Hurricanes Depth Chart: Final Spring Edition

The coaches released their final depth chart from the Spring football session today, and while a lot of it is exactly what you would expect, there are a few surprises. Obviously this thing is subject to a LOT of change come July, when the rest of the guys finally get to campus (Golden said on the ACC Spring Football Teleconference that he expects all of the players to be in place by July 1st). Other good news is that Golden sees everyone that has been injured to be completely healthy and ready to go by the start of the season. Hit the jump to see the updated depth chart.

OFFENSE

QB
Stephen Morris OR
Ryan Williams

FB
Maurice Hagens
Sean Harvey

RB
Mike James
Eduardo Clements

WR
Rashawn Scott
OR Allen Hurns

LT
Malcolm Bunche
Ben Jones

LG
Jon Feliciano
OR Jermaine Johnson

C
Shane McDermott
Jared Wheeler

RG
Brandon Linder
Jeremy Lewis

RT
Seantrel Henderson
Ereck Flowers

WR
Phillip Dorsett
Kendal Thompkins

TE
Asante Cleveland
Clive Walford
David Perry

This is all pretty standard stuff. They are still listing the QB chart as an "or" situation, but it has become pretty clear that Stephen Morris has a hold on the starting spot, and is not going to let it go. Hagens was never going to be challenged at his FB spot, and until Dillard and Johnson get to school, James and Clements were the incumbent backs. Dallas Crawford is not listed with them, although he remains an intriguing part of the offense, specifically at tailback. What you see with the WR's is most likely what you will see when it is all said and done. The two incoming guys most likely to make an impact are Malcolm Lewis and Robert Lockhart, but they will have a lot of work to do to catch up. Angelo Jean-Louis, as it has been discussed before, most likely will need a year of prep school before coming to Miami. The offensive line is experienced and, frankly, gigantic. They did not play particularly well throughout the spring, but they are all very well aware of that and will get that ship righted. Having Jon Feliciano back in the mix after injury will be huge for them. After taking zero tight ends in this year's class, the situation at that spot on the field is actually looking very nice. Asante Cleveland and Clive Walford have the makings of the next great Miami tight ends, and should see a lot of action this year.

DEFENSE

RE
Anthony Chickillo
Ricardo Williams

RT
Darius Smith
Luther Robinson

LT
Curtis Porter
Olsen Pierre

LE
Shayon Green
Kelvin Cain

OLB
Jimmy Gaines
Eddie Johnson

MLB
Denzel Perryman
Raphael Kirby

OLB
Ramon Buchanan
Tyrone Cornelius
OR Gionni Paul

CB
Brandon McGee
Thomas Finnie

S
Ray Ray Armstrong
AJ Highsmith

Safety
Vaughn Telemaque
Kacy Rodgers
Andrew Swasey

CB
Ladarius Gunter
Larry Hope

The defensive side of the ball is where we see a few welcome surprises. The first one is one that fans have been waiting for all spring long, and that is the re-emergence of Vaughn Telemaque. He is listed currently as the starting safety above Kacy Rodgers and Andrew Swasey AJ Highsmith, who had been more or less outplaying Telemaque, has been moved to the other side to back up Ray-Ray Armstrong (which should also tell you how well he has been playing so far.) Do you see the other surprise? This is one that we all have been wanting to see for a year or two, not just during the spring. Yup, that's right: Brandon McGee has finally taken over the starting corner back slot BY HIMSELF. He had been listed as a co-first teamer with Thomas Finnie, but now has set himself apart. This is a testament not only to the work ethic that Golden has been preaching and trying to instill, but also to McGee's buying in to the way things are being run. His current attitude is the same one we are seeing out of Ray-Ray, who finally seems to be getting it. A couple of previously injured guys have returned to their rightful positions as well. Ramon Buchanan has come back to help anchor the line backers, with Denzel Perryman and Jimmy Gaines filling the other two spots. Perryman has been getting a LOT of competition from Raphael Kirby, and that MLB spot is going to be a fun one to watch over the course of the year. The other aforementioned injured player is Shayon green, who now finds himself back in front of Kelvin Cain. This has pushed rookie Dwayne Hoilette off of the depth chart, but this is not all that unexpected seeing as he is so new. Ladarius Gunter and Larry Hope show up on the other side of the CB chart, and this is presumably where you will see Tracy Howard's name before long.

I'm not going to list or go too much into the special teams depth, because basically all you need to know is it is Wieclaw and Botts. The returners are Phillip Dorsett and Dallas Crawford, and they both should provide quite a bit of excitement, although they have huge shoes to fill with the departure of Travis Benjamin. Overall the team is looking very nice, and will only appear more talented on paper once the roster is full and everyone has reported. It's hard not to get a bit excited for the season with the way things are shaping up. The biggest problems last year were conditioning and give-a-damn, and Golden and his crew have drilled that into this entire roster throughout the spring, and will continue to do so over the summer and on into the fall.

GO CANES!