The Bank (12/19)

DMoney

Yesterday at 2:05 PM 3 min read

Even as they prepare for Iowa State, the Canes are working on numerous fronts in the Portal. Here is the latest:

- My read from the building is that the Canes like their options at QB. It's true that the coaches and players like Emory Williams. Anybody with connections to the team will confirm that. But they were also extremely aggressive in pursuing Washington State transfer QB John Mateer, as reported by various national and Oklahoma sources. So watch the actions. The Canes are actively looking to improve the talent in that room and will continue to do so throughout the Portal period (which extends by five days for playoff teams eliminated from the tournament). Fernando Mendoza is a name that we like (and that I personally feel would be an improvement to the current room) but he is by no means the only target. I get the impression they feel better about their options now than they did last year, when so much rode on Cam Ward.

- Secondary recruiting could pick up quickly. Wisconsin CB Xavier Lucas just entered the Portal and the Canes are the heavy favorite. He is a Broward native and former teammate of OJ Frederique under CIS legend @Coach Macho. That reunion would give Miami perhaps the most talented pair of young corners in the conference. Lucas has three years of eligibility.

- Miami is also pursuing Michigan State CB corner (and Venice, FL native) Charles Brantley, who is one of the most experienced and proven corners in the Portal. There is strong mutual interest there. Arizona CB Emmanuel Karnley is another young, long, fast corner with three years of eligibility who Miami likes a lot. Ole Miss and Michigan are battling there.

- At safety, Miami is thrilled with the addition of Zechariah Poyser from Jacksonville State. He may have been the best safety in the Portal and has three years of eligibility. If we add another name as a boundary safety, watch for Adrian Wilson (Washington State).

- WR Kevin Concepcion is on campus now and having a good visit. He is a high-priority target.

- I expect Miami to add a starting C and will monitor names jumping in the Portal (that is an active market).

- WR CJ Daniels is considered a high-character, proven target with rave reviews from LSU staffers and others who have coached him. His contested-catch ability projects to be an improvement over anybody in our room last year.

- The DT name to know right now is David Blay, a 6'4, 300+pound late bloomer from Pennsylvania. He is visiting through the weekend. Miami would like to add a premium, productive target instead of a volume of low-ceiling players, as the room has improved through recruiting.

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Comments (384)

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MiamisMoperiestMopes

Yesterday at 2:55 PM

Angry Ibis said:
Well and so when Mendoza signs with Miami after it being read here that he was the choice in September, it would look like both sides looked at other options...

JHallCanes

Yesterday at 2:55 PM

LuCane said:
You can’t keep getting guys like AHayes and fail to develop them. Let them play and learn. Lose with speed and range - not perceived dependability from whatever you saw in practice that doesn’t translate to games.

I thought we did last year. Popo was getting mixed in heavily until he got hurt. Guys like BWash even got out there a few snaps even though he clearly wasn’t ready

TriStarCane

Yesterday at 2:55 PM

Have a hard time believing Concepcion comes here with our QB situation. If he leaves without signing it’s hard to think we have a real chance

Last edited: Yesterday at 3:22 PM

hoops156

Yesterday at 2:55 PM

JayCane20 said:
Precisely.

LOL. yeah this is the same as every other coaching tenure. dumb as rocks. zero foresight. also, LOL at coaches loving emory.

hoops156

Yesterday at 2:56 PM

JHallCanes said:
I thought we did last year. Popo was getting mixed in heavily until he got hurt. Guys like BWash even got out there a few snaps even though he clearly wasn’t ready

god speed B Wash. at this point, i assume he has a peg leg

chris2183l

Yesterday at 2:57 PM

ChinstrapCane said:
I see Mendoza as a really smart QB who makes good reads and has the arm to get the ball to his receivers. He's also a better runner than people give him credit for. I'm not saying hes a sprinter, but he has good pocket presence and awareness and runs at the right time. As a passer, I see him as a Kosar/Dorsey type. I think he's kind of like Stetson Bennett. He would really help a program that has all of the pieces.

Ya after mateer fell off the board I've really come around to the idea of mendoza for a year until nickel gets up to speed

Reyrey

Yesterday at 2:57 PM

Natty back

StevoBevo said:
So far we’ve missed on ALOT of our targets thus far

Mateer, Silver, Calhoun, Singleton, Rivers just to name a few and we wasted our time with mateer when we could’ve pursued Mensah or Arnold. I mean to focus on mateer and put all of our eggs in that basket was asinine (I mean we didn’t even convince him to visit ?!) at least last year we had Howard visit as well

This whole “well now we have money to throw at ___” don’t mean **** because all the big fish are swimming away. Either we don’t actually have money to throw around or our portal approach is just as poor as Mario’s game day abilities.

