Friday, the good momentum continued on the recruiting trail for the Miami Hurricanes. 2022 four-star cornerback Trequon Fegans committed to Miami.
Feagans the 11th overall corner in his class, and the fourth overall player in his class from the state of Alabama per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He was recruited by Demarcus Van Dyke and Travaris Robinson. Van Dyke has been on a roll in recruiting over the past couple of weeks, and this was another big get for him and the rest of the staff.
Feagans also had offers on the table from South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Most recently, he took an official visit to South Carolina on June 18. Luckily, Miami was able to snag him.
What can he bring to Miami Hurricanes?
This is a huge get for Miami. Measuring in at six-foot-two, he brings another lengthy corner to the position. In terms of what he brings on the field, he is a very solid cover corner. In addition, he has very good vision. As soon as the play develops, he is able to track where the ball is with relative ease. The combination of those two things could give Miami the ability to take away one side of the field defensively.
In the passing game, he matches up well with outside wide receivers. As soon as the ball is snapped, he stays stride-for-stride with his man, and is able to find the ball and make a play. He has versatility in the sense that he can come down and defend the run as well as the pass. Those instincts that he has in the passing game translate well to the running game.
Miami has a solid group of corners for the 2022 class. This class is absolutely stacked. In past years, corner was a position that got ignored in recruiting. That is not the case with the 2022 class. Now, the trick is going to be development. Can Miami get the job done in that area? Only time will tell.
With this commitment, the Hurricanes class ranks 58th overall nationally and 12th in the ACC per the 247sports Team Rankings. This class is getting deeper by the day.
The Miami Hurricanes now have an embarrassment of riches in the secondary. It will be intriguing to see how much of an impact Feagans makes. He could be a staple of Miami’s future defense in the coming years.
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A muggy friday, moved slowly, as the team was heavy into Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams install. Then some fireworks, and a dominant performance from one side of the ball.
Tua Tagovailoa. This was a decent encore to what was a great day on Thursday. Tua Tagovailoa continues to show great command of the offense, and is still showing an aggressiveness that has only grown the past few days. His best throws of the day came early in some 6v8 where he hit Jaylen Waddle on a deep crosser for a nice gain, and then followed that up with a go route that Jakeem Grant pulled down for a big gainer. His Red Zone work was pretty strong to start, till the defense came on late in practice. Later on in 11v11, Tua began to feel some pressure and the offense sputtered inside the 20 yard line.
Jacoby Brissett. This was not a good day for the backup QB and his unit. At one point, he had gone 6 consecutive pass plays without a completion, gave up several sacks, had some throwaways, and then sailed a couple more into harms way. Jacoby Brissett was by no means “good” on this day, but I believe the defense also deserves credit. It has been a strong camp to start for Brissett, this was just a bad patch. I look forward to seeing how he adjusts.
Brissett not having a sharp practice. Struggling to find guys, and not much separation.
— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) July 30, 2021
Nik Needham. Always on the spot. Playing every cornerback position, Nik Needham got his hands on several footballs. While he did not post a turnover, he was noticeable in coverage, and the versatility he showed, displays the depth this secondary has. This team (even with Xavien Howard out) has a strength in this secondary. By a crude count, I had Nik Needham targeted 5 times, allowing one reception of less than 10 yards.
Brandon Jones. Seems to have an expanded role. While he has racked up snaps on defense, Brandon Jones also shows up on several special teams units, and really logged the mileage in this practice. While the Miami Dolphins/NFL don’t want the media to reveal specifics on how players are being used, I can assure you, he is seeing expanded action since last year.
Jakeem Grant. This was a big day for Jakeem. Grant hauled in a go route early in practice, then showed up once again on a toe tapping TD in the back of the end zone. After a couple of days, where he was essentially invisible, Jakeem Grant took full advantage of the reps afforded to him today. The most impressive route run, was a rep where he got good depth on a skinny post, on what was a RPO, and managed to make the grab in traffic for a nice gain. Jakeem showed great concentration on this day, logging no drops, and several big plays.
