July Miami Hurricanes Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 10 CB Daryl Porter, Jr.

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster based on projected production, and today we’re at No. 10, Daryl Porter, Jr.

THE BIG PICTURE

Porter, Jr. might be one of the more underappreciated cornerbacks in the ACC, as he didn’t make many real game-changing plays last year (i.e. no interceptions). But you’re not going to find a guy who sticks with receivers much better, and he also has plus physicality as a tackler. He’s the lone returning full-time starter in the secondary for Miami, and will be joined at corner by Damari Brown (started final four games as a true freshman last year), Marshall transfer D’yoni Hill and former Vanderbilt transfer Jadais Richard as the most likely main four guys. Brown or Richard could also play nickel, the spot manned by Washington transfer Mishael Powell this spring … but Powell could move to safety this fall.

JULY PLAYER PERFORMANCE INDEX: No. 30 Elijah Alston , No. 29 Josh Horton , No. 28 Raul Aguirre … No. 27 D’yoni Hill … No. 26 Samson Okunlola … No. 25 Jaden Harris … No. 24 Markeith Williams … No. 23 Akheem Mesidor … No. 22 Jaylin Alderman … No. 21 Damari Brown … No. 20 Wesley Bissainthe … No. 19 Simeon Barrow/CJ Clark … No. 18. Elijah Arroyo … No. 17. Sam Brown … No. 16 Elija Lofton … No. 15 Zach Carpenter … No. 14 Tyler Baron … No. 13 Mishael Powell … No. 12 Dylan Joyce … No. 11 Francis Mauigoa

THE ANALYSIS

Porter Jr. finished last year with 23 tackles and four pass breakups with no interceptions, a stat line that’s not going to really catch your eye. But per Pro Football Focus he was targeted 26 times and only allowed 12 receptions for 114 yards. So a really good coverage result. As for his PFF grades? He checked in at an excellent 80.8 percent in 501 reps (80.3 cover grade). Porter was a backup the prior year, losing the job to DJ Ivey in fall camp – he ended with 205 reps and a 61.7 cover grade. He was solid in 2021 at West Virginia – that year he started and had 46 tackles, an INT and five pass breakups (he graded out at 71.7 percent overall at West Virginia in 716 reps, including a 71.0 cover grade). He has experience and is a strong cover corner. And he cracks our top 10 on this list as a result.

THE PROJECTION

Porter will be a starter on one side and should build on a really good season. The big thing for him is to start really attacking the ball more and getting some interceptions. The team’s other DBs are more question marks, so certainly the Canes need Porter to be the player they think he can be. We see Porter as a guy who can end this year with 40 tackles and three or four interceptions. He has the potential to be one of the conference’s top CBs.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

We really need to see a more aggressive Porter who is breaking on the ball just a hair earlier – that can trigger those INTs that last year were pass breakups or incompletions in tight coverage. He was under-the-radar good last season and is in line to make some noise in 2024 on a much bigger scale if he can make a few game-altering plays. He has the potential to be one of the ACC’s top cover corners.

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