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The Blueprint (Offense)

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Oline bring back one of the Moffets from LSU, we flat out lack explosive strength on the Oline
we never, i mean never get a push upfront on any body. Take look at Notre Dame, they have made changes in S&C program. everytime we pay a big boy school Whisky, Clemson we get bullied. Bama next Sept we will be bullied again on both sides of the ball.
have not had short, intense explosive strength since B.Davis left. need to invest in "special sauce" like rest of big time schools. like Junior Johnson HOF from Nascar said "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying to win !!! do you want to win or cash ACC checks
 
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great Work @DMoney

In conference I need yall to look at what UVA is doing in this class in reference to OL. Not saying they are a big huge threat but they recruit the OL very well and i would essentially piggy back the "type" of OL they go after.

I actually love the interior guys like Big Baby Seymore though not the prototype ive seen him handle guys who are currently loggin reps for us at DT with relative ease in one on ones up close. I feel like we hit great evals locally with Seymore and Rodriguez. Those are at minimum 2 year-3 yera starters. To go with wheeling in Issaiah Walker back...we seem to be building something there.

I feel moving forward we have to hit on our Tackle evals. I have faith in Justice. Also that was a great find in the kid from VA you were on.

Im intrigued by the kid out of Trinity in Duval who just decommitted from Minnesota. Im very close to wanting another OL over a qb recruit if Deriq comes back.
 
Donaldson had the measurables of a 1st round draft pick. I hope in his return he has the heart to match. It's time that he fulfills his destiny.
 
Great write up

Justin Fields is another QB who was drafted out of HS for Baseball I believe. Hopefully TVD is going to be a stud

Losing all these SoFla WRs to Bama has killed us. So many studs that made Bama WRU and they're SoFla guys (Cooper, Ridley, Jeudy). Man it hurts

We are still TE U, seem to be getting back to RBU (Dalvin was a massive miss), and hopefully Justice can land some studs at OL
 
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gogeta4 said:
I actually love the interior guys like Big Baby Seymore though not the prototype ive seen him handle guys who are currently loggin reps for us at DT with relative ease in one on ones up close. I feel like we hit great evals locally with Seymore and Rodriguez.
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I love those guys, too. They are good athletes and alpha-dog blockers. I'm just saying we could use a few more Georgia-type 330 pounders to balance it out.
 
DMoney said:
Recruiting is an inexact science. Fans don’t have the answers, but we can try to identify trends both nationally and at Miami. Below is one attempt to collect these trends by position and see how they apply to the Canes. The defensive list is here.

QB

THE TRENDS: The last three Heisman winners played multiple sports in high school. So did the best QBs in the league. Recruiting services overlooked these prospects in favor of specialized passers with private coaches. But multisport kids compete year-round instead of just training. This leads to mental and physical development. Butch Davis fell in love with Ken Dorsey watching him on the basketball court.

Multisport athletes have untapped upside. Urban Meyer said Dwayne Haskins came in way ahead of Joe Burrow, but Burrow (Ohio’s Mr. Basketball) improved at a more rapid pace. Of all the sports, baseball players tend to make the best QBs. Mahomes, Wilson, Brady and Murray are just a few examples. At the plate, they learn to deal with failure and move on to the next at-bat. On the mound, they make 100 decisions every game. Both experiences translate well to QB.

Texas is hands-down the best state for quarterbacks. D’Eriq King is the latest example. We always need to be aware of the Texas crop. What people may not realize is that Florida actually produced the second-most NFL QBs for the past decade. South Florida alone produced seven pros. South Florida QBs have the unique advantage of throwing to D1 WRs and competing against D1 DBs. And like multisport kids, they have untapped upside once they receive college coaching.

The local prospects with NFL size and arm strength—Lamar Jackson, Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Geno Smith—should be no-brainer offers. And there is a long list of G5 types who put up huge numbers in college, including Winky Flowers, Brandon Doughty, Mike White, Rakeem Cato and Buckshot Calvert. Those prospects are perfect to take as a second QB in a class, as they won’t scare off the big names and can produce in a spread offense.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Tyler Van Dyke checks every box as a multisport QB. He played basketball, baseball and football. He was the best pitcher in his region and an excellent hitter. For 2021, the two names we know (Jay Allen and Jake Garcia) represent opposite sides of the coin. Allen is the raw three-sport athlete from Florida, Garcia is the polished California recruiting darling. South Florida has been in a QB slump for a few years, with only five schools starting local QBs (Michigan, FSU, Texas Tech, Tulane, Central Michigan). However, the next three classes appear loaded with talented passers.

