Mario Cristobal says Miami expects Damari Brown back near end of regular season

Mario Cristobal told reporters on Monday he expects sophomore cornerback Damari Brown to return during the last couple of games during the regular season. Brown has been out since Miami won F41-17 at Florida in the season opener. Brown had one tackle versus Florida and 14 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 2023.

NFL Draft Buzz reported Brown played 331 snaps at CB in 2023 with a passer rating of 97.5 when he was targeted. Brown lowered the passer rating to 66.7 versus Florida. Miami has been torched in the last three games. Miami is 126th with opponents throwing for 319.5 yards per game in October.

Miami opponents have a 152.63 passer rating versus the Hurricanes in October. True freshman OJ Frederique, has been the only consistent CB in coverage with Brown out. Frederique has allowed a 68.4 NFL passer rating in 2024. Brown will provide Miami with more consistency, experience and length at CB when he returns.

Miami plays three of the bottom seven passing offenses in the ACC in the next three games. That begins with Florida State on Saturday. Florida State is 14th in the ACC averaging 203.1 passing yards per game and is last with a 105.38 passer rating. Miami hosts Duke on November 2 and is at Georgia Tech on November 9 before a bye week.

"It'll be sometime during the regular season, towards the back end. I think the last couple of games is realistic. He's been...a really good player now that guy's...is a 6'1 plus corner at 200 lb that runs like the wind and he's physical and he's chopping at the bit to get back out there...It's awesome to see the way he attacks his rehab...The way he stays engaged and continues to just learn and get better and help some of the other guys and then to see him you know being able to walk around...He's really moving and making a lot of progress towards coming back."

- Miami head coach Mario Cristobal

The comments from Cristobal seem to project Brown returning for the November 23 game versus Wake Forest. Miami finishes the regular season on November 30 at Syracuse. Syracuse and Wake Forest are third and first in the ACC in attempts per game. Improving their pass defense is critical for Miami

None of the defensive backs in the Miami rotation have as much length as Brown. In a mostly rebuilt secondary. Brown provided Miami with experience after playing in 10 games with three starts during the 2023 season. Darryl Porter Jr. was the only other returning starter in the secondary for Miami entering 2024.

Safety Mishael Powell was regarded as a key addition who can play in the slot or safety. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Powell has the worst passer rating allowed on Miami at 113. Miami needs the secondary to become more reliable if it hopes to advance deep into the College Football Playoff.

Miami has suffered from breakdowns in coverage in its last three games. California had four completions of over 50 yards against Miami on October 5. Explosive plays can alter the entire direction a game takes. Getting Brown back at the end of the season is critical for Miami to reach its goals.

If Miami reaches the College Football Playoff the level of receivers they will play against is much higher than they have faced this season. Miami has been able to remain undefeated primarily because of the offense for most of the last three games. The Hurricanes need more balance as games this season become more important.