UM reveals most improved defender this spring. And more personnel talks, draft tidbits

A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:

▪ There are serious questions in the defensive backfield, where UM has only two proven starters — Washington transfer Mishael Powell (who’s working at safety and nickel cornerback) and cornerback Daryl Porter Jr.

Here’s the good news: Safety Jaden Harris, who played 130 defensive snaps last season, “is probably the most improved player on the defense right now,” defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said before UM adjourned for spring break this week.

“[He has] a lot of confidence, [after] sitting behind two older guys, Kam Kinchens and James Williams. Harris is playing boundary safety. We will move him to field safety as well.”

Safety Savion Riley, the Vanderbilt transfer, “is long, [has] good top end speed,” Guidry said. “Right now, he’s trying to learn everything. A really good tackler.”

Markeith Williams, who played 46 defensive snaps last season, “has been doing well, too,” Guidry said. “Really excited about him as well.”

Ballyhooed freshman Zaquan Patterson spent some time with the starters last week and also is “doing well,” Guidry said.

And fellow early enrollee Dylan Day is “working at nickel, safety and corner” and also has looked good, Guidry said.

Harris, Williams, Riley, Patterson and Day are all competing at safety, potentially to start opposite Powell (unless Powell plays nickel corner). Arizona transfer safety Isaiah Taylor, son of UM co-defensive line coach Jason Taylor, is missing the spring due to injury.

“Little bit of growing pains for the young guys, but I think they’re making some gains,” Guidry said. “Dylan Day had a good day [last Friday but not Thursday] and Zaquan probably had a better day [Thursday]. The other guys are catching on pretty good.”

As for Powell, who was a very good starter for Washington, Guidry said he’s “working in at free safety and will play nickel. Meesh is probably playing the strongest of the guys that came in.”

▪ Questions also abound at cornerback. Damari Brown — the potential front-runner to start opposite Porter — is missing spring practice due to an undisclosed injury.

“We have a couple of injuries that are hurting us right now,” Guidry said. “Down to maybe four corners. We’re having to use a couple of safeties to play with the [cornerbacks]. Hopefully we get Brown back after spring break. We have freshmen not here yet. I feel good” about the position.

Jadais Richard appears to be getting first crack for a prominent boundary cornerback job to supplement Porter and Brown.

▪ The defensive tackles added in the portal — North Carolina State’s CJ Clark and Middle Tennessee’s Marley Cooke — have been working with the second team through a week of spring practice.

“CJ had a pick-six [Friday],” Guidry noted. “Marley is a little bit shorter; compact guy, big effort guy. Excited about both those additions.”

Meanwhile, Guidry disclosed that Rueben Bain — who led all FBS freshmen in quarterback pressures last season — will “stay at defensive end for us. I won’t move him because he brings a different dynamic for us. I think he’ll end up inside [when he gets to the NFL]. I think he’ll be a great 3 tech in the NFL. He’s pretty special.”

Former Marshall defensive end Elijah Alston worked with the first team at defensive end last week in the absence of Akheem Mesidor (who’s expected back at some point this spring) and Nyjalik Kelly (who’s expected back later this summer).

Guidry said Alston is a “fast kid, like a big linebacker, is going to rush the passer well. I think he’ll make a big impact. I had him a couple of years ago … Last year he was off the charts” at Marshall, with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

▪ With starting middle linebacker Francisco Mauigoa out for the spring, second-year player Raul Aguirre — who played 29 defensive snaps as a freshman — has been “running with the ones,” Guidry said.

Wesley Bissainthe, likely to start at the other linebacker spot, “has improved drastically,” Guidry said. “Bobby Washington will do well. And keep your eyes on [freshman early enrollee linebacker] Bobby Pruitt. He’s a really good football player. Excited about those guys. Trying to create as much depth as we can.”

▪ Guidry, now charged with defending new UM quarterback Cam Ward in practice, said the Washington State transfer is a “really good football player. He extends plays. He’s tough, very poised. You can’t rattle him. He’s seen everything before. He’s a natural leader. I think he can win a bunch of games for us.”

▪ ESPN’s Field Yates, who has assumed more of a draft analyst role after the network dropped Todd McShay during company-wide layoffs last June, sized up UM’s top pro prospects in a conference call last week.

He said Kamren Kinchens’ 4.65 time in the 40-yard dash “was disappointing” but “the film is excellent on him. He was consistently around the football, was an intercepter, a well-timed blitzer, a leader for Miami, overcame injury, had a scary one, eventually returned. The production speaks for itself.

“The 40 is an eye-opener. I wasn’t expecting it. And one thing I’ve learned in being a part of and covering the NFL Draft is that NFL teams do tend to defer to height, weight, speed in a lot of cases. So do I think it crushes his value? No. Do I think it’s a part of the conversation now? Yes.

“I still think, though, that Kam is the kind of guy that if he goes in the second round will be a Day 1 starter and a really good player for a team right away in part because as we are seeing right now at the NFL level; we see a lot of safeties recently released. That might be a position where the NFL is saying `We can find starters right now in the college ranks.’”

Yates said former UM safety James Williams, a projected mid-round pick, “did something really selfless, which is he went to the Senior Bowl, had been a safety in college, and he said `I’ll be a linebacker, no problem,’” Yates said.

“You don’t really see too many safeties with his kind of build. As a matter of fact, when I saw James at the Senior Bowl in the linebacker group,... I’m thinking to myself, `James Williams looks big amongst the linebackers.’ Amongst the safeties he looked like a high school senior with a bunch of fifth-graders running around him. So big, impressive build.

“He has a chance to become a really solid linebacker. It might take some time as you develop into a new position. But a guy I can see a developmental upside shot on. His 40 time (4.65) was solid if you evaluate him as a linebacker as opposed to a safety.”

Yates said center Matt Lee is an “interesting player who I think would be a good fit for a zone scheme team. A little bit undersized, but he gets his hands on players defensively. Rock-solid dependable. Probably only a center but can develop into a starting center at some point down the line.”