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Miami Freshman Profile: Kc McDermott

In an effort to keep even the most hardcore Miami fan up to date on their favorite players, SOTU will be running a Freshman Profile series. In these posts, our writers will profile UM's newcomers for 2014. That way, when the season get's here, you hopefully will have a new found love for the team on the field.

By Jerry Steinberg

Kc McDermott

OT - 6'6 301 - Wellington, Fl (Palm Beach Central H.S.)

Rated as one of the top offensive line prospects in the country (4th best OT by ESPN) by every major recruiting service.

Chose Miami over FSU, Michigan, LSU, Notre Dame, and a host of other major programs.

McDermott is incredibly strong, and he combines that brute force with very nimble feet to dominate the man across from him in both run blocking and pass protection.

Despite being a taller player,  he plays with excellent pad level. He also uses his hands well, and is athletic enough to get out in space on screens and in pulling situations.

In a nutshell, is a very complete offensive lineman with potential to be a big time LT down the line.

Also plays with a lot of "Swag" as you can see from some of his defensive snaps in HS:

Chances He Redshirts (1-10)   - 1

As part of this series we will evaluate if the given newcomer stands a chance to sit out his first season to retain eligibility.

It looks like Taylor Gadbois is the front runner to start the season at RT.  Ereck Flowers, of course, is all world on the left side.  If the coaching staff finds a diamond in the rough in Gadbois, there might be a temptation to RS McDermott, and groom him as the obvious successor to Flowers (especially should he leave early).  Chances are, Kc is too good to spend the entire season on the sidelines though, and makes his way into the rotation at some point.

Summary: UM's offensive lines have been very good the past few years, but not quite consistent enough to be elite. McDermott is the kind of player who can be the cornerstone of a very special O line. Besides being a gifted football player, he has the attitude and intelligence to be a team leader. It will be fun to watch his development over the next few years.

More on Kc HERE

Stay tuned for more Freshman profiles as we count down to Louisville on Labor Day.