The Bank (3/24)

DMoney

Monday at 11:06 AM 3 min read

Miami has been hosting a parade of big-time kids on campus this spring. Here is the latest on some top targets:

- As first reported on the CanesInSight podcast this morning (and later confirmed by on3's Steve Wiltfong), Miami is surging for #1 overall player OT Jackson Cantwell (Nixa, MO). He had a great unofficial visit last week and likes the Coral Gables lifestyle. More importantly, he has strong relationships with Miami's OL staff and believes in their development plan. It will be a battle with Georgia, Oregon and others, but this is a real situation.

- One player on flip watch is OT Joel Ervin (Fort Myers). Don't let his ranking fool you- this is a top-of-the-board type priority. He measured in at 6'6.5, 330+ with 11.5 inch hands and a massive wingspan. I saw him in person and he has an elite NFL frame with minimal bad weight. He decommitted from Louisville this AM and Miami is in a strong position.

- Two names that remain high priorities: RB Derrek Cooper (Chaminade) and OG Canon Pickett (Tampa). They are +1 players, meaning they will always have a spot.

- Miami's new DC Corey Hetherman is bringing a fresh approach to LB recruiting, and his focus is on traits and physicality. He wants long and fast players he can mold. One name that checks those boxes is local four-star Adam Balogoun-Ali (Cardinal Newman). He has strong testing (basketball and track background) and clear upside. He visited this weekend and is a priority.

- Another freaky athlete is Top 100 EDGE Jaquez Wilkes (Wadley, AL). Even though he is from small-town Alabama, he is very open to leaving the state and visited this past weekend with his parents. The Canes are a real player here.

- RB Tradarian Ball (Texarkana, TX) also had a good visit. While he is committed to Oregon and they remain the favorite, Miami is the top competition right now. The four-star speedster is also a +1 player.

- A 2027 QB that visited this weekend and is a name to watch: Top 10 QB Trent Seaborn (Birmingham, AL). He and Peyton Houston (Shreveport, LA) are the main targets for next year.

- In 2028, the big name is Neimann Lawrence (Northwestern). He also visited this weekend and has strong interest early in the process.

- One name Miami would love to flip- Michigan commit CB Brody Jennings (Mandarin). He has real interest.

Click to expand...

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Comments (102)

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Brooklyndee

Monday at 11:43 AM

canecountry3 said:
Can you expand on that? What are some differences in what they are/were looking for there?

Think alfraud golden before the s&c gogurts started

cway313

Monday at 11:48 AM

DMoney said:
Hetherman is very focused on traits and physicality. He wants long, fast guys who test well and can get off blocks. He believes in his ability to develop guys who may be more raw.

Was the problem the guys Guidry/Mario targeted or the guys Guidry/Mario landed?

Dwinstitles

Monday at 11:55 AM

Nice write up Brody

S
swecane

Monday at 12:00 PM

Any word on the top DB kid from Northwestern who declassified to a '25?

C
C A N S

Monday at 12:06 PM

DMoney said:
Hetherman is very focused on traits and physicality. He wants long, fast guys who test well and can get off blocks. He believes in his ability to develop guys who may be more raw.

So more Kellen Riley types and less Marcelin types going forward.

252cane

Monday at 12:22 PM

DMoney said:
Hetherman is very focused on traits and physicality. He wants long, fast guys who test well and can get off blocks. He believes in his ability to develop guys who may be more raw.

So we should see Washington on the field?

S
San Amaro Dr

Monday at 12:29 PM

252cane said:
So we should see Washington on the field?

Has he been practicing? He injured his knee during bowl prep.

A
AtlAtty

Monday at 12:38 PM

Wilkes looks like he’s playing for and against JV teams.

FrancisSawyer

Monday at 12:57 PM

DMoney said:
Hetherman is very focused on traits and physicality. He wants long, fast guys who test well and can get off blocks. He believes in his ability to develop guys who may be more raw.

@Coach Macho and @gogeta4 had a great discussion on why it's so difficult to recruit quality LB prospects here in Florida. I forget what thread it was on so I'm sure either one of those guys will tell you. Anyway the exchange between those two really opened my eyes as to the root cause of our struggles at LB.

It's for this reason that the quoted part above about Hetherman caught my eye. We have been needing a total reset in the way we evaluate and coach LBs and from what I've recently learned from the two gentlemen who post here, Hetherman's philosophy and coaching style with LBs is something that should seem like a breath of fresh air!

