Takeaways on offense from video review of UM spring game. And Canes notes

Some notes from a tape review of the Miami Hurricanes’ offense in the spring game this past Friday:

• The Canes will continue efforts to add a receiver in the portal, but it looks like Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George and Colbie Young are the three who will get snaps in games regardless.

Restrepo had catches of 23, 24 and 27 yards in the spring game and consistently found creases in the defense.

George got first team work in the spring last year, too, and it didn’t fully translate once the season started.

This year, the improvement seems pronounced; he caught two TD passes on Friday -- including a beautiful over the shoulder reception from Tyler Van Dyke -- and gained 31 yards on another reception. He looks like a much better player.

Young is in better shape than a year ago and is using his size (6-5) to give him an edge against smaller corners. But he must continue to work on coming down with 50/50 balls.

Freshman Nathaniel Joseph’s speed gives him a real chance to earn playing time even if a transfer is added. He extended his arms to make an impressive catch on one throw, then got wide open and ran 50 yards to complete a 79-yard catch-and-run play from Emory Williams late in the spring game.

With talented freshmen, you’ll get incredible moments and then forgettable ones, and that applies to Joseph. He created 12 yards after the catch one one throw, thanks to slick moves and sheer determination fighting through defenders. But then he dropped a catchable ball that Jaccuri Brown slightly underthrew.

• If receiver help is added in the portal, Brashard Smith, Frank Ladson, Isaiah Horton, Michael Redding and Robby Washington could be the ones most impacted, as far as potential playing time this season. Horton flashed all spring, including a 34-yard catch against former Iowa cornerback Terry Roberts in the spring game.

Smith ran for five yards on a handoff and caught a touchdown in the second half of the spring game, but he seems no higher than fourth or fifth on a hypothetical depth chart. Mario Cristobal has said that Smith has the talent to be one of the best receivers in the country, but he hasn’t yet taken a major step.

• There’s no more impactful veteran transfer pickup for UM than center Matt Lee. And even beyond the elite pass protection, solid run blocking, the leadership and his sharp eye making line calls, he does subtle things, too. For example: His block of Wesley Bissainthe turned what would have been a short gain by George into a 32-yard play during the scrimmage.

•Left tackle Jalen Rivers was beaten by Rueben Bain on a sack, and it will be interesting to see if Zion Nelson can do enough in August to make UM think about moving Rivers to right guard.

Rivers had a strong spring overall. Nelson played just 61 snaps because of knee problems last year but is expected back in August.

Javion Cohen, Lee and Rivers are sure-fire starters, and five-star freshman right tackle Francis Mauigoa will be difficult to unseat. So the fifth starting job could come down to Nelson or Anez Cooper, who was first team right guard for most of the spring but missed the spring game.

• Laurance Seymore - filling in with the starters at guard on Friday - had an excellent block on a 10-yard Henry Parrish run.

• To me, the most difficult decision on offense will be whether to go into camp projecting Jacurri Brown as the No. 2 quarterback, allowing freshman Emory Williams to legitimately compete with him, or add an experienced No. 2 (if there’s one available) in the transfer portal.

Brown improved this spring, but the spring game epitomized the unevenness in his throwing. He was off on one deep ball and a bit off on another than was well defended by Jaden Harris.

Later in the game, Brown threaded the needle with a beautiful 10-yard pass to Robby Washington across the middle of the field. But a minute later, he threw into triple coverage and was nearly picked off by Keontra Smith.

On another play, Brown threw a screen to Washington behind him, and it nearly became a fumble because Washington juggled the ball.

• Emory Williams showed great touch on a 34-yard pass to Horton and delivered the late deep ball to a wide open Joseph. But he was fortunate that one errant second-half pass wasn’t intercepted.

• We saw Riley Williams display his receiving skills on a 33 yard reception from Van Dyke. And Jaleel Skinner broke a tackle on another play.

Generally, tights ends weren’t a big part of the offense on a night that Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick were sidelined by injuries.

THIS AND THAT

Former Southern Cal receiver Gary Bryant - a Canes target in the transfer portal - will announce on May 13; his finalists are UM, Arizona, Oregon, Texas A&M and UCLA. But 247’s Greg Biggins said “the main two that we’re hearing are pushing hardest right now are the Ducks and Aggies.”

▪ Van Dyke, on where things stand at tight end beyond potential starter Arroyo, who missed the spring with an injury:

Oregon transfer “Cam McCormick is a strong blocker, strong pass catcher, too. Jaleel has been good; I think he’s taken the next step. Still a good way to go with him, still getting bigger. He’s definitely become one of the guys up top as well.”

▪ Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said UM cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is rising. He has “been climbing since the Senior Bowl and is now a possible Top-50 pick,” Nagy said on Twitter.

Stevenson has visited Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Chicago and Green Bay.