Next thing you know we will be waiting for the “spring portal talent” and be left at the altar once again and then it’ll be “the real talent is in the SFL 2026 class and Mario is trying to get a head start and we feel strongly about the guys we have”

Yes I sound like a mope and yes I’m ****ed that we went all in on mateer and couldn’t even get a visit in and it’s like now what?

Don’t even get me started on the whole “staff changes are coming after the bowl game” because that is absolutely hurting more then helping.

I’m starting to think the whole portal and how it’s currently built hinders Mario more than it helps and as it stands he is not adjusting to the times. The portal is becoming fast paced and Mario is everything but.

“How you do anything is how you do everything” am I right ?

You lost me after the first two sentences. There’s 1000 kids in the portal. Would you rather thy not visit. You have to condense a 2 year recruiting period into days if not 24-48 hours.

Get em on campus and swing your shot. Those are some big fish that they are trying to catch.

A
ageezy

Yesterday at 2:58 PM

supersaiyanshel said:
Could be a quick turnaround with the secondary.

But as I've stated, I was infinitely more disappointed with the D-Line this year. We need another edge (I wouldn't mind going after Payton), another DT, and at least 2 LB's with some speed.

i'm hoping and praying for a mezzi return at DE ... then we put legit size inside (pause)

W
We’reBackCane

Yesterday at 2:58 PM

We love our qb so much we are desperately looking for an alternative. Make it stop.

Josh

Yesterday at 2:58 PM

Eventually you got to develop guys on your roster... we've paid up for DT, DE and LB so gotta let them see if they can play. Same with WR, id take NCST kid and call it a day. Go all out for another S and those CBs. AND ******* FIRE GUIDRY ALREADY

A
ageezy

Yesterday at 2:59 PM

LuCane said:
Or, a commitment to playing more speed at DE/Edge. Bryant, Pickett, Lightfoot, and/or Cole need more snaps. More speed everywhere on defense, please.

this plus a million ...

JHallCanes

Yesterday at 2:59 PM

hoops156 said:
god speed B Wash. at this point, i assume he has a peg leg

Devastating for sure

Would love to see Popo the rock in the middle and guys like BWash and Wiley flying around like terrors

Allabouttheu95

Yesterday at 2:59 PM

ageezy said:
the lucas news could have been a bank by itself

An unproven true freshman corner could have been a bank by itself

lord help our fanbase man

252cane

Yesterday at 2:59 PM

Lock brantley and Lucas up. Drop a bag on kc and the DT. And gone and add that safety too then I might feel a lil better

hoops156

Yesterday at 3:01 PM

We’reBackCane said:
We love our qb so much we are desperately looking for an alternative. Make it stop.

D money now partnering with the canes propaganda machine still cant tell the truth lol and is in full spin mode. we feel our QB room is awesome but we also went hard like harden at magic city for mateer and are looking at other QBs

Josh

Yesterday at 3:02 PM

252cane said:
Lock brantley and Lucas up. Drop a bag on kc and the DT. And gone and add that safety too then I might feel a lil better

Im with you. Id take another space eater at DT if one becomes available.

wnycanesfan

Yesterday at 3:02 PM

supersaiyanshel said:
Could be a quick turnaround with the secondary.

But as I've stated, I was infinitely more disappointed with the D-Line this year. We need another edge (I wouldn't mind going after Payton), another DT, and at least 2 LB's with some speed.

I think if we get a DC who stops running stunts all of the time and the secondary can at least cover for a few seconds that will help the DL. Kind of hard to get after the QB when WRs are wide open from the snap.

Last edited: Yesterday at 3:08 PM

TwentySix

Yesterday at 3:03 PM

Allabouttheu95 said:
An unproven true freshman corner could have been a bank by itself

lord help our fanbase man

You can just say you didn’t watch any Wisconsin games this season.

WeBallinBoyz

Yesterday at 3:03 PM

Still would like to see us pursue Singleton or Rivers harder, but it’s not the worst update.

Would also like to pursue Klare as TE1, especially if we don’t come away with an alpha WR1. Arroyo showed how valuable a receiving threat can be as a TE; Lofton could get there but not sure he’s truly ready, Williams I’m meh on as a receiver. Klare is the goods.

Blay looks solid, need another DT imo that isn’t the UCF kid.

Corners and Safeties, can’t grab enough. Especially the former.