Diaz makes another outstanding hire with former Auburn LB coach Williams

/0 Comments/in , /by

Miami head coach Manny Diaz has made a string of key changes on the defensive side of the ball during this offseason and on Monday, the Canes confirmed another A+ hire that should pay huge dividends next season. 

 

It was announced that former Auburn LBs coach Travis Williams will be joining the Miami staff as the inside linebackers coach. Williams previously coached the Tigers from 2016-2020. 

 

“We are thrilled to welcome Travis and his family to Miami,” Diaz said in a press release. “He has had tremendous success both playing and coaching the linebacker position and I’m excited about the knowledge and passion he will bring to our linebackers group.”

 

Williams replaces former DC Blake Baker, who recently accepted a job as LB coach at LSU. 

 

Williams’ success at Auburn speaks volumes. The Tigers had the SEC leader in tackles in 2020 (Zakoby McClain with 113) as well as the 8th-leading tackler (Owen Pappoe with 93). Auburn also had top-14 scoring defenses from 2016-2018. 

 

He’s also great success on the recruiting trail as he was able to pry Owen Pappoe away from in-state favorite Georgia when he was the top-ranked linebacker in the country in 2019. 

 

What is amazing to me is that Manny Diaz was able to revamp a bulk of the defensive staff without paying any buyout money. CB coach Demarcus Van Dyke was promoted internally while Williams, DL coach Jess Simpson, and DB coach Travaris Robinson were essentially free agents. Miami landing Bob Shoop as an analyst is also a big addition with Shoop adding over 30+ years of experience as a defensive coach. 

 

Diaz made a previous announcement that he would call the plays on defense in 2021 but I wouldn’t rule out hiring a prototypical defensive coordinator that would lessen his workload. 

 

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment or tweet me (@PaulAustria_) or @SixthRingCanes. What do you think of the hirings? Do you think the Canes will be better on defense?

 

Super Bowl Primer: GOAT vs. Successor

/2 Comments/in , /by

It’s not too much of a surprise that the best quarterback to ever play is making his 10th Super Bowl appearance this year. Tom Brady is ready to go to the Super Bowl again, except this year, he is with a different team.

It’s also not that much of a surprise that the next face of the NFL also made the super bowl for a second year straight. Patrick Mahomes is one of the flashiest quarterbacks in the NFL, making no-look passes left and right in style.

Tom Brady has easily made himself the best player to ever play football, at least in my opinion. Before this season, people made the argument that Brady only made Super Bowls due to Bill Belichick, but now that Brady made a Super Bowl under a different head coach, he has proven he is much more than a system quarterback.

I also think that out of any person in the National Football League, Patrick Mahomes is the only player who can become the next Tom Brady. Mahomes has already proven that he is an amazing quarterback, and he can bring a team to Super Bowls year after year.

Let’s get into what everyone wants to know.

Who’s going to win the Super Bowl, 43 year old Brady, or 25 year old Mahomes?

While the Buccaneers are a more balanced team, I still think the Chiefs are going to win. The Chiefs offense is unstoppable. Tyreek Hill can outrun any player in the NFL, Travis Kelce is the most dominant Tight End, and Patrick Mahomes is a top talent. Along with their explosive offense, their defense makes big plays when they’re needed.

The Buccaneers have a star-studded offense between Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski. They also have an amazing defense from Shaq Barrett to Lavonte David to Devin White.

Even though the Buccaneers have the more balanced team overall, I really can’t see the Chiefs offense being stopped in this Super Bowl, considering they beat the best defense in the NFL in last year’s super bowl against the 49ers.

No matter who wins, this should go down as one the best Super Bowls in NFL History.

QB Martell, RB Burns enter transfer portal

/0 Comments/in , /by

On Wednesday afternoon, it was discovered that two now-former Miami Hurricanes have entered the transfer portal. 

 

The biggest name is QB Tate Martell, who was one of the first big-name transfers that Manny Diaz landed as he began his reign as head coach in January of 2019. 

 

Martell was in contention for the starting QB job that season but lost out to Jarren Williams. Then-OC Dan Enos even experimented with Martell at wide receiver but he ultimately returned under center. He would opt to sit out the 2020 season and he finishes his Miami career with completing his only pass for 7 yards and rushing seven times for a total of 7 yards. 

 

It was very unlikely he would contend for even the backup position this year as Miami returns D’Eriq King as well as highly-heralded freshman Tyler Van Dyke. Miami also signed Jake Garcia in this past recruiting class although it remains to be seen whether he receives a redshirt.

