With the early signing period just a month away, the Hurricanes are acting fast to add some quality offensive linemen to the mix and build more depth at the position. A new name that popped up just last Friday was 2020 Louisville OL commit Kobe Baynes, as the Sandalwood High star landed an offer from UM offensive coordinator Dan Enos and other staff members over the phone.
“Pretty much the OC, coach Enos, he called me and it was about three other coaches all in a room together,” Baynes said of his UM offer. “They were just saying how much they loved my film and how good of a player I am and how I could be used in Miami’s offense… I was definitely excited because it was always a dream school of mine.”
While Canes fans may not have heard the 6-4 310 pound prospect connected with Miami before last week, Baynes is someone the staff has been keeping tabs on since the spring evaluation period. After sending coaches to watch him practice in the spring, head coach Manny Diaz watched Baynes play a game back in September, and UM finally pulled the trigger after being impressed by his senior film last week.
“I would say the contact (with Miami) has been building up,” Baynes said. “They knew who I was because back in spring, two recruiters came up to watch me, it was the OC coach Enos and the OL coach (Butch) Barry. From then on, they were keeping their eye on me, and I actually talked to coach Diaz last night. Coach Barry and I just started texting, but I actually just talked to him yesterday too. We’re going to keep frequent communication.”
Miami’s recruitment of Baynes is not the Hurricanes’ first time dipping into Sandalwood High; currently on UM’s roster, Miami has LB Bradley Jennings from the 2017 class and DT Jordan Miller from the 2018 class. Baynes still keeps in touch with Miller and the pair have spoken about what it’s like to be a Miami Hurricane.
“J Milly (Jordan Miller), he was just telling me Miami was a great place to be. He was just telling me the number 1 thing is just putting in the work every day,” Baynes said. “At Sandalwood, we used to always go at it (on the field). But to see his story and what happened with him, that was something great. He signed when I was in 10th grade, so to see his story and to see what he did, I kind of used it as motivation like ‘I can go out here and get offers, I can go out here and play good football’."
Being from the Jacksonville area, Baynes is also friendly with two current Miami commits from Oakleaf High in OT Jalen Rivers and DE Chantz Williams. The trio played AAU basketball growing up and Baynes says that Williams has already been in his ear about joining him at UM.
“Right when I got the offer, Chantz texted me ‘Come on man, come on, do it’. I told him I have to wait and see,” Baynes said. “He told me Miami is one of the best schools in the country – how beautiful it is, the campus. You can’t get a much better education at a private institution.”
Although Baynes has never seen Miami’s campus for himself yet, he will get his first chance in a few weeks: The offensive lineman has set an official visit to Coral Gables for December 6th weekend.
“One thing I want to see at Miami is what they’re building down there,” Baynes said. “I want to see the direction because I feel it’s very important to know the direction of the school you pick and what they’re trying to accomplish there. I want to see Coral Gables, I’ve never been that far down south.”
As Baynes is going to be signing next month and is an early enrollee, he says his Miami official will be his last trip to see a school before he signs; Baynes has also taken officials to Louisville and South Carolina in the past.
“I’m just visiting Miami,” Baynes said. “At this point, I plan to sign early on December 18th, so this is pretty much going to be my last official visit.”
Although he declined to answer questions about the status of his Louisville commitment, Baynes did take time to speak on what he liked about the UM program.
“Miami has always been the school that was a dream school as a kid growing up,” Baynes said. “Especially down here in Florida, it was always the school that was on TV. The FSU rivalry, I remember watching that game every year, FSU vs. Miami. I saw it this year, and I had a teammate that goes to Florida State, so that was kind of fun to see Florida State get it handed to them.”
The Canes are currently recruiting Baynes as a guard with the potential to move to tackle down the line, but Baynes played mostly left tackle at Sandalwood in 2019. While he missed the final two games of the Saints’ disappointing 3-5 season with a minor patella fracture in his knee, Baynes felt he showed enough on tape to prove how much better he’s gotten in his senior year.
“I just think that I played really well in my last season,” Baynes said. “I ended up getting hurt in my third to last game. Up until that point, I felt like I was playing at my best, my peak level. That was another thing that Miami brought up - they said every snap I progressed, that I made great strides from my junior film to my senior film.
“I just felt like I was in a good space mentally. I was prepared for every game, watched my opponents, I learned what they were doing, and I just manipulated defenses. I felt like I played good this season.”
When it comes down to it, what is Baynes going to be looking for in a school that will help him make his final decision?
