Jason Taylor sizes up two key additions on Canes’ line. And UM personnel notes

A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Thursday, as we approach Saturday’s opener at UF (3:30 p.m., ABC):

▪ The Canes landed all of their top portal targets after spring football, and none were more important than Tyler Baron and Simeon Barrow, two proven Power 5 defensive linemen who can stop the run and rush the passer.

Baron, who had 13.5 sacks in four years at Tennessee, has been competing with Akheem Mesidor for a starting job; both will play a lot.

Barrow will anchor a defensive tackle rotation that lost Leonard Taylor III, Branson Deen and Jared Harrison Hunte.

Here’s how UM co-defensive line coach Jason Taylor sized up both players:

On Baron: “The size jumps off the page first. All the measurements are there. He’s played up and down the line at Tennessee. He’s very versatile, has a good repertoire of pass rush moves. He plays with really, really great effort. That’s the biggest thing. We tell the guys in the room a lot that effort is the biggest eraser. When things don’t go perfectly on a particular play, your effort can erase it for you.

“One of the biggest things he brings is his motor is relentless. You can’t teach that. He plays with physicality, plays with finesse. Can play in space. Can bend for a long guy. He has a lot of really good traits.”

On Barrow: “He’s a guy that’s been through it, played the game at a high level. Played up and down the line [at Michigan State], whether on the edge or inside. He has great suddenness, really good hands, does a really good job getting on and off of blocks. Mentally, he’s really advanced and sees the game a different way.

“He understands things before the snap. Watching him play on film, you can see the cerebral side of things. He’s hungry to learn. He wants to be coached, wants to be pushed. He talks about that all the time. I told him I have no problem coaching him hard but I will definitely love him harder.”

▪ Taylor, on the defensive line room: “We had a lot of turnover. Brought in a fresh crop of guys. I think we’re a talented group, a hungry group, understand what the culture is. We are a lot deeper than we’ve been. We’ve got a lot of guys that can play. We will see who takes the bull by the horn. That competition makes everyone better.

“I’m a guy that has no problem playing young guys. We tell everyone in the room, ‘if you give us a chance to win and are ready to play, whether you’re 16 like Armondo Blount was when he got here in January, or whether you’re 23 like Akheem Mesidor. Age is a number.’ Experience is valuable. But I’m a big believer the only way to get better at football is playing football.”

▪ UM landed two of the top four offensive tackles in the 2023 class, but only one (starting right tackle Francis Mauigoa) had a chance to play a lot last season.

Samson Okunlola played only 30 snaps (as a backup) before sustaining a torn MCL in his left knee. Now he’s competing with Michael McCoy for the left guard job. The winner will be revealed Saturday; unlike UF, UM isn’t releasing a depth chart for competitive reasons.

The injury was “very frustrating,” Okunlola said. “But I grew my football IQ. I’m all the way back, eager to get the opportunity.”

Oklunlola played only tackle in high school. What’s the biggest challenge at guard?

“The run game,” he said. “You’ve got to get low and drive up.”

247 Sports rated him the No. 4 offensive tackle and 20th best player overall in the 2023 recruiting class.

▪ When Mark Fletcher sustained a Lisfranc foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl, “I didn’t think it was as bad as it was.”

But after a long offseason, Fletcher said he’s back to normal. He said there’s no question he’s playing in the opener. “There’s no discomfort in the foot,” he said.

Fletcher said not only did he not mind UM bringing in a starting running back (Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez), but he actually recruited Martinez to join him at Miami.

“I was excited to learn from someone in a different conference,” he said. “We both have power and speed. He’s hard to stop. He’s a train. With two trains coming at you, you better get out of the way.”

Martinez ranked 11th nationally with 98.8 rushing yards per game last season, and his 6.1 per carry average was 25th among players with at least 100 carries.

Fletcher, a former four-star recruit, ran for 514 yards on 4.9 per carry as a freshman.

▪ When Cam Ward solicited NFL feedback after the 2022 season, he was told that NFL teams “wanted to see deep ball accuracy. So I worked on that.”

Per Pro Football Focus, Ward last season had a 112.8 NFL passer rating on passes that traveled at least 20 air yards, completing 23 of 57 for 725 yards, 10 TDs and two interceptions. The 10 TDs on those throws tied for 21st in the country.

The focus this past offseason was “throwing in confined spaces. I got way better at that.”

▪ Ward has forged a relationship with one former UM quarterback: Gino Torretta. They like to joke around together.

Ward was a fan of Michael Vick and Cam Newton growing up. Now he likes to watch Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

When he was considering whether to transfer to UM or another school or turn pro, Ward and his father crafted a computer spreadsheet listing the teams, their personnel and how they ranked in various categories last season.

Miami graded out very favorably, and that — combined with the fact that he thought the Canes could win and his strong relationship with the Canes coaching staff — ultimately led him to UM.