 

It is worth noting that N’Kosi Perry entered but then retracted his name from the transfer portal. However, it’s looking likely that he will opt to graduate with a Miami degree after this spring and grad transfer to a different program, as he would’ve been the incumbent backup for the second season in a row behind King. 

 

RB Robert Burns also entering portal

 

The other Cane opting to transfer is RB Robert Burns. Burns arrived in Miami in 2017 as a three-star prospect but has since dealt with a myriad of injuries that has impacted his ability to get carries consistently. 

 

He saw limited action in 2020 after finding himself buried on the depth chart behind Cam’ron Harris and highly-touted freshmen Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton. Burns finishes his career in Coral Gables with 189 rushing yards on 47 carries. 

 

In total, Miami has 4 four players that are set to leave or have left this year: Martell, Burns, Perry, and LB Patrick Joyner. Joyner opted to reunite with former Miami safeties coach Ephraim Banda at Utah State.

 

Stay tuned for a new episode of The Sixth Ring on Friday night at 7 PM, where we will discuss the transfer portal news along with Canes and the Gators, as well as the overall college football landscape and the Senior Bowl.

 

Stevenson chooses Canes while McCloud, Gaynor, and Williams to return in 2021

/0 Comments/in , /by

Saturday was yet another wild day for Miami Hurricanes football with a lot of positive news that ensued. We’ve got some familiar faces coming back along with one not-so-familiar but also familiar face at the same time making a homecoming. I’m here to get you all caught up.

 

As expected, former Georgia DB and Miami-native Stevenson transfers back home

 

Earlier this week, former five-star CB Tyrique Stevenson chose to enter the transfer portal after two years at Georgia, with immediate reports connecting him to making the move closer to home at Miami. Stevenson made the official announcement on Saturday in a tweet.

 

 

The Canes landed Stevenson, who actually chose Georgia over the Canes during the Early Signing Period in December of 2019 when he was highly recruited out of Miami Southridge. 

 

There were multiple reports that cited Stevenson’s desire to return to the area but two days ago, Sports Illustrated reported that he had become “unhappy” with his role on the defense. He was recruited as a cornerback, but he spent a lot of time at the STAR position in 2019, which is comparable to the nickel/slot cornerback but a little more complex. Coupled with his role in the blitz packages and according to Dawgs Daily, Stevenson would make subtle comments throughout the 2020 season about wanting to transfer.

 

Getting a player of Stevenson’s caliber is hugely important. He is a high-level talent that will absolutely help the team’s lack of depth at cornerback and he will still have two more years of eligibility. He has a combination of great size for his position (6’0”, 202 lbs.) and great speed (clocked at a 4.49 40 as a high school senior) who played in every game in his two years with the Bulldogs and compiled 10 PBU’s.

 

McCloud, Gaynor, and Williams returning in 2021

 

LB Zach McCloud, C Corey Gaynor, and T Jarrid Williams all announced on Saturday that they will return in 2021, with McCloud and Williams availing the special NCAA exception. 

 

McCloud will be a 6th-year senior who was commended for previously redshirting in 2019. He has 164 tackles in his Canes career, with 27 this past season and two sacks. It is very likely that the coaching staff will move him to defensive end in 2021 as new (and former) Miami defensive line coach Jess Simpson will have a tough task replacing the likes of Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. 

 

Gaynor and Williams is incredible news for an offensive line unit that was thought to have yet another season with limited depth. Williams transferred to Miami from Houston before the 2020 season and added stability at right tackle, starting all 10 games this season. Williams will become a 7th-year senior in 2021 after redshirting twice with the Cougars.

 

 

Gaynor on the other hand has been a steady contributor ever since he arrived on campus in 2016. Initially, Miami had been set on Jakai Clark or even incoming freshman Ryan Rodriguez to replace Gaynor. But instead, Gaynor will be hiking the ball for the Canes for a 5th season. 

 

The rest of the Sixth Ring Canes crew and I will be discussing all of this AND the kind of impact new DB coach Travaris Robinson will have later today at 3 PM on a new episode of The Sixth Ring. We will also be having State of the U writer and Onside Radio host Marsh Thomas join us as he gives us his thoughts on all of the craziness. Be sure to tune in, you won’t want to miss it!

 

Canes land 2nd transfer in WR Rambo

/0 Comments/in , /by

In the past two years, the transfer portal has paid dividends for the Canes and it looks like Miami will only build on that success with the addition of yet another highly-touted prospect.

 

On early Tuesday afternoon, former Oklahoma WR Charleston Rambo officially announced his intentions to transfer to the University of Miami. At 6’1”, 174 pounds, Rambo had his fair share of suitors but ultimately decided on the Canes.

