Canes Practice Update

On the 'Canes last scrimmage of the fall before actual gameday action on Tuesday night, the offense played lights out, especially sophomore WR Leonard Hankerson, who had up to this point been invisible. "Hank" had 3 long TD receptions. Here are some other practice tidbits since I last checked in:

* I've been talking a lot about future freshmen sensations LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin. As the practices have rolled on, Benjamin has actually been separating himself from the rest of the pack. His explosiveness and big play ability have been a constant since he arrived in Coral Gables earlier this month. Byrd, and fellow freshman Aldarius Johnson, are primed to have big rookie seasons, but Benjamin is the one who has earned consistent raves from the usually stoic Randy Shannon.

* A couple of interesting return game options. At punt returner, freshman Thearon Collier has shown flashes. He is lightning quick, a throwback to UM great Roscoe Parrish. Defensive tackle Joe Joseph has another comparison - "We have another Devin Hester out there." That's high (and premature) praise. We'll just have to see. At kick returner, I'm excited about the possibilities presented by sophomore RB Shawnbrey McNeal. He was an unexpected bright spot last season, and bursts through any sliver of a seam he can find with Bolt-ian speed (okay, maybe he's not THAT fast). He had a 50 yard gain at Tuesday's scrimmage.

* Speaking of running backs, Javarris James and Graig Cooper have seen limited action this fall as Shannon wants to keep his two top horses healthy for the upcoming season. In their absence, fifth year senior Derron Thomas has more than adequately filled in. He was a top back coming out of high school, and it has been sad to see him play third fiddle to a couple of underclassman, but he's never complained, boasts an almost 5-yards-per-carry career rushing average, and has been impressive in fall practices. With JJ, Coop, Shawnbrey, and Derron, running back depth is no issue whatsoever at Canes camp.

* Chavez Grant has emerged as the team's best performing cornerback. He has been a perennial ball hawk this fall, and is a lock to start against Charleston Southern next week.

* I'm a little worried about starting defensive ends Eric Moncur and Allen Bailey. They've been nursing injuries throughout the fall, and have been held out of seemingly every practice for 2 weeks. Their replacements - Adewale Ojomo, Steven Wesley, Andrew Smith, Marcus Robinson, and Gavin Hardin - have done well, but if Miami is to have any shot at uprooting the Gators on September 6, they're going to need their very best pass rushers healthy to make Tim Tebow's life as uncomfortable as practicable.

* As far as the QB competition between Robert Marve and Jacory Harris, we should have a starter named in the next couple of days. Up to this point, neither Marve nor Harris have separated themselves. But practice onlookers say it's because both have played with competence and poise (an instant upgrade over the departed Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman).

* 7 days!

At Long Last...A UM Football Practice Report!

I feel like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a long and deep slumber, peering outside the window of my cavernous abode, and seeing the very brightest of sunshines for the first time in months. The happiest five months of the year are upon us - college and pro teams are holding spirited practices and there was even an NFL exhibition game last night (okay, so maybe that's not so exciting). The Canes, meanwhile, have held two practices. Here is the latest buzz from the Greentree Practice Field in Coral Gables:

* Perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the fall was at wide receiver, where Miami is counting on an awful lot of true freshmen to lead them. The newcomers did not disappoint. The stud of the group was the 6-foot-4, 211 pound LaRon Byrd, from Louisiana. Sporting the #47 and snatching balls out of the sky with scary regularity, Canes fans had a vision of another "playmaker" who wore the same number - Michael Irvin. His size is considerable, his speed more than adequate, and his hands well advanced for his relative inexperience. Two more newcomers who shone were Travis Benjamin and Davon Johnson. Benjamin dazzled with his speed (he clocked in Saturday at 4.26 in the 40 yard dash) while Johnson drew raves with his elusiveness. Both have the makings of excellent slot receivers and/or kick returners.

* The most intriguing question was who was getting a leg up in the QB race between redshirt freshman Robert Marve and true freshman Jacory Harris (from two-time state champion Northwestern). By all indications, both were good, and already at this young stage in the careers outperforming last season's starters Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman. That is welcome news, but honestly not very high praise, considering that Wright and Freeman seemed to be among the worst one-two quarterback punches in the country last season. Marve seems to have the slight edge because he's had been around one more season, studying film and learning from Wright and Freeman's (abundant) mistakes. Harris is said to have one of the more beautiful and effortless passing motions you will ever see. Both are leaders and competitors, so it should be interesting. Third-stringer Cannon Smith, who can be seen in the new movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (this is no joke), has made big strides since the spring, improving his arm strength and poise considerably (though probably not enough to enter into the conversation of who will start on August 28 against Charleston Southern).

