Miami Football: 5 early bold predictions for 2018 season

3. Gerald Willis, Comeback Player of the Year

Losing the top three players in the defensive tackle rotation will not be easy to replace for Miami in 2018. In fact, the ‘Canes lost RJ McIntosh, Kendrick Norton and Anthony Moten to the NFL Draft.

Miami will have to use a graduate transfer in Tito Odenigbo from Syracuse, and young but highly-regarded talent in John Ford and Pat Bethel to make plays in the middle against a run-happy schedule that features LSU, Florida State, Duke, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. Miami will also rely on enigmatic defensive tackle Gerald Willis.

Willis, a former Florida Gator who transferred to Miami in 2015 after issues in Gainesville. He took a “leave of absence” in 2017 and did not play but could practice with the team. That makes Willis, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound man in the middle, hopefully a little wiser than he has been in the past.

The Florida transfer has flashed elite ability in his short window of time playing on Saturdays. In 2016, Willis logged 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in only nine games of action. He dominated the spring game two years ago and this spring should be a force on the defensive line.

The Miami guards and centers will have their hands full during spring practices. I believe that Willis will have matured with age and is ready to take the next step towards All-ACC in 2018. Willis is a former four-star recruit out of Louisiana, a hotbed for playmakers in the college ranks and NFL.