Tua completed a deep pass down the field to Jakeem Grant then ran down the field and jumped up to chest bump him in celebration #MiamiDolphins
Welcome guys and gals to something I’ll try to do once a week but figured it would be a good time to start my observations which will be about the first day of practice. These are going to be my thoughts and opinions sprinkled in with some facts from people that know or were actually at practice. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Tua thoughts:
Tua overall had a decent day as he did score some TDs like the long 60 yarder to Albert Wilson and another on a waggle to Shaheen where he looked off Baker with his eyes to fit it in there, he did have 2 interceptions on the day which people love to bring up. One interception was against AVG in a clear miscommunication with Shaheen where he was either between lobbing it up or coming back to the RB. The other was a pass that was described to me as lazy and batted at the line where Baker got the pick.
Tua after practice talked at length about the differences between this year and last season with how much time he can spend with guys like eating with them and not having to go back home for a 2-hour zoom meeting like they had to do last year because of covid.When asked about the deep ball he talked about “getting everything down with guys, knowing where guys are going to be, and how they run certain routes..”.
Sun-Sentinel reporter Omar Kelly and others have noted him taking the next step of leadership with bringing in guys to work out during the offseason, being a coach on the field, and even after practice where he mentioned “I got to get everyone together talk to the entire offense and I’ll just talk about our evaluation of the day you know how we started how it looks about the middle of practice and then how we finished on and you know I think overall we did pretty good obviously there’s always going to be things we need to brush up and cleanup.” All in all a good first step for Tua, that will give him things to pat himself in the back for while also giving him things to improve and work on. Remember this was all during install, which as our own Alfredo broke down, is just the Offense running the same play sometimes 3 or 4 times in a row with the Defense knowing exactly what’s coming.
Rookie Update:
We know Jaelan Phillips is playing OLB but a clip came out of him in a coverage drill and man did he look good. Phillips looks like a player ready to take on a huge workload as he looked fluid in pass defense sinking his hips and attacking the ball. Waddle as we’ll talk about next took full advantage of some guys being out and was all over the field and moving fast, like really fast. Holland is a rookie playing a position that usually requires a lot of communication which means he needs to know this defense well enough to not only know where he is lining up but also what the rest of the secondary has to do and how they align. Eichenberg having just been signed before the start of camp will probably has his shot to earn a job. Lastly Hunter Long who as more time passes, more people are standing up and realizing that he has legit talent and could really explode and be a top TE in the league.
Some guys just pop. Watching Waddle run sure is something. It's different. Even after watching Grant do some running.
— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) July 28, 2021
Hunter Long is noticeable as an athlete. Big, new look to the TE's
— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) July 28, 2021
Fuller leaves practice early
I can confirm Mando’s report of Fuller leaving practice early. Nobody seems to have seen him go down or even limp off the field, but it is something to monitor because of DVP and Preston starting on PUP. Other guys will have opportunities to impress like LBJ, Perry, Foster, Hollins, Albert, and even Waddle who’s probably the biggest benefactor in that he’s probably taking most of the snaps at WR. Wilson also seemed to take advantage on the 60 yard TD (a duck in some of the eyes of our fans) so these are names that based on the injury history of our top guys, will eventually be needed to not just play but also produce.
After the bomb that X and his team dropped the night before the first practice, many assumed he would be pouting or working with less pep in his step, but I can report that he practiced with energy and showed no lack of professionalism with his on-field play. After the initial news hit It took me a while to get my thoughts together and I have to say that I feel the most for Byron Jones who had to withstand shots being thrown by a guy who’s opposite of him. I can report that X made it a fact to go and dap up Byron Jones before practice in front of the media.
Also not to stir the pot but how does Byron now feel? One of the ironclad rules in the NFL is you don’t talk about other teammates contracts. X imo has broken that rule by mentioning he’s ONLY the second highest paid CB. How Grier and Flo move from here will be interesting.
