Canespace

Legends Of The Fall 2018

One tradition that we have established here at Canespace over the last eleven years is that each year, when Fall practice starts and before the season begins, we ask bloggers to select their personal choices for what we like to call "Legends of the Fall".

This tradition actually started when CGNC, who is without a doubt a legend herself here on Canespace, started a series of player features with the same title. Years ago she wrote features about former UM players QB Kenny Dorsey and TE Jeremy Shockey and called them "Legends of the Fall".

In our fan selection process true "Legends of the Fall" are those players who the fans feel will have outstanding or "breakout" season for the Canes on offense and defense this year.

It's not about simply picking the Hurricanes' best players, but your personal favorites among the UM players apart from the usual suspects and most obvious stars. Some bloggers choose first or second year players who are likely to break on the scene as freshmen or sophomores.

Former winners include LB Sean Spence and WR Aldarius Johnson and QB Jacory Harris and DL Allen Bailey. Other winners were WR Leonard Hankerson and CB Brandon Harris. Then there was RB Lamar Miller and RB Duke Johnson and LB Denzel Perryman.

There are your unusual selections and surprises like kicker, punter and lead body slammer Matt Bosher who just happened to be the Canes 2008 MVP. The man was an absolute  beast on special teams but who woulda thunk it?

Other bloggers are more traditional or conservative in their picks and select juniors or seniors who are projected to finally have that one incredible breakout season that leads them to become a high round NFL draft selection.

These picks could really be any defensive or offensive player who may be primed to explode on the scene after a solid previous season or a spectacular Summer. Offensive and defensive linemen may not be popular or sexy picks but they are just as eligible as any other position player.

And don't forget special teams standouts too who can change a game with that one big play that shifts the entire momentum of a game. Some bold predictions even result in selections of completely unexpected dark horse candidates for this honor like Sam Shields a few years ago.

If these long-shot picks actually play out, the blogger who picked them look like an absolute genius. This is the most risky, but potentially most rewarding, approach of all.

Then again if you decide to take a leap of faith on a player and they don't ball out like you might have hoped or expected then you might wind up like old time blogger Cat5 who selected LB Arthur Brown or SolarCane who selected WR Thearon Collier and then well, U know what happens then.

It's your choice. Here are the 2017 LOF rules:

1. Pick one player on offense and one player on defense.
2. Pick one freshman for "Freshman Impact Player of the Year".
3. Pick one special teams player.
4. Pick one assistant coach or coordinator for "Coach of the Year".

Now make your choices and you may win Canespace prizes and other fun stuff like tickets to a football, basketball or baseball game. 

And remember: U gotta be in it to win it!

The Three Headed Monster

University of Miami starting quarterback Malik Rosier (the new and improved version for 2018) recently took to Twitter after the Canes first real scrimmage of the Fall and tweeted, "We got a new three headed monster on offense."

Hurricane fans were left wondering what he might have meant by that statement. Well we think we know, so here is our best guess:

RUNNING BACK
24 | Travis Homer | Junior | 5-11 | 205
13 | DeeJay Dallas | Sophomore | 5-10 | 220
32 | Trayone Gray | Redshirt Senior | 6-2 | 240

Homer blossomed after taking over as the starter a year ago following an injury to Mark Walton, rushing for 966 yards on 163 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and finishing with eight rushing touchdowns on his way to earning an All-ACC Second Team selection in 2017.
 
Dallas also stepped up after moving from wide receiver to running back following Walton's injury, using his athleticism and versatility to rush for 217 yards and three touchdowns behind Homer. Fully focused on running back in 2018, Dallas could be an important and versatile weapon for Miami's offense. But Gray is the biggest surprise in the running back room, moving to fullback in the spring and climbing to No. 3 on the depth chart in fall camp.
 
"I'm so proud of that dude," offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said of Gray. "I said it [at Media Day], his development not just as a player, but as a person – what he's done off the field, being more responsible, being accountable. He has always been a very talented guy – super fast, straight ahead [runner], very strong. He's limited some east and west [running]-wise, but we kind of work around that. But his maturity level has come along so fast this past spring and summer. I'm really excited about what he's doing."