RB

THE TRENDS: This gameplan is simple: sign the best backs in South Florida. There are ten local backs in the NFL right now, including five starters. Dalvin Cook is the best running back in the NFL and Khalil Herbert of Virginia Tech (via American Heritage) is one of the premier backs in the country. There is no need to look elsewhere unless it is an Adrian Peterson-type freak.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami has mostly taken care of business and produced pros. The major exception is 2014. FSU won the Dalvin Cook battle and controlled the state for the next three years. Last year, Miami signed the best backs in Dade and Broward with Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton. Both are already major contributors. Thad Franklin is the prize this year and he’s committed to the Canes.

WR

THE TRENDS: Wide receiver is quickly becoming the second-most important position in college football. Alabama and LSU revolutionized the SEC with their passing games, and Clemson has a claim as the WRU of this era. Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Ja’Marr Chase, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Mike Williams and DeAndre Hopkins were all blue-chip, highly recruited wide receivers. It has become an arms race.

In addition to landing blue-chip talent, we should focus on intangibles. Miami has signed a ton of HS All-American WRs since 2001, but too many have lacked the necessary work ethic and love for the game. The few guys that have succeeded (like Allen Hurns) have had the right attitude. Wide receiver is a craftsman’s position, and with current NCAA rules you need to work on your game away from the coaches. Competitive demeanor is also important. DK Metcalf and Chase Claypool are freaks, but they outplayed their second-round grades because they compete. Metcalf made the hustle play of the year and Claypool is a demon on coverage units.

Elite WRs come from everywhere, but South Florida continues to be a pipeline. Elijah Moore (STA) and TuTu Atwell (Northwestern) are two of the best receivers in the country. One trend with successful South Florida sleepers (Antonio Brown, TY Hilton, John Brown, Marquise Brown) is that they have punt return ability, which translates to clean releases, running after the catch, making sharp cuts and tracking the ball.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Poorly. Miami’s local signees have disappointed, and its national signees have left. This was not an attractive offense for recruits. Dugans also made some bad evaluations. The ’20 and ’21 classes look improved but someone needs to emerge as a true #1. Success breeds success. Amari Cooper was the next Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley was the next Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy was the next Calvin Ridley, and now Jacorey Brooks is the next Jerry Jeudy. As for sleepers, Malik Rutherford of Champagnat (GT commit) and Vinson Davis of American Heritage fit the mold of quick, tough local ballers.


TE

THE TRENDS: Tight end is the most unique position in recruiting. Two of the most prolific players in the history of the position didn’t even play college football. Many played different positions in high school. It requires a unique skillset and body-type. Six of the eight first-round TEs since 2014 were three-stars or below. All six of those three-stars weighed 220 pounds or less in high school (Hockenson, Fant, Hurst, Engram, Njoku, Ebron). Tight ends often make major physical leaps in college. George Kittle, barely recruited out of Norman, OK, measured at 6’4, 205 out of high school with a 4.86 forty and 27.5-inch vertical. He ended up at 6’4, 247, 4.52 with a 35-inch vertical.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami should recruit nationally and expect to sign the best guys. Elijah Arroyo is a great example, as are Jordan and Mallory. It’s also a great position to land late-bloomers with a second schollie. Analysts and interns can earn their stripes by identifying every 6’4+ athlete with receiving skills. Because body type and growth potential are so critical at the position, in-person evaluations are key. Many of the future first rounders looked undersized on grainy HUDL tape. Get them down here and size them up. That’s how we got Herndon.

OL

THE TRENDS: Jeff Stoutland already showed us the formula: recruit the big cities and focus on NFL body types. Small towns produce great linemen, but the good ones aren’t always a culture fit at Miami. They’re much more likely to sign with Big 10 and SEC schools. Signing linemen from Iowa doesn’t help if you’re getting Zach Dykstra and Matt Pipho.

