The Rundown Take
Offense or Defense? U Talk Debates Which Side Carries Miami in 2020
Friday night LIVE-39 opened with recruiting on the clock — five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor down to two schools, Miami and Florida — before Devin pivoted the room into the night's real argument: with a brand-new offensive staff and a defense that's carried the program for half a decade, which side of the ball wins Miami its games in 2020? Callers Robert McClure, Toya Cook and Samuel Kennedy worked the phones while the panel also ran down an ACC-only replacement schedule and a tight-end countdown that got heated.
Key Takeaways
- Five-star DT Leonard Taylor (Palmetto High) has cut his list to Miami and Florida — Devin's pitch: keep him, and fellow targets Romello Brinson and Jacoby George, home.
- Devin's pick for strongest unit: the offense, betting on new OC Rhett Lashlee (garbled on transcript as "Ret Lastly") to fix a unit that "looked bad last year" behind a deep, healthy defensive end room led by transfer Quincy Roche.
- Linebacker remains the defense's biggest question mark — Zach McLeod, Avery Huff, Sam Brooks and Patrick Joyner are all banged up or unproven, per multiple callers.
- Caller Robert McClure's blunt diagnosis of 2019: "Manny didn't have a grip on the team" — no discipline, no accountability, some guys quit when the game got out of hand.
- With no out-of-conference games, Wagner, Michigan State and UAB drop off the schedule; Devin wants Clemson and floats forcing Notre Dame into the ACC full-time.
New Staff, Old Question
Devin made his case for the offense first: new coordinator, new receivers coach, new offensive line coach, and a returning starting quarterback who finally has a system built for him. He argued a spread scheme under Lashlee would ease pressure on a rebuilding offensive line by spacing out blitzes teams have used to bully Miami for years. Robert McClure and Samuel Kennedy weren't so sure, pointing to a defense that's fielded elite pass rushers in back-to-back years — with grad transfer Quincy Roche joining a room that already produced one of the country's best ends. The consensus by night's end: everybody wants balance, nobody wants to bet fully against the defense.
The Discipline Problem
The sharpest exchange of the night came when Robert McClure called in and put it plainly: the 2019 locker room lacked accountability, and some players stopped competing once games slipped away. Devin agreed, saying Manny Diaz has to hold every player to the same standard in year two — no favorites, best player plays, period — and that the culture issue, more than raw talent, was behind Miami's worst losses.
Filling the Empty Schedule Slots
With UAB, Wagner and Michigan State off the 2020 slate under an all-conference format, Devin wants marquee replacements — Clemson by name — and used the moment to needle Notre Dame for staying independent while still chasing ACC benefits. The tight-end countdown that closed the show pit Devin's Tony Gonzalez–Antonio Gates–Shannon Sharpe trio against callers pushing Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce, with Gonzalez's numbers (1,325 catches, 111 touchdowns, Hall of Fame class of 2019) doing most of the heavy lifting for Devin's case.