Miami Football: 3 bold predictions for ‘Canes expected win over Virginia
2. Gerald Willis is unstoppable
Gerald Willis has been talked about quite a bit in recent weeks because of his outstanding performances on the defensive line for Miami. Willis, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound behemoth has been deemed unblockable at Miami since he arrived on campus. A redshirt senior, Willis started off a Florida Gator before being booted from the program. He then showed up in Coral Gables and did a little hell raising before taking a year off to focus on his personal growth. Now back and dominating ACC offensive lines, Willis has found a focus to get himself an NFL paycheck in 2019.
In limited duty in 2016, Willis had five tackles for loss. His explosive first step was evident and the practice reports from Miami were always that he was a hoss to handle in the trenches. In 2018 he’s been in the Warren Sapp category of being a constant issue for defensive coordinators across the country. Willis has 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass defense, and a fumble recovery as he’s proven to be a havoc player.
What Willis really does is command double teams that free up Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin on the outside while Miami rotates the other interior lineman position with John Ford, Pat Bethel and graduate transfer Tito Odenigbo. Jackson and Garvin have combined for 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2018. Virginia likes to use tight ends and fullbacks to slow down pass rushers and this should help Miami’s sometimes shaky pass coverage if there’s only two or three receivers on routes.
Prediction: Willis has three tackles for loss and a sack