CORAL GABLES — Zechariah Poyser knows he can’t fail.
The new Hurricanes safety, who transferred from Jacksonville State in the offseason, has someone waiting for him at home who is depending on him: his 1-year-old daughter, Za’Kylie.
“It’s been a blessing,” Poyser said. “I’ve got something to live for now. Before I had my daughter, I was really just living. But having my daughter, I know I’ve got something to go home to. I know I can’t quit. It’s really a blessing.”
Poyser’s daughter and his changed perspective on life is what part of what drew him to Miami when he decided to transfer from Jacksonville State.
“It always had been a dream, but that’s not the reason why I came,” Poyser said. “Coach (Mario) Cristobal was a family guy. … He’s like a father figure to me. I’ve seen that in him. I felt like home. He made me feel like home in our discussions. That’s why I chose Miami. It was like a family environment.”
It appears to be a perfect fit. After losing both starting safeties from last season (Meesh Powell to graduation and Jaden Harris to transfer), Miami found itself looking for safeties in the transfer portal.
Poyser, coming off an excellent first season with the Conference USA-champion Gamecocks, was arguably the best safety available. He had 75 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 pass deflections and three interceptions. Pro Football Focus gave him a 79.9 defensive grade with a 79.9 coverage grade.
Poyser made his decision quickly, committing to Miami on Dec. 17.
Since arriving at Miami, Poyser has made a strong impression on the coaching staff.
“We are very blessed to have him here,” Cristobal said. “We found ourselves a real one. ZP is made of the right stuff, raised the right way. He is mature, smart, really, really physical, really smart. The kind of player that — today, we’re in shells and it’s thud tempo; you want to stay up off the ground — and he’s got the read on the ball and it could be an absolute just devastating knockout shot. He knows when to pull up and do right by your teammate while still accomplishing what you need to on the play.”
Poyser is a part of the Hurricanes’ revamped secondary and has been working closely with new defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge and new safeties coach Will Harris.
“I’m not just saying this because I’m at Miami, but I honestly feel like we have the best DB coaches in the nation,” Poyser said. “Those two guys have big resumes, great resumes.”
He is also close with assistant defensive backs coach Terry Jefferson, a former UM analyst who coached Poyser at Jacksonville State before coming back to Miami this offseason.
“That’s my guy,” Poyser said. “Coach Jefferson taught me a lot. I’m really happy they hired him. Every day after class, I would go back upstairs and watch film with coach breaking down everything.”
Poyser said he has been working at multiple positions in the secondary and has been working on improving his game through the spring.
“I think God programmed me to be like a robot,” Poyser said. “I’m a day-by-day type of dude. So I think each day I’ve been getting 1 percent better. Ultimately, getting to be the best version of myself.”
