The Miami Hurricanes' bye week couldn't have come at a better time in terms of recovery. There are questions surrounding some players on the defensive line that were banged up against Clemson and a ton of changes in the secondary after Miami's top two cornerbacks went down.
There is some good news as the secondary is starting to repair itself a bit with the anticipated return of Xavier Lucas in the next few weeks and, as long as the injury news on Marquise Lightfoot is tolerable, the Hurricanes defense isn't in bad shape for the stretch run.
Here is how the depth chart looks coming out of the bye week:
Defensive End
Armondo Blount (Jr.)
Damon Wilson II (Sr.)
Blount is the most versatile defensive lineman on the roster and Corey Hetherman feels most comfortable with him playing on the end and kicking inside on passing downs with Marquise Lightfoot and Damon Wilson II to get his three best pass rushers on the field at once. Wilson is technically listed as a second teamer, but his snap count makes him a co-starter.
Defensive Tackle
Ahmad Moten Sr. (5th year)
Jarquez Carter (So.)
Moten continued to be a presence in the center of the defensive line and, outside of getting banged up a little in the Wake Forest game, the senior has been very reliable, and his work has lead to the pass rush really putting together good performances. Carter started for an injured Moten against Central Michigan and has become a part of the second-team rotation.
Nose Guard
Justin Scott (Jr.)
Keona Davis (Jr.)
Scott has continued to be a plug in the middle of the line and his ability to stop the run game was evident in the win over Clemson. He is an extremely important part of the defensive front, and, like most nose guards, Scott does the dirty work without much fanfare. Davis' contributions have been sporadic, but he can line up anywhere on the line and those types of players will always be needed.
Edge Rusher
Marquise Lightfoot (Jr.)
Damon Wilson II (Sr.)
Lightfoot got off to a slow start, but he's been outstanding for the past few games and has 19 tackles with 5.5 sacks on the season. The jump and explosion that Lightfoot possesses lives up to the five-star billing he had as a recruit. Wilson has been building into a monster player and against Clemson we saw the whole pass-rush package that he has in his arsenal.
Linebackers
Mohamed Toure (Gr.)
Cam Pruitt (Jr.)
Chase Smith (6th)
Kellen Wiley Jr. (R-Fr.)
Toure and Smith are not spectacular, but they have a wealth of experience and generally do their part not to get caught in too many bad situations. Pruitt is the solid No. 3 LB, but behind him, Wiley and Kamal Bonner have only been effective in limited snaps. When Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. returns from injury, it's going to be a big boost for this unit.
Cornerbacks
Bryce Fitzgerald (So.)
Damari Brown (R-Jr.)
Xavier Lucas (Jr.)
Ethan O'Connor (R-Jr.)
The injuries to OJ Frederique and Lucas changed the entire secondary. Fitzgerald, who was a Freshman All-American at safety, moved to cornerback in Week 2 and has locked down one side of the field. Lucas is expected to return as soon as next week against Florida State. Brown and O'Connor have plenty of experience and their ability to play starting snaps has helped keep this unit together.
Nickel Corner
Omar Thornton (Jr.)
Ryan Mack (R-So.)
Thornton was the other high profile transfer acquistion on defense, and he didn't waste any time making an impact. The former Boston College standout gets it done in coverage and by getting into the backfield in the nickel/safety blitz packages. Mack has emerged as a useful reserve who played a season-high 26 snaps against Clemson.
Safeties
JJ Dunnigan (Fr.)
Isaiah Taylor (Sr.)
Zechariah Poyser (R-Jr.)
Dylan Day (Jr.)
Dunnigan was a star coming out of training camp and earned his first career start in Week 2 when Fitzgerald had to move to cornerback. He is a big athlete (6-foot-3, 210) and just moves fast and flies around the football. Poyser and Day make this group a three-man rotation with Taylor there to provide additional depth. With the way the Miami corners and safeties are interchangeable, it allows Hethernan to simply play matchups.
Specialists
KS Jake Weinberg (R-So.)
P Dylan Joyce (Sr.
Weinberg was shaky at FSU last year, but he beat out Jack Olsen to handle the placekicking duties and so far he's been solid, making 5-of-6 field goals and 26-of-26 extra points. The sophomore from Broward County also handles kickoffs. Joyce has averaged 46 yards per kick and has flipped field position nearly every time he's been asked.
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