Can’t tell me nothing by Kanye west was the song used to start practice and to end it. The lyrics go like this:
We’ve seen in the past Flo send subliminal messages through his music selection but this one is as direct as can be IMO. Flores has press conferences every other day so look for his next interview on Thursday, July 29th, to be the one where he gets bombarded by Xavien Howard questions. Shocking that 2 days into camp and we already have so much to deal with and go through but this is the result of being a good team, something most fans this century have no experience with.
All in all, a positive first step for your 2021 Miami Dolphins but it’s only one of many that are going to be needed to get this team to where we all believe they should be, the playoffs. Till next time, Fins Up!
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https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210728_124237-scaled-e1627527640698.jpg15601888Juan Cardonahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgJuan Cardona2021-07-28 23:24:072021-07-29 08:26:025 from Juan: Observations from First Day of Dolphins Practice
The Miami Hurricanes have been on a recruiting tear the past couple of weeks. That continued on Wednesday as wide receiver Isaiah Horton committed to the program. A member of the class of 2022, he is a four-star receiver. He is the ninth overall wide receiver in the 2022 class, and the eighth overall player in his class from the state of Tennessee per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
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In addition to Miami, he also had offers from the likes of Jackson State, Kentucky, Louisville, and LSU. Most recently, he took an unofficial visit to Tennessee.
As I watch his film, I see a wide receiver that has tremendous athletic ability. He plays best on the outside, and is able to use his athleticism to jump up and catch passes. In addition, he is very good at running after the catch. As soon as he gets the football, he turns up quickly and accelerates.
He is not the type of wide receiver that is going to beat you consistently with his speed. He will however be able to make contested catches with ease.
— isaiah 2.0 horton🎬 (@isaiahhorton14) July 28, 2021
Horton was a key part of the Oakland high school offensive attack. In 2020, he recorded 34 catches for 643 yards and seven touchdowns. His playmaking ability is on full display, and that is what I suspect he will bring to Miami.
With the types of quarterbacks that Miami is bringing in as well as the talented playmakers they are trying to surround the quarterbacks with, Horton is a good fit in that regard. He will definitely add to the 2022 class that is growing quickly with talent.
Currently, the 2022 Miami Hurricanes recruiting class is shaping up nicely. They have now moved up to 61st in the country, and 12th overall in the ACC per the 247Sports composite rankings. This class is really coming together nicely.
I will be intrigued to see who Miami adds next. Right now, they have a solid base to work with.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2817.jpg13692048Danny Jaillethttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDanny Jaillet2021-07-28 13:59:342021-07-28 19:19:18Miami Hurricanes continue to roll with commitment of Isaiah Horton
Last week, I told anyone that listened how much I liked the Miami Dolphins trade for linebacker Benardrick Mckinney. I believe I said it was a good deal for both sides, and I thought that he was locked up under contract for a few years was beneficial for the team and could allow them to work on deals with some of the team’s other pending free agents. I was wrong!
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the contract details were a little more than your typical everyday restructure.
Dolphins LB Benardrick McKinney restructured his contract. Previously he had 3 years left on his deal worth up to $27.5M, including a $7.75M salary in 2021.
McKinney will now earn a $3M salary in 2021, plus $200K in playtime incentives. He’ll now be a free agent in 2022.
Now, the first question I had after reading this is, “where will that fresh $4M worth of cap space go?”
Some might try to spin it as a bigger trade, probably for a certain quarterback to generate clicks and engagement. I won’t do that.
What I will say is that there are three in-house candidates:
All-pro cornerback Xavien Howard is seeking more guaranteed money, though the way he handled himself last night wasn’t the most professional. (It was well-written, I just would’ve preferred it be an email to the team or letter sent by Carrier Pigeon to Chris Grier’s office) Could that money be used to make Howard happy?