* Marcus Robinson, rated the #4 outside linebacker in the Class of 2008 by rivals.com, has been moved to defensive end because of depth concerns. He's one of the biggest incoming linebackers, and actually played some end in high school. Head coach Randy Shannon says that he should make an immediate impact as a third-down, pass rushing end. Wunderkind Allen Bailey sat out of the two practices, still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle.

* At defensive back, another thin position, Sophomore cornerback Demarcus VanDyke had a few pass breakups and looks to have bulked up a bit since last season. Brandon Harris looked fast and fierce. True freshman free safety Ramon Buchanon was getting plenty of reps this weekend, and VanDyke called him and fellow true freshman safety Vaughn Telemaque "ballers".

* I bought my tickets for the Charleston Southern game, and derived more joy from the experience than any man my age should.

Canes Suffer A Hit On The O-Line

Freshman offensive lineman Brandon Washington, one of the national champ Northwestern Bulls that was supposed to be an integral part in the Canes eventual revival, will have to wait a season to make any sort of impact on his new team. He, along with two others - linebacker Antonio Harper and safety C.J. Odoms - are headed to Milford Prep (NY) since they could not get academically qualified for the beginning of the fall semester.

Miami desperately needs offensive lineman help, with recruiting at the position precariously thin over the years. Washington's absence puts even more pressure on freshman Ben Jones, also from Northwestern, to help bolster the o-line, which outside of spring impressives Jason Fox, Orlando Franklin, and Joel Figueroa, has many more question marks than answers.

Perhaps the key to the season is how much protection the offensive line can give a freshman starting quarterback (the Canes have nothing but freshmen at the quarterback position) - you know teams will be gunning for the green QB. Newcomer fullback Patrick Hill - known to blow a few people up in his pre-Miami days - will be heavily counted on to be the last line of defense to protect either Robert Marve or Jacory Harris once the season starts.

In other news - I can't wait for football season (as you can surmise from the July college football posts).

UM Who to Watch 2008: QB Robert Marve

As you see below, UM football, even at this time of year, is a story that South Florida sports fans want to hear more of. As a "man of the people" and ardent democrat (small "d"), I must oblige Average South Florida Joe and commence a series chronicling the most exciting potential lights of the 2008 season, and I begin the installment with quarterback Robert Marve.

No, Robert Marve has not locked down the starting job, but heading into fall practices he will doubtless be one of the hottest stories in Coral Gables as he competes with fellow freshmen Jacory Harris, Taylor Cook, and Cannon Smith for the starting quarterback position in Miami. He comes in with an enormous amount of hype, having won the designation of Florida's high school Mr. Football in 2006, setting state single-season records for passing yards (4,380), touchdowns (48), and completions (280) and leading Tampa's Plant High School to the 4-A championship, completing 30 of 46 passes for 305 yards and 3 TD's in the title game.

I watched that 2006 state championship game, and what I saw struck me. He possessed more "cool" than any high school quarterback I had ever seen. In fact, he was almost recklessly confident, nearly goading defensive linemen and linebackers to get as close to him as possible before launching one 40 yards and hitting his receiver between the numbers, then talking to the defenders about it. He was a scintillating passer on the run, and his mobility was impressive. UM receivers that have been working with him during the past year have noted that the footballs he throws hurt their hands. He is also an unparalleled student of the game, staying up nights watching film and pestering offensive coordinator Patrick Nix all the time, trying to get things right.

Marve will face stiff competition in the fall by none other than 2007 Mr. Football in Florida Jacory Harris, who led his Northwestern Bulls to two state championships and one national championship playing 6-A ball against some of the toughest competition any South Florida team has had to face (see Harris' cool dismantling of #1 Texas Southlake Carroll last year). But Marve's arm strength, accuracy, work ethic, pocket cool, and moxy make him as good a candidate as any to be the next starting quarterback at the U.