 

Rambo becomes the 2nd player from the transfer portal to join the U along with Former Tennessee DE Deandre Johnson.

 

In three seasons as a Sooner, Rambo totaled 71 catches for 1180 yards and 9 touchdowns, with one of those touchdowns coming most recently against Florida in the Orange Bowl. Even while a junior, his role in the Oklahoma offense decreased in 2020 compared to 2019 as the younger receivers on the roster started to break out. 

 

Rambo also strongly considered Miami coming out of high school in 2017 before the Cedar Hill, TX native decided on the Sooners. 

 

I don’t find the addition of Rambo puzzling despite the depth on the team. I find it more of a message being sent by Diaz to the receiver room, especially the upperclassmen like Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins, that your job is not safe and Diaz is committed to beefing up the competition. None of the receivers on the 2020 roster really established themselves as a true #1 receiver and competition should be at an all-time high for the team in 2020 because the Canes return all of their wideouts, including Mike Harley. Assuming D’Eriq King has a safe and timely recovery from his ACL injury, he should have a plethora of weapons to throw to when that Week 1 matchup against Alabama rolls around.

 

Kyle Trask gets 4th in the Heisman voting

/0 Comments/in /by

The Heisman Trophy is supposed to go to the “most outstanding” player in college football. The Heisman results this year proved once and for all that there should be an asterisk next to the qualifications. 

 

The Heisman Trophy will go to the most outstanding player on the most outstanding team. This year’s final four proved this. Here’s why:

 

In 1st place: WR DeVonta Smith (Alabama)

In 2nd place: QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)

In 3rd place: QB Mac Jones (Alabama)

In 4th place: QB Kyle Trask (Florida)

 

They got 1st Place Right

 

DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver since 1991 to win the most prestigious award in college football. He totaled 105 receptions, 1,641 yards, and 20 touchdowns in the 2020 season. Besides putting up those mind-boggling video game-esque numbers, he turned the ball over 0 times and helped lead Alabama to an SEC Championship over Kyle Trask as well as propel them into the National Championship.

 

DeVonta Smith was the best player in college football, and he proved this week in and week out. He dominated defenses and did something no wide receiver has done in over two decades. His 447 first-place votes were deserved, and he will be a long time threat to come when he reaches the NFL.

 

2nd-4th is where the issues arise

 

If you had to pick one player out of the stats I am about to list as the “most outstanding” player who would it be?

 

Player 1: 4,036 Yards, 36 Touchdowns, 4 INT

Player 2: 4,283 Yards, 43 Touchdowns, 5 INT

Player 3: 2,753 Yards, 22 Touchdowns, 4 INT

 

A simple glance at these numbers would point to Player 2 being the clear favorite to at least be 2nd place in the voting for the Heisman. At least. Then Player 1. Then Player 3. 

 

It (un)surprisingly went the opposite way. Player 3, Trevor Lawrence, was 2nd in the Heisman voting. Player 1, Mac Jones, was 3rd. Player 2, Kyle Trask, found himself 4th, even with his legendary numbers. 

 

The difference between these teams was that Clemson and Alabama made the Final 4. Florida did not have that luxury. 

 

Disregarding Trask’s performance in the Gators’ 55-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl which shouldn’t impact Heisman voting anyways, he played at an elite level the entire season. To utilize winning and losing as a key measure in this voting system implies judging Heisman contenders based on external factors out of their control. 

 

The University of Florida had a horrendous defense throughout the year. In their regular-season losses, they put up 38 points and 34 points respectively only to lose by a field goal in both cases. 

 

Overall

 

The good thing is that the best player won the award, but looking deeper at the Heisman results shows an ever-growing bias towards team success. The Heisman committee has continued to say that it is an “individual” award. But as time passes, it is clear that may not be the case.

 

Sponsored by Fort Lauderdale Design Group

Build Your Dreams and Designs for YOUR Lifestyle

Your premium home renovation design and builders.

We take care of everything!

@FTLDGFL on social media

Miami Hurricanes: N’Kosi Perry enters transfer portal, adds QB room clarity

/0 Comments/in /by

A Miami Hurricanes quarterback is no longer in the fold. Thursday, N’Kosi Perry announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.

Perry passed for 348 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. His most notable performance this season came against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl. In that game, he went 19-of-34 on the afternoon and threw for 228 yards. He also managed to record two touchdowns in that game.

Good timing for former Miami Hurricanes quarterback

This is perfect timing for Perry for a couple reasons. For one, Miami’s quarterback room is crowded. In addition to King, Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia are also in the fold. This was a good time for him to transfer, as he probably was not going to see much playing time.