In addition to attacking the cities, we need to sign every UM-caliber OL close to home. Believe it or not, Miami has produced NFL OL at a Top 5 rate since 2004. Of those drafted linemen, 77% of them came from South Florida. The local crop will only improve now that there are no weight limits in youth football.

When you look at high school measurables for Day 1- 2 picks, the traits that keep coming up are height and shuttle times. Recent three-star success stories like Chris Lindstrom, Cody Ford, Jonah Jackson, Matt Hennessy, Ezra Cleveland and Erik McCoy averaged a 4.78 shuttle between them. Some of these NFL sleepers are converted basketball players or oversized skill guys like Tytus Howard (QB) and Garrett Bradbury (TE). As with TE, a good recruiting assistant should be on top of these jumbo athletes to get them on campus for further evaluation.

It goes without saying that OL need to be smart and tough. That’s why it’s so important to identify intriguing kids early and evaluate them at camp. James Pogorelc’s freakish measurables (6’7, 270, 4.68 shuttle) and Opening film were public record for months before he got an FBS offer. Butch Barry ignored my emails about him. Once his senior film came out, Pogorelc got a Stanford offer and became a 4* on 247. The time in between was an opportunity to get him on campus.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: We’re getting better. Jalen Rivers (Jacksonville) and Chris Washington (Nasvhille) are tackle bodies with quality shuttle times. Garin Justice has also done well in South Florida after his predecessor allowed LSU and Clemson to poach the region.

One area where we are lacking is body types. We have three centers on the interior right now and potentially two more in this class (Seymore and Rodriguez). An intriguing option is 6’7, 310 Austin Barber of Jacksonville. The best recruit might be a healthy, conditioned Navaughn Donaldson. His high school size and shuttle (6’6, 345, 4.78) are comparable to 2020 first-round picks Jedrick Wills (6’5, 318, 4.75), Andrew Thomas (6’5, 326, 4.61) and Tristan Wirfs (6’5, 290, 5.03).
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This is great stuff! Good analysis. Excellent job!
 
DMoney and other knowledgeable posters. I know the chase is on for Jake Garcia, but there is a QB playing at his rival school the same school as commit Thomas Davis (Lowndes). 4* Jacurri Brown (6'4/204) and tough. Can run throw and run and is accustomed to winning.

I sure you are familiar so please share your thoughts on him.
 
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bambam said:
DMoney and other knowledgeable posters. I know the chase is on for Jake Garcia, but there is a QB playing at his rival school the same school as commit Thomas Davis (Lowndes). 4* Jacurri Brown (6'4/204) and tough. Can run throw and run and is accustomed to winning.

I sure you are familiar so please share your thoughts on him.
Click to expand...
He’s a 2022 prospect.
 
DMoney said:
Recruiting is an inexact science. Fans don’t have the answers, but we can try to identify trends both nationally and at Miami. Below is one attempt to collect these trends by position and see how they apply to the Canes. The defensive list is here.

QB

THE TRENDS: The last three Heisman winners played multiple sports in high school. So did the best QBs in the league. Recruiting services overlooked these prospects in favor of specialized passers with private coaches. But multisport kids compete year-round instead of just training. This leads to mental and physical development. Butch Davis fell in love with Ken Dorsey watching him on the basketball court.

Multisport athletes have untapped upside. Urban Meyer said Dwayne Haskins came in way ahead of Joe Burrow, but Burrow (Ohio’s Mr. Basketball) improved at a more rapid pace. Of all the sports, baseball players tend to make the best QBs. Mahomes, Wilson, Brady and Murray are just a few examples. At the plate, they learn to deal with failure and move on to the next at-bat. On the mound, they make 100 decisions every game. Both experiences translate well to QB.

Texas is hands-down the best state for quarterbacks. D’Eriq King is the latest example. We always need to be aware of the Texas crop. What people may not realize is that Florida actually produced the second-most NFL QBs for the past decade. South Florida alone produced seven pros. South Florida QBs have the unique advantage of throwing to D1 WRs and competing against D1 DBs. And like multisport kids, they have untapped upside once they receive college coaching.

