Miami Hurricanes co-defensive coordinator Blake Baker expects a big year from redshirt freshman defensive end Jahfari Harvey despite the attention elsewhere on the defensive line.
With most of the attention on the Miami Hurricanes defensive line towards All-Americans Greg Rousseau and Quincy Roche and redshirt junior Jalean Phillips in front of him in the rotation, redshirt freshman Jahfari Harvey has not received much attention during the offseason.
Co-defensive coordinator Blake Baker expects a big year from Harvey in 2020. The only time Harvey got on the stat sheet as a true freshman in 2019 was with one tackle against FCS Bethune-Cookman. That will change in 2020. Harvey will be a second-team edge rusher with Phillips backing up Rousseau and Roche.
Opposing offensive coordinators will have to game plan to stop Rousseau and Roche and to a lesser extent Phillips in 2020. That will leave Harvey a chance beat opposing offensive linemen one on one. With Roche definitely on to the NFL after the 2020 season and Rousseau and Phillips having the option. Harvey is the future.
Beyond the 2020 season, Harvey will lead the Miami pass rushers. Harvey will have the chance to learn and grow into the position in 2020 without the pressure of having to perform well on every snap. Watching the three elite pass rushers Miami has in 2020 will provide Harvey with an excellent opportunity.
Canes DC Blake Baker on Jahfari Harvey: "I think, for sure, when you talk about defensive end, he's in the two-deep. ... He's going to play a ton. He's different than those other guys, in a good way."
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) May 6, 2020
Adds Harvey is "super twitched up."
Baker was quoted by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald about what to expect from Harvey this fall. The focus will be on Rousseau, Roche and Phillips in 2020, but Harvey is just as talented. Baker is high on the skill set that Harvey provides Miami and that he should complement what the other three bring to the Hurricanes.
"“I think for sure when you talk about defensive end, right now Jahfari is in the two deep so he’s going to play…He’s going to play a ton. He’s different than those other guys in a good way, is super twitched up.And he has a little bit different skill set than those other guys. When you talk about pure speed, he can run better than any of those other [defensive ends]. He uses that to his strength, his speed to power. I think Jahfari is going to have a big year, is going to contribute quite a bit to this defense.”"
Miami should improve on their ability to get into opposing backfields in 2020 despite Rousseau being the only edge rusher for Miami who had significant playing time in the Manny Diaz and Baker defense in 2019. The Miami Hurricanes finished sixth nationally with 108 tackles for loss and seventh with 46 sacks in 2019.
Roche is often regarded as the highest-rated pass returning pass rusher in college football for 2020 and Rousseau leads college football returnees for 2020 with 15.5 sacks in 2019. Harvey will learn from two of the best pass rushers in college football this season before ascending to the first team in 2021.