The Miami Hurricanes are hurting, and never simply mentally and emotionally due to their embarrassing 45-31 loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders final month earlier than the bye week.
Jaylan Knighton, Henry Parrish Jr., Zion Nelson, Tyrique Stevenson, Daryl Porter Jr. and Lou Hedley have been all dinged up going into the bye, and Elijah Arroyo is now hurting, too. Although he’ll wait till later within the week to announce specifics about gamers’ statuses, Mario Cristobal stated Miami can be lacking some gamers when it hosts the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“We have some guys that are going to be out, that haven’t healed up yet,” Cristobal stated, “but we aren’t going to be able to give a full assessment on that until the end of the week.”
In the Middle Tennessee recreation, Knighton went down with an ankle harm, Parrish went out with an unspecified harm, Stevenson missed the complete second half with a lower-extremity harm and Porter damage his shoulder, whereas Nelson additionally sat out due to a setback along with his left knee and Hedley was restricted to only holding after he sustained a leg pressure throughout pregame warm-ups.
Arroyo, Cristobal stated, can also be now injured, though it’s not clear when the harm occurred.
Running again depth takes hit
With Knighton and Parrish now coping with accidents, the Hurricanes (2-2) are watching the opportunity of enjoying with out 4 of their 5 scholarship working backs this weekend, following long-term accidents to working backs TreVonte’ Citizen and Donald Chaney Jr. within the preseason.
It means working again Thaddius Franklin Jr. might be in line to make his first profession begin this week.
Franklin, who leads the workforce with 5 touchdowns to this point this season, paced the tailbacks with 49 snaps in opposition to the Blue Raiders, dealing with the majority of the workload within the second half after Knighton and Parrish went out.
Beyond Franklin, walk-on working backs Terrell Walden II, Lucious Stanley and Devon Perry may additionally see motion, if Knighton and Parrish are out. All three performed nicely in Week 1 in opposition to the FCS Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, combining for 114 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
“We’re working on trying to get healthy. It’s too early in the week to say where we’re at,” Cristobal stated. “We’re on the mend. Certainly, guys are on a positive path to getting healthy again, but we’re not all the way there.”
Miami loses one other passing weapon
With large receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George each anticipated to overlook not less than a number of extra weeks, Miami’s tight ends have develop into a number of the most vital receivers on the roster, and now the Hurricanes might be lacking a key contributor there, too.
Arroyo, who has began three of 4 video games this season subsequent to star tight finish Will Mallory, is questionable to play in opposition to North Carolina.
“He did get banged up,” Cristobal stated, “so we’re not sure if he’s going to play for us this Saturday.”
If Miami needs to maintain beginning two tight ends, freshman Jaleel Skinner may make his first profession begin reverse Mallory. The tight finish caught a 17-yard move within the fourth quarter in opposition to Middle Tennessee, coming a yard away from scoring his first landing.
As for Restrepo and George, the 2 wideouts may each nonetheless miss one other month. George, who missed the Hurricanes’ final recreation with a hand harm, may miss one other two to a few, with “a worst case of four to five” weeks, Cristobal stated. Restrepo, who has missed the previous two video games with a foot harm, will possible miss not less than one other “5 1/2 weeks,” Cristobal stated.
Miami’s Nelson has setback
After making his season debut within the Hurricanes’ shut loss to the then-No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies in Week 3, Nelson didn’t play in opposition to the Blue Raiders in Week 4 as a result of he skilled “a setback,” Cristobal stated.
Nelson, who garnered preseason All-America recognition, missed the primary two video games of the 12 months after having surgical procedure to scrub free cartilage out of his left knee in July. The star sort out is now questionable for Miami’s subsequent recreation.
“We expect that it’s going to be close,” Cristobal stated.
The junior began each recreation at left sort out final 12 months, however got here off the bench in his lone look this season, rotating in at each sort out spots. Offensive lineman John Campbell Jr. has began all 4 video games at left sort out and earned rave opinions from Cristobal.
The remainder of Miami’s accidents
Although Cristobal didn’t give particular updates on his dinged-up cornerbacks or Hedley, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele stated his understanding is Stevenson is “doing fine.”
If Stevenson can’t go, Miami may search for expanded roles for cornerbacks Malik Curtis and Isaiah Dunson, plus Porter, if he’s wholesome.
At punter, Will Hutchinson would begin his second straight recreation, if Hedley can’t go. The punter averaged 47.3 yards on three kicks in his debut, booming one 57.
This story was initially revealed October 3, 2022 2:18 PM.
David Wilson, a Maryland native, is the Miami Herald’s utility man for sports activities protection.
