My thoughts on the class (long)

[AlexCane]

Wildcat: Apologize if already addressed, but why does it appear that we have little presence at Heritage? The coaches from Norland and Columbus recently claimed in the Herald that Miami is constantly in communication with them and have done a great job being present at that school notwithstanding that neither had high-level talent this year. So why is Golden & co. ignoring Heritage? I mean, if they do a good job communicating with some South Florida schools, why not with all of them (particularly considering the amount of talent at Heritage and Rumph's connections)?

Ive found this highly curious too. And its not just Columbus or Norland. They are at many programs all the time. Yet have clearly kept their distance from Heritage for some reason. It wasnt just Rumph's comments either. My guess, and its pure speculation, is that maybe there are some characters hanging around that program that Um is leery of. Im not talking about the staff itself, but maybe some handlers, or other types. Its clear UM was steering clear of Champagnat for the most part too, based on Tunsil's own comments, and the rumors of Donofrio basically not liking that program, and maybe even telling kids to stay away from it.

PURE speculation here, but I get the sense that the staff stays away from programs that it may consider troublesome. I have NO reason to suggest there is anything going on at Heritage, it could be something as simple as some hanger ons around the program that the staff doesnt like, but with all the talent at the school, and current and former UM recruits, and a former Cane coaching there, that the staff is obviously keeping some distance from it, sure seems odd.

That's plausible, and I considered that, but we just can't thumb our nose at schools because we don't like administration, coach, etc. That just opens the door for someone else to come in and take that kid.

 

[Kn[]_[]ckles3o5]

OK DMoney, both you and Pete have skated around the Powell situation. If the kid had a 4.0 average, what was the actual issue? Did UM lose the **** transcript? What kind of mickey mouse admissions office do we have over there?

1) It is likely that the morons in his high school front office screwed it up.

2) no one gets a job in Miami because they are qualified, it's always who you know and usually the people who know someone and get the job are the least qualified moops applying.

3) number 2 means that those same dummies could be working in the UM admin offices.

 

[Coach Macho]

Wildcat,

I know you said "basically" dominated Flowers and Durante. But any way you slice it Dowels didn't "dominate" anybody that night. Durante had 160 yards and a 80 yard TD on Dowels. Flowers was excellent as well.

Now, with that said, this by no means should be taken as a referendum on Dowels. I aum no talent evaluator. I'll leave that to all the experts around here. But I was there that night and I've seen Durante play twice. Want.

If you were there then you weren't paying attention. Durante beat Dowels on a double-move, which he ran because he couldn't get open otherwise. Other than that, Dowels picked off Flowers once and almost picked him off another 2 times. He was a blanket when he was on Durante.

That was probably his best game of the season and he was clearly the best defensive player on the field in that game. I've watched it on Hudl twice cause I marked the highlights for him.

LOL! OK he dominated.

Eye in the sky don't lie, homeboy. Watch the tape. Jackson is all over Dowels highlights.

He played well. He didn't dominate. Or maybe we have much different definitions of dominate. IMO, no matter how you slice it, if your man puts up 160 and TD on you, you didn't dominate.

Any way, carry on. The argument is silly any way.

LoL. He didn't put the 160 yards on Dowels dude. Dowels wasn't the only one covering Durante. That 80 yard bomb is all he got on Dowels. Like i said, i watched every play of that game cause i did the highlights.

Anyways, moving on.

 

[Coach Macho]

Nva cane your a perfect example of the new school ***** cane fan who cares more about the people we didnt get than the ones we did pathetic

LOL. Why would somebody NOT care about who we didn't get?

 

[bobbo31]

(Long)
I have some issues with this class:

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players. The same can be said about Lewis and Elder, both might be better at other positions. With Gunter leaving next year and Crawford and Howard leaving the following year we are now in a position where we have to hit big in this next class. I feel like we needed to pick up at least one of Wilson, Lammons, or Dowels.

2. A 2nd RB was a must. Powell is a stud as well. And in no way is he the type of kid to wait like Yearby with the admissions process. The kid is the definition of a student athlete. He wanted to get into school early so he could get a jump on college.

3. I agree with Dmoney on McKenzie and dowels.

4. The QB recruiting was definitely pretty clumsy. We've been asking for South Fl QB talent and we had it in Harris, White and Flowers. I love Kaaya but there is no way one if not 2 of those kids should have filled out our QB class with Kaaya.

5. Far too much talent has been leaving down here for years and this year isn't any different. The 5 best players playing college football from south fl the past 3+ years were playing at a school other than UM. Benjamin, Bernard, Shazier, Bridgewater, Sheard, Greene, Xavier Rhodes, Elam, Geno Smith, etc. I know most were Shannon's misses but I just don't see it changing much with Golden. I love Darling, McDermott, Thomas, DJ, Yearby, and Moten but far too many of the game changers at RB and WR went elsewhere (Holmes, Dixon, Powell, Lane, Rudolph, Cook, and Michel). This is supposed to be a staff full of recruiters. I don't see them winning any recruiting battles. Look at Lane for instance. Barrow's cousin. We were the only team that was always in his top 2 or 3. It was always he's intrigued by Alabama then bama changed to uf back to bama back to uf and he finally switches to FSU late in the process meanwhile um was the only team who was there the entire time with his cousin on staff.