Gray's ability to play both fullback and running back excite Brown, while his experience and maturity will help him mentor a stable of talented young running backs.

"I think it's huge," Brown said of Gray's ability to play both positions. "Obviously you have a guy who has played some - not a whole lot throughout his career, but at least has been around the program and been in our system. He knows what we kind of expect from a coaching staff standpoint. The effort every single day, the accountability every single day, is huge to have in that room – especially when you have new guys who just got here with Cam [Davis], Lorenzo [Lingard] and Realus [George]. The more guys we have in that room who can help lead those guys when I'm not around, the better off we'll be. So I think the fact that he was not hesitant to move when I asked him to move, didn't have an attitude about it, he just accepted his role, embraced his role and kept working at it, and now he's back in the mix at tailback."

We Ready!

The 2018 college football season is now just around the corner.

We are gearing up for what should be a special year for your Miami Hurricanes.

Can the Hurricanes win the Coastal Division?

Can Miami beat Clemson and have a chance to win the ACC?

Can they play in the college football playoffs?

Can they win the National Championship?

Time will tell and we will see.

Either way, we are ready!

The Boys Are Back In Town

The Miami Hurricanes were back in action today on the Greentree Practice Fields Saturday morning, opening fall camp ahead of the 2018 season.
 
"It was really a great day in that you could feel the humidity, feel the heat," Miami head coach Mark Richt said. "A lot of guys that had great summers came through really well."

The Canes held their first official practice on Greentree since April. Miami returns 14 starters and 44 letter-winners from a team that won 10 games for the first time since 2003 and advanced to the ACC Championship Game for the first time in program history in 2017.
 

"Pretty typical Day One," Richt said. "It was very evident who has been around this program a while and who is just showing up for the first time – just in knowing how to practice and knowing how to push, knowing how to do things right, knowing how to finish a drill, knowing the things that we teach on a daily basis that [are] very, very normal to the guys who have been around and new to the guys who are new. They have a long way to go, just to understand how we practice around here. It's not because they're not trying. They're just learning."

As expected, Preseason All-ACC selections Jaquan Johnson and Shaquille Quarterman were among the leaders on the defensive side of the ball and they were impressed with how the team handled the first day of practice.
 
"It's great to see that your summer really paid off and I really see it for a whole bunch of guys on our team," Quarterman said. "Guys took the time and put in the work this summer. Everybody is looking better. As a team where we were last year with conditioning, we're way levels past that now so that's always good to see on the first day."
 
The Canes had several players back in action for the first time since the 2017 season, as veterans like Ahmmon Richards, Demetrius Jackson and Charles Perry participated in a practice for the first time since suffering season-ending injuries last season.
 
"Just finally being able to practice again and doing all the little things with all my teammates again, it just felt good to be out here," Richards said. "I haven't really practiced since December of last year. I'm kind of getting back into football condition. I'll be alright."
 

While the veterans led the way for the Canes on Saturday, several newcomers made a quick impression on Richt and his staff on the opening day of camp.
 
"Some of the young guys [were] making a few plays here and there," Richt said. "I know Dee Wiggins had a really great contested catch in the end zone one time. [Marquez] Ezzard - once he learns what to do - I think is going to be a pretty good ballplayer. I really like the young [defensive backs] – you have [Al] Blades doing a good job. Cam [Davis], the tailback out of Carol City, did a nice job today. You can see his quickness and those types of things."

The Canes took a major step forward as a program in 2017, finishing with a perfect 7-0 record at home during the regular season in 2017 and marking the first undefeated home campaign during the regular season since 2002. But Miami stumbled down the stretch, dropping its final three games to finish 10-3 on the season.
 
With a deep group of proven veterans and an influx of talented newcomers joining the roster, the Canes feel like they will have the depth to avoid a late-season slide and finish the year strong.
 
"We want to finish," Johnson said. "We preach that all the time. There are four quarters to football. We started off the season with a great half of the season and then on the back end we let things go. We're preaching that we have to finish. That's what's most important."