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2019 St. Thomas Aquinas 4-star LB Anthony Solomon was on campus at South Carolina this past weekend and, when he returned home to South Florida after that visit, that’s when he knew: he was a Miami Hurricane. Solomon had always grown up around the Miami program and now he has officially joined the family: he committed to the staff last night, becoming Miami’s 11th commit in the 2019 class.
“I was a little nervous, it’s a life-changing choice,” Solomon said on his big moment. “I talked to coach Diaz first and then I talked to coach Richt. Both were really excited, just excited to have me on board.”
Getting mom on board is always a big part of recruiting, but the Canes had a built in advantage there: Solomon’s mother attended UM as a ’92 grad, so wherever the young Solomon went, the presence of “the U” was never far. It was also the comfortability of the environment at Miami that made the difference for the Canes.
“Well, my mom went to Miami, so that’s how it started,” Solomon said. “I just felt comfortable with them, felt comfortable with the players, felt comfortable with the coaches. The past couple months I’ve developed a real strong bond with the coaches. I felt like making a decision was a big choice but that there weren’t many cons (for Miami). The pro’s outweighed the con’s extremely.”
Last time we talked, Solomon told me Miami and Michigan were his top 2. So, what was it about Miami that set it apart from the program up in Ann Arbor?
“Miami is Miami for me. It was just a more comfortable setting for me,” Solomon said. “Not that Michigan wasn’t comfortable, because I love the coaches there too and everything. Some of my teammates recently went (to Michigan on a visit) and there wasn’t any negative stuff coming from them, it was all positive.”
Two weekends back, Solomon was in attendance for Miami’s Junior Day event on campus. He admits it was that event that got him more comfortable with the idea of committing and pulling the trigger for the Hurricanes.
“That visit was more to see how they run their program, what the future holds for me, so I’m glad I got to do that,” said Solomon. “I got to hang out with my teammates, got to see my old teammates Mike Harley and Michael Irvin II practice. They’ve both gotten better.”
With his commitment in the books, Solomon can finally relax a bit and start getting to know his Surge19 classmates better. While the process won’t come to a complete close for him at this time, Solomon does plan on putting on his recruiter hat to bring others into the fold at UM, especially the talented defensive teammates of his at STA.
“Right now, I don’t think I’d be ending my recruitment completely, but I do plan on being a leader in the class,” Solomon said. “I do want my teammates to commit to Miami too. I won’t be shutting down my recruitment because I don’t think that’s the smart choice to do. But my heart is 100% with UM, though.”
So, what kind of player is Miami getting with Solomon?
“For me, I’m a fast linebacker, I believe my IQ is good,” said Solomon. “That’s what most of my coaches tell me. I still have a lot to work on, but it doesn’t take me too long to grasp the idea of the playbook and what I’m doing. So, I believe that my IQ and the support of my coaches will put me in a pretty good spot.”
And his message to the Canes fans out there?
“Ever since I was little, UM has always been there,” Solomon said. “Miami is my city, really, I grew up playing football there, and now I’m staying home.”
“I was a little nervous, it’s a life-changing choice,” Solomon said on his big moment. “I talked to coach Diaz first and then I talked to coach Richt. Both were really excited, just excited to have me on board.”
Getting mom on board is always a big part of recruiting, but the Canes had a built in advantage there: Solomon’s mother attended UM as a ’92 grad, so wherever the young Solomon went, the presence of “the U” was never far. It was also the comfortability of the environment at Miami that made the difference for the Canes.
“Well, my mom went to Miami, so that’s how it started,” Solomon said. “I just felt comfortable with them, felt comfortable with the players, felt comfortable with the coaches. The past couple months I’ve developed a real strong bond with the coaches. I felt like making a decision was a big choice but that there weren’t many cons (for Miami). The pro’s outweighed the con’s extremely.”
Last time we talked, Solomon told me Miami and Michigan were his top 2. So, what was it about Miami that set it apart from the program up in Ann Arbor?
“Miami is Miami for me. It was just a more comfortable setting for me,” Solomon said. “Not that Michigan wasn’t comfortable, because I love the coaches there too and everything. Some of my teammates recently went (to Michigan on a visit) and there wasn’t any negative stuff coming from them, it was all positive.”
Two weekends back, Solomon was in attendance for Miami’s Junior Day event on campus. He admits it was that event that got him more comfortable with the idea of committing and pulling the trigger for the Hurricanes.
“That visit was more to see how they run their program, what the future holds for me, so I’m glad I got to do that,” said Solomon. “I got to hang out with my teammates, got to see my old teammates Mike Harley and Michael Irvin II practice. They’ve both gotten better.”
With his commitment in the books, Solomon can finally relax a bit and start getting to know his Surge19 classmates better. While the process won’t come to a complete close for him at this time, Solomon does plan on putting on his recruiter hat to bring others into the fold at UM, especially the talented defensive teammates of his at STA.
“Right now, I don’t think I’d be ending my recruitment completely, but I do plan on being a leader in the class,” Solomon said. “I do want my teammates to commit to Miami too. I won’t be shutting down my recruitment because I don’t think that’s the smart choice to do. But my heart is 100% with UM, though.”
So, what kind of player is Miami getting with Solomon?
“For me, I’m a fast linebacker, I believe my IQ is good,” said Solomon. “That’s what most of my coaches tell me. I still have a lot to work on, but it doesn’t take me too long to grasp the idea of the playbook and what I’m doing. So, I believe that my IQ and the support of my coaches will put me in a pretty good spot.”
And his message to the Canes fans out there?
“Ever since I was little, UM has always been there,” Solomon said. “Miami is my city, really, I grew up playing football there, and now I’m staying home.”