 

[CANE4LIFE]

Wildcat: Apologize if already addressed, but why does it appear that we have little presence at Heritage? The coaches from Norland and Columbus recently claimed in the Herald that Miami is constantly in communication with them and have done a great job being present at that school notwithstanding that neither had high-level talent this year. So why is Golden & co. ignoring Heritage? I mean, if they do a good job communicating with some South Florida schools, why not with all of them (particularly considering the amount of talent at Heritage and Rumph's connections)?

Ive found this highly curious too. And its not just Columbus or Norland. They are at many programs all the time. Yet have clearly kept their distance from Heritage for some reason. It wasnt just Rumph's comments either. My guess, and its pure speculation, is that maybe there are some characters hanging around that program that Um is leery of. Im not talking about the staff itself, but maybe some handlers, or other types. Its clear UM was steering clear of Champagnat for the most part too, based on Tunsil's own comments, and the rumors of Donofrio basically not liking that program, and maybe even telling kids to stay away from it.

PURE speculation here, but I get the sense that the staff stays away from programs that it may consider troublesome. I have NO reason to suggest there is anything going on at Heritage, it could be something as simple as some hanger ons around the program that the staff doesnt like, but with all the talent at the school, and current and former UM recruits, and a former Cane coaching there, that the staff is obviously keeping some distance from it, sure seems odd.

That's plausible, and I considered that, but we just can't thumb our nose at schools because we don't like administration, coach, etc. That just opens the door for someone else to come in and take that kid.

I agree, but part of me wonders how much the NCAA probation and UM compliance being hyper vigilant isnt a part of this. I think the staff HAS to be on a tighter leash on who they can deal with and what kind of programs they can be around. IMO Champagnat is a huge red flag with a notorious street agent being on staff. I really dont know about Heritage, but I cant find a lot of other legitimate reasons why they would be keeping their distance from there. I mean these guys arent lazy or stupid. They are all over the country, they are at many top HS in So Fla regularly. They know Heritage well, and have recruited a number of kids there. So there has to be some reason.

 

[bobbo31]

Nva cane your a perfect example of the new school **** cane fan who cares more about the people we didnt get than the ones we did pathetic

LOL. Why would somebody NOT care about who we didn't get?

In alot of cases they are die hard canes fans growing up (Gio and Freeman to a lesser extent) and wind up getting snubbed by us and go on to torch us later in their careers.

 

[CANE4LIFE]

Is it me, or has it been getting harder and harder for UM to recruit kids that are involved with 7 on 7? We got good DLs, in So Fla. With the exception of Valentine f*cking us, Chad, DJ, and Moten were all some of the top DL players in So Fla. We did well on the OL too. Darling, Mcdermott were two of the best OL in So Fla. Yet when it comes to the 7 on 7 kids, its seems we struck out a TON.

 

[L A M P]

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players.

You don't feel comfortable with Artie Burns? Seriously? Corn Elder should have been redshirted. He only played bc we lacked depth at the position. He will be a very solid player for us. Dortch should contribute as well. I'm glad you can definitively write off two freshman who had season ending injuries... Crazy talk.

 

[FullyERicht]

(Long)
I have some issues with this class:

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players. The same can be said about Lewis and Elder, both might be better at other positions. With Gunter leaving next year and Crawford and Howard leaving the following year we are now in a position where we have to hit big in this next class. I feel like we needed to pick up at least one of Wilson, Lammons, or Dowels.

2. A 2nd RB was a must. Powell is a stud as well. And in no way is he the type of kid to wait like Yearby with the admissions process. The kid is the definition of a student athlete. He wanted to get into school early so he could get a jump on college.

3. I agree with Dmoney on McKenzie and dowels.

4. The QB recruiting was definitely pretty clumsy. We've been asking for South Fl QB talent and we had it in Harris, White and Flowers. I love Kaaya but there is no way one if not 2 of those kids should have filled out our QB class with Kaaya.

5. Far too much talent has been leaving down here for years and this year isn't any different. The 5 best players playing college football from south fl the past 3+ years were playing at a school other than UM. Benjamin, Bernard, Shazier, Bridgewater, Sheard, Greene, Xavier Rhodes, Elam, Geno Smith, etc. I know most were Shannon's misses but I just don't see it changing much with Golden. I love Darling, McDermott, Thomas, DJ, Yearby, and Moten but far too many of the game changers at RB and WR went elsewhere (Holmes, Dixon, Powell, Lane, Rudolph, Cook, and Michel). This is supposed to be a staff full of recruiters. I don't see them winning any recruiting battles. Look at Lane for instance. Barrow's cousin. We were the only team that was always in his top 2 or 3. It was always he's intrigued by Alabama then bama changed to uf back to bama back to uf and he finally switches to FSU late in the process meanwhile um was the only team who was there the entire time with his cousin on staff.

