One Defensive Star Continues to Shine and Will Define Miami's Secondary This Season
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Entering this season, the Miami Hurricanes' secondary looks to be one of the best in the country.
They have the most returning production from last season's National Championship game run, but they did lose two key starters.
Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas are off to the NFL, making their own waves while the Canes have retooled with a new defensive star transfer, Omar Thornton.
The high-flying, hard-hitting Boston College transfer has taken the Hurricanes' offseason by storm that everyone is noticing ahead of the season.
"He loves football," Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said about Thornton. "That's the number one thing. He reminds me of all the guys we've had. He fits perfect in what we do. He loves football. He loves coming out here every day as an opportunity to go win a one-on-one.
"Every day is an opportunity to get better, and he just plays fast. Every year we have to evolve for how to get the best eleven on the field, and he's a guy that competes every single day. He continues to push us and get us better every single day."
After totaling 82 tackles last season, the Canes are pushing him hard, and everyone around him notices it as well. Star safety Zechariah Poyser loves playing beside him, helping him to get better as well as the team.
“What impressed me the most is his ability to be versatile," Poyser said about the star player. "He’s a very versatile player. He can play man, play in zones, play deep. I feed off him a lot. So, just me being on the field with him is a blessing. And I’m so excited to be out there with him. He’s going to shake the world for sure.”
Moreover, Thornton is focused on playing where he is needed. The Canes have found a way to use him all over, and he is getting comfortable at the right time — right when the team is gearing up for its first game of the season.
“[I’m] real comfortable playing wherever they choose me to fit in at, wherever, I feel great," Thornton said. "All the positions, going over all the plays, knowing what to call at safety, what to call when they switch me, things like that. It’s been fun switching around a lot. It’s been cool.”
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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.
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