Aubrey Hill's Impact Felt on Miami Offense

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

Fifteen years ago, I shared a classroom with Aubrey Hill, then a WR for Florida while we were both students in Gainesville. This year the young Miami receiving corp learned in Aubrey Hill's classroom. The former Gator standout turned the young Canes receivers into complete players by year's end. Next season with Kendell Thompkins and Tommy Streeter also joining the group, Hill's impact could be astronomical. For the first time in years, Miami's receivers are doing the little things right when the ball isn't thrown their way. This group of receivers also showed a willingness to fight for balls and never to quit on routes. The last several seasons this was not the case with the Canes WRs.

As the season progressed you could see the young freshman receivers improve. Laron Byrd by season's end was a crisp route runner who blocked well down field. Thearon Collier became more of a threat on non screen pass plays and Travis Benjamin's route running resembled that of a veteran receiver. My one disappointment among the freshman WR's was Aladarius Johnson who entered the Miami program at a much higher level than his fellow first year receivers, but ended the year as a player who couldn't make big plays when needed.

Leonard Hankerson a non factor as a freshman and in the doghouse much of this season ended the year playing well. Sam Shields whose career peaked as a freshman with 37 catches only caught 11 balls this year but contributed elsewhere.

Hill made his impact felt on Miami's offense in his first year on the staff. For the first time since 2002, Miami enters a new season without significant question marks at the WR position. Now the Canes have to work on erasing the question marks that have popped up at almost every position on the defensive side of the ball.

Lightning in a Bottle?

The lack of big play ability has ailed the Hurricanes since 2005. That season even with Devin Hester on the roster and a 9-2 regular season, the Canes more often than not wore down opponents with a power running game featuring Ty Moss and later Charlie Jones, rather than having a true home run hitter. Hester's only two TDs of the year came against weak sisters Duke and Temple.

For all of Graig Cooper's talent it seems he is not a game breaker. However, Cooper has a clear role as a featured tailback on a team that is going to have to run the ball very well to be competitive. So who can be the home run hitter the Canes need on offense or on special teams?

Shawnbrey McNeal is the most likely candidate. McNeal showed flashes last year, most notably a fantastic 4th and 1 touchdown run against Georgia Tech which will go down as one of the best offensive plays for 2007 by a Cane. However, McNeal fumbled a week later against Florida State and then gave way to Derron Thomas as the change of pace back before getting hurt.

Aldarius Johnson has also been discussed as a potential big play threat. Johnson was a superstar for Miami Northwestern. His team mate Tommy Streeter also has big play ability.

Jermaine McKenzie from Bradenton redshirted last year after the car accident on I-75 in SW Florida which also cost Robert Marve his 2007 season. McKenzie was a fantastic return man in high school. My sources in Bradenton who cover Soccer (The United States National Residency Academy for Soccer is in Bradenton) tell me McKenzie can be the real deal: They compare him favorably with Sam Shields who was also from the Sarasota/Bradenton area. I'm told McKenzie left High School a more complete receiver/return man than Shields. McKenzie certainly return punts. The Hurricanes last had a Punt Return for a Touchdown against a team that won more than two games that season in 2004.

Another playmaker could be Travis Benjamin, a freshman from Belle Glade. A year ago Deonte Thompson spurned Miami for Florida, but Benjamin has thus far in Fall Practice shown an ability to return kicks as well as to make clutch catches.

For the first time in four years the cupboard appears to be almost full for the Canes. Can these High School studs step up for the Canes this year? Only time will tell but the early returns and reports are very promising indeed.

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