A look at five positions where Hurricanes coaches need to consider changes

No, the sky is not falling. There was no shame in the Canes’ 31-24 loss at Notre Dame — considering the quality of opponent — and UM still has every opportunity to make the playoffs and do something when it gets there.

But the coaching staff faces some difficult decisions, the type of decisions it made in recent weeks when it removed disappointing nickel corner Omar Thornton from the starting group.

Five personnel issues that need evaluating in the wake of both Saturday’s game and recent developments:

▪ Should UM further reduce Damon Wilson’s playing time?

Wilson, UM’s priciest defensive addition in the portal, seemingly has entered Witness Protection. He has played 71 defensive snaps during the past three games and has no sacks, one tackle and two quarterback pressures (which were achieved in 20 pass rushing chances against Notre Dame).

He has a mind-boggling six tackles in 297 defensive snaps and eight games and just one during the past four games. That’s stunning for a player that ESPN projected as a potential mid-first-round pick in August.

Meanwhile, Armondo Blount has one sack in the past six games and mustered just one pressure in 27 pass-rushing snaps on Saturday. But at least Blount is more stout against the run and more effective setting the edge than Wilson.

Among 46 players who have suited for UM’s defense, Wilson is ranked by PFF as the Canes’ worst run defender, while Blount is 15th.

Wilson is beginning to remind us of former Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron, who produced 4.5 sacks in his first three games for UM in 2024, then mustered just one during the final nine games.

Are we at the point where UM needs to give some of Wilson’s snaps to Booker Pickett, Herbert Scroggins, freshman DeAnthony Lafayette or Keona Davis, who is more of a tackle than end?

Pickett didn’t log a defensive snap on Saturday and Scroggins played only six snaps. Pickett has 11 pressures in 52 pass-rush chances this season, while Scroggins has 10 in 106. The Nebraska transfer Davis, who can play both tackle and end, played just three snaps on Saturday.

Only coaches see practice and know if Scroggins or Pickett potentially could offer more. But it’s a discussion that needs to be had.

▪ Should cornerback Damari Brown play more?

He arguably had the best third-down pass coverage/forced incompletion of the night on Saturday, the highlight of his 23 snaps.

Xavier Lucas played 67 snaps (the third most on the team) and had another tough night, permitting four of seven targets to be caught for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Per PFF, Lucas has a 126.4 passer rating in his coverage area this season, compared with 67.9 for Brown.

A case could be made to more evenly distribute snaps between those two.

Ethan O’Connor, who played 54 snaps, allowed four catches on six targets but for just 37 yards; he has been UM’s most consistent cover cornerback with OJ Frederique still sidelined. His passer rating against for the season is a very good 76.8.

▪ What can be done, if anything, about Mo Toure’s deficiencies in pass coverage?

Notre Dame repeatedly targeted him, and he allowed five completions in six targets for 50 yards, raising his passer rating against this season to 138.2, worst among high-usage FBS inside linebackers.

But Toure’s physicality and run defense are essential; he had 12 tackles on Saturday and PFF rated him Miami’s best player on defense against Notre Dame in his 67 snaps. So reducing Toure’s playing time isn’t the answer. But defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman needs to find a way to leave him less exposed in coverage.

▪ Is a lineup change needed at guard?

As it turns out, Max Buchanan’s injury has been hurtful; he was giving UM solid snaps at right guard before undergoing surgery last month.

Starting guards Ben Congdon and SJ Alofaituli again had tough nights, and PFF ranked them 14th and 15th among 17 UM players who logged snaps on offense. (Only running back Jordan Lyle and left tackle Samson Okunlola were worse.)

Alofaituli allowed five pressures and a sack. Congdon permitted two pressures and PFF again rated him by far UM’s worst run blocker.

For the season, among 677 FBS guards, PFF ranks Buchanan 106th, Alofaituli 387th and Congdon 614th.

With Buchanan still out, UM’s guard options are fairly limited; Jamal Meriweather, the Georgia transfer, would be one option.

There’s a more radical idea available, too: Moving Matthew McCoy or, less likely, Okunlola back to guard and inserting five-star freshman Jackson Cantwell at tackle. But it would seem late in the season to make that type of move and I would be very surprised if that happened. And in fairness to Okunlola and McCoy, both have been solid this year before unraveled Saturday.

Okunlola permitted seven pressures against Notre Dame and McCoy yielded six.

▪ With Malachi Toney out at least for the final three games of the regular season, should UM tweak the allocation of wide receiver snaps that we saw Saturday?

Daylyn Upshaw played all 76 snaps, Cooper Barkate 73, Vandrevius Jacobs 38, Somourian Wingo 19 and fellow freshman Milan Parris 7. Speedy freshman slot receiver Vance Spafford didn’t play on offense.

Barkate was brilliant (10 catches, 92 yards, 2 TDs) and naturally should keep playing most every down.

A case could be made to give uber-talented freshman Wingo -- and the very fast and battle-tested redshirt junior Jacobs -- a bit more work, and giving Spafford a package of snaps in the slot.

But this is a tough call, because Daylyn Upshaw has had a good season, aside from a critical drop in the second half against Notre Dame. Upshaw played all 76 snaps Saturday, and that made sense because Toney’s injury happened Wednesday and the Canes needed to go with their most experienced natural slot receiver on the short turnaround, in a tough environment.

“When that happens that late in the week, your heavier practice days are done,” Mario Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Rose on Monday, while turning his attention to Saturday’s home game against Duke (noon, ABC). “You just didn’t get the number of reps you would love to have going into game day.”

Barkate has played 17% of his snaps in the slot this season and 19% last season at Duke.

Using Barkate a bit in the slot could give UM a chance to play Barkate, Wingo and Jacobs together at times. But Barkate is probably best on the boundary, and Upshaw deserves to play a lot.