Secondly, he leaves the Hurricanes on a good note. Although Miami lost the ball game, he put together a solid body of work in it. He looked comfortable within the offense, and he moved the ball down the field pretty well. Especially considering that he had not played in any extended playing capacity for quite a while, his performance in this game was impressive. This is exactly what he needed to do to boost his stock.

His best season with Miami came in 2018. That year, he threw for 1,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Last season, he threw for 1,045 yards, a touchdowns, and three interceptions. Although not bad statistically, he lacked the firepower that this offense currently has.

With this move, the Miami Hurricanes quarterback room becomes a little bit clearer. Miami has pieces for the future as well as a star right now in King. It’s amazing what a difference a year makes, particularly in the quarterback room, as the room itself has been completely reworked. Miami will definitely need all the help they can get at the position, with Alabama the opening opponent for 2021.

ICYMI: 5 bits of Canes news you may have missed

/0 Comments/in , /by

The 2020 season is officially over for your Miami Hurricanes but there’s been a lot of news in the past few days that will have a huge impact on next year. Here’s a quick recap of what’s happened.

Miami adds grad transfer from Tennessee

 

Former Tennessee LB Deandre Johnson entered the transfer portal about a week ago after he got his undergrad degree and he announced a few days ago that he will be suiting up for the Canes for his final year of eligibility as a grad transfer. Johnson played 40 games for the Volunteers in 4 seasons with 9 starts. His 2020 season saw him be one of the biggest leaders on defense for Tennessee with 28 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Johnson is a former graduate of Miami Southridge High, where he was teammates with Miami wide receivers Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins. 

 

Bubba Bolden announces he will return next season

 

One of the biggest anchors of the Miami defense in 2020, the former USC-transfer Bolden announced on Tuesday that he will be back for another season with the Canes. In his second season in Coral Gables, he led the team with 50 tackles, 6.5 TFL’s, with an interception and a forced fumble. Safety depth in 2021 will be incredible with 7 scholarship safeties including James Williams and Avantae Williams, and the Canes are also awaiting the decision of junior Gurvan Hall. 

Cam Harris will also return for his senior year

 

The Canes’ leading rusher in 2020, Harris announced that he will forego the draft for a bit and run it back with the team again in 2021. Harris ran for 643 yards on 126 carries with 10 TD’s, averaging 5.1 yards/carry. Running back depth would’ve been somewhat worrisome had he declared, as it would’ve left just four scholarship running backs on the roster, leaving Robert Burns as the only back with more than a year experience on campus.

 

Patrick Joyner enters transfer portal

 

Joyner has been with the team for 3 years and since he’s arrived on campus in 2018, coaches have switched him between defensive end and linebacker duties. He’s received very limited playing time in the past two seasons, recording only one tackle in 2020. So far, Joyner is the player from the Canes roster to enter the portal.

Safeties coach Ephraim Banda is leaving to take DC job at Utah State

 

One of Miami’s best recruiters and player developers is taking the next step in his career and is assuming full defensive coordinator duties at Utah State. Banda was the safeties coach at Miami for 5 seasons, first being hired by Mark Richt and getting retained by current head coach Manny Diaz, with Diaz also giving him co-DC duties. It is also rumored that Banda could take three of Miami’s assistant coaches with him to his next job: Demarcus Van Dyke (defensive quality control analyst at UM, will become cornerbacks coach at USU), Mike Zuckerman (Senior Quality Control Analyst/Defense), and Alex Devine (Assistant Director of Player of Development/Defense).

 

DL coach Todd Stroud will most likely not return

 

This is mostly rumored for the most part but it’s looking likely that due to “health reasons,” coach Stroud will not be on Miami’s staff next year. Stroud’s continued a good run of DL coaches for the Canes, as he’s played a big role in developing Greg Rousseau in 2019 as well as Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche in 2020. It is possible that Stroud could be retained in a much lesser role. 

 

Keep it locked with @PaulAustria_ and @SixthRingCanes on Twitter for the latest in Miami Hurricanes news and recruiting.

 

Also, sign up for an account on Prizepicks.com, where you can pick the over/under on fantasy projections on some of your favorite players. There’s no better time to sign up than now as the NFL playoffs are right around the corner and the NBA is right underway. Enter the promo code “five” to double your initial deposit.

 

Miami Dolphins

Five Takeaways from Flores/Grier Press Conference

/1 Comment/in , /by

Earlier today, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores met with the media for their end-of-the-season press conference. But despite Miami’s front office doing their best to keep things close to the chest, there were plenty of takeaways from this afternoon’s zoom meeting.