This school clearly takes a certain type of athlete at this point. We have little problem recruiting kids at the high intellect positions, and legit private school kids. It's not a coincidence, and it's Miami's dirty little secret at this point.

 

[bobbo31]

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players.

You don't feel comfortable with Artie Burns? Seriously? Corn Elder should have been redshirted. He only played bc we lacked depth at the position. He will be a very solid player for us. Dortch should contribute as well. I'm glad you can definitively write off two freshman who had season ending injuries... Crazy talk.

Who's writing anyone off? What did Burns prove to you last year? He has great talent and played pretty well last year but it's not like he lit it up last year on the defensive side last year.

My point still stands, I feel we needed 1 more CB in this class because its not like we are LOADED with young talent at the position.

 

[WhatTheHell]

Heritage is one of the best private schools in South Florida. The staff isn't "steering clear" of anything there. It's a phenomenal academic school and a great football program.

People claim that's Dorito's responsibility, so that could explain it.

 

[kmwcane]

(Long)
I have some issues with this class:

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players. The same can be said about Lewis and Elder, both might be better at other positions. With Gunter leaving next year and Crawford and Howard leaving the following year we are now in a position where we have to hit big in this next class. I feel like we needed to pick up at least one of Wilson, Lammons, or Dowels.

2. A 2nd RB was a must. Powell is a stud as well. And in no way is he the type of kid to wait like Yearby with the admissions process. The kid is the definition of a student athlete. He wanted to get into school early so he could get a jump on college.

3. I agree with Dmoney on McKenzie and dowels.

4. The QB recruiting was definitely pretty clumsy. We've been asking for South Fl QB talent and we had it in Harris, White and Flowers. I love Kaaya but there is no way one if not 2 of those kids should have filled out our QB class with Kaaya.

5. Far too much talent has been leaving down here for years and this year isn't any different. The 5 best players playing college football from south fl the past 3+ years were playing at a school other than UM. Benjamin, Bernard, Shazier, Bridgewater, Sheard, Greene, Xavier Rhodes, Elam, Geno Smith, etc. I know most were Shannon's misses but I just don't see it changing much with Golden. I love Darling, McDermott, Thomas, DJ, Yearby, and Moten but far too many of the game changers at RB and WR went elsewhere (Holmes, Dixon, Powell, Lane, Rudolph, Cook, and Michel). This is supposed to be a staff full of recruiters. I don't see them winning any recruiting battles. Look at Lane for instance. Barrow's cousin. We were the only team that was always in his top 2 or 3. It was always he's intrigued by Alabama then bama changed to uf back to bama back to uf and he finally switches to FSU late in the process meanwhile um was the only team who was there the entire time with his cousin on staff.

This school clearly takes a certain type of athlete at this point. We have little problem recruiting kids at the high intellect positions, and legit private school kids. It's not a coincidence, and it's Miami's dirty little secret at this point.

No, they don't, you just want to perpetuate your unfounded doomsday theory on Miami's educational requirements.

 

[Coach Macho]

Nva cane your a perfect example of the new school ***** cane fan who cares more about the people we didnt get than the ones we did pathetic

Is it me, or has it been getting harder and harder for UM to recruit kids that are involved with 7 on 7? We got good DLs, in So Fla. With the exception of Valentine f*cking us, Chad, DJ, and Moten were all some of the top DL players in So Fla. We did well on the OL too. Darling, Mcdermott were two of the best OL in So Fla. Yet when it comes to the 7 on 7 kids, its seems we struck out a TON.

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players.

You don't feel comfortable with Artie Burns? Seriously? Corn Elder should have been redshirted. He only played bc we lacked depth at the position. He will be a very solid player for us. Dortch should contribute as well. I'm glad you can definitively write off two freshman who had season ending injuries... Crazy talk.

Burns didn't do anything last year except get abused on occasion. He's still a freshman so i don't consider it an issue but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at Safety some day.

If everything was all fine and dandy at CB then we wouldn't have attempted to sign three Corners.

 

[JerzeyCane32]

Gonna be a great year top 10 class handcuffs off its been a while since the team was in this great of a position

 

[CaneSB]

There are two schools of thought with this recruiting class.

One group is disappointed because they know what this class could have been. These fans have lost faith in the staff’s ability to coach, so they believe we need superstar classes to compete with the big boys.

The second group is happy about the kids we actually signed and doesn’t worry about the misses. These fans have full faith in Golden and believe it’s only a matter of time before Miami is back on top.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

It’s impossible to ignore the mistakes that kept us from capitalizing on South Florida’s bumper crop. We lost head-to-head battles for Valentine, Sony, Cook, Dixon and Rudolph. Everybody has heard the money rumors, and there may be some truth there. But more often than not, these rumors come from highly competitive coaches who can’t admit defeat. We got beat on these guys.

