Another Year, Another Step For the Miami Hurricanes

As Miami Hurricanes' camp begins to open, there are high expectations in Coral Gables, FL. With those high expectations however come multiple question marks. The Canes made massive strides last year with a team that was mostly sophomores and juniors.

With another year under their belt, they seem poised to take a greater step with this upcoming season.

Jacory Harris showed his star potential and deadly accurate deep balls in Mark Whipples offense, but he also showed his immaturity by many times throwing into double and triple team coverage, because he may trust his receivers too much. If Jacory can mature after another year under center and an injury plagued season and offseason, then the talented position players at the U can show their true ability.

Harris seems to be the eye of the proverbial Hurricanes' storm.

He has the calm cool nature you look for in a starter and showed his ability and drive to win late in games in a “Heisman-esque” early season stretch, but injuries have forced him to take a step back. Canes fans around the country are prepared for the beginning of the season form of Jacory Harris to dominate the ACC.

After the questions surrounding Jacory Harris are answered, you must look in front of him. The offensive line is bringing in young players to keep Harris healthy and upright and let Damien Berry and the core of talented running backs find some open space.

If this young line gels in camp, and can prove that they are ready to carry what could be a great Miami Hurricanes offense like ones in the past, then this season will be a great one in Coral Gables.

However, if the offensive line struggles, then look for Jacory to make forced throws and for the running backs to struggle, especially with the loss of Javarris James and Cooper’s knee injury.

The line seems to hold the key to the offense this season, as it usually does around college football.

The defense at the U, however, seems primed for greatness.

With Allen Bailey leading the way the front four looks like one of the best in the country and can rotate in fresh bodies at will. If Forston can finally live up to his five-star hype, then that unit will be even more dominating, and it will need to be.

The middle of the defense and the “leader” for most teams is their middle linebacker and this season the U is hoping on a converted running back to step in and fill that roll.

Randy Shannon has publicly said that even with all the depth at outside linebacker, he would prefer to not move the often injured, but immensely talented Colin McCarthy to the middle, or Sean Spence.

However Kylan Robinson could force his hand and regress from an excellent spring to make Shannon move one of the excellent OLB to the middle and let hard-hitting Jordan Futch into the starting OLB spot.

Finally, the defensive backs look strong, athletic and skilled.

Brandon Harris was a first team All-ACC selection and a third team AP All-American and looks to take another step towards greatness and the NFL this season and become a lock down corner.

Opposite Harris is Demarcus Van Dyke who coach Shannon has said publicly could be a shutdown corner and take away the nation’s best. These two seem to have what it takes to let the Hurricanes be creative in their blitz package without fearing the deep ball or their corners getting beat in one-on-one situations.

The safeties are improving in the spring and are another year older. Ray Ray Armstrong seems to have the edge over Jamal Reid, but look for that to change if Armstrong can’t improve his coverage skills and ball hawking ability in camp. Vaughn Telemaque is slotted to be the other starting safety and needs to keep improving on a game that many believe is top notch.

Both safeties look to be physical and may lack coverage skills but hopefully can improve on those skills and look better with the corners locking down outside receivers. 

Overall the Hurricanes seem to be poised for an ACC run even with a tough schedule and tough conference.

The beginning of the season again seems to be a bumpy road with a second week matchup against Ohio State and Heisman hopeful Terrelle Prior. Prior seems to lead a great Ohio State team this year but may lack maturity and natural QB skills however, he is definitely one of the nation’s better athletes.

The Hurricanes will need to be creative and disciplined to stop him, and use the same mentality against VT’s Tyrod Taylor, their biggest ACC foe recently.

The other tough non-conference game that Miami is looking at is Pittsburgh. They return an All-American tailback in Damion Lewis and an All-American wideout in Jonathon Baldwin.

But the best defense Miami will face all year will be in North Carolina and former coach Butch Davis. UNC’s defense gave Jacory and UM’s offense fits last year, and even though have two of their best players facing possible suspensions, look to have a plethora of NFL quality talent and a loaded defense.

Miami has a tough road but look for them to face those challenges head on and improve on a great season in 2009. Expectations are high in Coral Gables but Hurricanes realists understand that it may be another year before the Canes are BCS ready.