler VanDyke, redshirt defensive tackle Jalar Holley and offensive linemen Jalen Rivers were impressive.
In an article published earlier this week, Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson had several quotes from insiders at spring practice for the Miami football team highlighting which of the true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were impressive in the abbreviated spring practices. Several should challenge for playing time in 2020.
Knighton and Don Chaney Jr. who was out for the spring with a shoulder injury are expected to serve as the primary co-backups at running back behind junior Cam’Ron Harris. Knighton showed exceptional speed and explosiveness this spring according to Jackson’s source and other observers at spring practice.