Thursday, August 4, 2016

Real Talk : Miami Hurricanes 2016 Fall Camp Top Position Battles

By: Thierry Louis

This is a candid, uncensored-take about your Miami Hurricanes. No predisposed agendas or editor changing the tune of the article. Your sit down with your boys kind of piece where we keep it real and talk about the Canes and the start of Fall camp and what we are looking out for. So without further ado

5. Right Tackle : Sunny Odogwu vs Tyree St. Louis

The entire fan base loves Sunny doesn't it? He's charismatic, outgoing and has that personality and background that makes you want to root for him. When you  consider his physique..... we are all waiting for that "Blindside" moment where he taps into his African heritage and picks up a defensive lineman and blocks him through the goalpost right. His play at times however has been too inconsistent for the likes of some Cane fans. Whether it be whiffing on a block or a false start, he has made fans create the most unbelievable combination of curse words and throw their TVs out the window. Well I speak for myself in that matter. So enter Tyree St. Louis. Had a great spring and took full advantage of Sunny's absence. Although not as physically gifted he took full advantage of the weight room and is more natural and fluid at the position. Look for this battle to last the duration of camp.


4. Running Back: Joe Yearby vs Mark Walton


So if your a Canes fan it seems like your either a Yearby guy or a Walton guy right ? One of the morehighly debated positions on the team. Who is the better RB? I'm not going to lie....... I have my favorite and I would like to see Yearby take full control of the position as I believe he has more natural running back instincts and I just enjoy watching him cut and embarrass defensive backs. With that being said however how can anyone ignore what Mark Walton did this spring? Numero Uno wasn't messing around! He was on a mission and it appeared as if he took full control of the position and really impressed the coaching staff. The consensus scouting report in regards to Walton coming out of high school was that he was the most well-rounded, balanced running back in his class and although not elite at one specific thing he did everything really really good. That was on full display in the spring. Richt has indicated it will be running back by committee and Yearby had the majority of carries last year and ran for 1,000 yards so he is the projected starter. After the spring Mark had however I don't think anybody will be surprised if he was named the starter week 1.

3. Defensive Tackle: R.J Mcintosh Vs Gerald Willis

This day and age of recruiting is all about star rankings and even if your not a "star whore" as the message boards so eloquently call it, everybody gets excited at the arrival of a 5 star player. Cane fans have been patiently waiting to watch Gerald Willis play and are expecting big things out of him.  When I  first learned that R.J McIntosh lined up with the first team I like most fans thought nothing of it and expected as time passed for Gerald Willis to surpass him. So wasn't it a big surprise to see that by the end of spring R.J was yet to relinquish his starting spot? It only made me for example take more notice of him. He is a former defensive end so the athleticism is already there. Then add the fact that he gained considerable weight and strength and looks the part and you get it. This will be a fun battle to watch as Willis will certainly come on strong which will only make the group better.

2. #2 Cornerback: Sheldrick Redwine vs Adrian Colbert

If we did a poll on which position group most fans were worried about I would be willing to bet the majority would pick the cornerback position and It's a shame really. At a prestigious school like TheU in no way shape or form should there be a void of talent at the Cornerback position ( Thank You Al Golden). After Corn Elder the group is a bunch of unknowns and we won't really know what we have until the first couple of games.  Sheldrick Redwine had a solid spring and is the favorite to start. Graduate transfer Adrian Colbert will have something to say about that though. What We have heard about him so far is that physically he has the tools to be a very good CB. Tall at 6"1 with good speed and hips. He is certainly looking to throw his hat in the ring and expects to be the starter by the end of camp.

1. Wide receiver : Dayall Harris vs Ahmmon Richards vs Malcolm Lewis vs Darrel Langham

Losing Lawrence Cager is a big blow to this team and that opens up a spot at the #2WR position and there are a lot of candidates to fill that spot but there's only one name Cane fans want to hear..........Ahmmon Richards! So Yep that is all. The end.

Seriously though that's all most Cane fans want right lol? We all want to see the next Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and we believe Ahmmon Richards is that guy. So far it's been rumored that he has already ran a 4.3 in pre camp testing and that he has been impressing in offseason workouts and 7on7s. We believe he will be the next great WR at TheU and only time will tell. Sam Bruce and Braxton Berrios will almost certainly occupy the slot in 3 WR sets so that leaves upperclassmen Dayall Harris, Malcom Lewis, and Darrell Langham who he must beat out.  Transfer WR Harris and Langham fit the bill of what you expect a Mark Richt WR to look like. Big, strong, lanky WRs who can go up and fight for the ball. They both have experience and will not be looking to give that open WR to anybody. What once seemed like a promising start for Malcolm Lewis was derailed by a serious injury. This is his last opportunity and he will be looking to make an impression.

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