The local prospects with NFL size and arm strength—Lamar Jackson, Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Geno Smith—should be no-brainer offers. And there is a long list of G5 types who put up huge numbers in college, including Winky Flowers, Brandon Doughty, Mike White, Rakeem Cato and Buckshot Calvert. Those prospects are perfect to take as a second QB in a class, as they won’t scare off the big names and can produce in a spread offense.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Tyler Van Dyke checks every box as a multisport QB. He played basketball, baseball and football. He was the best pitcher in his region and an excellent hitter. For 2021, the two names we know (Jay Allen and Jake Garcia) represent opposite sides of the coin. Allen is the raw three-sport athlete from Florida, Garcia is the polished California recruiting darling. South Florida has been in a QB slump for a few years, with only five schools starting local QBs (Michigan, FSU, Texas Tech, Tulane, Central Michigan). However, the next three classes appear loaded with talented passers.

RB

THE TRENDS: This gameplan is simple: sign the best backs in South Florida. There are ten local backs in the NFL right now, including five starters. Dalvin Cook is the best running back in the NFL and Khalil Herbert of Virginia Tech (via American Heritage) is one of the premier backs in the country. There is no need to look elsewhere unless it is an Adrian Peterson-type freak.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami has mostly taken care of business and produced pros. The major exception is 2014. FSU won the Dalvin Cook battle and controlled the state for the next three years. Last year, Miami signed the best backs in Dade and Broward with Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton. Both are already major contributors. Thad Franklin is the prize this year and he’s committed to the Canes.

WR

THE TRENDS: Wide receiver is quickly becoming the second-most important position in college football. Alabama and LSU revolutionized the SEC with their passing games, and Clemson has a claim as the WRU of this era. Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Ja’Marr Chase, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Mike Williams and DeAndre Hopkins were all blue-chip, highly recruited wide receivers. It has become an arms race.

In addition to landing blue-chip talent, we should focus on intangibles. Miami has signed a ton of HS All-American WRs since 2001, but too many have lacked the necessary work ethic and love for the game. The few guys that have succeeded (like Allen Hurns) have had the right attitude. Wide receiver is a craftsman’s position, and with current NCAA rules you need to work on your game away from the coaches. Competitive demeanor is also important. DK Metcalf and Chase Claypool are freaks, but they outplayed their second-round grades because they compete. Metcalf made the hustle play of the year and Claypool is a demon on coverage units.

Elite WRs come from everywhere, but South Florida continues to be a pipeline. Elijah Moore (STA) and TuTu Atwell (Northwestern) are two of the best receivers in the country. One trend with successful South Florida sleepers (Antonio Brown, TY Hilton, John Brown, Marquise Brown) is that they have punt return ability, which translates to clean releases, running after the catch, making sharp cuts and tracking the ball.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Poorly. Miami’s local signees have disappointed, and its national signees have left. This was not an attractive offense for recruits. Dugans also made some bad evaluations. The ’20 and ’21 classes look improved but someone needs to emerge as a true #1. Success breeds success. Amari Cooper was the next Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley was the next Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy was the next Calvin Ridley, and now Jacorey Brooks is the next Jerry Jeudy. As for sleepers, Malik Rutherford of Champagnat (GT commit) and Vinson Davis of American Heritage fit the mold of quick, tough local ballers.


TE

THE TRENDS: Tight end is the most unique position in recruiting. Two of the most prolific players in the history of the position didn’t even play college football. Many played different positions in high school. It requires a unique skillset and body-type. Six of the eight first-round TEs since 2014 were three-stars or below. All six of those three-stars weighed 220 pounds or less in high school (Hockenson, Fant, Hurst, Engram, Njoku, Ebron). Tight ends often make major physical leaps in college. George Kittle, barely recruited out of Norman, OK, measured at 6’4, 205 out of high school with a 4.86 forty and 27.5-inch vertical. He ended up at 6’4, 247, 4.52 with a 35-inch vertical.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami should recruit nationally and expect to sign the best guys. Elijah Arroyo is a great example, as are Jordan and Mallory. It’s also a great position to land late-bloomers with a second schollie. Analysts and interns can earn their stripes by identifying every 6’4+ athlete with receiving skills. Because body type and growth potential are so critical at the position, in-person evaluations are key. Many of the future first rounders looked undersized on grainy HUDL tape. Get them down here and size them up. That’s how we got Herndon.