“For me, how interactive the O-Line coaches are,” Baynes said. “I know coach Barry constantly works with the O-Line, and that’s one thing that will make or break it for me with a school, the O-Line coach. And also just kind of the culture there, what they’re trying to do, and I have to see if it’s something I want to be a part of.”
“Pretty much the OC, coach Enos, he called me and it was about three other coaches all in a room together,” Baynes said of his UM offer. “They were just saying how much they loved my film and how good of a player I am and how I could be used in Miami’s offense… I was definitely excited because it was always a dream school of mine.”
While Canes fans may not have heard the 6-4 310 pound prospect connected with Miami before last week, Baynes is someone the staff has been keeping tabs on since the spring evaluation period. After sending coaches to watch him practice in the spring, head coach Manny Diaz watched Baynes play a game back in September, and UM finally pulled the trigger after being impressed by his senior film last week.
“I would say the contact (with Miami) has been building up,” Baynes said. “They knew who I was because back in spring, two recruiters came up to watch me, it was the OC coach Enos and the OL coach (Butch) Barry. From then on, they were keeping their eye on me, and I actually talked to coach Diaz last night. Coach Barry and I just started texting, but I actually just talked to him yesterday too. We’re going to keep frequent communication.”
Miami’s recruitment of Baynes is not the Hurricanes’ first time dipping into Sandalwood High; currently on UM’s roster, Miami has LB Bradley Jennings from the 2017 class and DT Jordan Miller from the 2018 class. Baynes still keeps in touch with Miller and the pair have spoken about what it’s like to be a Miami Hurricane.
“J Milly (Jordan Miller), he was just telling me Miami was a great place to be. He was just telling me the number 1 thing is just putting in the work every day,” Baynes said. “At Sandalwood, we used to always go at it (on the field). But to see his story and what happened with him, that was something great. He signed when I was in 10th grade, so to see his story and to see what he did, I kind of used it as motivation like ‘I can go out here and get offers, I can go out here and play good football’."
Being from the Jacksonville area, Baynes is also friendly with two current Miami commits from Oakleaf High in OT Jalen Rivers and DE Chantz Williams. The trio played AAU basketball growing up and Baynes says that Williams has already been in his ear about joining him at UM.
“Right when I got the offer, Chantz texted me ‘Come on man, come on, do it’. I told him I have to wait and see,” Baynes said. “He told me Miami is one of the best schools in the country – how beautiful it is, the campus. You can’t get a much better education at a private institution.”
Although Baynes has never seen Miami’s campus for himself yet, he will get his first chance in a few weeks: The offensive lineman has set an official visit to Coral Gables for December 6th weekend.
“One thing I want to see at Miami is what they’re building down there,” Baynes said. “I want to see the direction because I feel it’s very important to know the direction of the school you pick and what they’re trying to accomplish there. I want to see Coral Gables, I’ve never been that far down south.”
As Baynes is going to be signing next month and is an early enrollee, he says his Miami official will be his last trip to see a school before he signs; Baynes has also taken officials to Louisville and South Carolina in the past.
“I’m just visiting Miami,” Baynes said. “At this point, I plan to sign early on December 18th, so this is pretty much going to be my last official visit.”
Although he declined to answer questions about the status of his Louisville commitment, Baynes did take time to speak on what he liked about the UM program.
“Miami has always been the school that was a dream school as a kid growing up,” Baynes said. “Especially down here in Florida, it was always the school that was on TV. The FSU rivalry, I remember watching that game every year, FSU vs. Miami. I saw it this year, and I had a teammate that goes to Florida State, so that was kind of fun to see Florida State get it handed to them.”
The Canes are currently recruiting Baynes as a guard with the potential to move to tackle down the line, but Baynes played mostly left tackle at Sandalwood in 2019. While he missed the final two games of the Saints’ disappointing 3-5 season with a minor patella fracture in his knee, Baynes felt he showed enough on tape to prove how much better he’s gotten in his senior year.
“I just think that I played really well in my last season,” Baynes said. “I ended up getting hurt in my third to last game. Up until that point, I felt like I was playing at my best, my peak level. That was another thing that Miami brought up - they said every snap I progressed, that I made great strides from my junior film to my senior film.
“I just felt like I was in a good space mentally. I was prepared for every game, watched my opponents, I learned what they were doing, and I just manipulated defenses. I felt like I played good this season.”
When it comes down to it, what is Baynes going to be looking for in a school that will help him make his final decision?
“For me, how interactive the O-Line coaches are,” Baynes said. “I know coach Barry constantly works with the O-Line, and that’s one thing that will make or break it for me with a school, the O-Line coach. And also just kind of the culture there, what they’re trying to do, and I have to see if it’s something I want to be a part of.”
