The safety position has been the biggest struggle for the new Miami staff since arriving. Four players have entered the Transfer Portal and Brian Balom is expected to join the fray after graduating in the spring.

There is just one commit in the 2023 at the position and that is Kaleb Spencer, an Oklahoma three-star flip. See how he stacks up with a former All-American.

Spencer is a huge addition to the class not just due to positional need. He was pursued by the likes of his former future home Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, Michigan State, and Tennessee.

His skill set is not that of your traditional safeties, but he will step in as one of the more perfect fits as an overhang defender. He is explosive at the point of contact, imploding into ball carriers more like a linebacker than a defensive back.

He came down to South Florida to kick off the 2022 season and had double-digit tackles and several highlights hits, handing out punishment to Florida State five-star wide receiver signee Hykeem Williams and his teammates.

Despite playing just ten games, he had 81 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two blocked kicks, and three pass breakups. He moved around from linebacker to safety, showing the versatility to enforce the run game and help with intermediate pass defense. A plus athlete, he also added value as a running back and punt returner, not usual traits for strong safety-type prospects.

"We didn't mention Kaleb Spencer and he needs to be mentioned. I mean, just another guy, you turn on the film, hard to find a safety in high school right now that runs the alley like he does and put's a stop to the run game. He understands what the fits are," said head coach Mario Cristobal.

"He understands coverages extremely well. High level IG guy, really hard worker. Had an injury, season cut short but up until then, he was one of the more physical players we had seen tape at any position."

Spencer is a 6'3" 215-pound safety, an uncommon size for NFL safeties. He is a unicorn in the aspect that he has linebacker size and physicality but also has athletic traits that translate to helping as a traditional safety or at the STAR position when needing a hybrid-type defender.

A player that compares to his ability to bully ball carriers while making plays in coverage is former Alabama All-American and NFL veteran Landon Collins. Collins is shorter than Spencer but weighs 227 pounds. Spencer is likely to add to his strong frame in Miami's strength program and could bulk up easily to the 230-pound range of Collins.

For the Crimson Tide, Collins earned unanimous All-American honors and helped win a national championship in 2013. In high school, Collins was more of an athlete than Spencer, producing as a running back and running elite times in track, but as he added size he turned more into the strong safety that Spencer projects out to be.

At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and in his junior year, he had 99 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. Spencer has the ability to mirror those numbers at Miami, especially in the STAR role that rotates slot cornerbacks with athletic overhang players.

With the depth of Miami's safety position depleted, Spencer has a path to playing time. Collins averaged over 100 tackles per season he played 12 or more games in the NFL and has forced 18 turnovers. If Spencer becomes the freak of nature Miami needs to combine with All-American Kam Kinchens and former five-star James Williams, those numbers are within the range of expectation.

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