Fans to finally see 2023 Canes. Kinchens, TVD on spring game, putting ‘world on notice’
All-American safety Kamren Kinchens was last seen en masse by University of Miami football fans in a UM video showing him witness his orange All-American banner raised to the rafters of the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility to join the banners of other UM greats.
Former Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year Tyler Van Dyke was last seen on a football field Nov. 26 in the season-finale loss against Pittsburgh — but lasted only one drive, as he reinjured his ailing right shoulder that kept him out much of the second half of the season.
The two Hurricane stars and head coach Mario Cristobal addressed the media Thursday, a day before the spring game at DRV PNK Stadium to culminate the NCAA-allotted 15-practice spring session. With new offensive and defensive coordinators, almost all new position coaches and fresh faces intent on improving a 5-7 season, the Hurricanes are pumped for fans to watch them in action — even if they won’t show intricacies of the new playbooks.
Rising junior Kinchens, the first Hurricane ever to have an All-American banner hung while actively playing, said he is intent on giving “great effort’’ in the game. Kinchens said he’s excited about competing again and “making sure we’re grasping the playbooks.
“Kind of put the world on notice to see we’re at,’’ said Kinchens, who finished 2022 with six interceptions (second in the nation behind the seven of Buffalo’s Marcus Fuqua and Middle Tennessee State’s Decorian Patterson), a team-leading 59 tackles, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, six pass breakups and a 99-yard defensive touchdown.
Van Dyke, a soon-to-be fourth-year junior who finished last season 160-of-253 for 1,835 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games (the last three throwing 32 total passes), with five interceptions., said he wants to “have fun, most importantly’’ and “show what we’ve been doing all spring to all the fans out there.”
Added Van Dyke: “But also get a really balanced game going, run and pass. I’m excited to see that.”
Cristobal said fans will “see a lot of guys that just got here,’’ meaning the freshmen and transfers.
“We’re going to play football. We are,’’ the coach said. “How exotic it’ll be, depends. There’s going to be some stuff that’s a lot of fun and some other stuff you’re going to hold back... It’ll be a snapshot of some of the things. There’s nobody in the country that’s gonna open up what you do. You’d be foolish to do so.”
However, “We’re not going to hold an open scrimmage spring game and not go out there and play ball. Our fans deserve that.”
New offense
Fans might not see “exotic’’ flavors of the new schemes, but they should see speedier, more aggressive play on both sides of the ball, with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson known for his vertical, prolific passing game.
“Shoot,’’ Kinchens said, when asked about quick-moving freshman receivers Nathaniel Ray Ray Joseph and Robby Washington “You can’t complain. If anything it’s making me better getting different receivers.
“We already got guys like [slot receiver] Brashard [Smith] and shifty receivers like [Xavier] Restrepo. So it’s kind of bringing speed, especially Ray Ray. Ray Ray is so small and swift. It kind of helps you build on your own game.”
Said Van Dyke of the freshman pair: “They’re actually very similar players, very fast. ...Have great separation on the routes – very savvy with it. They’re not robots. They just play ball, which is good to see. [They] catch the ball really well. They’re going to have a bright future.”
Van Dyke, who called Dawson “a great dude,’’ said he feels “very comfortable” with Dawson and the new offense in being allowed to change plays and “some routes.”
“We connect really well,’’ Van Dyke said. “He lets the quarterback play with freedom. We have fun out there with each other. It’s not just hard core all the time. I mean, sometimes they get on you, but it’s really about having fun. He gives the freedom for me to go play ball without really thinking.”
New defense
Van Dyke said coordinator Lance Guidry’s new defense “really tested me this spring’’ and helped him develop.
“Guidry brings a lot of stuff, whether it’s cover zero, free safety blitz, nickel blitz, all these different twists on the front,’’ the quarterback said. “Just checking stuff and really seeing that, has really been helpful. In the past it’s been very vanilla in the spring and when we get to fall camp it really speeds up for us — not only me, but everyone, even on the offensive line. It’s been good that we’ve seen everything so when we get to fall camp, and even the games in the fall, we’ll be prepared for those situations.”
Kinchens said learning from Guidry “has been great.
’“He brings a lot of energy,’’ Kinchens said, “and he’s a safeties coach too. We kind of get that energy 24-7 and he’s similar to [secondary] coach [Jahmile] Addae. “Like, he doesn’t let us fall off. He’s always on you. He’s like a fire right behind our butt. So you’re always on your feet.”
Kinchens noted that this year’s defense is “very different” from last year’s, formally coordinated by Kevin Steele, who is now at Alabama.
“He’s got a lot more different things we can do,’’ Kinchens said. “Last year wasn’t too much we did. This year it’s kind of all over the place. We got a little bit of everything. It’s kind of easy to grasp. It just takes repetition.”
Friday’s game will be a first-team vs. first-team format, Cristobal explained, with second-team and third-team players “more mixed up.” He said some second-team players will at times play with the first-teamers. “You’ll see a mixed bag but it’ll be even vs. even.
“We want to play good on good. We want to make sure we’re getting our best on our best.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Miami spring game
WHEN/WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Friday at DRV PNK Stadium (seats 19,100), 1350 NW 55th St, Fort Lauderdale, 33309 (site of the former Lockhart Stadium just west of Commercial Boulevard exit off I-95)
PARKING: Opens at 3:30 p.m. followed by gates opening at 6 p.m.
TICKETS: For tickets, which are free, go to HurricaneSports.com.
NOTE: The game won’t be televised, but will be live streamed on ACCNX (ACC Network Extra).
