OXFORD — Competition, not clarity, defined Miami football’s spring showcase as the RedHawks closed out 15 practices with position battles still unfolding across the roster.
Miami head coach Chuck Martin said the end of spring practice always carries a bittersweet tone.
“Very sad day for me,” said Martin, who will enter his 13th season at the helm this coming fall. “Coaching football is a blast. We’ve had a very good spring, but now we don’t get to put the pads on until August.”
Miami concluded the spring with what Martin described as significant development, particularly among a roster blending returning experience with an influx of new contributors and transfers.
“There’s been a lot of kids that have made great strides since January,” Martin said. “We’ve got a lot of good players, but we’ve got a ways to go.”
That progress, however, has also created one of the team’s biggest challenges heading into the summer — sorting out a depth chart.
Martin likened the process to solving a puzzle.
“You try to put together a two-deep right now, that would be like — I never figured out the old Rubik’s Cube,” Martin said. “I probably could get the Rubik’s Cube solved before I get my two-deep solved right now.”
Competition remains the defining theme across nearly every position group. Rather than settling on clear starters, Miami is expected to carry position battles into fall camp — and possibly into the early part of the season.
“We’ll rotate a bunch of guys and see who’s the guy,” Martin said.
The quarterback room reflects that approach. Miami worked throughout the spring with three primary options — redshirt sophomore Thomas Gotkowski, senior transfer Caleb Heavner and redshirt freshman transfer David McComb — each showing playmaking ability both through the air and on the ground.
Gotkowski is returning after playing in five games and making three starts last season. Heavner comes from Division II Fort Hays, where he threw for 3,398 yards and 24 touchdowns in 24 career games — while adding 255 carries for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. McComb didn’t see any playing time at Kansas in 2025.
“All three of those guys have made plays with their arms and their legs,” Martin said. “The consistency is what we’re going for now — who’s going to make the least mistakes.”
With a deep group of wide receivers, building timing has been an ongoing process. Returning from last year’s team are redshirt junior Keith Reynolds, redshirt sophomore Braylon Isom and redshirt junior Lynel Billups-Williams. Reynolds and Isom stood out at Saturday’s showcase — with Reynolds catching a deep corner-route pass from Gotkowski in the end zone. All three saw action in at least 12 games, Reynolds starting in 13, in 2025.
“We’ve got too many wideouts — a lot of good ones,” Martin said. “All our quarterbacks getting timing with all the receivers is almost impossible right now. It’s still a work in progress.”
In the offensive backfield, redshirt sophomore D’Shawntae Jones returns after playing in 12 games last season. Jones and freshman Chancellor Sparks looked the part on Saturday.
There will be some new faces that will see playing time at tight end during the upcoming season.
Up front, the offensive line emerged as one of the more encouraging units. Miami returns four main contributors — Eric Smith, Jacob Schorsch, Greg Smith Jr. and Kris Manu — on the O-line.
“That group had a great spring,” Martin said. “From practice one to practice 15, there’s probably as big an improvement there as any position we have.”
The RedHawks expect to maintain their traditional offensive balance, leaning on a developing run game while continuing to expand the passing attack.
The kicking game will be in good shape with placekicker Kellan McLaughlin and punter Pierse Stainton.
Defensively, linebacker stands out as a clear strength. Miami returns experienced contributors in redshirt senior Eli Coppess, redshirt junior Malcolm McCain and redshirt junior Brock Uihlein — while adding depth through younger players and transfers.
“I probably feel best about our linebacking corps as any group on the team,” Martin said. “We’re loaded at linebacker right now.”
The challenge, he added, will be finding ways to maximize that depth.
“How do we get them all on the field and impacting the game?” Martin said. “That’s a good problem to have.”
Defensive line will also include some fresh faces, which will materialize during fall camp.
Senior Mychal Yharbrough, junior Kaleb Martin, redshirt sophomore Leo Colombi and sophomore Adrian Walker Jr. highlight some of the returning players that saw time in the defensive backfield this past season.
“We’ve got to take everything we learned this spring and apply it this summer,” said Martin, whose RedHawks kick off the season at Pitt on Sept. 5. “Then have a great fall camp.”
