Manny Diaz expects seven CBs on Miami football roster

During his weekly Zoom conference head coach, Manny Diaz stated he expects the Miami football roster to have seven cornerbacks on average and eight in an odd year.

With five scholarship cornerbacks currently on the Miami football roster, head coach Manny Diaz told reporters during his weekly Zoom call on Monday that the Hurricanes would ideally have seven players at the position in an average season. Miami currently has one potential CB committed for 2021.

Malik Curtis from Bishop Verot in Fort Myers currently plays almost exclusively on offense but is expected to be converted to CB in college. Curtis is a dynamic return man who is currently the 78th ranked athlete in the Class of 2021 and 139th ranked player in Florida. Miami lost three-star CB Tim Burns from its 2021 Class last week.

The de-commitment from Burns was widely reported to be mutual between Miami and the Miami Northwestern star. Curtis has 17 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns, 42 receptions for 703 yards and eight TDs, 277 yards on 10 kickoff returns and 87 yards on eight punt returns plus an interception return for a TD.

Miami has received inconsistent play from its CBs in 2020 leading to uneven pass defense. The Hurricanes are seventh in the ACC allowing 240.4 passing yards per game and 11th with six interceptions. Miami does rank fourth with a 127.49 passer rating against and tied for first allowing 6.6 yards per attempt.

"Well obviously we’re not going to finish the class with um one cornerback commit right. I mean so so we understand that there’s there’s room to add um in the recruiting class uh you should normally have seven on the roster eight if in an odd year.If you get a couple guys coming back and  look you’re always gonna have you know now in the era of opt-outs and and transfers you you may have a guy leave uh like what we had this year.So um so we were one down and then and then one left you know which put us a little bit of a bind and the guys had to step up and and uh and they have but that’s something we think we can remedy uh this offseason you know and then as you mentioned with Isaiah. Isaiah is, is it um medically not ready to play yet.(He’s) getting better though and uh and we still think he’s got a really bright future here."

Miami currently has juniors Al Blades Jr. and D.J. Ivey, sophomore Te’Cory Couch and freshmen Isaiah Dunson and Marcus Clarke on the roster at CB. Couch has supplanted Blades in the starting lineup as of the Hurricanes victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Couch is the ninth highest rated CB in the ACC by Pro Football Focus.

The PFF rankings are via Inside the U. Couch graded out with a 71.9 with Ivey is the 34th ranked CB in the ACC at 62.1 and Blades is 37th at 59.4. The average grade of the 45 CBs in the ACC per Inside the U is 66.2. Dunson has received limited time on defense this season, but Diaz is optimistic about his future.

The recruit to watch at CB for the 2021 Miami football signing class is four-star Markevious Brown of IMG Academy. Brown is strongly considering Miami, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi and Virginia Tech. Three-star Texas CB Marvin Covington whose only other Power Five offer is Mississippi State is another recruit to watch.