Miami Football: Finalizing the Hurricanes' Week 1 Depth Chart

With only 11 returning starters on the 2012 Miami Hurricanes roster, you would think that there isn't any hope for a successful season.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Although there are just a few players coming back, Coach Al Golden and staff rotated plenty of underclassmen last season. They are not only experienced sophomores and juniors, but legitimate athletes that will help the Hurricanes improve from the 6-6 record they endured a year ago.

Miami's first game is this Saturday against the Boston College Golden Eagles, and here are the expected starters for that game.

*Note: Al Golden released an updated depth chart on Aug. 20. My depth chart is what I believe will be the final one before the Boston College game on Sept. 1.

Quarterback

Starter: Stephen Morris

The race for starting quarterback came down to two people: Stephen Morris and Ryan Williams. With Morris missing the entire fall season due to injury, WIlliams stepped up and made it a competition.

After much deliberation, head coach Al Golden named Morris the starter just a couple of weeks ago.

The junior quarterback has shown that he has the arm strength; he just needs to limit his turnovers. Morris has thrown more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (7) in his career at Miami.

Backup: Ryan Williams

As I stated above, Williams definitely proved that he has the ability to be a starter at the collegiate level. He is a very accurate passer, and should Morris get into trouble or injured, be confident that he could step up and fill the void.

Running Back

Starter: Mike James

When Lamar Miller left early for the NFL, I really didn't know who was going to be able to fill the running back position. I thought that the Hurricanes would have to rotate Mike James and Eduardo Clements.

I was wrong.

James has pulled away from Clements and looks destined to have a terrific season. He isn't the fastest running back Miami has, but he is definitely the strongest. So far this fall he has been impossible to tackle.

Backup: Eduardo Clements

Clements was one of the biggest surprises of the spring and fall sessions. He has tremendous quickness and great overall speed.

Unfortunately James was a little bit more consistent. Clements will bring a different level of speed when he gives James some time off.

* Note: Duke Johnson will definitely get some opportunities on Saturday, but I believe he will be the third running back for Week 1.

Fullback

Starter: Maurice Hagens

One of the very few positions in which the starter has a secured position is at fullback with Maurice Hagens.

Hagens is not only a great blocker, but he can run and catch from the backfield. He may become one of the best fullbacks Miami has seen in awhile.

Backup: Sean Harvey

For those who don't know who Sean Harvey is, I will be 100 percent honest in telling you that I don't know much about him either.

Harvey is a University of Central Florida transfer and participated on the scout team last season. The official Hurricane roster has him listed as a tight end.

Wide Receivers

Starter No. 1: Allen Hurns

As it stands right now, Coach Golden has Allen Hurns or Phillip Dorsett as a starting wide receiver on one side. I would guess Hurns will get the nod come Sept. 1.

Hurns is the only receiver on the roster that has caught more than 16 catches in his career. He has tremendous size (6'3", 195 pounds) and can really attack the ball.

Backup: Phillip Dorsett

Dorsett has battled all spring and fall for the No. 1 wide receiver position and is extremely close in snagging it.

Dorsett has tremendous speed and is a threat to take it the distance any time he has the ball in his hand.

Starter No. 2: Rashawn Scott

Rashawn Scott has proved to everyone that he is one of the most dangerous players on the team. He has great field vision along with terrific speed and quickness.

Much like Dorsett, Scott has the ability to get six every time he touches the ball.

Backup: Kendal Thompkins

Coach Golden has Thompkins the possible starter come this Saturday, but I believe he will go with the bigger and quicker player in Scott.

Thompkins has had somewhat of a disappointing career at Miami, catching only eight passes since he came to Miami in 2008.

This spring, and apparently this fall, Thompkins has shown that he has the ability to become a starter—he just needs to be more consistent.

Tight End

Starter: Asante Cleveland

Asante Cleveland has had a terrific offseason. He seems to be in much better shape and has steadily improved after a sophomore slump he went through last season.

If you remember, when Cleveland came into Miami as a true freshman in 2010, he looked to be the next best tight end that came out of Miami. He finished fifth on the team in reception yards with 110.

Last season he had some nagging injuries and only caught one ball the entire season. He primarily was used on special teams.

Backup: Clive Walford

Cleveland's replacement last year was Clive Walford. Walford proved his worth, ending the season fourth on the team in catches (18) and yards (172).

Walford would no doubt be the starter if not for the renewed dedication of Cleveland.

