Previewing the Miami Hurricanes’ linebackers entering the 2023 season | Summer camp series

The Miami Hurricanes struggled in Year 1 under Mario Cristobal, going 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game. But newcomers and returning players could give Miami fans reasons for hope as the 2023 season gets closer.

Each week, we’ll take a look at Miami’s position groups and see where they stand as the college football season rapidly approaches.

Last week, we previewed Miami’s overhauled defensive line. This week, we take a look at the Hurricanes’ linebacker corps.

Who left

Three Hurricanes linebackers departed in the offseason; one left through the transfer portal and two exhausted their eligibility.

Caleb Johnson played the most of those three linebackers. Johnson, who transferred from UCLA, played one season for the Hurricanes. He played in every game last season and started four, getting on the field for 299 defensive snaps.

Johnson racked up 48 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus gave Johnson a 66.1 defensive rating with a 69.8 run-defense grade, a 75.2 pass-rushing grade and a 57.3 coverage grade. He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent.

Sixth-year senior Waynmon Steed Jr. started four of Miami’s first five games before suffering a season-ending injury. He had 11 tackles in his limited time on the field.

Avery Huff, a former four-star prospect out of Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas, transferred after playing just three defensive snaps in 2022. The South Florida native did not travel far, though, transferring to FIU.

Who returns

The Hurricanes brought back three of last year’s key linebackers: sophomore Wesley Bissainthe, fourth-year junior Corey Flagg and fifth-year senior Keontra Smith.

Bissainthe, a four-star prospect from Miami Central, made a quick impact on Miami’s linebacker unit. He was on the field for 276 defensive snaps, more than any other UM freshman on that side of the ball. Bissainthe’s role grew throughout the season; he had fewer than 10 snaps in the Hurricanes’ first four games but started their last three contests.

Playing primarily inside linebacker, Bissainthe ended the season with 30 tackles and had a 64.5 defensive grade. He scored best in run defense, earning a 72.7 grade. He had a 52.4 pass-rush grade and a 61.2 coverage grade. Bissainthe showed solid tackling ability, earning a 67.2 tackling grade for the season — he scored above 70 in eight games but poor marks against Duke, Virginia and Florida State dragged his score down.

“The biggest thing (I learned in my freshman season) was just be patient with yourself,” Bissainthe said in March. “It’s going to come. Just take your time with it, and it’ll all fall in place.”

Flagg played more than any other UM linebacker last season, starting 10 games and playing in 11. He had 56 tackles and tied for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for loss. Flagg had 2.5 sacks and one pass deflection.

The veteran inside linebacker had a 63.2 overall defensive grade with a 61.7 run-defense grade, a 60.2 coverage grade, a 70.4 pass-rush grade and a 57 tackling grade.

Flagg, who is returning from a late-season injury, said he is working on dictating more in pass coverage this season.

“Being able to … make the quarterback do what I want him to do,” Flagg said in March. “Because I know the plays, I know what they’re doing, I just have to trust myself, trust my instincts, trust my eyes and what I see.

“I’m a film junkie. I like watching film. So, once I know what to do defensively-wise, what the defensive scheme of Coach Guidry wants to do, I think I really can do (well) this year. I’m excited.”

Smith played in all 12 of Miami’s games last year, starting three of them. The former Chaminade-Madonna star played 290 defensive snaps, notching 33 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception.

The veteran linebacker has areas to improve upon after last season. He had a 56.8 defensive grade but his 28.1 tackling grade was second-lowest on the team among players with more than 100 defensive snaps. Smith missed 14 tackles, tied for most on the team, and his 33 percent miss rate was tied for second-most on the team among players with more than 100 snaps.

The Hurricanes also return Chase Smith, who played 12 defensive snaps last season before suffering a season-ending injury, and Ryan Ragone, who played 41 snaps.

Who arrived

Miami brought in a new linebackers coach to replace Charlie Strong. Former FSU linebacker and Louisville linebackers coach Derek Nicholson joined the staff in February, drawing strong reviews from players this spring.

“Coach Nicholson is a great coach,” Bissainthe said. “He’s a hype man. He gets you ready to practice, gets you ready to play. Just looking forward to spending the season with him.”

Nicholson has several new faces joining him in the linebacker room. The Hurricanes added three transfers and signed four high school linebackers in their 2023 class.

Former Washington State linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, the older brother of UM five-star freshman offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, is poised to play a major role on Miami’s defense this season. The junior linebacker had 60 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles for the Cougars last year. Pro Football Focus gave him a 75.7 defensive grade last year.

“He’s one of the more natural guys that we have, I think,” new defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said early in spring camp. “I’m excited when the pads come on, to see what that’s going to look like. But yeah, I’ve been really impressed with him.”

K.J. Cloyd was a late transfer addition, arriving in June after transferring from Louisville. Last season, Cloyd had 15 tackles in 12 games. Pro Football Focus gave him a 57.2 defensive grade in his 149 defensive snaps.

The third transfer addition also came from an ACC rival. Former Duke linebacker Rocky Shelton, a St. Thomas Aquinas alum, transferred after five seasons with the Blue Devils. Last year, he had 10 tackles and one tackle for loss while primarily playing on special teams.

The Hurricanes brought in four freshman linebackers: Raul Aguirre, Malik Bryant, Marcellius Pulliam and Bobby Washington. Aguirre, Bryant and Washington were rated four-star prospects in 247Sports’ composite rankings, while Pulliam was listed as a three-star prospect. Bryant and Washington enrolled in time for spring football, while Aguirre and Pulliam arrived later.

Aguirre, who is listed as the No. 20 linebacker and No. 203 player in the class, starred at Fayetteville (Georgia) Whitewater High, racking up 96 tackles with one sack and one interception as a senior.

Bryant, an Orlando native, offers a pass-rushing threat off the edge. He had 77 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and one interception for Orlando’s Jones High last season. Bryant was rated the No. 16 linebacker and No. 169 player in the class.

Bryant was limited by an injury in the spring but still impressed his teammates.

“I’m excited to see what he does,” Flagg said. “His work ethic is phenomenal.”

Like Aguirre, Pulliam hails from Georgia. At Tyrone (Georgia) Sandy Creek High, Pulliam had 43 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks and one interception. He was listed as the No. 64 linebacker and No. 760 player in the class.

Washington brings a South Florida pedigree to the UM linebacker room. His twin brother, Robby, also signed with the Hurricanes as a wide receiver. His father, Bobby, was a star running back at Miami Killian and originally signed with Miami before playing at NC State and Eastern Kentucky.

Like his brother, Washington starred at Miami Palmetto High as a senior, racking up 52 tackles and eight sacks. He was listed as the No. 37 linebacker and No. 433 player in the class.

“He’s progressing really well,” Flagg said. “He listens, he follows instructions, he does everything off the field right. He’s your average, prototype linebacker that guys look for. He’s 6-2, 6-3 and he’s fast. I’m excited for his future.”