Who is the most important cane(or even position) for this year?
via gamedayr.com
Duke Johnson, Stacey Coley, Denzel Perryman...Let's put those names on the Obvious Table of importance...But aside from those player's, this is YOUR idea of who you think the most important player (or players) of this season will be, I'll even throw out Michael Wyche because I want to make this interesting. Here's a little something on some of the position's and players for you to brain storm off of.
Hurricanes return All ACC talent in RB and WR, while the DB is considered to be pretty strong and Denzel Perryman is expected to be a beast.
With that said let's look at the Back up's to Duke, Coley, and Perryman, since DB's doesn't change much from last season.
Joseph Yearby - With Duke Johnson labeled as a player that the team depends on how healthy he is...then would his back up Gus Edwards, or incoming freshman Yearby be the most logical cane who is important to the team? I mean if you think about it, if the QB situation is in turmoil then the RB must be strong, if Duke is tired we can't have a drop off on the offense, and Mr.Crawford did a nice job of fulfilling that role last season. Which makes Yearby a key part in the canes year as per filling in that slot.
Herb Waters / Phillip Dorsett / Rashawn Scott - Well, as big as a playmaker Coley is, he pretty much stretches the field. The WR core doesn't seem weak in any area and probably wouldn't need that , but Coley just makes the bunch that much more deadly. So not really a particular player so to speak, but does the success of the team relies on the catching abilities of the WR's that are NOT Coley? I mean it'll be great to see the QB hook up successfully all year long with Coley, but if these guys aren't making catches to reinforce the effort, do the canes fall flat on the offensive side?
Juwon Young - He's the relief of the #1 Player on defense for us so far, as mentioned with Yearby, can the most important player be the one who ensure's there is no drop off in talent and ability when the starter is out? Can a freshman even be depended on this much to be considered a vital aspect to the team? Well Coley did it, and Johnson did too...This guy will mean a lot for us in terms of LB depth and being able to keep the base of the defense fresh and moving for all 4 quarters.
Raphael Kirby - The player who everyone expected to be a huge play maker but has been dropping the ball. Hasn't been terrible, but that's an understatement considering we need spectacular in order to win where it matters. Moved from the inside role and replaced by someone who has proven himself a vital part of the defense, Kirby has a lot of respect to gain back. The talent is obviously there and with the loss of 2 LB's it is a definite that he needs to play solid and show that he belongs in the starting role, and that he is what we thought he would be. If he can match the skill set of DP and show some strength in the Passing Downs and some strong containment in the running game, would the D Line need be depended on as much? With 2 phenom Line backers on the field it should definitely lift a burden off the DT/DE...Most important on the Defensive side?
Other Positions
QB - With the defense expecting to be better than last year, talent wise at least...does that turn all eyes and expectations to the question mark position? Whether you are a "Defense wins Championship" or "Offense wins Rings" person I think we can all agree that with a bad QB you ain't winning shit. But the main thing I want to focus on is...Can Miami win games, and alot of them, with a QB who isn't spectacular? Is the QB position something that will decide the fate of this team, something that we just can't deal with being Top-Of-The-Line? Think about that before you say QB is obviously the most important for this year.
Clive Walford - QB confidence will depend on the check down routes...When they can't throw deep they will look for Mr.Walford and crew, or a RB. If the TE's catch everything thrown to them in situations where needed, could it mean the success for this offense, regardless of who is throwing it?
Art Kehoe - http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/09/3551649/miami-hurricanes-offensive-line.html...Think that pretty much sum's it up. No worries, even after losing 2 NFL talents...Right? With the loss of 2 Starters here, is Kehoe so important to the team by making sure the QB and RB is protected by correctly coached Lineman? Or does the skill positions only compliment what magic he has cooked up enough for a Ring on each finger. I would love to be Coached by this man and look up to that hand with aspirations any day.
D Line - War is won in the Trenches, and so is football. Can the Canes survive a season where the DLine improves to rank at least 25-40? Or is it tremendously vital for this unit to be dominant in order for us to be able to win games. If you want to select the D Line in general as Most Important, weigh the options as such. Is our LB core good enough to cover up a bad D line? Is our offense so good that all the Line needs to do is keep a team under 24 points? Are we not confident enough in our QB to win a game, unless the defense motivates him by holding teams to under 10 points and not getting blazed even by other Top Offenses. Must they show up with or without the next candidate's help?
Mark D'Onofrio - A defense that has made excuse after excuse has to stop...The destiny of this team lies on the proper player development and defensive sceme that D'ono will or will not display. Without his help, this team isn't going anywhere...He doesn't even need to be the Coach of the year, all he has to do, is avoid letting offenses break records on us by putting his foot down and out Coaching the Opposition, or drilling better the scheme and game plan to the players that he mentors. If that is your PoV, then D'Ono is your choice.
James Coley - Putting together a dynamic offense with the pieces handed to this guy shouldn't be hard. When you put a question mark on the QB position than that changes a lot. Does this team's success depend on how well Coley can allow the offense to work around an Inexperienced QB? Or His ability to make the QB look like a superhero out of nowhere with superb coaching and play calling?
Al Golden - One could argue that one of the best Recruiters in recent history for the Canes is this guy, which is a highly important aspect of College. Recruiting. Then another could argue that he allow's the team to fall apart with the starting RB's injury, and allows the defense to fluctuate around sucking, sucking less, and sucking more. If he correctly manages this team and takes things into his own hand without having to fire any Coaches (as many people wanted to see) then could it mean a turn around not only for this year but for the program in general? His record against teams who finish in the Top 25 seems like this guy is a hopeless opportunity. Do the canes present and future rely not only on the coaching, but the management of Head Coach Golden?
Conclusion - Drop a Comment below about which cane is the most important to THIS YEAR in particular. Whether it be a Coach, Backup, Starter, or even a Specific Group, feel free to voice your opinion. As mentioned earlier, try to leave out Duke Johnson, Stacey Coley, Michael Wyche, and Denzel Perryman as candidates.