Gables Cane

Monday at 12:59 PM

252cane said:
So we should see Washington on the field?

Maybe more Washington-types and less Pruitt-types.

Interesting development (pun intended),

grover

Monday at 1:00 PM

San Amaro Dr said:
Has he been practicing? He injured his knee during bowl prep.

Yeah he’s out for the year I thought. But that kid better be exhibit one for a freak athlete you can develop. Hopefully the light turns on under Hetherman.

JHallCanes

Monday at 1:02 PM

Brooklyndee said:
Think alfraud golden before the s&c gogurts started

I was gonna say what DC in the world WOULDNT want speed and length and then I was like oh wait…

grover

Monday at 1:03 PM

FrancisSawyer said:
@Coach Macho and @gogeta4 had a great discussion on why it's so difficult to recruit quality LB prospects here in Florida. I forget what thread it was on so I'm sure either one of those guys will tell you. Anyway the exchange between those two really opened my eyes as to the root cause of our struggles at LB.

It's for this reason that the quoted part above about Hetherman caught my eye. We have been needing a total reset in the way we evaluate and coach LBs and from what I've recently learned from the two gentlemen who post here, Hetherman's philosophy and coaching style with LBs is something that should seem like a breath of fresh air!

It’s crazy how rarely we have gone after true LBers. We love our rush ends or 3-4 hybrids or strikers or in-the-box thumpers. But a true LB like a Jermaine Grace was supposed to be or a Wiley and Washington could be, we are almost never in the game.

JHallCanes

Monday at 1:04 PM

FrancisSawyer said:
@Coach Macho and @gogeta4 had a great discussion on why it's so difficult to recruit quality LB prospects here in Florida. I forget what thread it was on so I'm sure either one of those guys will tell you. Anyway the exchange between those two really opened my eyes as to the root cause of our struggles at LB.

It's for this reason that the quoted part above about Hetherman caught my eye. We have been needing a total reset in the way we evaluate and coach LBs and from what I've recently learned from the two gentlemen who post here, Hetherman's philosophy and coaching style with LBs is something that should seem like a breath of fresh air!

Also not just Florida

Look at the Wilkes kid from Alabama we are recruiting. Kid is a beast but he was playing edge. They move him to LB and he dominates but he’s still being viewed as an EDGE because he’s 6-3, 6-4 225ish as a 16-17 year old

C
Cane30

Monday at 1:16 PM

I appreciate the effort you put in on these Bank's, D$. Pickett is going to have to do a lot of work to transform his body. I wish he would start now. I have been wanting to push for Jennings. Things are about to get real interesting with UM's recruiting shortly so get on him. I am all team Heatherman at the moment. Glad he is liking Ali. I just wish he would waste a little time on Xavier Griffen. Let me dream. I love Lawrence in 28 and understand the connection, but if they don’t also develop a relationship and pursue Wade at IMG also, I am not going to be happy.

MumbleRap

Monday at 2:07 PM

Same as when Francis was a senior in HS…

Why would the top OL go anywhere else?

252cane

Monday at 2:37 PM

Gables Cane said:
Maybe more Washington-types and less Pruitt-types.

Interesting development (pun intended),

I think Pruitt is in the mold of what he is looking for. Maybe just a lil more weight tho

252cane

Monday at 2:39 PM

grover said:
It’s crazy how rarely we have gone after true LBers. We love our rush ends or 3-4 hybrids or strikers or in-the-box thumpers. But a true LB like a Jermaine Grace was supposed to be or a Wiley and Washington could be, we are almost never in the game.

Grace was undersized tho

Memnon

Monday at 2:51 PM

I'm far from a blind optimist, but for some reason this feels like its going to be Mario's best class of his tenure thus far.

Maybe not from a rankings standpoint, but from an eval standpoint it appears like we're getting some high quality players if we sign most of our top targets.

252cane

Monday at 2:57 PM

Memnon said:
I'm far from a blind optimist, but for some reason this feels like its going to be Mario's best class of his tenure thus far.

Maybe not from a rankings standpoint, but from an eval standpoint it appears like we're getting some high quality players if we sign most of our top targets.

I agree. Maybe the dude they brought in for smith job is making a difference. Seems like they are casting way bigger nets at every position more so than in past years too