CORAL GABLES—The secondary unit has been giving its all so far in fall camp.

After practice on Tuesday (Aug. 6), the Canes' defensive and offensive coordinators met with media members to discuss the group's early success.

Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry first talked about the entire defense and how they have developed at this point.

“A lot of guys getting reps with different groups, Guidry said. “Just keep mix matching the guys up front, the linebackers, the secondary. Everybody is getting their fair share for sure.”

Guidry was complimentary of freshman safety Zaquan Patterson, who has been deemed a player with great potential.

“I think he could be a really good football player,” Guidry said. “We’ll see how it goes throughout camp and training, getting ready for Florida. Of course he’s gonna get some reps. He’s going to play every game on special teams. How many reps he gets on defense, I don’t know. But he’ll play. He has a chance to be a really good one. We’ll see how he progresses. I don’t think you can predict like that.”

Guidry spoke on Patterson’s progression from the spring football practices to now.

“He knows what to do,” Guidry said. “Not saying he does it right every time. He pretty much knows when he does wrong. That’s the difference now than he was in the spring time.”

Guidry delved into the importance of the entire secondary unit building chemistry with each other.

“We’re trying to play a lot of different guys together, so we’re trying to create depth,” Guidry said. “Throughout the season, you’re going to get injuries. You gotta get guys playing multiple spots. We’ve had a lot of turnovers, a lot of interceptions so far, which has been really good, and it’s come from a lot of different people. It’s come from freshmen, it’s come from older guys, guys that haven’t been starters. So I think we’re doing a good job right now. We’re trying to get better every day, and we’re only five practices in right now.”

Guidry spoke about the progress of the redshirt sophomore defensive back, Jaden Harris.

“He’s doing good,” Guidry said. “Sometimes it’s loud all the time at practice. We got everything blaring, so it’s hard to communicate sometimes. But he pretty much knows when we mess up, when we didn’t get the right thing. He’s a lot more confident this year. Of course, he’s the starter. He’s progressing tremendously, so I’m excited about him, Meesh, Markeith. And, of course, Zaquan is getting a lot of meaningful reps as well.”

Guidry provided his thoughts on the unit that is winning the fall training camp battle so far.

“It’s too early,” Guidry said of the defensive and offensive units. “We haven’t tackled to the ground yet. Anytime you go Wiz, which is really just tag, and you go Thud, sometimes we can’t make a clean tackle, so we don’t tackle him. We just tag him off. It’s here and there. Sometimes, we win drills, and sometimes, they win drills. We haven’t stacked a full day yet, but I don’t think the offense has stacked a full day yet, either. There’s still a lot of competition throughout practice. But both sides are getting a little bit closer.”

Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson sees room for improvement with his unit.

“Well it ain’t where it needs to be,” Dawson said. “We’ll make a few plays, and then we’ll go backwards. It’s not anywhere close to where it needs to be. Our communication from play to play, the urgency that we need, we need to obviously, be way more consistent than what we’re doing. It’s too up and down.”

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