5 Thoughts On The Canes First Scrimmage

On Sunday night, the Miami Hurricanes held their first scrimmage of fall camp, and there’s PLENTY to be excited about.

1. D’Eriq King Looks Great

Ever since D’Eriq King transferred to Miami from Houston earlier in 2020, every Canes fan has been waiting to see him in action. And while we may not have been able to actually watch him play in Sunday’s scrimmage, the stats speak for themselves: 15-26 passing, 187 yards and 4 touchdowns.

After Brad Kaaya left following the 2016 season, Miami has been searching for the next consistent answer at quarterback, and King appears to be that answer. Even though we’ll only have him for one year, it looks like it could be a magical season with King under-center.

2. Freshman Running Backs

Miami pulled off one of its biggest recruiting wins in recent memory, signing Don Chaney Jaylan Knighton, two of the best running backs in the country for their 2020 class. With high expectations facing them, the duo did not disappoint on Sunday.

Knighton was incredible, rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. I’ve said for a long time now, I believe Knighton will be the Canes #2 running back behind Cam’ron Harris, and his performance on Sunday makes me that much more confident on my prediction.

Chaney was effective as well, finishing with 11 carries, for 57 yards and a touchdown. They may not be as impressive as Knighton’s stats, but the two combining for 183 yards in their first scrimmage should have everyone excited about this duo, as if we weren’t already.

3. Will Mallory

Brevin Jordan didn’t suit up on Sunday, but his fellow junior tight end, Will Mallory, did and he had an impact. Mallory finished the scrimmage with 4 receptions, for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Mallory struggled early on in 2019, but I've never doubted his talent, and still think he’s going to end up having a good career at Miami. Especially with the way Rhett Lashlee uses tight ends, expect to see plenty of Mallory in 2020.

4. True Freshmen Making Plays

Knighton and Chaney weren’t the only true freshmen to raise eyebrows on Sunday. Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo had 2 catches for 54 yards, plus a 70-yard touchdown run off a reverse. Fellow WR Michael Redding III was also solid, hauling in 3 receptions for 41 yards. Tight end Dominic Mammarelli had 2 catches for 41 yards.

On defense, DE Chantz Williams, who could become Miami’s #4 guy at the position in 2020, finished the evening with 2 sacks on the quarterback and 5 tackles. Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. had 4 tackles and a sack, and defensive back Marcus Clarke had an interception.

While not all the true freshmen will see significant playing time in 2020, it’s good to see they’re hitting the ground running and making plays early.

5. Sam Brooks Impresses At Linebacker

We all know that Zach McCloud is going to be one of the starting linebackers, but a big question Miami fans have asked all off-season, who is going to be the other starter at LB? As of right now, it looks like sophomore Sam Brooks is more than capable of being that guy.

On Sunday, Brooks had 5 tackles and a sack, bringing that athleticism to the linebacker position that Miami has been searching for.