Miami head coach Mario Cristobal spoke to longtime Hurricanes' football radio analyst and former center Don Bailey Jr. and discussed what his expectations are for the last week of practice with the spring game on Saturday.
Cristobal did not get into a lot of specifics when asked about his expectations for this week, but did discuss the scrimmage Miami had on Saturday with Bailey Jr. As expected, Cristobal discussed the intensity that new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman brings and that he expects a final week of hard work.
Miami is also going to use the final week of spring practice to work their rotations to find out who can contribute in what packages. Spring practice will set the foundation for the 2025 season, but Miami will continue working on determining the depth chart and where players fit best during August training camp.
Cristobal stated to Bailey that the offense did a good job of running but that the passing game was inconsistent. Quarterback Carson Beck continues to be out as he recovers from UCL surgery. Cristobal was happy with how the defense affected the passer and the pocket and their coverage.
"“Put our foot on the gas and go forward and get better...We’ve made a lot of progress at the University of Miami the last couple years and we want to continue that trajectory...This next week has got to be a really strong and hard work week. Continue to work situations, continue to work our rotations and find out what guys can contribute in what packages and just galvanize ourselves as a program and as a team.”"Miami head coach Mario Cristobal
How well QBs Judd Anderson, Luke Nickel and Emory Williams perform in the spring game will be critical for Miami. Beyond just being the backups for Beck in 2025, Miami needs to project if one of those three are on track to emerge as the favorite to be the starting QB for 2026.
Cristobal is pleased with how the defense is progressing under Hetherman and with an entirely new staff, except for defensive line coach Jason Taylor. The final week of spring practice is important to build momentum into the rest of the offseason. Expect Cristobal to push his team hard this week.