We’re still stubborn on size. I thought we were done with this crap when Golden came in and offered Dallas Crawford. But this year, we turned down Juwon Dowels and Isaiah McKenzie simply because they were too small. That’s disappointing.

Brandon Powell’s defection was a total ***** up. No other way to put it.

We were clumsy in our QB recruiting after Kaaya. Before the season, I advocated offering Kaaya, Treon Harris and Winky Flowers. We ended up doing exactly that, except we waited too long to offer Treon and offered a similar out-of-state player (Rosier) instead of Winky. If we followed the right blueprint, we could’ve signed two of the best athletes in Miami.

We offered Ryan Mayes instead of taking a similar player (Quincy Wilson) with Canes blood and extensive connections to the local football community. Wilson is by no means a perfect prospect, but this move revealed two flaws in our approach: an inability to think big-picture and an overemphasis on the Golden Camp. We make too many decisions based on workouts in shirts and shorts.

Finally, the defensive scheme is the new “cloud.” High school coaches are talking about it and college coaches are using it against us. If the results don’t change, this will do even more damage than the NCAA ever could.

But even with all of these issues, I feel the same way that Coach Golden felt in his NSD press conference: confident and comfortable.

The word to describe this class is “healthy.” There is balance across the board. The two most important positions in football—quarterback and defensive line—are the strongest positions in the class. Kaaya is our biggest coup in years. We’ve accumulated a stable of talented and hungry pass-rushers. The offensive line is in terrific shape. Kiy Hester will provide safety depth right away, and Berrios will emerge as a Shockey-type fan favorite.

If Golden is the man for the job, he has enough to win with. If he’s not, the next guy will have a balanced roster without the gaping holes that Coker and Shannon left behind.

More than anything, I just love seeing kids like Demetrius Jackson and Trayon Gray shed tears for the colors. I don’t care if it’s corny. Last year was the roughest NSD in ages, but we will always remember Stacy Coley putting on the Swag hat. These guys will represent the Canes for the next few years and maybe the next decade in the pros. Forget about the coaches. That’s what this day is about.

Welcome to Miami, fellas. Let’s go get number six.

All great thoughts although I do disagree with some of your comments.

1. Quincy Wilson - We all certainly understand the "politics" that permeate South Florida football. Your analysis of his recruitment might be correct (talent evaluation) however in my opinion, the staff viewed his potential character flaws as a risk that outweighed the rewards, in the short and long run. The irony is that in the end, his minion of Lane, Cook, and Lammons all ended up at different schools than him so I question his center of influence. In the long run, there was no bigger public fallout than the situation at Booker T last year and we still landed 2 of their top players this year. I strongly disagree that Quincy going elsewhere will impact any guys in the future...there are far greater influences that are pulling kids in a different direction.

2. Stubborn on Size - every year there a handful of kids who go elsewhere that you can make a case they should have been recruited. How come we didn't take McKenzie and Dowels when we signed Berrios? I don't think Golden has a moratorium on size but when you are not ELITE (i.e. Duke Johnson, Joe Yearby, Corn Elder), the risk increases significantly with average measurables (height and speed being the most critical) and you have to be selective. What was very clear throughout this recruiting season that Golden wanted to add height at the WR position. I think it is a stretch to equate passing on these two kids as any mandate on size and more likely wanting to add size based on the current roster and the staff thinking Berrios is better than the 2 you mentioned.

3. Brandon Powell - don't know what happened so can't comment.

4. QB - again, not sure how you can characterize their recruiting at the QB position as "clumsy." They got their guy in Kaaya and it most likely that all of their tactics were guided by not losing him. Perhaps offering Treon early may have led to Kaaya's departure and it wasn't until the end that they felt Kaaya was in the bank and that Treon was ripe for taking. Further, Rosier came down to camp and they offered him very early and he committed. It seems like there QB recruiting was very calculated and the least bit "clumsy." It is fair to disagree with their evaluations but unfair to characterize their process as you did.

5. Head to Head Battles - Yes, we lost out on Sony, Lane, Cook, Dixon and Valentine. I think Dixon and Rudolph were the biggest loses in terms of straight up fair battles. What I find more interesting than losing Rudolph is that Golden and Co. identified him very early and was first to offer. Keeping him is another thing but this isnt the first time Golden has made moves on a kid who was unknown and eventually blew up. Everyone knows that Valentine and Sony had influences unfavorable to UM. I don't care to debate them, it is pointless. Everyone knows the deal with these kids, I don't blame our staff for them not signing with UM unless there bid was to low.

6. Defensive Scheme - We signed Demetrius Jackson, Chad Thomas and Anthony Moten. 3 of the top defensive players in south Florida. Valentine was the only local defensive player (off the top of my head) that we recruited heavily that didn't sign with us. This defensive scheme is hurting recruiting mantra is BS.

