Miami's Defensive X-Factor Against No. 7 Texas A&M
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Miami's defense will have to be the stars of the weekend against No. 7 Texas A&M, but that also means others will have to step up.
All eyes will be on the star defensive edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor against the Aggies, but the Canes are more than just those two players.
Miami's defense is loaded with depth and star power all over the field. Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman knows this as well as he prepares his group for a war against the Aggies.
Keionte Scott
He is back, and no better time than now for the Canes. Scott was playing at an All-American level and was a Jim Thorpe Semifinalist before going down with a lower-body injury that kept him out for the rest of the regular season. Now in the playoffs, the Canes will need him the most against one of the fastest perimeter threats they will see in the postseason.
OJ Frederique Jr.
The star sophomore and former freshman All-American is an all-world player for the Miami Hurricanes, but he can also be the bearer of bad news at times. Teams like the target him a lot, but this season, unless it was jaw-dropping plays, the defenders never had a chance.
Frederique is also coming off an injury, but with him back in the lineup, it gives the Hurricanes another boost in the secondary, which has been leaning on the younger depth.
Chase Smith
One of the most underrated players this season for the Hurricanes has been Chase Smith's linebacking play. Smith had been out for seasons before playing this year as one of the three main linebackers for the Canes. He is a fast physical player and plays the run better than the linebackers in the Canes locker room.
He will be one of the key pieces alongside Wesley Bissanthe and Mo Toure as they look to slow down the Aggies and their lethal offensive attack. This season, he has 24 total tackles, 12 solo, and two pass deflections. In times when Toure has his slow moments, he has been electric on the field.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.