Here are five takeaways from Brian Flores and Chris Grier’s press conference.

Tua Tagovailoa is the Miami Dolphins starting Quarterback.

This shouldn’t need to be said, but with every national media outlet trying to spin a QB controversy in Miami, it needed to be.

With a normal offseason and an improved arsenal of weapons, 2021 Tua should look a lot more like the guy we fell in love with at Tuscaloosa.

Tua is the franchise quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.

The Franchise

Chan Gailey expected back as offensive coordinator in 2021?

Coach Flores didn’t say much regarding his coaching staff in 2021, but what he did say was that he expected his assistant coaches to be back in 2021. This means 69-year-old Chan Gailey will once again be calling plays for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ offense. This might have been the most disappointing takeaway from today’s presser.

Here’s what Flores had to say when asked if he’d retain his staff for the 2021 season.

“Yeah, we expect everyone back. Hopefully you’re not jinxing me now. Last time I said that, we lost Karl Dorrell, we lost Pat Graham, so thanks. (laughter) Hopefully not, though. We expect everyone back.”

There’s an outside chance Gailey might still retire. But for now, it looks like Gailey will be Miami’s play-caller moving forward.

Brian Flores should be Coach of the Year, in Chris Grier’s opinion.

There are plenty of deserving NFL head coaches that could be nominated for Coach of the Year. However, if you ask GM Chris Grier, he will tell you no one is more deserving than Dolphins’ HC Brian Flores–and I agree. Yes, the Week 17 loss to Buffalo should leave a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

Flores deserves to be the coach of the year, with or without playoffs.

Dolphins plan to add competition at all positions in the offseason.

Miami has a lot of options via free agency and the draft. For example, the team has 4 top-50 picks, and their ‘available balance’ in FA rivals what we saw last year. So with a large number of running backs and wide receivers hitting the market, Miami’s interest could be key. But As you would expect, Flores and Grier never speak in absolutes, but they did shed some light on the offensive line and receiving corps–two positions the Dolphins could address at No.3 overall.

The best is yet to come

10 wins is a great accomplishment for a team in year two of a rebuild. But make no mistake about it, that loss to Buffalo left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. And what this team does in the offseason to build around the young nucleus in place could be what ultimately decides whether or not the Dolphins take the next step from promising young team to legit-playoff contenders.

Coach Flores promised to leave no stone unturned.

Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker said it best.

Canes add former Tennessee OLB as grad transfer

/0 Comments/in , /by

Saturday was a long-awaited day for Canes fans as they longed for the final decision of five-star LB Terrence Lewis out of Miami Central High. The highly-heralded linebacker chose the Maryland cap but the Canes had a backup plan.

 

 

That backup plan was Deandre Johnson. Johnson is a former linebacker at Tennessee who entered the transfer portal just 5 days ago after earning his degree and on Saturday, he announced his intentions to grad transfer to Miami. The 6’3”, 255-pound Johnson will most likely play defensive end in Coral Gables because he used to play outside linebacker in Tennessee’s 3-4 defense while the Canes run a 4-3. 

 

 

As a Volunteer, Johnson played in 40 games and started 9 and this past season, he compiled 28 tackles with 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. 

 

Johnson is actually a Miami native, as he attended Miami Killian for his first three years of high school before transferring to Miami Southridge. 

 

As you may know, the addition of Johnson is huge not just because of Lewis’ decision, but also because of two reasons: veteran leadership and depth. 

 

The Canes have a lot of young talent in their linebacker and defensive line rooms. Along with the task of having to replace three great defensive ends in Jaelan Phillips, Greg Rousseau, and Quincy Roche, there’s also a good chance they lose 2-3 linebackers should they transfer out. To add a great veteran presence like Johnson who’s played in arguably the best conference in college football while having local ties to a lot of Miami’s current players, it’s a great fit. 

 

I’m not going to boast and say that Johnson will for sure have the kind of impact that Phillips and Roche had as transfers, but this is still a homecoming of some sorts and he will definitely have a great opportunity to make a huge impact next season, starting with Miami’s season opener against Alabama. 

 

Keep it locked with @PaulAustria_ and @SixthRingCanes on Twitter for the latest in Miami Hurricanes news and recruiting. 

 

 Also, sign up for an account on Prizepicks.com, where you can pick the over/under on fantasy projections on some of your favorite players. There’s no better time to sign up than now as the NFL playoffs are right around the corner and the NBA is right underway. Enter the promo code “five” to double your initial deposit.