In summary, I am extraordinarily pleased with this recruiting class. We brought in a ton of talent in the trenches on both sides of the ball and the QB of the future. The most critical cog to this class is Kaaya. If he is the goods, not much else will matter. Yearby is an elite back. Cook and Sony would have been great but with Duke and Yearby next year, we are fine at RB. If Duke leaves, RB is a position where you can easily add freshman to contribute immediately. Our OL class is beyond solid although we could use another body. I think Valentine will be a star but I think this DT haul drastically upgrades the roster. Chad Thomas and Demetrius Jackson can both be 1st round picks. Having a star DT has been a signature of our winning teams but so are ELITE defensive ends. Chad Thomas, Demetrius Jackson, and AQM is the best group of young ends in 15 years. My biggest concern is at the LB position. Perryman coming back helps and we have some good young players in Figs and Grace but I think this team is still missing a Dan Morgan/Vilma/Ray Lewis type LB who is all over the field.

The internet has significantly increased the negativity surrounding Miami's recruiting. It is so much about who you sign but the timing of their commitments. If McDermott, Chad Thomas and Yearby all announced on signing day for the U, this board would be going ape ****. But we take everything for granted and many choose to focus on the loses and not the wins. There is some sort of weird group think, that at one time, Miami signed EVERY player from South Florida that was an elite national recruit.

In the 80s & 90s, when UM was the biggest bunch of badasses, LaMont Green and Marvin Jones signed with FSU. This list is exhaustive...Devin Bush (FSU), Derrick Gibson (FSU), Snoop Minnis (FSU), Omar Rolle (FSU), Samari Rolle (FSU), Martavious Houston (Auburn), Errick Rhett (Florida), Steve Everitt (Michigan), Steve Hutchinson (Michigan), Sedrick Irvin (Mich St), etc etc.

In the earlier 2000s, when Miami played for back to back championships...Davin Joseph (Oklahoma), Rickey Jean Francois (LSU), Max Jean Gilles (Georgia), Bryant McFaden (FSU), Stanley McGlover (Auburn) signed elsewhere.

We will never sign everybody. This board will never be happy. But the Golden tenure will not be determined by the few kids who got away. The roster is now recycled and the last of the Shannon JAGS are gone. I have been pounding my chest that the Golden teams are less talented than people would like to admit. I no longer in that camp. The talented on the roster has been replenished. Now it has to show up on the field. My 2 year clock started ticking on Feb 4th. Go Canes.

 

[L A M P]

1. We have picked up 2 CB's in the past 2 years and they are both tweeners also. We have 3 cb's on our roster I feel comfortable with (Gunter, Howard, and Crawford), 1 with high hopes for (Burns) Hope and Dortch haven't proven that they are any more than depth or special teams players.

You don't feel comfortable with Artie Burns? Seriously? Corn Elder should have been redshirted. He only played bc we lacked depth at the position. He will be a very solid player for us. Dortch should contribute as well. I'm glad you can definitively write off two freshman who had season ending injuries... Crazy talk.

Burns didn't do anything last year except get abused on occasion. He's still a freshman so i don't consider it an issue but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at Safety some day.

If everything was all fine and dandy at CB then we wouldn't have attempted to sign three Corners.

Please name the three bc it looked to me like we were very passive at recruiting CB's. Obviously you take a talent like JC but we said no thanks to just above everyone else. (Mayes is a tweener) As for Burns "getting abused", I disagree. At times he looked lost out there (not knowing where to be) but for the most part, he more than held his own. He could possibly end up at safety (big frame & can cover a lot of ground) but until it happens, it's speculation at best.

 

[JerzeyCane32]

There are two schools of thought with this recruiting class.

One group is disappointed because they know what this class could have been. These fans have lost faith in the staff’s ability to coach, so they believe we need superstar classes to compete with the big boys.

The second group is happy about the kids we actually signed and doesn’t worry about the misses. These fans have full faith in Golden and believe it’s only a matter of time before Miami is back on top.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

It’s impossible to ignore the mistakes that kept us from capitalizing on South Florida’s bumper crop. We lost head-to-head battles for Valentine, Sony, Cook, Dixon and Rudolph. Everybody has heard the money rumors, and there may be some truth there. But more often than not, these rumors come from highly competitive coaches who can’t admit defeat. We got beat on these guys.

We’re still stubborn on size. I thought we were done with this crap when Golden came in and offered Dallas Crawford. But this year, we turned down Juwon Dowels and Isaiah McKenzie simply because they were too small. That’s disappointing.

Brandon Powell’s defection was a total ***** up. No other way to put it.

We were clumsy in our QB recruiting after Kaaya. Before the season, I advocated offering Kaaya, Treon Harris and Winky Flowers. We ended up doing exactly that, except we waited too long to offer Treon and offered a similar out-of-state player (Rosier) instead of Winky. If we followed the right blueprint, we could’ve signed two of the best athletes in Miami.

We offered Ryan Mayes instead of taking a similar player (Quincy Wilson) with Canes blood and extensive connections to the local football community. Wilson is by no means a perfect prospect, but this move revealed two flaws in our approach: an inability to think big-picture and an overemphasis on the Golden Camp. We make too many decisions based on workouts in shirts and shorts.

