CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami football team is two days into fall camp, and players say the memory of last season's national championship loss is driving everything they do on the practice field.
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Last season, the Hurricanes made a run that captured national attention, but a loss in the national championship game left the program hungry for more. Now, with the team ranked in the top 10, players say they are locked in and focused on what comes next.
Defensive lineman Ama Moton and safety Zachariah Poyser are among the veterans setting the tone.
"We lost in the nattie. I couldn't go right back out there, but it's OK. I got to see like what type of group we have. The type of guys they have are dogs," Poyser said.
Poyser said his offseason focus extended beyond the field.
"It's a tone set with players like defensive lineman Ama Moton Senior and safety Zachariah Poyser. Winter is this season focused with clear minds. Started being a pro. Like I had a child, so I know I had to lock in, not just on the field, going to bed early, taking the right supplements, eating good, eating clean," Poyser said.
"It's definitely exciting. We're taking everything day by day, of course. I can see progression in every day since PLP, so I mean, I think we're just getting better and I'm definitely excited for this year," Poyser said.
One player Poyser gets to sharpen his skills against every practice is wide receiver Malachi Tony, a second-team All-American. In his true freshman season, Tony recorded more than 1,200 yards and emerged as one of the team's most dynamic playmakers. Now in year two, he says the approach is different.
"I think he grows on the field, you know, they call him Jesus for a reason, and you gotta. For everything, you know, where he's at at all time," Poyser said of Tony.
Tony said the experience of his freshman season has him better prepared heading into this year.
"More prepared because I know what I'm going into. Last year, I was a freshman, and I didn't know what I was getting myself into going into the season. Now, as far as any nerves for year two, it's nothing crazy. Just play the game I've been playing my whole life," Tony said.
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