UM news: Kinchens returns, OC Dawson’s conundrum as of Sunday, Arroyo and Citizen update

Four weeks after being carried off on a stretcher to the Ryder Trauma Center of Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami Hurricanes All-American safety Kamren Kinchens will return to play Saturday against Georgia Tech, UM coach Mario Cristobal confirmed Monday during an interview with WQAM and later in his weekly news conference.

“Yes, he’s good to go. He’s ready to roll,’’ Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Rose, when asked if Kinchens is close to returning.

Then, Cristobal added regarding any other injuries Rose might ask about: “That was it. You reached your quota.’’

Later Monday in UM’s weekly news conference, Cristobal praised Kinchens as a player and overall good person and said it was “awesome having him around out there.’’

“He’s becoming one of those guys that’s a super impactful, difference-maker in every sense of the word,’’ Cristobal said. “It’s tougher for the offense because he makes plays. I know he was chomping at the bit to get out there.”

The 8 p.m. home game at Hard Rock Stadium will be 17th-ranked Miami’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener, the first of eight consecutive ACC games to round out the regular season.

Kinchens, who stood on the sideline in a warmup suit during UM’s 41-7 win at Temple on Sept. 23 in Philadelphia, like his teammates will wear the all-black Adidas Miami Nights uniform on Saturday. UM had basically said in a previous week’s social media post that the Canes were saving the Miami Nights uniforms for No. 5 — Kinchens’ jersey number.

The Hurricanes junior, out of Miami Northwestern High, sustained the apparent head/neck injury with 1:58 left after his head flung back on a ferocious tackle in Miami’s big home win Sept. 9 against then-No. 23 Texas A&M.

After initially flexing the fingers of one hand, Kinchens remained on the ground motionless for several minutes, members of both teams standing solemnly nearby. Kinchens was placed on a board, carted off the field and rushed to Jackson.

He was released from the hospital the next morning, but just before midnight after the game, the Canes Football social media account posted an uplifting tweet, courtesy of Kinchens’ mother Merdie Kinchens-Butler.

The tweet showed a photo of a smiling Kinchens throwing up the U from his hospital bed.

“All we can say is GOD is Amazing......’’ the caption read, with the words ‘’That’s one tough Cane’’ underneath the photo.

When asked to elaborate on specifics of Kinchens’ condition a few days after he was hurt, Cristobal said the program “will never be specific on injuries.”

“We think it’s important to keep confidentiality and privacy of our medical situations to our football team.”

Two weeks ago, Cristobal again was asked about Kinchens’ timetable for returning: “He’s doing well. Everything is progressing nicely,’’ the coach said. “Him and all the other [injured] guys are really close. We’re in a good spot. We’re in a good place.’’

Kinchens is the only current Hurricane who has a banner hanging with his name along with former UM greats in the rafters of the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility. He led UM last season with 59 tackles, six interceptions, a fumble recovery and forced fumble.

Before he was injured, Kinchens had seven tackles, an interception and fumble recovery in the Texas A&M game.

The Hurricanes (4-0) started the season unranked but have risen in the rankings ever since they entered them on Sept. 11.

Georgia Tech is 2-3.

Other injuries

While formerly injured running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and defensive end Nyjalik Kelly returned to play last game at Temple, usual starting defensive end Akheem Mesidor and starting defensive tackle Branson Deen watched the game from the sideline. Mesidor wore a boot on his left foot. Asked if he expected Mesidor and Deen back on Saturday, the coach said, “We’ll see. Hopefully.’’

Cristobal was also asked how close projected starting tight end Elijah Arroyo (major knee surgery last season), offensive lineman Zion Nelson (knee) and running back TreVonte’ Citizen (major knee surgery last season) are to playing for the first time this season. The coach only mentioned Arroyo and Citizen by name, at first saying, “We’re real close.”

“You’re always hopeful at the beginning of the season,’’ the coach said. “We were maybe wishing a little too early back then, but now it’s a reality. Now we’re there. You might be able to see Elijah this weekend. TreVonte’ is not far behind. We feel like we’re going to have a bunch of these guys back and playing. The best part is they’re going to be playing at a high level.’’

Georgia Tech coordinator demoted

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key demoted Yellow Jackets defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker to safeties coach Sunday after Tech allowed 38 unanswered points in a 38-27 loss Saturday to Bowling Green. Key then promoted co-defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer to coordinator.

“I don’t know much about the guy they just hired other than just researching him over the last couple of days,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “I’m sure they’re not doing that to keep everything exactly the same. I’m sure there are going to be some changes. How much they can change in a week? I don’t know. I would doubt it would be wholesale change. It’ll probably be little things here and there.

“But it definitely changes our approach, because there are elements of unknown. We gotta go into the game and gotta have a plan, but you have to know how to plan to change if things are just completely different.’’

▪ ESPN has elected to use a six-day selection for the following two Oct. 14 games that will fill the noon and 7:30 p.m. ET windows on ABC: Syracuse at Florida State & Miami at North Carolina.