Finally, the defensive scheme is the new “cloud.” High school coaches are talking about it and college coaches are using it against us. If the results don’t change, this will do even more damage than the NCAA ever could.

But even with all of these issues, I feel the same way that Coach Golden felt in his NSD press conference: confident and comfortable.

The word to describe this class is “healthy.” There is balance across the board. The two most important positions in football—quarterback and defensive line—are the strongest positions in the class. Kaaya is our biggest coup in years. We’ve accumulated a stable of talented and hungry pass-rushers. The offensive line is in terrific shape. Kiy Hester will provide safety depth right away, and Berrios will emerge as a Shockey-type fan favorite.

If Golden is the man for the job, he has enough to win with. If he’s not, the next guy will have a balanced roster without the gaping holes that Coker and Shannon left behind.

More than anything, I just love seeing kids like Demetrius Jackson and Trayon Gray shed tears for the colors. I don’t care if it’s corny. Last year was the roughest NSD in ages, but we will always remember Stacy Coley putting on the Swag hat. These guys will represent the Canes for the next few years and maybe the next decade in the pros. Forget about the coaches. That’s what this day is about.

Welcome to Miami, fellas. Let’s go get number six.

All great thoughts although I do disagree with some of your comments.

1. Quincy Wilson - We all certainly understand the "politics" that permeate South Florida football. Your analysis of his recruitment might be correct (talent evaluation) however in my opinion, the staff viewed his potential character flaws as a risk that outweighed the rewards, in the short and long run. The irony is that in the end, his minion of Lane, Cook, and Lammons all ended up at different schools than him so I question his center of influence. In the long run, there was no bigger public fallout than the situation at Booker T last year and we still landed 2 of their top players this year. I strongly disagree that Quincy going elsewhere will impact any guys in the future...there are far greater influences that are pulling kids in a different direction.

2. Stubborn on Size - every year there a handful of kids who go elsewhere that you can make a case they should have been recruited. How come we didn't take McKenzie and Dowels when we signed Berrios? I don't think Golden has a moratorium on size but when you are not ELITE (i.e. Duke Johnson, Joe Yearby, Corn Elder), the risk increases significantly with average measurables (height and speed being the most critical) and you have to be selective. What was very clear throughout this recruiting season that Golden wanted to add height at the WR position. I think it is a stretch to equate passing on these two kids as any mandate on size and more likely wanting to add size based on the current roster and the staff thinking Berrios is better than the 2 you mentioned.

3. Brandon Powell - don't know what happened so can't comment.

4. QB - again, not sure how you can characterize their recruiting at the QB position as "clumsy." They got their guy in Kaaya and it most likely that all of their tactics were guided by not losing him. Perhaps offering Treon early may have led to Kaaya's departure and it wasn't until the end that they felt Kaaya was in the bank and that Treon was ripe for taking. Further, Rosier came down to camp and they offered him very early and he committed. It seems like there QB recruiting was very calculated and the least bit "clumsy." It is fair to disagree with their evaluations but unfair to characterize their process as you did.

5. Head to Head Battles - Yes, we lost out on Sony, Lane, Cook, Dixon and Valentine. I think Dixon and Rudolph were the biggest loses in terms of straight up fair battles. What I find more interesting than losing Rudolph is that Golden and Co. identified him very early and was first to offer. Keeping him is another thing but this isnt the first time Golden has made moves on a kid who was unknown and eventually blew up. Everyone knows that Valentine and Sony had influences unfavorable to UM. I don't care to debate them, it is pointless. Everyone knows the deal with these kids, I don't blame our staff for them not signing with UM unless there bid was to low.

6. Defensive Scheme - We signed Demetrius Jackson, Chad Thomas and Anthony Moten. 3 of the top defensive players in south Florida. Valentine was the only local defensive player (off the top of my head) that we recruited heavily that didn't sign with us. This defensive scheme is hurting recruiting mantra is BS.

In summary, I am extraordinarily pleased with this recruiting class. We brought in a ton of talent in the trenches on both sides of the ball and the QB of the future. The most critical cog to this class is Kaaya. If he is the goods, not much else will matter. Yearby is an elite back. Cook and Sony would have been great but with Duke and Yearby next year, we are fine at RB. If Duke leaves, RB is a position where you can easily add freshman to contribute immediately. Our OL class is beyond solid although we could use another body. I think Valentine will be a star but I think this DT haul drastically upgrades the roster. Chad Thomas and Demetrius Jackson can both be 1st round picks. Having a star DT has been a signature of our winning teams but so are ELITE defensive ends. Chad Thomas, Demetrius Jackson, and AQM is the best group of young ends in 15 years. My biggest concern is at the LB position. Perryman coming back helps and we have some good young players in Figs and Grace but I think this team is still missing a Dan Morgan/Vilma/Ray Lewis type LB who is all over the field.

