Jahfari Harvey sees better tackling, ready for Saturday scrimmage

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For most of the fall, the initial depth chart’s seen Jahfari Harvey and Chantz Williams as Miami’s first-team ends. But they are being pushed by transfers that many think will wind up the starters when it’s all said and done – Mitchell Agude and Akheem Mesidor. Regardless, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele says he considers multiple ends and tackles starters, since there will be a rotation.

Tomorrow will come some clarity on all matters depth chart. That’s because Miami will hold its first fall scrimmage Saturday night. How Harvey and his D line mates perform will have a lot to do with what kind of depth chart we see next week and beyond.

“I just want everybody to know what they’re doing, feel comfortable with what we have installed already,” Harvey said looking ahead to the scrimmage. “That’s the most important thing, everyone doing their job the correct way, their assignments. Knowing what they have to do.”

Harvey also said after today’s closed practice that he’s encouraged by how the defense is performing so far this fall. In particular he points to tackling as an improved area.

“We work on tackling every day,” he said. “Before practice we do a tackling drill, tackling circuit. During practice we emphasize tackling. Everything we do.”

A 6-4, 252-pound fourth-year redshirt sophomore, Harvey has started six games in his career. He arrived at UM in 2019 and played in four games off the bench, then in 2020 played in 10 games and had one start, ending with 18 tackles, five for losses and 1.5 sacks. This past season he played in all 12 games, starting five, and had 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as well as an interception return for a touchdown against North Carolina.

While the tools are all there, Harvey got plenty of chances last season and just never really made a consistent splash. Last year’s Pro Football Focus grades also show he needs to make a jump from good to elite – he graded out last year at 65.2 percent as a pass rusher and 66.9 for run defense (70 is considered very good).

Regardless, after last season it was presumed he’d be the next guy in line to start with Zach McCloud and DeAndre Johnson gone. But Miami coach Mario Cristobal upped the level of competition with the transfer additions. And Cristobal also upped the general attitude and focus of the entire team.

“Everybody bought in from the first day,’ Harvey said. “It was kind of different. When he [Crisotbal] walks in the room everybody just locks in. He knows how to bring a team together, how to structure a team. Day in and day out working on discipline.”

At Thursday’s open practice, the defensive front did a great job stopping the run. Today the feedback was practice waned as the day went along, something that will be addressed.

For Harvey, though, there are positives you can glean from a lot of what the Miami defense is doing under Kevin Steele. And at the top of the list is doing a better job of stopping the run, an area in which this team faltered the last two seasons.

“You have to stop the run,” Harvey said. “That’s most important, stopping that run. Winning first down, get them deep so it’s difficult to get a first down. We love third and long. To get to third and long you have to stop the run.”

*Asked about freshman DL Nyjalik Kelly, Harvey said, “Nyjalik is going to be a great football player. He has a bend. He’s 6-6 but can bend like nothing I’ve seen before. He’s so tall he can touch the ground without even trying. He hasn’t realized it yet, but he’s going to be a great player. He has a lot of things that make up a great pass rusher.”