#CanesCamp Notebook (August 15)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes closed out the second week of #CanesCamp with the third annual Canes Correspondents Luncheon.
Following head coach Al Golden’s press conference in the Bob Mann Auditorium, the Canes Correspondents Luncheon was held outside the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence. Assistant coaches and every member of the 2014 Hurricanes football team was available to the media at the event.
“I hope today gives you an opportunity to sit down, not with maybe 20 microphones in someone’s face, but just really get a chance to go one-on-one with a coach or a player and enjoy maybe a little more of them on a personal note,” Golden said beforehand. “That’s the design of it. We appreciate your guys’ coverage and being out there for as long as you guys are.”
Golden touched on a variety of topics in his press conference, including the competition at quarterback between senior Jake Heaps and freshman Brad Kaaya.
“No. 1, they respect each other immensely,” Golden said. “They’re competing, but they’re also very cooperative. They’re setting a good example for what we want every position to look like. The battle is won in the classroom, it’s won in your preparation and work ethic, your attention to detail, and ultimately how you perform. That’s a tight battle.”
While Golden said the majority of reps will go to Heaps and Kaaya, he is happy with the entire quarterback group.
“From a team standpoint with the majority of the [first team] and [second team] reps going to them, everybody is still getting reps with the 1’s and 2’s and everybody is still being developed,” Golden said. “It’s a long season. [We’ve] been down this road before, we just have to move everybody forward. I’m very pleased with that position group right now, and clearly Ryan [Williams] is getting stronger daily.”
Another topic was the recent move from offense to defense by freshman David Njoku. Originally listed as a wide receiver, Njoku traded in his white offensive jersey for a green defensive jersey on Friday.
“David is kind of a hybrid for us,” Golden said. “He’s 230 pounds, so is he a big X [wide receiver]? Because he runs well and obviously has good explosiveness. Is he an h-back? Or is he a SAM [linebacker]? We wanted to take a look at SAM now because we know what his ball skills and movements are like.”
Prior to the Canes Correspondents Luncheon, the Hurricanes were on Greentree Practice Fields for a morning session of #CanesCamp practice.
Several running backs impressed on Friday morning, but Joseph Yearby had the top play from that position group. The Miami Central product exploded for a 50-yard run, using his speed and agility to evade defenders.
Miami’s quarterbacks all had signature throws on Friday. Redshirt freshman Kevin Olsen connected with junior Herb Waters for a 35-yard gain, while Kaaya, Heaps and Malik Rosier each had completions of over 20 yards.
Defensively, Miami pressured the quarterbacks and forced several hurried throws. Linebacker Thurston Armbrister picked off a pass, making an instinctive play on the ball and hauling in the interception.
The Canes will return to Greentree Saturday for their final two-a-day session of the week. The morning session is scheduled to begin at 8:20 a.m. with the Hurricanes set to return in the afternoon at 3:20 p.m. For the latest information on Miami Hurricanes Football, follow @MiamiHurricanes on Twitter and the official blog for Hurricanes Football, www.theufootball.com.