The internet has significantly increased the negativity surrounding Miami's recruiting. It is so much about who you sign but the timing of their commitments. If McDermott, Chad Thomas and Yearby all announced on signing day for the U, this board would be going ape ****. But we take everything for granted and many choose to focus on the loses and not the wins. There is some sort of weird group think, that at one time, Miami signed EVERY player from South Florida that was an elite national recruit.

In the 80s & 90s, when UM was the biggest bunch of badasses, LaMont Green and Marvin Jones signed with FSU. This list is exhaustive...Devin Bush (FSU), Derrick Gibson (FSU), Snoop Minnis (FSU), Omar Rolle (FSU), Samari Rolle (FSU), Martavious Houston (Auburn), Errick Rhett (Florida), Steve Everitt (Michigan), Steve Hutchinson (Michigan), Sedrick Irvin (Mich St), etc etc.

In the earlier 2000s, when Miami played for back to back championships...Davin Joseph (Oklahoma), Rickey Jean Francois (LSU), Max Jean Gilles (Georgia), Bryant McFaden (FSU), Stanley McGlover (Auburn) signed elsewhere.

We will never sign everybody. This board will never be happy. But the Golden tenure will not be determined by the few kids who got away. The roster is now recycled and the last of the Shannon JAGS are gone. I have been pounding my chest that the Golden teams are less talented than people would like to admit. I no longer in that camp. The talented on the roster has been replenished. Now it has to show up on the field. My 2 year clock started ticking on Feb 4th. Go Canes.

Patrick peterson and dwayne bowe to name a few others .... That left .. South fla

This might be the best review i have read on the board!!!!!

 

[sebastian91]

Please name the three bc it looked to me like we were very passive at recruiting CB's. Obviously you take a talent like JC but we said no thanks to just above everyone else. (Mayes is a tweener) As for Burns "getting abused", I disagree. At times he looked lost out there (not knowing where to be) but for the most part, he more than held his own. He could possibly end up at safety (big frame & can cover a lot of ground) but until it happens, it's speculation at best.

You didn't get the memo? Pete and AG lied when they said Mayes will likely play safety here.

 

[LMCane]

one of the best posts I have ever read after being on Miami boards for 15 years...

There are two schools of thought with this recruiting class.

One group is disappointed because they know what this class could have been. These fans have lost faith in the staff’s ability to coach, so they believe we need superstar classes to compete with the big boys.

The second group is happy about the kids we actually signed and doesn’t worry about the misses. These fans have full faith in Golden and believe it’s only a matter of time before Miami is back on top.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

It’s impossible to ignore the mistakes that kept us from capitalizing on South Florida’s bumper crop. We lost head-to-head battles for Valentine, Sony, Cook, Dixon and Rudolph. Everybody has heard the money rumors, and there may be some truth there. But more often than not, these rumors come from highly competitive coaches who can’t admit defeat. We got beat on these guys.

We’re still stubborn on size. I thought we were done with this crap when Golden came in and offered Dallas Crawford. But this year, we turned down Juwon Dowels and Isaiah McKenzie simply because they were too small. That’s disappointing.

Brandon Powell’s defection was a total ***** up. No other way to put it.

We were clumsy in our QB recruiting after Kaaya. Before the season, I advocated offering Kaaya, Treon Harris and Winky Flowers. We ended up doing exactly that, except we waited too long to offer Treon and offered a similar out-of-state player (Rosier) instead of Winky. If we followed the right blueprint, we could’ve signed two of the best athletes in Miami.

We offered Ryan Mayes instead of taking a similar player (Quincy Wilson) with Canes blood and extensive connections to the local football community. Wilson is by no means a perfect prospect, but this move revealed two flaws in our approach: an inability to think big-picture and an overemphasis on the Golden Camp. We make too many decisions based on workouts in shirts and shorts.

Finally, the defensive scheme is the new “cloud.” High school coaches are talking about it and college coaches are using it against us. If the results don’t change, this will do even more damage than the NCAA ever could.

But even with all of these issues, I feel the same way that Coach Golden felt in his NSD press conference: confident and comfortable.

The word to describe this class is “healthy.” There is balance across the board. The two most important positions in football—quarterback and defensive line—are the strongest positions in the class. Kaaya is our biggest coup in years. We’ve accumulated a stable of talented and hungry pass-rushers. The offensive line is in terrific shape. Kiy Hester will provide safety depth right away, and Berrios will emerge as a Shockey-type fan favorite.

If Golden is the man for the job, he has enough to win with. If he’s not, the next guy will have a balanced roster without the gaping holes that Coker and Shannon left behind.

More than anything, I just love seeing kids like Demetrius Jackson and Trayon Gray shed tears for the colors. I don’t care if it’s corny. Last year was the roughest NSD in ages, but we will always remember Stacy Coley putting on the Swag hat. These guys will represent the Canes for the next few years and maybe the next decade in the pros. Forget about the coaches. That’s what this day is about.

Welcome to Miami, fellas. Let’s go get number six.

All great thoughts although I do disagree with some of your comments.

