Ready to Answer the Call

By Christy Cabrera Chirinos
HurricaneSports.com
 
For months, they’ve woken up before the sun, enduring early-morning workouts to build strength and endurance so they’d be ready when it was their turn to shine.
 
As members of the Hurricanes scout team, they’ve donned different jerseys and run the plays of Miami’s opponents, all to try and help their veteran teammates better prepare for games.
 
And here and there, on occasion, some of Miami’s freshmen have even gotten doses of playing time when the Hurricanes have built comfortable leads or had to deal with ill-timed injuries.
 
Now though, as Miami continues preparing for its Walk-On’s Independence Bowl matchup with Louisiana Tech and the end of the 2019 season draws ever closer, some of the youngest players on the Hurricanes’ roster know there’s a good chance that come Thursday afternoon, they’ll find themselves in the spotlight, logging more minutes than they have all season.  
 
They insist they’re ready to answer the call and not only are they determined to finish the season on a positive note, they say it’s time to start setting the tone for the year ahead.
 
“My class, we’re excited that we’ll have the opportunity to play in this game,” said defensive tackle Jason Blissett Jr., a former four-star prospect who made his Hurricanes’ debut in Miami’s September win over Bethune-Cookman. “We feel like we’re players. We’re excited to show the fans, to show other teams, to even show ourselves how amazing we are and how special we’re going to be.”
 
Blissett isn’t the only young player on the roster who could see extended time Thursday.
 
With defensive ends Trevon Hill and Jonathan Garvin and linebacker Michael Pinckney not suiting up against Louisiana Tech, freshman end Jahfari Harvey and linebacker Sam Brooks are also expected to both log significant minutes.To help them and some of Miami’s other youngsters prepare to face the nine-win Bulldogs, coaches have pulled veterans out of drills during bowl practices on Greentree, giving the freshmen more time with the Hurricanes’ first and second units.
 
As one might expect, the youngsters have responded.
 
“You always see a sense of urgency the week of a game when guys know they’re going to play more than they did. This being a bowl game, with Trevon and [Garvin] not playing, guys like Blissett and Harvey know they’re going to play,” defensive coordinator Blake Baker said. “Sam, you can see, coaching him and seeing him in the meeting room every day, that he’s growing up and maturing and approaching the game more professionally, regardless of how much he thought he was going to play or not. He’s been on a steady incline, in my opinion … And the other two see it as a major two with [Garvin and Hill] not playing. They’ve really had a good sense of urgency.”
 
Added Harvey, “I’m just grateful for the opportunity. All the older d-ends have helped me with everything: film, practice, they’ve helped me keep my body right. This is going to be an important game for me, with me playing a lot. Every time I step on the field, I always give my all. I always play like my hair’s on fire. But it feels like I am focused a little bit more.”As excited as he is to see how his freshmen handle Thursday’s game, though, Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz noted they aren’t the only ones he’s been watching closely during bowl preparations.
 
With leaders like linebacker Shaquille Quarterman and receiver K.J. Osborn set to play their final games as Hurricanes, Diaz wants to know which of his returning underclassmen will take command in the locker room ahead of the 2020 season.
 
The tone for that, he noted, is being set now.
 
“There’s your departing seniors and then there’s the guys who realize they’re about to face their last go ’round. Then there’s your sophomore class, who realize they’re just halfway through and time is going fast. What you want to see is their urgency, to see them realize, ‘Oh my gosh, this is my team now,'” Diaz said. “When they see the Shaq Quartermans and the K.J. Osborns walk out the door, what’s next? … To me, more than anything, I want to see which games take ownership of the team, realize it’s their time, that they’re on the clock and that the 2020 team will have a lot to do with what they put into it now.”
 
In many ways, there’s a lot at stake for all of the Hurricanes this week.
 
Miami’s seniors want to finish their college careers on a positive note. The freshmen are eager to prove they belong. And the Hurricanes’ returning veterans want to set the tone for a season that may still be months away, but will arrive quicker than they might expect.
 
“I feel like we’re ready,” Blissett said. “We had a brief break, but we’re back together again, we’re working hard and we’re all excited.”