MIAMI, Fla. - Miami’s secondary is suddenly being asked to do more with less.
After the Hurricanes rolled past Florida A&M 77-7 on Thursday, Mario Cristobal said junior cornerback Xavier Lucas will be out for “about a month.” That adds another hit to a defensive backfield already dealing with losses, with sophomore cornerback Ja’Boree Antoine sidelined by an undisclosed injury before the season and junior cornerback Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr. out after suffering a shoulder injury in the opener against Stanford.
The result is a thinner group than Miami expected to have this early, and the answer has to come from a mix of moving pieces and young players.
Against the Rattlers, sophomore Bryce Fitzgerald opened at cornerback rather than safety, and he should keep seeing more work there, with nickelback snaps also in play depending on the package. Junior Omar Thornton, a Boston College transfer, brings the same kind of flexibility. He can line up at corner, nickelback or safety, and that versatility matters now more than ever.
Freshman JJ Dunnigan got his first college start against Florida A&M and is in position to keep earning trust from the staff. Redshirt junior Damari Brown also stepped into a starting role for the first time this season opposite Fitzgerald. Even with an injury history, the Plantation, Fla., native is now in line for a bigger veteran workload while Lucas and Frederique Jr. remain out.
Behind Brown, redshirt junior Ethan O’Connor could see more snaps. He’s a physical corner who has speed, stays connected to receivers and shows strong instincts, and he made a pass breakup against the Rattlers.
Miami is also leaning on its freshman class to help cover the gaps. Along with Dunnigan, Camdin Portis and Chris Ewald Jr. saw action against Florida A&M and are expected to be among the main cornerback rotation options for Friday.
The injuries have stacked up quickly, and Antoine, Lucas and Frederique Jr. all being unavailable this early leaves real holes to fill. But the Hurricanes have started the season with a defense that hasn’t allowed a touchdown in two games, and the schedule is about to get tougher fast. Eight of Miami’s next 10 regular-season games are against ACC opponents, so the pressure isn’t easing up just because the secondary is short-handed.
Miami will submit injuries before Wake Forest this week, which should give a clearer picture of where the secondary stands heading into the next matchup.
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