OL

THE TRENDS: Jeff Stoutland already showed us the formula: recruit the big cities and focus on NFL body types. Small towns produce great linemen, but the good ones aren’t always a culture fit at Miami. They’re much more likely to sign with Big 10 and SEC schools. Signing linemen from Iowa doesn’t help if you’re getting Zach Dykstra and Matt Pipho.

In addition to attacking the cities, we need to sign every UM-caliber OL close to home. Believe it or not, Miami has produced NFL OL at a Top 5 rate since 2004. Of those drafted linemen, 77% of them came from South Florida. The local crop will only improve now that there are no weight limits in youth football.

When you look at high school measurables for Day 1- 2 picks, the traits that keep coming up are height and shuttle times. Recent three-star success stories like Chris Lindstrom, Cody Ford, Jonah Jackson, Matt Hennessy, Ezra Cleveland and Erik McCoy averaged a 4.78 shuttle between them. Some of these NFL sleepers are converted basketball players or oversized skill guys like Tytus Howard (QB) and Garrett Bradbury (TE). As with TE, a good recruiting assistant should be on top of these jumbo athletes to get them on campus for further evaluation.

It goes without saying that OL need to be smart and tough. That’s why it’s so important to identify intriguing kids early and evaluate them at camp. James Pogorelc’s freakish measurables (6’7, 270, 4.68 shuttle) and Opening film were public record for months before he got an FBS offer. Butch Barry ignored my emails about him. Once his senior film came out, Pogorelc got a Stanford offer and became a 4* on 247. The time in between was an opportunity to get him on campus.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: We’re getting better. Jalen Rivers (Jacksonville) and Chris Washington (Nasvhille) are tackle bodies with quality shuttle times. Garin Justice has also done well in South Florida after his predecessor allowed LSU and Clemson to poach the region.

One area where we are lacking is body types. We have three centers on the interior right now and potentially two more in this class (Seymore and Rodriguez). An intriguing option is 6’7, 310 Austin Barber of Jacksonville. The best recruit might be a healthy, conditioned Navaughn Donaldson. His high school size and shuttle (6’6, 345, 4.78) are comparable to 2020 first-round picks Jedrick Wills (6’5, 318, 4.75), Andrew Thomas (6’5, 326, 4.61) and Tristan Wirfs (6’5, 290, 5.03).
Click to expand...
Great write-up!
 
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DMoney said:
Recruiting is an inexact science. Fans don’t have the answers, but we can try to identify trends both nationally and at Miami. Below is one attempt to collect these trends by position and see how they apply to the Canes. The defensive list is here.

QB

THE TRENDS: The last three Heisman winners played multiple sports in high school. So did the best QBs in the league. Recruiting services overlooked these prospects in favor of specialized passers with private coaches. But multisport kids compete year-round instead of just training. This leads to mental and physical development. Butch Davis fell in love with Ken Dorsey watching him on the basketball court.

Multisport athletes have untapped upside. Urban Meyer said Dwayne Haskins came in way ahead of Joe Burrow, but Burrow (Ohio’s Mr. Basketball) improved at a more rapid pace. Of all the sports, baseball players tend to make the best QBs. Mahomes, Wilson, Brady and Murray are just a few examples. At the plate, they learn to deal with failure and move on to the next at-bat. On the mound, they make 100 decisions every game. Both experiences translate well to QB.

Texas is hands-down the best state for quarterbacks. D’Eriq King is the latest example. We always need to be aware of the Texas crop. What people may not realize is that Florida actually produced the second-most NFL QBs for the past decade. South Florida alone produced seven pros. South Florida QBs have the unique advantage of throwing to D1 WRs and competing against D1 DBs. And like multisport kids, they have untapped upside once they receive college coaching.

The local prospects with NFL size and arm strength—Lamar Jackson, Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Geno Smith—should be no-brainer offers. And there is a long list of G5 types who put up huge numbers in college, including Winky Flowers, Brandon Doughty, Mike White, Rakeem Cato and Buckshot Calvert. Those prospects are perfect to take as a second QB in a class, as they won’t scare off the big names and can produce in a spread offense.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Tyler Van Dyke checks every box as a multisport QB. He played basketball, baseball and football. He was the best pitcher in his region and an excellent hitter. For 2021, the two names we know (Jay Allen and Jake Garcia) represent opposite sides of the coin. Allen is the raw three-sport athlete from Florida, Garcia is the polished California recruiting darling. South Florida has been in a QB slump for a few years, with only five schools starting local QBs (Michigan, FSU, Texas Tech, Tulane, Central Michigan). However, the next three classes appear loaded with talented passers.

