MIAMI FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

RedHawks close spring drills; look forward to fall

By MIKE SMITH
Miami RedHawk football fans got a sip of the not-too-distant future Saturday when the team held its annual Spring Showcase. 

There was a glimpse of quarterback Brett Gabbert, who took a short stint on the field throwing during 7-on-7 drills. There were somewhat longer looks at several other QBs and several opportunities to see Miami placekicking options now that Groza Award winning Graham Nicholson has  hit the transfer portal. 

Ahhhhh ... the portal. It hangs over campuses across the nation like an alien ship -- occasionally bringing players on board via tractor beam and dropping them off elsewhere. At least that's my own mental picture of the process. In any case, the NCAA Transfer Portal does exist and Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin offered . . . 

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Redshirt freshman Ryan Sims turns up field after catching a pass. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . a few thoughts on that -- as well as other topics -- after MU wrapped up its spring work.

"Sad. Very sad," Martin said while opening his post-practice remarks. "I hate when spring ball ends, because we don't get to do this again until August. We like football around here."

By August, RedHawk practices should include a number of players who saw limited participation. "Coming into spring ball, we had a lot of key guys out . . .  (but) they're going to be fine," Martin said.

With some of the more experienced players missing or limited, younger players saw more reps. Martin noted the lack of experienced often surfaced in spring performances. However, they were important reps for development.

"We haven't played the greatest football this spring. We had too many young guys getting too many reps, but for them and their future, its really been good. . .  They needed those reps . . . to transition from high school to college. You can watch film and talk in the meeting room, but going out and playing against other college guys is night and day. It was a great spring from that standpoint."
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Brett Gabbert was limited in spring participation but should be ready for fall and the season. (MVsmith/MRO)

MORE NOTES . . . 

GENERALLY HEALTHY
-- Although a number of players were limited during spring drills, Martin indicated he expects it will be all hands on deck by fall practice. That includes Gabbert, who elected to return after suffering a grizzly broken leg during a regular season game against Toledo last year.
"He's been amazing," Martin said. "It was great to see him out here doing (7-on-7 today). He's close to getting back. . .  The next thing is going to be 11-on-11, so we're excited about his progress."  

QB ROOM
-- Aveon Smith, who took over for Gabbert and led MU to a MAC championship last year, has transferred. During his time at the helm, Miami leaned on his running skills and a running attack that featured Rashad Amos, who has also transferred (Mississippi State). 
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With Gabbert back, the RedHawks will seek to return to a strong passing game. Former Colorado quarterback Maddox Kopp, who lost a bid for Miami eligibility last year, is back and is one of several good arms in camp. He was among those throwing Saturday, as was talented freshman Thomas Gotkowski (Indianapolis, Ben Davis HS) and Henry Hesson. The latter started Miami's 2023 bowl game after Smith's transfer loss. 
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RECEIVING 
-- Standout Gage Larvadain, who led MU's receiving corps and combined with Gabbert for several spectacular TDs early last year, transferred to South Carolina. Javon Tracy and Cade McDonald are the top returning wideouts. 
-- As for tight end, Jack Coldiron should be back. If you blinked, you probably missed him last year when he was injured in the first game at Miami (Fl) and missed the entire campaign. Nate Muersch also returns.

RUNNING BACKS
-- As mentioned, Amos (13 of MU's 23 rushing TDs) is gone. Kenny Tracy is the top returning back. Former Virginia Tech RB Jordan Brunson saw very limited action last year, but fits the Amos mold physically at 6-0, 226, as does former UNLV/Purdue back Dylan Dowling (6-0, 225). Freshman Josh Ringer (6-1, 195) was Mr. Football in Indiana last year and is among the newcomers. 

OFFENSIVE LINE
-- The RedHawks will have a veteran offensive line. Protecting Gabbert and paving the way for a complimentary run game are priorities. 

When the season begins, Miami will field an experienced offensive line, but spring drills offered opportunities for younger players to get some reps. (MVSmith/MRO)

DEFENSE
-- MU took some portal hits on defense. Among them was edge rusher Caiden Woullard (Oklahoma), safety Jacquez Warren and safety Jeremiah Caldwell. 
-- Linebackers Matt Salopek and Ty Wise return - both can be among the MAC's top defenders. The former earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. Several other contributors give MU a degree of depth at that level.
-- Former Rutgers player Brian Ugwu is a key part of the defensive front. 
-- Miami's defense has been a team strength, and the RedHawks relied on it even more after Gabbert went down last year. If they are going to remain among the MAC's best, they will need to find answers to a number of questions in the secondary. Fall camp will be an important part of that process. 

Dom Dzioban gets off a kick during Saturday's Football Spring Showcase. (MVSmith/M RO)

SPECIAL TEAMS
-- The RedHawks have placed a high priority on special teams, and it has paid off -- providing the difference in several close games. As a unit, MU ranked No. 1 nationally in ESPN's 2023 efficiency ratings. 
-- Special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski, however, left for Pittsburgh, so Kyle Blocker moves into the spot. He spent the past three season at Tennessee, most recently as a special teams analyist (2022-23). 
-- With Nicholson gone, Dom Dzioban and Alec Bevelhimer can battle for placekicking duties. 
"We have two other really, really good kickers who ae dying for the opportunity to be the guy at Miami," Martin said while expressing confidence MU can continue to be successful with its kicking game. 
Dzioban earned second-team all MAC honors as a punter in 2022, averaging 42.3 ypk and dropping 26 of his 71 punts inside the oppoment's 20-yard line -- best in the MAC. He missed 2023 with a leg injury. Bevelhimer stepped in and earned second-team all-MAC honors. He ranked 19th in the nation, averaging 45 yards per punt. 
"We're going to be really good on special teams because we care more about special teams than any team in the country," Martin said. 
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OVERVIEW
With the departure (graduation or transfer) of some solid players and quite a few "veterans" missing spring practice time with injuries, younger players moved into breach. That made for some less than impressive sessions along the way. However, Martin expects a healthy squad to report for fall practice. "We have an incredible group of kids coming back. (Now its about) how hard we work through fall camp. . . We've got a very exciting and challenging non-league schedule . . . We know right out of the shoot, we're going to have to be ready to play."

Head Coach Chuck Martin wrapped up spring drills with a few words of advice and encouragement. (MVSmith/MRO)