Reports have recently stated that Golden may use a tight end by committee, but as far as I can tell, Cleveland should get the starting nod come Saturday.

Offensive Line

Left tackle: Malcolm Bunche

Malcolm Bunche played great last year after a redshirt freshman year. He is a very well-rounded tackle and played in eight games last season.

Backup: Ben Jones

Ben Jones has really come on as of late and has improved his speed and quickness on the line. Jones will be a solid backup but doesn't have that much experience—has only played in seven games in four years at Miami.

Left guard: Jon Feliciano

After being redshirted in his freshman season, Jon Feliciano has turned into a consistent offensive lineman. He saw action in 10 games last season, starting eight of them. Feliciano should be able to secure the left guard position all season long, barring injury.

Backup: Jeremy Lewis

Jeremy Lewis originally started his career at Miami as a defensive tackle. He has played in 10 games at the tackle position but has only played one game at offensive guard. Lewis is a terrific athlete with great feet and could see a lot more of the field this upcoming season.

Center: Shane McDermott

Shane McDermott isn't just the best offensive lineman on the team, but quite possibly the best center in the ACC. After redshirting his freshman year, McDermott played in 10 games last season and never gave up a sack or had a penalty called against him.

Backup: Jared Wheeler

Jared Wheeler has been a pleasant surprise this spring and fall. He continues to grow as an offensive lineman and has really competed well with McDermott for the starting center position. Wheeler will be a solid backup to one of the best centers in the ACC.

Right guard: Brandon Linder

Brandon Linder is by far, the most experienced offensive lineman on this years roster. He has played in 24 games—17 as a starter. He is probably the most consistent offensive lineman Miami has and should be one of the vocal leaders of this unit.

Backup: Danny Isidora

The backup position is currently in a battle between Jermaine Johnson and Danny Isidora. Both players are very capable of backing up Linder, but I truly believe Johnson will primarily be used at right tackle.

Isidora is a true freshman who has looked great at times this fall. He is an extremely strong guard with great feet and should get the chance to log in a lot of games this season.

Right tackle: Ereck Flowers

The one offensive player that has caught my eye all offseason has been true freshman Ereck Flowers. Flowers immediately came in the spring and proved that he has the physically ability to make a difference in just his freshman season.

With question marks to Seantrel Henderson, Flowers has cemented his place as a starter and doesn't look to give it up anytime soon.

Backup: Jermaine Johnson

Although Johnson has logged 12 games in his career—a starter for five of them—he has yet to prove that he is good enough to start. This year has been a drastic improvement from the last season, but when/if Henderson comes back, he will most likely go back to the guard position.

He will see plenty of of the field this Saturday backing up a true freshman in Flowers.

*Henderson is expected to miss Saturday's game due to personal reasons.

Defensive Line

Defensive end: Anthony Chickillo

This is a no-brainer as Anthony Chickillo is probably the best defensive lineman the Hurricanes have this year. He logged 12 games last year (nine as a starter) and finished tied for the team lead with five sacks.

Backup: Jelani Hamilton

Jelani Hamilton is just a true freshman but definitely possesses the skills to see a lot of action on Saturday. He is a huge (6'5", 271 pounds) pass-rusher with great quickness and strength.

Defensive tackle: Luther Robinson

Luther Robinson missed all of last season due to a lower extremity injury but has come back with vengeance this summer and fall. He has really turned his conditioning around and looks to be a solid starter for the Hurricanes.

Backup: Darius Smith

I wanted to put Darius Smith as the starter, but with the emergence of Robinson, I just couldn't do it. That being said, I believe Smith will see a lot of playing time—if not more than Robinson—based solely on the fact that he saw action in 12 games last season while Robinson was rehabbing an injury.

Defensive tackle: Olsen Pierre

Olsen Pierre has only played in seven games in his short career, but this offseason he has grown by leaps and bounds. Pierre has a non-stop motor and great quickness for a man his size (6'4", 296 pounds). He had four tackles in limited action last season.

Backup: Earl Moore

True freshman tackle Earl Moore has looked pretty impressive this fall. He is an extremely strong defensive lineman that gets good leverage against taller offensive lineman.

Defensive end: Shayon Green

Perhaps the best feel-good moment for Miami this year is the return of a healthy Shayon Green. Green, who has been plagued by two knee surgeries in his freshman and junior seasons, looks to finally be healthy. He is a tremendous athlete that originally started his career as a linebacker.