RB

THE TRENDS: This gameplan is simple: sign the best backs in South Florida. There are ten local backs in the NFL right now, including five starters. Dalvin Cook is the best running back in the NFL and Khalil Herbert of Virginia Tech (via American Heritage) is one of the premier backs in the country. There is no need to look elsewhere unless it is an Adrian Peterson-type freak.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami has mostly taken care of business and produced pros. The major exception is 2014. FSU won the Dalvin Cook battle and controlled the state for the next three years. Last year, Miami signed the best backs in Dade and Broward with Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton. Both are already major contributors. Thad Franklin is the prize this year and he’s committed to the Canes.

WR

THE TRENDS: Wide receiver is quickly becoming the second-most important position in college football. Alabama and LSU revolutionized the SEC with their passing games, and Clemson has a claim as the WRU of this era. Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Ja’Marr Chase, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, Mike Williams and DeAndre Hopkins were all blue-chip, highly recruited wide receivers. It has become an arms race.

In addition to landing blue-chip talent, we should focus on intangibles. Miami has signed a ton of HS All-American WRs since 2001, but too many have lacked the necessary work ethic and love for the game. The few guys that have succeeded (like Allen Hurns) have had the right attitude. Wide receiver is a craftsman’s position, and with current NCAA rules you need to work on your game away from the coaches. Competitive demeanor is also important. DK Metcalf and Chase Claypool are freaks, but they outplayed their second-round grades because they compete. Metcalf made the hustle play of the year and Claypool is a demon on coverage units.

Elite WRs come from everywhere, but South Florida continues to be a pipeline. Elijah Moore (STA) and TuTu Atwell (Northwestern) are two of the best receivers in the country. One trend with successful South Florida sleepers (Antonio Brown, TY Hilton, John Brown, Marquise Brown) is that they have punt return ability, which translates to clean releases, running after the catch, making sharp cuts and tracking the ball.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Poorly. Miami’s local signees have disappointed, and its national signees have left. This was not an attractive offense for recruits. Dugans also made some bad evaluations. The ’20 and ’21 classes look improved but someone needs to emerge as a true #1. Success breeds success. Amari Cooper was the next Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley was the next Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy was the next Calvin Ridley, and now Jacorey Brooks is the next Jerry Jeudy. As for sleepers, Malik Rutherford of Champagnat (GT commit) and Vinson Davis of American Heritage fit the mold of quick, tough local ballers.


TE

THE TRENDS: Tight end is the most unique position in recruiting. Two of the most prolific players in the history of the position didn’t even play college football. Many played different positions in high school. It requires a unique skillset and body-type. Six of the eight first-round TEs since 2014 were three-stars or below. All six of those three-stars weighed 220 pounds or less in high school (Hockenson, Fant, Hurst, Engram, Njoku, Ebron). Tight ends often make major physical leaps in college. George Kittle, barely recruited out of Norman, OK, measured at 6’4, 205 out of high school with a 4.86 forty and 27.5-inch vertical. He ended up at 6’4, 247, 4.52 with a 35-inch vertical.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: Miami should recruit nationally and expect to sign the best guys. Elijah Arroyo is a great example, as are Jordan and Mallory. It’s also a great position to land late-bloomers with a second schollie. Analysts and interns can earn their stripes by identifying every 6’4+ athlete with receiving skills. Because body type and growth potential are so critical at the position, in-person evaluations are key. Many of the future first rounders looked undersized on grainy HUDL tape. Get them down here and size them up. That’s how we got Herndon.

OL

THE TRENDS: Jeff Stoutland already showed us the formula: recruit the big cities and focus on NFL body types. Small towns produce great linemen, but the good ones aren’t always a culture fit at Miami. They’re much more likely to sign with Big 10 and SEC schools. Signing linemen from Iowa doesn’t help if you’re getting Zach Dykstra and Matt Pipho.

In addition to attacking the cities, we need to sign every UM-caliber OL close to home. Believe it or not, Miami has produced NFL OL at a Top 5 rate since 2004. Of those drafted linemen, 77% of them came from South Florida. The local crop will only improve now that there are no weight limits in youth football.

