Four 'MORE' Miami Freshman That Will Play?
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The anticipation for the Miami Hurricanes to start the 2023 season has been high. It’s Year 2 for Mario Cristobal and his staff. Several talented returning players like Tyler Van Dyke and Akheem Mesidor return, there have been a plethora of talented Transfer Portal additions like Davonte Brown and Matt Lee, and the 2023 recruiting class was tremendous as well.
This article will focus on that final point. It’s just that more true freshmen will hit the gridiron and make contributions than most folks originally believed (yours truly included). Fall camp, as well as summer workouts, helped to point that out. This past Saturday’s CanesFest also proved that point for a few players.
Here are four more freshmen that will likely make contributions this fall that some fans may not have been expecting to see until 2024 or beyond.
To be clear, Francis Mauigoa, Samson Okunlola, Mark Fletcher, Rueben Bain, Jr., Damari Brown, and Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph were already placed in the proverbial instant impact category by All Hurricanes long ago. There’s still this next wave of players, too. Just an incredible recruiting class.
List in alphabetical order.
Raul “Popo” Aguirre - First off, Miami’s 2023 linebacker class is just ridiculous. Any one of Popo, Malik Bryant, Bobby Washington or Marcellius Pulliam could actually see significant action this fall.
That said, Popo’s aggressive nature, while still being a cerebral player, gives him a unique shot to see action in the middle of the Miami defense; that’s hard to do for a freshman. Long-term, this unit of four has a chance to be the backbone of a championship-level defense.
Joshua Horton - Having seen Horton live while he was at Langston Hughes, his size and talent were just what the Canes needed. The fact that he’s already gaining traction during fall camp despite not being an early enrollee, that’s a great sign that Horton will see action at some point this season.
Remember, the Canes need more sheer size at defensive tackle. There are numbers at the position, but big-bodied interior defensive lineman like Horton are not a common theme. The chance is there for Horton to at least be a part of the rotation.
Jayden Wayne - He’s been undersold as a first-year impact player. It’s odd because Wayne was a national recruit that played for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The way he balled out during CanesFest was just a snapshot of his capabilities.
Yes, Bain is a freshman defensive end that will see major minutes. Wayne will not be far behind. Despite Miami's depth at defensive end, Wayne's all-around skills as a pass rusher and run defender will place him on the field this season and not just in garbage time. He's a dude.
Tommy Kinsler - This addition could surprise people. Those individuals have not likely seen Kinsler live. He’s a special physical talent. The flexibility for the 330-plus-pound freshman has been ridiculous for years. His first-step quickness and power, same deal.
Because of Miami’s need for all but a complete overhaul along the offensive line, Kinsler has a shot to play some this season. Hopefully it’s just in situations where the Canes are up at least a couple of scores because offensive line play generally takes a couple of seasons for a player to learn at the college level. Still, with Zion Nelson out of the lineup (no clue what his status is) that placed Jalen Rivers at left tackle and opened up another spot along the interior.
That’s where Kinsler could make his mark. From this list, he’s the most likely not to see significant action. If there’s even one injury, however, he could be playing quite a bit. The talent is there and it may be needed sooner than later.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.
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