Will the Miami Hurricanes Return to a Powerhouse in 2014?

Defense

The defense alone kept the Hurricanes from winning the Coastal last year after back to back losses to Virginia Tech and Duke, in which it gave up more than 40 points both time. The unit ranked 65th in points allowed and 89th in total defense, allowing 426.4 yards per game. If Miami is going to get any better this year, that will have to improve, especially since the Hokies and Blue Devils could have better offenses this year. There are some losses in the front seven, but Golden has recruited well enough on this side of the ball that there are some talented guys who can step in, and there are still some good players returning.

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Inside the Loud House

Half of the defensive line is gone, but it wasn’t a great line anyway. Anthony Chickillo returns for his senior season at end and was probably the best player on the line last year with 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss. Olsen Pierre, the returning starter at defensive tackle, was also the more productive tackle last year as he enters his senior season. Behind those two, end Tyriq McCord will probably start on the other side. A junior who was once a 4-star on Rivals, McCord managed 4 sacks last year in limited action. Jelani Hamilton will probably be the starter at tackle as he enters his junior season, and despite playing only four games last year, he has potential standing at 6’5″ 290 pounds and as a former Rivals 4-star himself. The depth at end should be fine with junior Ufomba Kamalu and sophomore Al-Quadin Muhammad seeing plenty of action last year, but at tackle, nobody else has any experience. Earl Moore, Corey King, Calvin Heurtelou, and Michael Wyche could all step in and provide depth, and at least one of them is bound to be able to handle it. Perhaps the most exciting part about the line, though, is Golden’s recruiting class, which includes 5-star defensive end Chad Thomas, 4-star defensive tackle Anthony Moten, 4-star defensive end Demetrious Jackson, and 3-star defensive end Trent Harris. The members of this highly recruited class could see some immediate action. The amount of talent coming in, the potential for the new starters, and the experience of the returning starters is enough for this line to not experience any drop-off. In fact, with the new guys, it should actually be better this year, so there aren’t going to be too many questions.

The losses at linebacker were big with Jimmy Gaines and Tyrone Cornileus gone. However, Denzel Perryman returns at middle linebacker for his senior season, and he was the most productive player at the position last year with 88.5 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up, and a forced fumble. Thurston Armbrister should see a larger role as a junior this year at the outside linebacker position, and he was productive last year with 29 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks. Sophomore Alex Figueroa played sparingly last year but still had 14.5 tackles and a sack. The players with the most potential are junior middle linebacker Raphael Kirby and sophomore outside linebacker Jermaine Grace. Both were 4-stars on Rivals and saw very little action last year but should have a much larger role this year. Sophomore JaWand Blue and True Freshmen Darrion Owens and JuWon Young will also provide depth. Despite the losses the unit suffered, the returning talent has more potential. There will be some early growing pains with new starters, but by the end of the year it should be better than last year’s unit.

The Hurricanes’ pass defense last year was, well, terrible. But almost the entire unit was made up of freshmen and sophomores and only one junior and senior, and the five most productive players are back this year. There is talent here, it was just experience that was lacking last year. Cornerback Ladarius Gunter will once again be the only senior among the starters, and he’s coming off a pretty decent

Sep 7, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) is tackled by Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Anthony Chickillo (71) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

year with 3 interceptions and 9 passes broken up. On the other side, Tracy Howard should have a breakout year as a junior after recording 4 interceptions last year. He was a 5-star on Rivals, and it’s time for him to live up to the hype. Antonio Crawford will be another junior cornerback who will see lots of action after playing in all 13 games last year and recording an interception and 3 passes broken up. At safety, Rayshawn Jenkins is back as a junior after recording 38 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 5 passes broken up last year. Deon Bush will play the other safety position, and after hyping himself up as a 4-star recruit coming in, he needs to match it as well as he enters his junior season. Last year he had 27 tackles, 2 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble, so he can play all over the field. Artie Burns and Corn Elder are sophomore cornerbacks who will provide depth after playing 11 games last year as a freshman, and Nantambu-Akil Fentress is a senior safety who will see some action as well. Nate Dortch is back as a sophomore after starting six games as a freshman, and junior Dallas Crawford, sophomore Jamal Carter, and freshman Kiy Hester all have the potential to step in. Like the rest of the defense, this unit should be much better this year thanks to experience.

Overall, the defensive unit suffered some losses, but there is a lot of returning talent and guys with potential to step in and make an immediate impact. Adding to that the fact that Golden has recruited very well, and this defense should be much better than last year. It won’t be anything great, but it’ll be good enough to not give up 40 points to every good team it plays. The biggest role for the defense has to be to give the offense a chance to win the game, and the superstars on defense have to make game-changing plays. If they can’t do that, the Hurricanes will be in trouble. But they should be able to.