Where Canes stand on defense entering spring ball: Addressing six issues, what we hear

Six questions that will begin to be resolved on defense, in the weeks ahead, when the Miami Hurricanes open spring football practice on Saturday:

▪ Will this UM defense be more productive with Lance Guidry replacing Alabama-bound Kevin Steele as coordinator?

That’s certainly the expectation. Though Cristobal wasn’t intending to fire Steele, this is probably beneficial for UM in the long run because Guidry’s defense (at Marshall) was far better than Steele’s Miami defense and did a much better job disguising looks.

Of everything Cristobal said to WQAM’s Joe Rose last week, I thought this was the most telling: “[Guidry’s] coverages are disguised. You’re not getting the same picture every snap, and that makes it really hard for an offense, for linemen, for quarterbacks.

“And that’s one thing we had to take a drastic step in. Last year, we were implementing a system that was, we just stayed vanilla throughout the course of the year. This gives us a chance to be really dynamic and very hard to figure out.”

The big question is whether Guidry’s multiple looks and disguises will mask UM’s personnel shortcomings.

UM’s defensive line looks solid, but linebacker and safety depth is shaky, and the cornerbacks are pedestrian. It’s a decent — not exceptional — defense, on paper, one that needs a creative coordinator to lift them to greater heights.

Also new: linebackers coach Derek Nicholson and the promotion of Jason Taylor from UM ‘analyst’ to a job on the coaching staff, working with edge players.

▪ Who will seize top-four cornerback jobs?

Transfer Davonte Brown seems a front-runner for one starting spot; his metrics were very good at UCF, and he’s the closest thing Miami has to a replacement for Tyrique Stevenson. Both he and Iowa transfer Terry Roberts are enrolled at UM and eligible for spring practice.

Te’Cory Couch assuredly will be one of UM’s top three cornerbacks. Couch — who has played a lot in the slot — figures to be needed more on the boundary this season, with both Stevenson and DJ Ivey having moved on. Couch had a solid 81.1 passer rating in his coverage area last season.

Roberts was very good in five games for Iowa in 2022 but has been injured for significant parts of the past two seasons. Daryl Porter Jr., in his second year at UM after transferring from West Virginia, also has a decent chance to secure a top-four spot.

Malik Curtis, Jaden Harris and Chris Graves — who all have played sparingly — will battle to overtake one of the older players (likely Porter or Roberts) for a top-four job.

Graves, in particular, is held in high regard internally. Another veteran might be added over the summer.

Keep in mind that four-star freshmen Robert Stafford and Damari Brown (Davonte’s brother) aren’t yet enrolled.

▪ Will Francisco Mauigoa win the starting middle linebacker job?

Corey Flagg Jr. held off UCLA’s Caleb Johnson for most of last season and keeps showing that he shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s productive and gets the most out of his talent. But he will be limited this spring due to injury, per Canesport.com.

Mauigoa, a transfer from Washington State, seems at least a slight upgrade over Flagg, who shouldn’t be the best linebacker on a team with top 20 aspirations.

UM hopes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, a likely starter, takes a jump from year one to year two, as defensive tackle Leonard Taylor did.

And the Canes must determine if Chase Smith is best in a pseudo safety/linebacker role or something else.

Of the four freshmen linebackers, only two are enrolled and eligible for spring ball: Malik Bryant and Bobby Washington. Those two — particularly Bryant — have a chance to make a case for playing time.

Raul Aguirre and Marcellius Pullman arrive this summer.

▪ Who will be the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 edge players, with Akheem Mesidor returning as UM’s top end?

Jahfari Harvey and Nyjalik Kelly enter as front-runners for the second and third jobs, but don’t discount Chantz Williams.

And there’s very good young talent at the position with Kelly, second-year player Cyrus Moss (who played less than Kelly last season) and incoming, enrolled freshmen Collins Acheampong, Reuben Bain and Jayden Wayne.

Mesidor and Harvey will be limited this spring due to injuries, per Canesport.

The question is whether Thomas Davis and Jabari Ishmael (both recruited by Manny Diaz at UM) can crack the rotation or whether they become transfer candidates during the May portal window. Bain could eventually move to defensive tackle.

▪ Who seizes a starting defensive tackle job alongside Taylor?

At least five will play, and veteran transfers Thomas Gore (Georgia State) and Branson Deen (Purdue) likely will play a lot, with one of them potentially starting. Both are enrolled at UM and eligible for spring practice.

Jared Harrison-Hunte also should be in the rotation.

Jacob Lichtenstein and second-year player Ahmad Moten will try to push those top four.

Freshman Joshua Horton isn’t yet enrolled.

▪ Will the backup safeties improve at a position with very little depth?

The departures of Avantae Williams, Al Blades Jr., Keshawn Washington and Jalen Harrell have left UM with shaky depth behind Kamren Kinchens and James Williams.

And James Williams will miss spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery after the season. He should be fine for the start of fall camp in August.

The good news is that UM convinced Brian Balom to return after he briefly entered the portal. Balom flashed as a freshman but hasn’t played in a year because of injuries. He and Markieth Williams are the only other safeties on the roster who have taken any snaps.

Balom could see a lot of starting snaps opposite Kinchens during spring ball. When James Williams returns in August, Balom figures to the No. 3 safety - unless UM has added a veteran safety by August.

Virginia-based freshman safety Kaleb Spencer is enrolled at UM and will get a lot of work in spring practice.

Here’s my pre-spring look at where Tyler Van Dyke stands.

Here’s my look at five key questions on offense.