Miami Football: Updating the 5 Best Spring Football Battles

So far, the spring practice session for the Miami Hurricanes has compiled nine practices and two scrimmages.

The coaches are trying everything they can to determine who are the best players to fill the huge holes  Miami has on both offense and defense.

There have been plenty of position battles going on across the board, but here are the five most intriguing ones so far.

Rashawn Scott vs Phillip Dorsett (WR)

LaRon Byrd, Travis Benjamin and Tommy Streeter combined for 1,545 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Hurricanes last year.  That may not seem to be all that much spread out among three receivers, but considering the entire team only had 2,785 yards and 21 touchdowns, it's a massive hole to fill.

Allen Hurns is the lone returning player that made a big contribution last year when he caught 31 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns.  I believe he will be their No. 1 receiver on the depth chart.

Where it starts to get competitive is for the No. 2 spot between Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott.

Dorsett has made spectacular catches all spring long and has been completely untouchable when he is in the open field.  He even had a kickoff return for a touchdown earlier this spring.

I thought that Dorsett would be a lock for the No. 2 or even the No. 1 spot on the depth chart until Rashawn Scott started making difficult catches and scoring long touchdown receptions.

Scott and Dorsett have been playing tremendously during the spring and are making it a terrific battle for the No. 2 spot.

Kendall Thompkins and newly-positioned Dallas Crawford have also looked terrific of late and should battle for the third/fourth position.

Ladarius Gunter and Thomas Finne (CB)

The cornerbacks have been less than stellar the last couple years at Coral Gables, but this year might be a change of times, so far at least.

Ladarius Gunter has played so well that he is currently listed as a starting cornerback opposite of Brandon McGee.

The name to compete with McGee has been sophomore Thomas Finnie, who is playing lights-out, deflecting passes all over the field.

Although Gunter and Finnie play on opposite sides of the field, the coaches may end up having to choose between the two to be a starter heading into fall practice.

With the way both corners are playing right now, either one deserves the chance to start.

Preston Dewey vs Gray Crow (QB)

With Stephen Morris sitting on the sideline this spring due to back surgery, Ryan Williams has stepped up and filled in tremendously at the quarterback position.

Williams has been making incredible throws and has proved that this spring will be a shootout to determine who starts this season for the Hurricanes.

The battle for the third and final quarterback position (I assume one of them will be redshirted) has been a close race between two true freshmen, Gray Crow and Preston Dewey.

Crow currently has the leg up on Dewey being listed as the backup quarterback, but they seem to swap positions in the depth chart every other practice.

Both quarterbacks have a lot to learn, but the battle for that backup spot this year has been highly competitive.

I cannot wait to see who will eventually cement that third quarterback position this fall.

Ereck Flowers and Malcom Bunche (OT)

The biggest mess right now has been the offensive line.  What I mean by a mess is that there are so many players competing for starting positions.

Out of all the linemen, the most competitive battle has been for the left tackle position between Ereck Flowers and Malcolm Bunche.

Bunche, a redshirt sophomore, played in eight games last year including a start against Virginia.  He is a monster (6'7", 325 lbs) that moves extremely well and has the experience on Flowers.

Flowers, a true freshman, is a tad-bit smaller at 6'6", 312 lbs, but has amazing power and quickness.  He has been able to push defenders off the ball clearing the way for the Hurricane running backs all spring long.

Right now Bunche is listed as the starter, but I would not be surprised at all if the freshman takes it away from him this fall.

Mike James vs Eduardo Clement (RB)

When Lamar Miller decided to take his talents to the NFL last year, I truly didn't know if backup running back Mike James would be good enough to be the new starter.

James has proven to me and everyone else that Miami may be in good hands after all.

James has torched the defense all spring long, breaking off huge runs and bowling over defenders like they weren't even there.

The listed backup, Eduardo Clements, has also proved that he could be a starter showing tremendous quickness and elusiveness.

Both Clements and James have shown they both can start at any given time, but things won't get real interesting until freshman Duke Johnson comes to school this fall.

As it stands right now, it has been a coin-flip on who is the better running back.