Fifteen things we’re hearing on Canes football practice, including players impressing

Fifteen things we’re hearing from Miami Hurricanes football practice this month, as we approach the Aug. 31 opener at UF (3:30 p.m., ABC):

▪ Freshman cornerback O.J. Frederique has been outstanding, producing interceptions and pass breakups and making a case for early playing time.

As one UM person put it, whoever made him a three-star prospect seriously underestimated him.

The St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback was rated the No. 63 Class of 2024 cornerback by Rivals and the No. 67 cornerback by 247. He’s clearly better than that.

▪ Of the young receivers, freshman Ny Carr has been particularly impressive in recent weeks. He catches everything thrown anywhere around him. The hands are first-rate.

It remains to be seen whether he can crack a rotation led by Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Sam Brown and Isaiah Horton. But Canes people believe Carr can help immediately if needed.

▪ The battle between Brown and Horton, for playing time behind Restrepo and George, has been very competitive. Brown has displayed explosiveness throughout camp and Horton has been very solid and brings good size to the position at 6-4. Both should play a lot.

▪ With Mark Fletcher returning from last December’s foot injury, don’t be surprised if freshman Jordan Lyle gets early work.

The feedback on Lyle is that he runs hard, doesn’t fumble and can turn a short gain into a long run. One UM person called him a complete back.

▪ New starting running back Damien Martinez, the former Oregon State standout, has impressed with his ability to churn for extra yards after initial contact. He’s powerful, physical, has good vision and is hard to tackle.

Ajay Allen, who has shown breakaway speed in camp, remains very much in the mix for carries.

▪ Quarterback Cam Ward has had an impressive camp, displaying a big-time arm, an ability to escape a pass rush and a knack for absorbing a hit and keeping the play alive.

But here’s what multiple Canes people have also raved about: His work ethic and leadership skills. He’s routinely at the facility at 5 or 5:30 a.m., working with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and others.

As one UM person puts it, it’s nice when your quarterback is your best worker. That rubs off on his teammates.

▪ The feeling three weeks into camp is that five-star freshman defensive tackle Justin Scott is ready to help, as defensive coordinator Lance Guidry expected would be the case.

Besides the impressive size and strength, he has very sound technique and you can tell he has been well coached. You don’t need to break him out of bad habits, as one person put it.

▪ New defensive end Tyler Baron (the Tennessee transfer) and new defensive tackle Simeon Barrow (the Michigan State transfer) have been as good or better than expected. One UM person called them a clear upgrade over what the Canes had.

And defensive end Akheem Mesidor, healthy after foot injuries limited him to three games last season, has had a very good camp.

▪ Among some other transfers, feedback on N.C. State import C.J. Clark is that he’s steady and hard to dislodge. Defensive end Elijah Alston, who had six sacks at Marshall last season, has made a lot of plays this month and the internal expectation is that he will have an impact as a rotation player with Bain, Mesidor and Baron.

▪ UM’s freshmen front seven players are an impressive group. Besides Scott, look for Cole McConathy to push for playing time in a deep and crowded room of edge players.

One UM person said he would be very surprised if McConathy doesn’t become a very, very good player.

Linebackers Cam Pruitt and Adarius Hayes also have had some very good moments.

▪ Some feedback at linebacker, beyond Francisco Mauigoa, who’s one of the best players on the team: Jaylin Alderman, the Louisville transfer, is going to be a factor. He creates turnovers and is a good tackler… Wesley Bissainthe has had a very strong past several months and everyone expects another leap this season.

▪ At cornerback, Damari Brown seems more confident and is ready to take a jump, one UM person predicts. With Brown, Daryl Porter Jr. and Jadais Richard, the Canes are hopeful they’ll be fine at cornerback, especially with Frederique’s emergence.

▪ The backup quarterback battle between Emory Williams and Reese Poffenbarger has been very close. The indication we’ve received is one isn’t enormously better than the other. Both have had good camps. Williams has rebounded well from the non throwing shoulder injury against FSU.

Barring an injury to Ward, it would make sense to limit Williams to no more than four appearances this season to give him a redshirt and, in turn, an extra year of eligibility.

▪ When we talk to UM people, safety seems the biggest question mark, because it’s not easy to replace Kamren Kinchens and the physicality of James Williams, even though the addition of Washington’s Mishael Powell was obviously critical. Young players will need to come through there. Impressive freshman Zaquan Patterson needs time.

▪ Strengths of the team? Quarterback, defensive line, offensive line and running back, and potentially receiver. UM must clean up penalties and red zone issues, which were a problem last year. But an evaluator who has watched UM closely says he believes this is the Canes’ best roster in 15 years.