Miami Hurricanes Football Suspensions: 5 Players Who Need to Step Up

It's been such a hectic August for the University of Miami Hurricanes. In the month preceding their regular season opener vs. Maryland on September 5th, the Hurricanes should be utilizing this time in preparing to bring the program back to the prominence it experienced during the Bernie Kosar, Gino Torretta and Ken Dorsey days.

Unfortunately, that can't happen.

With such a big black cloud surrounding the program with the Shapiro scandal, which led to the suspensions handed down on eight announced players this past Thursday morning—including, most notably, starting QB Jacory Harris and All-ACC Second Team selection Sean Spence—the Hurricanes are in a world of trouble.

With a couple of weeks before the opener vs. Maryland, the NCAA has time to investigate the matter and possibly retract the suspensions so those eight players can play.

Assuming the "infamous eight," which includes the likes of the aforementioned Harris and Spence, Ray-Ray Armstrong, Olivier Vernon, Travis Benjamin, Vaughn Telemaque, Marcus Forston and Adewale Ojomo, can't play come September 5th, these are the Canes who need to step up in their absence:

QB Stephen Morris

This is the most obvious selection. Stephen Morris is entering his sophomore campaign, having played in six games last year, starting four of them for an injured Jacory Harris.

If Harris is indeed sidelined for the Maryland game, Morris is going to need to play a little bit better than he did last season.

Morris played somewhat well for somebody who was a true freshman; he threw for seven TDs and nine INTs to go along with 1,240 yards for a team-high 125.0 efficiency rating.

Morris showed great composure at times, almost leading the Hurricanes from a 24-0 deficit to score 19 straight points in his first "real" appearance at QB in relief of the injured Jacory Harris.

With as many as six defensive starters sidelined for the season opener, Stephen Morris is going to have to overcompensate for the Hurricanes' lack of defense against Maryland and their staunch passing attack led by the best QB in the ACC, Danny O'Brien.

If Morris can show the same composure with better results against Maryland, the Hurricanes should be in it until the very end.

WR Allen Hurns

WR Travis Benjamin is the most explosive receiver the Hurricanes have. He is perhaps their biggest playmaker at the skill positions having averaged 17.3 yards per catch the past two seasons.

With Benjamin sidelined, Allen Hurns is the next man on the depth chart.

Allen Hurns is a sophomore with limited playing experience at receiver; he has yet to make a single catch in a game and he did play in 10 games last year, but most on special teams duty.

Hurns is a bit of a different breed in that he is much bigger than Benjamin. Hurns measures at 6'3" and is of a similar stature to that of opposite starting receiver Laron Byrd.

If Hurns can make up for his lack of receiving experience with a decent game against the Terrapins, to the point where Maryland's defensive backs don't double-team Laron Byrd, it would open up things immensely for not only Byrd, but Morris, Lamar Miller and the highly touted Blake Ayles.

LB Ramon Buchanon

With Sean Spence's impending suspension, the Hurricanes are cut short of their best defensive player.

Ramon Buchanon and Jordan Futch, the other two starting LBs on the depth chart, are both seniors. However, Buchanon has more experience having started for the Hurricanes last season.

Sean Spence is an immense void, having racked up 111 tackles last season and proving to be one of the Canes' best playmakers on defense. Futch has played mainly on special teams through his first three years with the Canes, and the Canes' primary backups at LB, James Gaines and Kelvin Cain, are two sophomores who have very little experience playing defensive snaps.

In order for the Canes to make up for the loss of their defensive leader, numerous Hurricanes, including Buchanon, need to step up if they are to have any chance against what may be the best offense in the ACC.

Safety A.J. Highsmith

Alonzo Highsmith is Miami's former backup QB who just transitioned from QB to SS in the past year in hopes of gaining more playing time.

Well, here's his opportunity.

With Highsmith behind Ray-Ray Armstrong on the depth chart, it looks like if Armstrong is suspended, Highsmith will get the nod.

This could be absolute disaster seeing as Highsmith has not had any real experience playing at SS in real game situations. The good news is that Maryland's top returning receiver is Quintin McCree who had a total of 16 receptions for 188 yards and one TD last year.

Maryland has two possession receivers starting this year in McCree and Ronnie Tyler, both smallish receivers who weigh no more than 190 pounds.

However, if Danny O'Brien does choose to go deep, it could spell disaster for a Hurricanes team that had their fair share of defensive collapses against quality opponents last season.

It is absolutely imperative that Highsmith and Andrew Swasey don't give up big plays. If they do, the game will be over before it even starts.

DT Darius Smith

Marcus Forston is the most acclaimed lineman of the Canes' defensive line which includes pro prospects Olivier Vernon, Micanor Regis and Adewale Ojomo.

Three of those four will be potentially suspended for the opener vs. Maryland.

It is absolutely imperative for a team that got gashed in the running game for 172.8 yards per game last season that their backup DT and starter in waiting, Darius Smith, clogs the running lanes to allow the Canes' inexperienced LB corps to make the tackles that are needed to prevent Maryland from winning the time-of-possession battle.

Forston was one of Miami's biggest playmakers, recording 12 tackles for a loss, which was the second most on the team.

Forston is a big man, at 300 pounds; Darius Smith is an even bigger man at 360 pounds. Smith transferred from a JUCO college in May of 2011 to play for the Hurricanes.

It is up to Darius Smith to play as big as he is listed, or the Hurricanes will get pushed around with six of their starters on defense being sidelined for much younger and inexperienced players.