Emmanuel Ogbah, on the other hand, wants a new deal and has handled himself the right way. And let’s not forget tight end Mike Gesicki is in line to get paid, as well.
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Additionally, McKinney’s restructure made me wonder whether or not the Dolphins were already targeting a younger, cheaper linebacker via trade.
And let’s not forget, if Benardrick McKinney hits free agency, the Miami Dolphins would be in line for a compensatory pick. Something I reckon Chris Grier and the team knew when they made the trade several months ago. But again, I think what McKinney brings to the defense, WHEN HEALTHY, is deserving of a multi-year deal. However, with a birthday later this year and the age of 30 on the horizon, perhaps McKinney was never a long-term solution at middle linebacker?
As with anything in Miami Gardens, no one truly knows what Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins are doing. But that won’t stop us all from speculating! I will update this article throughout the day with any important news and information regarding Dolphins linebacker Benardrick.
It has been a busy couple of days for Bolden. Monday, he was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. He figures to be a major part of the Miami Hurricanes defense after having a solid season last year.
Bolden recorded 74 tackles in for forced fumbles last season. He was a defensive force for Miami, and figures to play the same role in 2021. With several big names no longer in the program, Bolden will have to step up and play at a high level in the fall.
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Hedley had a solid season in his own right and continue to deliver for Miami. He was named a Ray Guy Award finalist, and was also named to the All-ACC Second Team. With 47.2 yards per punt, he was as reliable as they come for Miami. He was a major part of the success of the special teams unit.`
When you look at these two players, a couple of things come to mind. For one, they are going to be crucial for Miami in 2021. Field position and strong defensive play are two things that can either win or lose a ballgame. Hedley and Bolden have done a good job at making their presence known in both areas.
Secondly, these two players are consistent. They have been able to bring consistency to Coral Gables ever since they got here. Now, they will have to continue that consistency for a Miami Hurricanes program looking to take the next step.
It will be interesting to see how these two perform in 2021. They have shown that they can play at a high level, and they will definitely play key roles in the success of the Miami Hurricanes for 2021.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Bubba-1-scaled.jpg18762560Danny Jaillethttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDanny Jaillet2021-07-27 19:46:572021-07-28 19:27:56Miami Hurricanes: Two ‘Canes named preseason All-ACC selections
Since last week, it was rumored that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma were interested in joining the Southeastern Conference. These rumors have become a reality as it was confirmed that they have been in discussion for the past six months. This week, the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma have also issued a joint statement that confirms they will be leaving the Big 12 Conference in 2025 and have requested invitations to join the SEC.
This includes letting their current media rights agreements expire. Considering Texas and Oklahoma are the Big 12’s two biggest football programs, this a huge blow to their conference and their future remains uncertain.
While it’s humbling that everyone wants to come to the SEC as it’s often considered the most competitive conference in college football, it questions how unfair the lesser competition of other conferences will be. Let’s take a look at the ACC and Big Ten for example. Every year, Clemson and Ohio State have a clear and easy path to the college football playoff, as their regular season schedules are a lot easier than any team in the SEC.
With the two possible additions of Oklahoma and Texas, the SEC will certainly become a super conference at this point, with a potential total of 16 teams! This will change college football as we know it, and could pave the way for other super conferences to develop in the near future.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/image0-22.jpeg402545Kelsey Brownhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgKelsey Brown2021-07-27 12:54:072021-07-27 12:56:12Oklahoma and Texas want in on SEC
Award watch list season continues, and the Miami Hurricanes have another representative on a list released Monday. Safety Bubba Boldin was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, which recognizes the best safety in college football.
This is Bolden’s second appearance on an award list, having been named to the Bednarik Award Watch List as a candidate for the best defensive player.
Bolden looks to build off strong year
Bolden played well for Miami last season, recording 74 total tackles in 2020. He had several games in which he recorded multiple tackles, including a 13-tackle performance against UNC. He also recorded a sack on the year, and was one of the most physical defensive players for the Hurricanes. Perhaps most impressive out of all his statistics last season was the four forced fumbles on the year.