Backup: Kelvin Cain

Much like Green, Kelvin Cain started his career at Miami as a linebacker. This season will be his first as a defensive end. Cain is extremely quick and will most likely see a lot of time this Saturday on passing downs.

Linebackers

Outside linebacker: Eddie Johnson

Eddie Johnson is most likely the most impressive player this offseason. He was redshirted last season and will most likely be the starting outside linebacker this year.

Backup: Thurston Armbrister

Much like Johnson, Thurston Armbrister has yet to play in a regular season game. He participated on the scout team last year, but has certainly made some waves this fall and is currently listed as a possible starting for Saturdays game.

I believe Johnson will get the nod, but you may see a lot of rotating between the two.

Middle linebacker: Denzel Perryman

Another no-brainer on the defensive side of the ball is Denzel Perryman. He is the leading returning tackler from a year ago when he logged 69 of them. I expect to see him start this game and every single one for the rest of the season.

Backup: Jimmy Gaines

If it weren't for the spectacular play of Perryman, Jimmy Gaines would be the guy to start this Saturday. Gaines is a terrific athlete that has played in 18 games over the last two years.

Outside Linebacker: Ramon Buchanan

Ramon Buchanan looks to be almost 100 percent after tearing his ACL last year. He is the most experienced linebacker and should be a terrific vocal leader all season long. It is hard to say how much time Miami will use him, but there is no doubt he will at least start the game.

Backup: Tyrone Cornelius

Tyrone Cornelius will be the backup to Buchanan and should see significant playing time as I believe Miami will closely monitor Buchanan.

Defensive Backs

Cornerback: Brandon McGee

Brandon McGee has played in 33 games at Miami but has only one interception. With so many young talented cornerbacks around him, McGee must produce better numbers in order to keep his position on the depth chart throughout the season.

Backup: Antonio Crawford

True freshman Antonio Crawford has had a solid fall thus far and should be a solid backup to McGee.

Safety: Kacy Rodgers

Kacy Rodgers is another player that has had a remarkable offseason. He has proven to be a fine replacement to Ray Ray Armstrong.

Backup: Deon Bush

I have personally been anticipating Deon Bush all summer long. He didn't disappoint this fall and should see a lot of playing time this Saturday.

Safety: Vaughn Telemaque

The "old man" of the group is Vaughn Telemaque. He is the most veteran player on the team having logged 25 starts. He has four interceptions in the four years he has been on the team.

Backup: A.J. Highsmith

I didn't know what to think when A.J. Highsmith was converted over from quarterback two years ago, but he has surprisingly been effective.

Cornerback: Ladarius Gunter

Ladarius Gunter has been the biggest surprise of the offseason. The community college transfer has been lights-out all offseason. Gunter has solidifed his starting position for Saturday but will have to compete with freshman-phenom Tracy Howard.

Backup: Tracy Howard

Howard will be the backup this weekend, but don't think he won't see the field that much, because I believe Miami will use him a lot.

Howard is a tremendous athlete and has easily learned the system over the offseason. It will be hard to keep this playmaker off the field.

Kicker/Punter

Kicker: Jake Wieclaw

Jake Wieclaw isn't just the starter for this game, but will be the starter for every game. One of the best kickers in the ACC and is as good as they get in the college level.

Backup: Matt Goudis

Matt Goudis redshirted last season and will only see any playing time if Wieclaw gets injured or completely flops—which I don't see happening.

Punter: Dalton Botts

Dalton Botts is another one of those no-brainers for the depth chart. He is the only preseason All-ACC member on the Hurricanes roster. Botts is one of the best punters in the country and could compete for the Ray Guy Award—given to the best punter in the country.

Backup: Jake Wieclaw

Wieclaw will back up Botts at the punter position throughout the season.

KR/PR

Kick/punt returner: Phillip Dorsett

Phillip Dorsett will be returning kicks and punts this Saturday against Boston College, but if he gets a lot of touches at wide receiver, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they take him off the unit. Granted, he is one of the fastest Hurricanes on the roster, but they may need his services more at receiver.

Backup (KR): Duke Johnson

I honestly believe you will see true freshman Duke Johnson return a majority of the kicks this season. He won't be the primary returner this weekend, but with Dorsett getting more playing time at wide receiver, it will open it up for Johnson to display his speed and athleticism.

Backup (PR): Malcolm Lewis

Malcolm Lewis has been making waves all season long. He is extremely fast and seems to be almost impossible to get a solid tackle on him.

Just like Duke, I see Lewis getting more punt returns throughout the game.