Ryan Mayes

CB - 6'2 190 - Miami, Fl (Miami Northwestern)

3 star prospect across the board, who picked UM over Syracuse among others.

Brings excellent size and ball skills to the table, but does not appear to be the speediest player, which is something he will have to work on.

Definitely closes well though, and is not afraid to stick his nose in on running plays and make a tackle.

Early enrollee who earned praise this spring for his coverage and ball skills from the coaching staff.

Chances He Redshirts (1-10) - 8



As part of this series we will evaluate if the given newcomer stands a chance to sit out his first season to retain eligibility.

Despite turning some heads during spring ball, Mayes is the unfortunate position of looking up at Artie Burns, Tracy Howard, Corn Elder, and Ladarius Gunter for starters at the CB position. Will benefit greatly from a year in UM's strength and conditioning program, which will help add some athleticism to his impressive skill set.

Summary: Mayes has similar skills and build to Gunter. So down the line he could fill the big corner role nicely. He will not overwhelm you with any particularly aspect of his game, but he looks like he has a nice feel for coverage. It will be interesting to see how he develops. With today's game being so pass-centric you can never have enough big time corners with good ball skills.

Stay tuned for more Freshman profiles as we count down to Louisville on Labor Day.