1. Quincy Wilson - We all certainly understand the "politics" that permeate South Florida football. Your analysis of his recruitment might be correct (talent evaluation) however in my opinion, the staff viewed his potential character flaws as a risk that outweighed the rewards, in the short and long run. The irony is that in the end, his minion of Lane, Cook, and Lammons all ended up at different schools than him so I question his center of influence. In the long run, there was no bigger public fallout than the situation at Booker T last year and we still landed 2 of their top players this year. I strongly disagree that Quincy going elsewhere will impact any guys in the future...there are far greater influences that are pulling kids in a different direction.

2. Stubborn on Size - every year there a handful of kids who go elsewhere that you can make a case they should have been recruited. How come we didn't take McKenzie and Dowels when we signed Berrios? I don't think Golden has a moratorium on size but when you are not ELITE (i.e. Duke Johnson, Joe Yearby, Corn Elder), the risk increases significantly with average measurables (height and speed being the most critical) and you have to be selective. What was very clear throughout this recruiting season that Golden wanted to add height at the WR position. I think it is a stretch to equate passing on these two kids as any mandate on size and more likely wanting to add size based on the current roster and the staff thinking Berrios is better than the 2 you mentioned.

3. Brandon Powell - don't know what happened so can't comment.

4. QB - again, not sure how you can characterize their recruiting at the QB position as "clumsy." They got their guy in Kaaya and it most likely that all of their tactics were guided by not losing him. Perhaps offering Treon early may have led to Kaaya's departure and it wasn't until the end that they felt Kaaya was in the bank and that Treon was ripe for taking. Further, Rosier came down to camp and they offered him very early and he committed. It seems like there QB recruiting was very calculated and the least bit "clumsy." It is fair to disagree with their evaluations but unfair to characterize their process as you did.

5. Head to Head Battles - Yes, we lost out on Sony, Lane, Cook, Dixon and Valentine. I think Dixon and Rudolph were the biggest loses in terms of straight up fair battles. What I find more interesting than losing Rudolph is that Golden and Co. identified him very early and was first to offer. Keeping him is another thing but this isnt the first time Golden has made moves on a kid who was unknown and eventually blew up. Everyone knows that Valentine and Sony had influences unfavorable to UM. I don't care to debate them, it is pointless. Everyone knows the deal with these kids, I don't blame our staff for them not signing with UM unless there bid was to low.

6. Defensive Scheme - We signed Demetrius Jackson, Chad Thomas and Anthony Moten. 3 of the top defensive players in south Florida. Valentine was the only local defensive player (off the top of my head) that we recruited heavily that didn't sign with us. This defensive scheme is hurting recruiting mantra is BS.

In summary, I am extraordinarily pleased with this recruiting class. We brought in a ton of talent in the trenches on both sides of the ball and the QB of the future. The most critical cog to this class is Kaaya. If he is the goods, not much else will matter. Yearby is an elite back. Cook and Sony would have been great but with Duke and Yearby next year, we are fine at RB. If Duke leaves, RB is a position where you can easily add freshman to contribute immediately. Our OL class is beyond solid although we could use another body. I think Valentine will be a star but I think this DT haul drastically upgrades the roster. Chad Thomas and Demetrius Jackson can both be 1st round picks. Having a star DT has been a signature of our winning teams but so are ELITE defensive ends. Chad Thomas, Demetrius Jackson, and AQM is the best group of young ends in 15 years. My biggest concern is at the LB position. Perryman coming back helps and we have some good young players in Figs and Grace but I think this team is still missing a Dan Morgan/Vilma/Ray Lewis type LB who is all over the field.

The internet has significantly increased the negativity surrounding Miami's recruiting. It is so much about who you sign but the timing of their commitments. If McDermott, Chad Thomas and Yearby all announced on signing day for the U, this board would be going ape ****. But we take everything for granted and many choose to focus on the loses and not the wins. There is some sort of weird group think, that at one time, Miami signed EVERY player from South Florida that was an elite national recruit.

In the 80s & 90s, when UM was the biggest bunch of badasses, LaMont Green and Marvin Jones signed with FSU. This list is exhaustive...Devin Bush (FSU), Derrick Gibson (FSU), Snoop Minnis (FSU), Omar Rolle (FSU), Samari Rolle (FSU), Martavious Houston (Auburn), Errick Rhett (Florida), Steve Everitt (Michigan), Steve Hutchinson (Michigan), Sedrick Irvin (Mich St), etc etc.

In the earlier 2000s, when Miami played for back to back championships...Davin Joseph (Oklahoma), Rickey Jean Francois (LSU), Max Jean Gilles (Georgia), Bryant McFaden (FSU), Stanley McGlover (Auburn) signed elsewhere.

We will never sign everybody. This board will never be happy. But the Golden tenure will not be determined by the few kids who got away. The roster is now recycled and the last of the Shannon JAGS are gone. I have been pounding my chest that the Golden teams are less talented than people would like to admit. I no longer in that camp. The talented on the roster has been replenished. Now it has to show up on the field. My 2 year clock started ticking on Feb 4th. Go Canes.