Even when we were winning, we never got the recruits UF and FSU got. We beat them because we had better coaches. Miami is in a great location for talent, but it's also surrounded by $EC schools who pay kids, buy them cars, and find their families' homes away from the hood. No one else, particularly private colleges, is allowed to do this.
thats just not true. miami was loaded with talent under butch. same with
jj, and erickson they got top kids. they dominated recruting in south florida, kids here never left. jj, howard, erickson, butch kept the best kids in south florida here. they also went and cherry picked kids like kelly, kosar, testaverde, dorsey, sapp, from other states. miami had some top notch recruiting under all the top coaches.
yes we had great coaches but jj at ok state barely was above a 500 coach, erickson at wash state was a 500 coach, it wasn't just coaching that won for miami they recruited top talent in south florida and kept the best kids home.
I am guessing that you weren't following UM recruiting when Erickson was the coach. Am I right?
I was born while Dennis Errickson was the head coach at miami
but I can tell you that it's crazy talk to say miami "never got the recruits UF and FSU got"
Miami has had consistently top talent over the last twenty years.
Here, for instance, are Dennis Erickson's first two recruiting classes:
In 1989, Dennis guided the Canes to an 11-1 record and a national championship. Here is his 1990 recruiting class from a month after that season:
1990 Class (15)
Breakdown: Florida – 7, Out of State – 8
RB Donnell Bennett (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
TE Dietrich Clausell (Gulfport, Mississippi)
QB Frank Costa (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
LB Corwin Francis (LaPorte, Texas)
WR Jonathan Harris (Houston, Texas)
ATH David Holliman (Homestead, Florida)
DL Dwayne Johnson (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
WR Chris T. Jones (West Palm Beach, Florida)
RB Larry Jones (Gainesville, Florida)
OL Anthony Lewis (Brockton, Massachusetts)
OL Zev Lumelski (Miami Beach, Florida)
DB Malcolm Pearson (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
DB C.J. Richardson (Dallas, Texas)
DL Baraka Short (Opa Locka, Florida)
WR A.C. Tellison (Bay City, Texas)
In 1990, the Canes went 10-2. Here is Dennis's class from a month after that
1991 Class (19)
Breakdown: Florida – 11, Out of State – 8
WR Omar Andres (Miami, Florida)
DL Kevin Brinkworth (Buffalo, New York)
QB Ryan Collins (Pembroke Pines, Florida)
LB Travis Cooper (Miami, Florida)
QB Alan Hall (Middleburg, Floirda)
DL Corries Hardy (Melbourne, Florida)
FB Derrick Harris (Willowbridge, Texas)
ATH Shawn Jones (Marrero, Louisiana)
LB Rohan Marley (Miami, Florida)
DL Jessie Mitchell (Key West, Florida)
OL Jason Owens (Newton, Pennslyvania)
DL Willie Phillips (Arcadia, Florida)
K Dana Prewitt (Birmingham, Alabama)
DL Patrick Riley (Marrero, Louisiana)
RB James Stewart (Vero Beach, Florida)
OL Alan Symonette (Miami, Florida)
DB Shaywon Tresvant (Miami, Florida)
TE Syii Tucker (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
OL Robert Woods (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)
I'll stop here because I don't like humungously long posts, but these two groups are quite representative of his other classes.