ESPN’s Kiper bullish on UM class. And news on grades, snap counts, defensive breakdowns

A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday in the wake of Saturday’s 39-38 epic comeback win at Cal:

▪ The Miami Hurricanes go into their bye with a perfect 6-0 record — and more pro prospects than they have had in many years. Those two facts are assuredly related.

Seven Hurricanes appear in Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com list of the top 10 draft-eligible players at every position. Others (led by defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.) assuredly would be ranked if they were draft-eligible in 2025.

Kiper has Elijah Arroyo as the No. 3 tight end; Jalen Rivers as the No. 8 offensive tackle; Francisco Mauigoa as the No. 9 off-ball linebacker; Xavier Restrepo as the No. 10 receiver; Tyler Baron as the No. 7 defensive end and Andres Borregales as the No. 10 kicker or punter.

Kiper rates Cam Ward the No. 4 quarterback in the class, behind Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Georgia’s Carson Beck.

Kiper rates Ward 16th among all players in this draft, adding: “Ward has an unorthodox delivery, but he throws with accuracy and velocity from different arm angles... When things break down around him, Ward can extend plays with his legs, either throwing on the move or picking up first downs as a runner. To say Ward has been a perfect fit with the Hurricanes might still be an understatement; I like his toughness, swagger and confidence.”

▪ UM’s defensive backfield — and the propensity for allowing big plays — remain the Achilles heel of this team. And there were four primary culprits against Cal, per Pro Football Focus.

On a night when the Canes gave up four plays of at least 50 yards, UM’s starting safeties and its two transfer corners all struggled.

Former Marshall cornerback Dyoni Hill permitted two of three targets against him to be caught for 54 yards and a touchdown.

The only pass thrown against former Vanderbilt cornerback Jadais Richard was caught for 56 yards.

Three of five passes thrown against safety Mishael Powell were caught for 77 yards.

And two of three passes thrown against safety Jaden Harris were caught for 81 yards and a touchdown.

On the positive side, all four passes thrown against cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. were incomplete. And freshman cornerback OJ Frederique wasn’t targeted.

▪ Pass protection was unusually spotty before UM’s rally from a 35-10 deficit. Left tackle Markel Bell yielded five pressures and a sack; Rivers should be back from injury for UM’s next game against Louisville.

Right tackle Francis Mauigoa allowed five pressures (but no sacks), per PFF.

Right guard Anez Cooper yielded three pressures and a sack.

Center Zach Carpenter and Mauigoa were rated UM’s best run blockers against Cal.

▪ A couple things from Mario Cristobal on Joe Rose’s WQAM show Monday:

“We have to clean a lot of stuff up. There’s a lot of routine stuff that’s head-scratching. Over the last couple of weeks, there’s technique and fundamental and discipline issues -- aspects which have deteriorated whether it be wear and tear, injury. There should be no excuse; you have to find away to tighten up those things. And that’s what this bye week is for. We have to attack and address those things while resting up the team.

“Early we were taking routine plays and screwing them up, weren’t executing to the standard, and I’m talking about basic stuff. When we started doing that, the momentum gradually grew and led to an unbelievable comeback.”

There is little patience for lack of production.

“We have to do a better job with the second part of the roster,” Cristobal said. “Our reserves that need to be playing winning football, not just eat up space or eat up time or `give guys a rest’ football. We have to get guys to play more meaningful football, have to get guys to mature, and that’s about coaching your butt off and developing guys to do that. So this week as it relates to those guys, we have to hammer down on getting guys ready to play winning football.”

▪ Some notable “snap” decisions on offense from Saturday:

Restrepo, who’s in excellent shape, played 81 of 91 snaps on offense — quite a high number for a receiver. Among other wide receivers, Sam Brown played 56, Isaiah Horton 54, Jacolby George 48, Jo Jo Trader 4 and Ray Ray Joseph 2.

With 2,465 receiving yards, Restrepo stands third on UM’s all-time list in that category, trailing only Reggie Wayne (2,510) and Santana Moss (2,547)...

UM played five tight ends in the game: Arroyo (66 snaps), Riley Williams (27), Cam McCormick (19), Elija Lofton (6) and Jackson Carver (1)...

At running back, Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr. each had 42 snaps, with Chris Johnson logging four, Jordan Lyle three and Ajay Allen none.

▪ Some notable “snap” decisions on defense from Saturday: In his first game back from a soft tissue injury, Bain logged 48 of 50 snaps. (Safeties Powell and Harris and linebacker Mauigoa played all 50)...

Frederique played the most among the corners (40 defensive snaps), compared with 35 for Porter Jr. and 31 apiece for Hill and Richard…

With Bain back — he had a sack and one pressure — and most of UM’s ends able to play tackle, there was less reliance on backup tackles Ahmad Moten (15 snaps), CJ Clark (12), Marley Cook (4) and Justin Scott (no snaps). And defensive end Malik Bryant, who has been very good, was limited to eight snaps because Bain and Baron need to play most downs…

Louisville transfer Jaylin Alderman — who missed the Virginia Tech game — played eight snaps Saturday, sharing backup linebacker duties with Raul Aguirre Jr. (nine).

▪ Among players who logged at least double digits in snaps, PFF rated Ward, George, Restrepo, Horton and Martinez as UM’s top five players on offense against Cal.

Miami’s top five on defense were tackle Simeon Barrow (four pressures and a sack), Porter, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, Mauigoa and Akheem Mesidor, who had three pressures.

NEWS NOTE

UM’s Oct. 19 game at Louisville, its first game after the bye, was set for a noon kickoff on ABC.