Miami Hurricanes 2018 Senior Profile: CB Jhavonte Dean

Cornerback Jhavonte Dean’s time with Hurricanes has been relatively short in comparison to the rest of the senior class. A junior college transfer, Dean has been touted for his athleticism at cornerback, providing depth at the position for his two seasons at UM.

Just like that, Dean will take to the field of Hard Rock Stadium for the final time as a member of the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday. State of the U reflects on the collegiate career of Jhavonte Dean in our Class of 2018: Senior Profile Series heading towards Saturday’s final home game against Pitt.

Before The U

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Hailing from Homestead, Florida, Dean attended South Dade High School, where he was ranked by 247 Sports as a three-star prospect. Dean initially gave his pledge and signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Cincinnati in 2015. Unfortunately, due to grades, Dean ended up attending Blinn College.

In his two years at Brenham, Texas, Dean totaled 41 tackles and 14 pass breaks up on his way to becoming the highest-rated JUCO CB for the 2017 recruiting cycle. After fielding scholarship offers from UCF, Utah and Florida, Dean committed to Alabama shortly after an unofficial visit. That didn’t stop a certain school in South Florida from pursuing a homegrown talent, with UM ultimately flipping and signing Dean as part of their Swag ‘17 recruiting class.

“He’s a South Florida man coming back home [...] Coach Banda, Coach Diaz, and I we all really were on him —- high on him. [We] just stayed persistent with him till the final end.”

— Defensive back coach, Mike Rumph

Life As a Cane

Upon his arrival, Dean found himself immersed in a crowded defensive back room, featuring fellow JUCO CB Dee Delaney, holdovers such as Michael Jackson and Malek Young, along with the addition of freshman CB Trajan Bandy. Regardless of what Miami had at the position, Dean drew praise for his athleticism from position coach Mike Rumph and competed for playing time upon his arrival.

Dean saw playing time in 12 games as a junior. Working into Miami’s defensive back rotation, the former South Dade Buccaneer factored in on special teams as well as spot appearances on defense. Dean completed the ‘17 season with 11 tackles and one pass breakup.

Entering the 2018 season, the onus was on Dean to elevate his game in what would be his final season with the Canes. With the Hurricanes losing Malek Young to injury, there was an opportunity for the junior college transfer to win a spot among UM’s starting corners. Could Dean finally round out his athleticism with the discipline needed to see more time on the field? Even though Dean didn’t win a starting position, he still carved out a role that provided depth and an insurance policy for the group.

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A six-foot defensive back with top-end speed, Jhavonte Dean joined the Hurricanes as a raw prospect with all the intangibles to be a quality player moving forward. Could he use some refinement? Absolutely! However, the boy who grew up just south of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, did his best to represent for his school and his area code, as well.

We give a salute to Jhavonte Dean!