Beck, of course, wasn’t the only Hurricane eager to get back on the field and start preseason camp.
More than a few of the veterans who were a part of last year’s 10-win season noted Thursday’s practice was the first step into helping the Hurricanes continue their steady improvement since Cristobal returned to lead his alma mater three seasons ago.
And after just missing last year’s ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff, those veterans said they felt like Miami has something to prove – particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
“Guys know what we were last year, and they know that we want to change everybody’s mind, change everybody’s perspective on what this defense is,” said defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, who totaled 32 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, a forced fumble and six quarterback hurries in 13 starts last season. “I think everybody’s working together to change that. I’ve taken on the responsibility of trying to become a leader and bring guys together, but it’s not only me. It’s [defensive lineman] Ahmad Moten Sr. It’s [linebacker Mohamed] Toure. It’s [linebacker Raul] ‘Popo’ [Aguirre Jr. ], a bunch of guys just collectively coming together and just trying to change the narrative of this defense.”
Added fellow defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., “Stick together and stay disciplined…last year, I feel like we kind of lost track of that. They brought that up to us in the meetings, how we ended out the year last year. Like I was telling the team, we’ve just got to be consistent from the first game to the last whistle of the season. Just be the same person, same player, every day.”
The Hurricanes will have their first chance to show off their new-look team on Aug. 31 when they welcome longtime rival Notre Dame to Hard Rock Stadium in the season opener for both teams.
High-profile matchups against instate rivals Florida (Sep. 20) and Florida State (Oct. 4) loom not long after.
But on Thursday, there wasn’t much talk about any of Miami’s opponents.
Instead, the Hurricanes say their focus remains on the day-to-day work of improving and getting better for all of the challenges that await this season.
“There’s always going to be excitement as it relates to that and I mean, the whole world knows when we’re playing and who we’re playing Game One,” Cristobal said. “That really can’t have any bearing on how we approach a certain part of our process as…
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