Miami Football five questions for final scrimmage
Who is the first-team offensive line?
Redshirt junior Corey Gaynor at center, graduate senior Jarrid Williams at right tackle and D.J. Scaife at right guard appear to be locked into their positions on the first-team Miami offensive line.
Redshirt sophomore John Campbell is the likely left tackle for Miami in 2020. That leaves left guard open. Redshirt sophomore Ousman Traore is expected to earn the starting left guard.
Traore redshirted last season after transferring from Hutchinson Community College in 2019. Traore played against Bethune-Cookman and Central Michigan in 2019 in order to maintain a redshirt season. Traore apparently had eligibility issues in 2019.
Diaz told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald earlier this week that they were excited about the future for Traore when he signed with the Miami football program last year. The eligibility issue set Traore back last season. Diaz likes the steady presence that Traore can provide the Hurricanes on the offensive line.
Rhett Lashlee says Ousman Traore has been steady at guard. He said "there's still been competition" as the left side of the offensive line still seems to be up for grabs.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 31, 2020
"“Really excited when he got here…kind of got caught up in a weird eligibility snafu, where I think he would have been featured in some role for us a year ago. But just a steady presence at guard — does his job without a lot of fuss. tough. So, he’s done a nice job sort of establishing a role for himself on this year’s team.”"
Sophomores Jakai Clark and Zion Nelson who combined to start 25 games last season provide the Miami football team with experience behind the first-team OL. Clark was the starting right guard for every game but the opener against Florida. Nelson started all 13 games at LT for the Hurricanes in 2019 but struggled.