Miami Hurricanes DE named top playmaker and not who’s expected
The Miami Hurricanes defensive line is continuing to get national accolades during the 2020 offseason. Quincy Roche was named the top playmaking defensive end by CBS Sports.
The combination of Quincy Roche and Greg Rousseau at defensive end for the Miami Hurricanes this fall is expected to be the most disruptive in the country. Roche had 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 2019 and Rousseau had 19.5 and 15.5 last year. Those numbers could rise playing alongside each other.
The proclamation by CBS Sports that Roche is the best playmaking defensive end in the country could just as easily have gone to Rousseau. Rousseau leads all returnees nationally in sacks from 2019. Roche might get the opportunity to make more plays if opposing offensive coordinators choose to double team, Rousseau.
Making the decision which edge rusher to double team on Miami is going to be a difficult one for opponents. Miami also has the nation’s top recruit from 2017, Jaelan Phillips. Roche, Rousseau and Phillips could all play on passing downs. The potential to break the Miami Hurricanes team record of 52 sacks is within reach.
Roche comes to Miami after being named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Both Roche and Rousseau were named second-team All-American by the Sporting News. CBS Sports expects Roche to become more well known nationally playing for Miami than he did with Temple.
"Defensive end Quincy Roche, Miami (FL): Roche might not be a household name since he played three seasons at Temple, but he should become a superstar now that he’s playing for Miami (FL). He had 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks for the Owls last season, and added 49 total tackles to his stellar stat line.He is considered a first-round prospect by multiple outlets and is the top defender in the 247Sports transfer rankings. He has already proven that he is a monster at the Group of Five level, and should be a force for a Hurricanes defense that could be one of the ACC’s best."
Roche ended his Temple career third in program history with 26 sacks and tied the Owls record with the 13 he recorded last season. Roche would have likely shattered the school record if he stayed in Philadelphia. Roche and Rousseau have the chance to become the first pair of Miami DEs drafted in the first round since 1997.
Kenard Lang was the 17th pick of the first round by the Washington Redskins and Kenny Holmes the 18th overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 1997 NFL Draft. With another big season, Rousseau is a potential top-five pick. Roche is expected to be taken later in the first or in the second round.
Roche and Rousseau have an opportunity to become the most prolific pair of pass rushers in Miami history. When you add Phillips to the equation the Hurricanes pass rush should be devastating. The 15.5 sacks Rousseau had last season are the second most in Miami program history.
The record is 17 set by Danny Stubbs in 1986. Holmes and Lang combined for 23 sacks in 1996 and Kareem Brown and Calais Campbell joined to total 21.5 sacks in 2018. Those numbers are very attainable for Rousseau and Roche in 2020. They could leave Miami as the best pass-rushing duo ever, at least for one season.