When you look at high school measurables for Day 1- 2 picks, the traits that keep coming up are height and shuttle times. Recent three-star success stories like Chris Lindstrom, Cody Ford, Jonah Jackson, Matt Hennessy, Ezra Cleveland and Erik McCoy averaged a 4.78 shuttle between them. Some of these NFL sleepers are converted basketball players or oversized skill guys like Tytus Howard (QB) and Garrett Bradbury (TE). As with TE, a good recruiting assistant should be on top of these jumbo athletes to get them on campus for further evaluation.

It goes without saying that OL need to be smart and tough. That’s why it’s so important to identify intriguing kids early and evaluate them at camp. James Pogorelc’s freakish measurables (6’7, 270, 4.68 shuttle) and Opening film were public record for months before he got an FBS offer. Butch Barry ignored my emails about him. Once his senior film came out, Pogorelc got a Stanford offer and became a 4* on 247. The time in between was an opportunity to get him on campus.

HOW DOES MIAMI STACK UP: We’re getting better. Jalen Rivers (Jacksonville) and Chris Washington (Nasvhille) are tackle bodies with quality shuttle times. Garin Justice has also done well in South Florida after his predecessor allowed LSU and Clemson to poach the region.

One area where we are lacking is body types. We have three centers on the interior right now and potentially two more in this class (Seymore and Rodriguez). An intriguing option is 6’7, 310 Austin Barber of Jacksonville. The best recruit might be a healthy, conditioned Navaughn Donaldson. His high school size and shuttle (6’6, 345, 4.78) are comparable to 2020 first-round picks Jedrick Wills (6’5, 318, 4.75), Andrew Thomas (6’5, 326, 4.61) and Tristan Wirfs (6’5, 290, 5.03).
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Our clear offensive problems for ages have been OL, WR and QB.

It's hard to say much about QB over time because it changes with a new OC. We need confident leaders who make plays when the game is on the line at QB.

At WR, it's been a hot mess more or less since Ryan Moore and Lance Leggett era. We just evaluate poorly, and recently tend to lose out on the local kids who we want when they're obvious evals (Cooper, Ridley, Jeudy). We need to rethink the whole eval here. Toughness, hands, use of body. Camp may help assess CBs. Not sure the WR image is as clear when there's no hitting. It's incomplete, to say the least.

At OL, it changes with our OL coach. Stoutland was great at evals, imo. Too much of the past was Kehoe, who declined a lot over time, IMO. Searels was no bueno at evals, and apparently no one else could help him. I am fine with D$'s comment on 'where' to look (cities, say) but it doesn't tell you what you're looking for or how to evaluate if it's there. Evaluating OL prospects is hard because their bodies have to mature and attitude is so much of the assessment. Hopefully we know better how to do it going forward.

Hard to criticize our TE recruiting.

At RB, we've been pretty good at evals. Not great. We've definitely let some kids go. But we have good talent on the roster and generally have had at least decent talent at the spot for ages. Our offensive coordinators haven't helped.
 
DMoney said:
I love those guys, too. They are good athletes and alpha-dog blockers. I'm just saying we could use a few more Georgia-type 330 pounders to balance it out.
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You think Donaldson gets in shape and plays next season? He and Rivers are the 330 lb bodies we been missing. Scaife at center and these 2 can transform the line. He was pretty **** good as a Freshman, and he and Darling were solid G combo.
 
Sebastianspipe said:
You think Donaldson gets in shape and plays next season? He and Rivers are the 330 lb bodies we been missing. Scaife at center and these 2 can transform the line. He was pretty **** good as a Freshman, and he and Darling were solid G combo.
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I hope so for his health and future. I agree, that is our best shot at a physically imposing line in the short-term.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
1. Not sure why we can't seem to prioritize Jay Allen.
2. Basketball, basketball, basketball. Find tall, skinnier hoopsters, turn them into WRs. Find tall, medium-sized hoopsters, turn them into TEs. Find tall, bulky hoopsters, turn them into OLs and DLs. There's only 5 starters on a basketball team, and 22 starters on a football team. Show these kids the pathway forward.
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I don't think they believe Jay Allen is going to college.
 
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