Welcome to the eighth installment of a complete position-by-position breakdown leading up to the start of the football season. Cornerback, like much of the defense during the Manny Diaz era, never lived up to the prestigious expectations of Miami's history. Just four former Hurricanes were drafted at the position since 2013 and one was selected in the first round (Artie Burns).
With a new defensive back coach in Jahmil Addae, who has had championship-level success, a jump in success is a requirement for the cornerback room.
Projected Depth ChartÂ
Projected Starters
Outside: Tyrique Stevenson
Outside: Daryl Porter Jr.
Nickel/Slot: Te'Corey Couch
Depth
Will two former transfers end up the starters?
Stevenson and Porter Jr. are the hot names when it comes to grabbing the starting spots on the outside and for good reason. Stevenson was arguably Miami's best cornerback last season after earning significant playing time during his tenure at Georgia.
Porter Jr. was a breakout player for West Virginia in 2021 and surprisingly jumped in the transfer portal. He is also familiar with coach Addae, as Porter Jr. signed to WVU when Addae was the defensive coordinator.
Both players have the experience and production to back up their argument as the top two players at the position. Ivey Jr., from South High School, is underwhelming at times, but he fits the mold physically and athletically of a lockdown corner.
Blades Jr. is going to play a significant role this season as a depth piece at nearly every spot on the back-end of the defense, but it will take time for him to get up to speed as he comes back from two straight injury plagued seasons.
Can we trust the depth?
Injuries have hurt Miami on defense even recently, as we have seen safety Brian Balom have to step up as a true freshman due to attrition. The bottom five guys on the depth chart are all freshmen and sophomores. The experience just is not there to know who is ready.
Dunson is 6'1" 186-pounds and has been a rotational piece over the last two years. In high school, he was a four-star prospect who was an all-region selection. Another jump in playing time could come to fruition if Blades does not come back 100% and Ivey continues to underachieve.
Coach Addae was adamant about not seeing young players on the field at cornerback, so seeing the rest of the group break the starting lineup, except in emergencies, is not likely. If injuries pushed the position down to that final group, there could be a drop-off in production.
Final Thoughts
With coach Addae now leading the defensive backfield and former cornerback coach DeMarcus Van Dyke still helping the position, production, technique and overall level of play should skyrocket. The talent is there, especially with the starters currently in place.
People inside of the program have raved about Couch, calling him the best cover corner on the roster. With Couch at the nickel combined with the skill of the outside guys, Porter Jr. and Stevenson, you have a formidable group.
Despite questions at depth, this is the most talent Miami has seen at cornerback in years, and once again, an injection of transfer talent is to thank for that.
