Hurricanes getting CB help with young defender’s position change
Miami Hurricanes safety Jalen Harrell will make a position change to cornerback ahead of the beginning of spring practice, a source confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Saturday night.
Harrell (6 feet 2, 200 pounds) played five games in his first college season in the fall, mostly on special teams, and picked up one tackle. Heading into his first college spring this month, he remains a freshman next fall as the 2020 season did not count against player eligibility because it was played amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The possibility of a move was first reported by 247 Sports.
Miami got cornerback help this offseason with the transfer of Georgia’s Tyrique Stevenson into the program, but the depth is nonetheless concerning, especially if Al Blades Jr. remains unavailable due to his myocarditis diagnosis.
The Hurricanes return junior DJ Ivey and sophomore Te’Cory Couch, along with freshmen Marcus Clarke and Isaiah Dunson. Their one incoming freshman recruit at cornerback, Fort Myers Bishop Verot’s Malik Curtis, is not an early enrollee available for the spring.
Harrell’s switch provides relief in that area, and he does it moving over from a position that has plenty of depth. At safety, UM returns its three-player rotation of Bubba Bolden, Amari Carter and Gurvan Hall. The Hurricanes also got good news on Friday night that freshman Avantae Williams was medically cleared after missing his first college season. He gets thrown into the safety mix with fellow members of Miami’s 2020 recruiting class, like Harrell, in Brian Balom and Keshawn Washington.
Of UM’s two safety recruits in the 2021 class, Kamren Kinchens is already on campus early for the spring while James Williams, ranked the class’ No. 1 safety, will join the Hurricanes ahead of the fall season.
