Eight games into the season, the University of Miami’s coaching staff continues to juggle the lineup looking for ways to cure the team’s ailing defense.
The latest fix came Monday with Denzel Perryman going from middle linebacker to outside linebacker. Perryman started five games this season at middle linebacker — he missed two games with an ankle sprain — but played on the outside as a freshman last season, when he finished second on the team in tackles.
Perryman also played primarily on the weak side Saturday during the Hurricanes’ 18-14 loss to North Carolina and finished with a game-high 11 tackles, including three for losses.
It’s still up in the air on who will replace Perryman at middle linebacker. Three players — Jimmy Gaines, Gionni Paul and Raphael Kirby — were listed as co-starters on a depth chart released by UM on Monday.
Gaines started eight games at the position last year and once this season. Paul started in place of an injured Perryman against North Carolina State and was the starting weak-side linebacker against Notre Dame and North Carolina.
• After starting five consecutive games, junior safety A.J. Highsmith is now listed on the depth chart as a backup to freshman Deon Bush.
• Seantrel Henderson is listed as a co-starter at right offensive tackle along with freshman Ereck Flowers. Flowers started UM’s first four games. Henderson started against Notre Dame and North Carolina.
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