Now, he looks to be an integral part of the Miami defensive unit once again. He certainly brings a physical edge to the Miami defense. That physical edge is certainly welcome, and will be tested early. With the Miami Hurricanes opening against Alabama in Week 1 this will certainly be a test defensively. Despite Alabama losing several key players from last year, they should still be a relatively tough test
Bolden headlines a safety position that is talented but unproven. Names like James Williams will certainly have their time to shine. For now, it is going to be up to Bolden to lead the defense at the safety spot.
He certainly has as good a shot as anybody to win this award. For Bolden., it’s going to be more about consistency. If he can play consistent throughout the course of the season, he could be in line for some of these awards at the end of the year. His experience and play style will lend itself to playmaking opportunities. We have seen it throughout his Miami career, and 2021 should be no different.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Bubba-Bolden-1-scaled.jpg17112560Danny Jaillethttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDanny Jaillet2021-07-26 15:04:362021-07-26 15:11:31Miami Hurricanes: Bubba Bolden named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
Late Sunday night, a member of the Miami Hurricanes entered the transfer portal. Defensive tackle Jalar Holley entered the portal according to a report from 247Sports.
Holley played sparingly last season, appearing in three games. He tallied six tackles. The 2020 season was his first action of his collegiate career.
His best game last season came in the season finale against UNC. In that contest, he recorded three tackles.
Holley was a member of the class of 2019 and was a three-star prospect. A Georgia native, he was recruited by defensive line coach Jess Simpson. At the time, Holley was also recruited by the likes of Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Nebraska, and Tennessee among others.
What does this mean for Miami? In terms of overall production, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Holley was on the lower rungs of the depth chart last season. It would have been interesting to see where he ended up following camp this year. This piece of news does mean Miami loses depth at the defensive tackle position. Depth is always important, especially at a position with as much physicality as defensive tackle.
The one big name the Miami Hurricanes lost at the defensive tackle spot at the end of last season was Jonathan Ford. Ford recorded 19 tackles and a sack and a half for Miami last season. All things considered, Miami made out pretty well at the defensive tackle position in terms of losses on that side of the ball the end of last year. The big loss was on the defensive end. Quincy Roche , Jaelan Phillips, and Gregory Rousseau were all major hits for Miami.
The transfer portal is taking over the college football, and that is not a good thing. Fortunately, the Miami Hurricanes have enough depth on both sides of the football to not be as affected by it.
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Mallory filled in a nice secondary role for Miami last season, as he formed a tandem with Brevin Jordan. He recorded 22 catches for 329 yards and four touchdowns last season. Mallory had many productive games last fall. He had some really good, productive games. One of those games included a two-catch 51-yard performance against Pittsburgh. Both those catches went for touchdowns.
He also played well against North Carolina State on November 6. In that contest, he recorded eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
With Jordan out of the picture, Mallory may figure to play a bigger role for the Miami Hurricanes in the fall. I touched on it a little bit earlier in the week. Mallory has size and ability to run after the catch. That should bode well for him as D’Eriq King looks to play even better than he did in 2020. Instead of playing the backup role, he will now take center stage.
There are some big-time names on this watch list, and Mallory will certainly have a chance to stand out from the rest of the pack. With how open the Miami Hurricanes want to make their offense, Mallory should be able to have plenty of balls thrown his way. Mallory should figure to be a key part of the Miami hurricanes offense, and it will be interesting to see how he takes over the starting role.
He has as good a shot as anybody to win this award. If he can continue to be a dependable target like he was last season, he has a very good shot. Consistent production from the tight end spot will be key for Miami if they want to contend with the elite of college football.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Mallory.png10801920Danny Jaillethttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDanny Jaillet2021-07-23 21:30:142021-07-23 21:30:14Miami Hurricanes: Will Mallory named to John Mackey Award Watch List
