Canes coach offers clues on personnel decisions. And Hurricanes football, basketball notes

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

▪ UM will hold an open scrimmage on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, and here’s one thing everyone should be watching: Will this revamped group of Canes cornerbacks be torched on deep balls as much as last year’s group was during the regular season?

Miami permitted 8.37 yards per pass attempt last season. Only Colorado, Vanderbilt and Arkansas were worse among Power 5 teams.

Even with losing Tyrique Stevenson to the NFL (Chicago Bears), there’s hope this group will be an improvement.

UM essentially replaced Stevenson and DJ Ivey (now with the Cincinnati Bengals) with former UCF cornerback Davonte Brown, former Oklahoma cornerback Jaden Davis, former Vanderbilt cornerback Ja’Dais Richard and former junior college cornerback Demetrius Freeney.

And freshman Damari Brown — Davonte’s brother — also has injected himself into the mix. Returning cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. could play more.

Based on comments from defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, it appears Davonte Brown and Jaden Davis are going to play a lot. I would be surprised if Te’Cory Couch doesn’t get regular playing time, too.

So that leaves Porter, Richard and perhaps Damari Brown competing for a top-four role. Freeney has been limited with an injury.

We have been advised not to overlook Porter; UM believes he has improved. My sense is that if Porter has a good camp, he will be a top-four cornerback on this team.

“Looks like the Davis kid would probably be the nickel but you don’t know that” yet for sure, Guidry told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki this week.

“We got the Richard kid. You have both Brown brothers. Both Brown brothers can play. The youngest one had a great day [earlier this week]. The older one has probably been the most consistent corner we have.”

Mario Cristobal assessed cornerback this way this week: “I do know this: In terms of veterans at safety we have some there, but you have some veterans outside in TC [Couch], Davonte, Jaden Davis, Ja’Dais Richard being a sophomore has a lot of experience.

“Davonte’s experience and toughness [at UCF] shows. Jaden Davis, his versatility, toughness, ability to play man to man coverage, understanding of the game has been awesome.

“I’m really excited about Damari Brown. I mean, he pops off now, big and physical. He can run, plays with courage and toughness, student of the game. And he’s out there working to earn everything. Demetrius Freeney got a little banged up, nothing too significant, but enough to hold him out. And Robert Stafford is progressing nicely.”

▪ A few other things from Guidry: He told Zagacki that if UM is “playing base [defense, we’re] trying to figure out who the third backer is. Is it [safety] James Williams or another backer prospect?”...

He said: “You have to be good up front no matter what. I think that’s the strength of our defense. We rush the passer. We’re violent. If we can pressure up front and disrupt the run and pass, that’s going to help out the back end.”...

The defensive leaders? “You got to start with Kam Kinchens; he’s the leader on the back end and the Kiko kid [linebacker Francisco Mauigoa] is really, really sharp as well. James [Williams] is very smart, knows the defense.

“The KJ Cloyd kid [the Louisville transfer linebacker] is another guy in there. [Linebacker] Corey Flagg has probably made the most improvement from the spring to the fall, probably because he had a foot injury. We’ve probably got four or five backers we can play.”...

Guidry said “at safety, we’re trying to gain depth” behind Kinchens and Williams. “The [Jaden] Harris kid and the [Markieth] Williams kid. We feel like we’ve got interchangeable parts back up.” Harris has made a smooth transition from cornerback....

Guidry said of Leonard Taylor: “It’s hot right now, so big guys get the [most tired]. He’s been really explosive, disruptive. He’s fighting through it and having a good fall camp.”

▪ We’re all guilty of being too optimistic about some UM coordinators in the past, but I would be very surprised if Guidry isn’t a success here. He’s going to bring an element of unpredictability to the defense, which was too vanilla last season.

“I like how he switches it up,” Davonte Brown said. “He gives his corners a lot of chances to blitz too.”

Kinchens said this defense is “aggressive, will come at you a lot of different ways.”

And the offense, now being run by Shannon Dawson, “knows how to take top off [a defense],” Kinchens said. “Every day it getting trickier and trickier.”

▪ Quick stuff from Mario Cristobal: In a chat with WQAM’s Don Bailey, Cristobal made a point to note how pleased he is with Tyler Van Dyke’s backups: “Jacurri [Brown] and Emory [Williams] have done an outstanding job. Every day you feel more and more comfortable with those guys and the future of the program.”

It’s essential that one or both emerge as a worthy successor when Tyler Van Dyke goes to the NFL after this season....

Cristobal has raved about right guard Anez Cooper for weeks: “His lateral quickness, his mobility and [his ability to] come out of awkward positions with power and recovery are the biggest changes you see in his game due to diligence in the weight room...

At tight end, Cristobal said the “veteran presence of [Oregont transfer] Cam McCormick helps a ton.”

▪ UM safety Brian Balom was candid in explaining why he entered the transfer portal this past offseason and then changed his mind and pulled his name out:

“I was in a bad head space, hearing the wrong crowd. [Coach Mario] Cristobal and [Jahmile] Addae asked, ‘What are you doing?’ [Cristobal] told me I’m needed here. I have a great opportunity here. I knew I didn’t want to leave.”

Cristobal told Balom that Dolphins safety Jevon Holland didn’t play a lot early at Oregon, and look how his career turned out.

Balom said he might have gone to Utah State to play for former UM safeties coach Ephraim Banda had he left UM. It’s a good thing he didn’t; Banda left Utah State on Feb. 23 to become the Cleveland Browns’ safeties coach.

▪ Like Isaiah Wong with the Pacers, Jordan Miller also will begin his NBA career on a two-way deal, with the Clippers. Both second-round picks were critical components of UM’s Final Four run, of course.

The Clippers already had 16 players on standard contracts, so a two-way was necessary, and Miller signed a two-year two-way deal. Players on two-way contracts can appear in as many as 50 NBA games in a season.