Restrepo talks WR room; player chatter following Saturday's Miami Hurricanes fall practice No. 2

SATURDAY PRACTICE FIELD NOTES

At the Miami Hurricanes media day on Tuesday, QB Tyler Van Dyke called slot receiver/roommate Xavier Restrepo his “safety blanket.” You can see why. Restrepo has a knack for quickly getting open off the line, and is a sure-handed wideout who can make plays  in space. With Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley gone, many believe it will be Restrepo, a third-year sophomore waiting for a breakout season, that will lead this team in receptions.

“I’ve just been doing whatever coach asks me,” Restrepo said. “We’re just ready to get to work.”

Coaches aren’t the only ones asking Restrepo and his receiver-mates to step up and perform.

Van Dyke’s doing the same.

“He’ll step in our meeting one day, check the entire receiving corps,” Restrepo said. “We take it as motivation that the quarterback is coming in the room and addressing us.

“He tells us `Let’s go, next day another opportunity to perform.’”

That’s something these receivers need to do … but it’s no certainty they will do it to a high level. The position is a question mark on this team with the departure of Rambo and Harley, and Restrepo can’t do it alone no matter how often he dives for balls (which he does on a regular basis in practices) or makes plays. It isn’t going to be a one-man show at wideout.

“It’s been great competition,” Restrepo said. “Bonding together, we are really getting after it.”

Asked if he sees guys that can step up to fill the losses at WR, Restrepo points to “all the guys.”

“Everybody is doing a great job,” Restrepo said.

In other words, wait and see how the fall plays out.

Restrepo also says new coordinator/WR coach Josh Gattis “has taught me so much more about football than I could have ever thought.”

“From starting at the line of scrimmage pre-play to post-play,” Restrepo said. “I’m really thankful for that.”

Last year Restrepo worked behind Harley. He finished showing some bright flashes off the bench with 24 receptions for 373 yards and two touchdowns. His receiving yards ranked fourth-most on the team.

Also working at slot with him is second-year speedster Brashard Smith.

Restrepo graded out at 71.9 percent as a receiver last year per Pro Football Focus, which is very good. But he wants to be even better this year.

“I’ve worked on my whole entire game this offseason,” Restrepo said. “So I’m just ready to step on the field and perform.”

Another offensive player who shared his thoughts after today’s practice was Jalen Rivers, a key lineman who is expected to start at left guard.

Rivers squatted 615 pounds in testing this offseason, a number he says he didn’t expect to hit. So he’s looking for a big year after missing the latter half of last year with injury. He’s also cross-trained at tackle and even center, but guard is expected to be his home.

The 6-6, 330-pound third-year redshirt freshman played in seven games off the bench in 2020, then this past season started the first three games before suffering the season-ending injury.

“It feels great (to be back), not sitting in rehab watching everybody, teammates putting in the grind,” said Rivers, who went up to 340 pounds during his rehab process but has lost 10 pounds to get back in shape. “It’s great to be back, putting in the work, getting better. I’m really looking forward to the season with the guys.”

Rivers still has work to do off what we’ve seen in his past at Miami. He’s got average hand punch and his pass blocking grades have not been good – he graded at 36.8 in 2020 and 45.9 this past season per Pro Football Focus (70 and above is considered very good). He also doesn’t have a lot of game experience due to his injury.

It’s on Alex Mirabal and Mario Cristobal to get Rivers and the other linemen playing to their highest potential. And yes, Cristobal has been hands-on with the OL group in these first two fall practices.

“Since the day I got here he’s been around, and when he’s around us he pushes us, gives us tips while he is pushing us,” Rivers said. “It’s great to have a head coach that was an offensive lineman and knows what it takes to really build this culture back.”

There are 15 linemen on the roster, including walkons, but one guy who is missing is the returning starter at LT, Zion Nelson. He’s expected back toward the end of fall drills off cleanup surgery.

“It limits the guys, we wish for him to get better,” Rivers said. “He’s going to have a great recovery. We’re all taking different positions. It’s hard, but we’re getting better.”

With Rivers out, it’s John Campbell working as the first team LT.

“John Campbell, he’s persistent, he wants to get better,” Rivers said.

A key for this Miami offense is getting Rivers and his linemates to perform at a high level. And that’s started with the two practice so far and will continue the rest of the fall.

“Things are going great, we’re all working hard,” Rivers said. “We’re ready to grind. This was the second day and we’re just getting better day by day.”

A final thought from Rivers pertains to the entire team.

“They are trying to build this culture back to what it was,” he said. “The energy is going to be different. They are coming in with a sternness to them, saying `We are going to be accountable. We are holding everybody accountable, being disciplined.’ So we do things to go toward that to being 1-0 and hopefully winning championships every day.

“We know what it takes now, spring we did not know what it took. They really set the example of what it takes. We are trying to embody that culture. Starting fall we know what it takes, what kind of effort we need.”

On the other side of the ball? After Saturday’s drills it was former Georgia CB/STAR transfer Tyrique Stevenson weighing in. Stevenson was the Hurricanes’ best cornerback last season, and Kevin Steele has also given him some looks at the hybrid OLB/nickel back STAR spot.

Stevenson is joined at corner this season by another transfer that’s come in, West Virginia’s Daryl Porter, Jr. The hope is that duo can lock down opposing receivers.

“Daryl’s mindset is just work,” Stevenson said. “He knows he’s coming in with a lot of elite guys, he knows what he wants out of this year and for himself. He came in ready to work.”

Stevenson missed the spring with injury and says “it feels great” being back on the field for practice.

“I’d never sat out for a long period of time like that,” Stevenson said. “Being able to be back out here, with my brothers, cleats on, I’m very grateful for it.”

Stevenson has a great mix of physicality and athleticism, and last season after arriving as a Georgia transfer he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention while finishing with 43 tackles, 2.5 for losses along with an interception and four pass breakups.

He says at 6-2, he weighs “between 205 and 210” and that “my body feels great.”

“This whole offseason and through the injury I’ve been taking care of myself, changing my diet, making myself available for the team,” Stevenson said, adding he’s lost a little bit of body fat as well.

Last year Stevenson wound up with a solid 76.1 coverage grade per Pro Football Focus (an improvement over his 67.3 and 68.0 grades at Georgia the prior two years). Stevenson also earned an overall grade of 72.1, which was second to only Nesta Silvera among Miami defensive players with 100 or more reps.

“The first thing I learned (last year) is everyone down here is a dog,” Stevenson said. “Everyone has their own goals, but everybody is just focusing on one goal (for the team).”

Stevenson has good physicality and uses his body and hands to alter the timing of a receiver’s route. He also has shown he can be an adept blitzer, something Kevin Steele is likely to utilize.

And Steele’s stressing better tackling as a team effort.

“Coach Steele’s biggest thing is it’s football, everybody is good on this level,” Stevenson said. “One person might miss, but one person can’t make four people miss. It’s just hats to the ball, surround the ball, everyone run to the ball.”

A new aspect for Stevenson this year after transferring in last season: Leadership.

“I feel like I’ve grown into more of a leader,” Stevenson said. “Going into this year I started to notice that the older guys have been looking to me.”

* Asked his thoughts on Miami’s WR corps, which has some question marks after losing Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo, Stevenson said, ““Those boys are just a little more hungry, know that have a big slot to fill. This year seeing the quarterbacks and receivers coming out (to the building to do work), they beat us out here. We walk in the building, they are already here. They are locked in, ready to prove a lot of people wrong this year.