Blinn College (Tex.) CB Jhavonte Dean took his official visit to Miami over the weekend.
And in his first public comments about his time on campus the Miami native told CaneSport on Monday evening that "I liked it. Coming back to my hometown, Miami's been recruiting me hard the last couple of months. I wanted to see how it was, they showed me a lot of love, were really honest with me. I thought that was big for me. I just felt like it was family there."
Dean is an Alabama commitment, and he says he remains so after this visit.
"Miami did move up some," Dean said, "but I'm still solid to Alabama."
A question remains if 'Bama will definitely take him in this class. Dean says he hasn't heard from Alabama coaches a lot, although he says they did visit him in December before the dead period, and the program hasn't set up his official visit date yet.
But Dean says he believes Alabama is still hot on his trail.
"They haven't set the visit up for me, I'm still waiting for that," Dean said. "But they haven't showed me they don't want me. If they didn't I'm pretty sure I'd get the hint. I talked to them last week, so we still communicate."
Asked if the Canes are No. 2 on his list behind 'Bama, Dean said Utah and Arizona State remain in the mix and that "It's all even (with those three), I'm not trying to put any numbers out there. They're even there."
Asked why 'Bama has the edge on the Canes, he pointed to the success with playing for championships at Alabama.
"That's the main thing," he said.
What can UM do to catch up in these final two weeks?
"I can't really answer that, I don't really know," Dean said. "I guess just keep doing what they're doing, recruiting me, be honest with me and maybe something can happen."
Dean spoke more about his time in Miami this weekend - he took the trip with his mother, stepfather and younger sister ("they liked it also," Dean said).
"I just enjoyed being at home, first of all," he said. "And I enjoyed the coaches - coach (Ephraim) Banda, coach (Mike) Rumph, coach Manny Diaz and then coach Mark Richt. He's not only a great coach, he's a very spiritual guy and I liked that. He's kind of changed the program around in one year. What they're doing over there at Miami is really for real."
Dean was hosted by Dionte Mullins.
"Me and Dionte played ball since we were young, on ten same youth team and we won a national championship as young kids," Dean said. "So I always have had a bond with him. Me, him, Joseph Jackson and Cedrick Wright, I already know those guys.
