National Signing Day is underway, but at The U, it’s been all but inked for weeks. Maybe even months. Second-year head coach Al Golden and staff have been stockpiling recruits for the better part of 2011, making the actual inking of today’s Letters Of Intent somewhat of a formality.
A few weeks back, seven new Canes arrived on campus, enrolled early and ready to compete this spring. Even better news, they’ll count towards last year’s class and with the loss of a handful of upperclassmen to the NFL, Golden and UM were able to sign thirty-three new Canes this morning.
Below, a breakdown of the newest members of this beloved and close-knit U Family. Welcome to Coral Gables, gentlemen.
Jawand Blue – Linebacker : A Wednesday morning signee and a steal from Virginia Tech, Blue always wanted to be a Cane but didn’t have an offer. The West Boca Raton High linebacker committed to the Hokies back in July and had a 12pm ET press conference scheduled, with Cane coaches calling at the final hour and finally offering.
Miami lost Reggie Northrup to Florida State earlier in the day and James Burgess Jr. to Louisville weeks back, but unlike past and recent UM coaching staffs, this one had a plan in place regarding last minute hiccups and the three-star Blue is headed to The U.
Blue’s scholarship was dependent on five-star offensive lineman Avery Young, who has since chosen Auburn, meaning Blue will not have to grayshirt or wait on another commit to not qualify. His lifelong dream of being a Cane has now come true.
Jacoby Briscoe – Defensive Line : Briscoe showed that Golden and staff could go out of state, into the heart of SEC country, and take a quality prospect out of Louisiana. Briscoe is a three-star defensive tackle and another kid who dreamed of playing for the Hurricanes. Once offered, Briscoe committed on the spot late December and never looked back.
Deon Bush – Defensive Back : Bush was a huge pick up for the Canes and proof that Golden and staff could keep good kids home. The four-star safety out of Columbus High chose Miami over Alabama and Auburn on national television weeks back, during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Bush is another Miami-lifer, who grew up on the likes of Sean Taylor and Ed Reed and immediate playing time was of great allure to Bush, due to UM’s depleted secondary.
Jontavious Carter – Wide Receiver : One of two Georgia products that headed south to Coral Gables, Carter, a three-star wideout, has been on board with Miami since last March. UM’s legacy and ability to put pro wideouts in the NFL were things that rang true with the 6-foot-4 receiver. His high school coach cites work ethic, great hands and ability to catch the deep ball as Carter’s greatest traits.
Antonio Crawford – Defensive Back : Crawford is another proven example of Golden’s ability to flip a talented kid late in the game. A long-time Georgia Tech commit, it seemed Miami got hot on Crawford about the time it was determined that local three-star corner A.J. Leggett was going to have transcript issues (Leggett is rumored to sign with either Marshall or Tennessee today.) Crawford, a corner out of Plant High in Tampa, is a three-star prospect who dreamed of playing or Miami and was officially sold even before a recent official visit.
Gray Crow – Quarterback : Crow is one of three quarterbacks signed to this year’s class and one of two to enroll early. Crow is a three-star product out of Clearwater and is said to have great leadership ability and a strong arm. He is the nation’s 28th-ranked quarterback and will be ready to compete this spring.
Vernon Davis – Defensive Back : Davis is a three-star corner out of Coral Reef and another local product who chose to stay home. Davis participated in a Miami camp last June and committed less than a day later. He cited his relationship with the coaching staff, the family environment and the fact that mom was on board as reasons for heading to Coral Gables.
Preston Dewey – Quarterback : Dewey is one of a handful of early enrollees who arrived on campus weeks back to begin gearing up for spring ball and appears to be Miami’s best quarterback candidate of the ’12 recruiting class. Dewey is a three-star prospect out of Austin, TX and he’s said to have sound fundamentals, courtesy of high school coach and Heisman winner Ty Detmer. Dewey is a pro-style quarterback who handles pressure well and he’ll compete for the starting job when spring ball opens in the coming weeks.
Danny Dillard – Running Back : Dillard is a three-star prospect out of Venice, FL and a life-long Canes fan. Dillard is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, making him that bigger, short-yardage back that the Canes need. Dillard chose the Canes over a dozen other major programs. Dillard is listed as the number thirty-five running back prospect in the nation and he’s been committed to the Canes since the night he was offered last November.
Nate Dortch – Defensive Back : Dortch is a three-star corner out of Fort Myers who originally committed to North Carolina but had a change of heart after visiting Miami last August. Dortch is said to be a great cover corner with good speed, good hips and good feet. He’s another that will aim to start early in a depleted secondary.
Ereck Flowers – Offensive Line : Flowers is a local prospect out of Norland High. This four-star offensive lineman was offered last May and said he was “honored” to earn a look from a legendary program like The U. Flowers has enrolled early and was recruited as a left tackle. His high school coach calls him humble, smart and athletic and with the left side of the offensive line wide open, Flowers expects to complete immediately.
Taylor Gadbois – Offensive Line : Gadbois is a three-star offensive lineman from Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. He originally committed to the 2011 class but went to prep school to tighten some things up. Gadbois is a solid athlete and his last coach cited good feet, good hands and good range. Gadbois is another early enrollee getting spring-ready.
Ladarius Gunter – Defensive Back : Gunter is another early enrollee, as a JUCO transfer from Fort Scott CC in Kansas. Gunter only played one year of JUCO ball, so he’ll have three years of eligibility at The U. Gunter grew up a Florida State fan, but cited Miami greats that reached the NFL as a big reason for his commitment to UM. High school test scores forced Gunter the JUCO route, but with everything now in order, he’s headed to Coral Gables to compete immediately.
Jelani Hamilton – Defensive Line : Hamilton is another Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas product that is headed to Miami. Hamilton is a four-star product and the ninth-rated defensive end nationally. He committed to Miami in early December and honored that commitment today when he signed. LSU, Georgia and North Carolina were also in the running for his talents and the defensive end cited Miami’s tradition as his biggest reason for staying close to home.
Dwayne Hoilett – Defensive Line : Holliett is a three-star defensive end out of Vero Beach that earned a Miami offer last summer after a strong showing at two UM camps. Like many others in this year’s class, UM was his long-time dream school. High school coaches cite Hoilett’s athleticism and potential, which he’ll get to work on immediately as another early enrollee already on campus and ready to compete this spring.
Larry Hope – Defensive Back : Hope is a local three-star cornerback out of Miami’s American High and he’s another who committed to The U this past summer after shining at one of Golden’s camps. He enrolled early and will compete this spring, looking to get a leg up on other incoming corners. Hope is a longtime Cane and said during the recruiting process that UM is a special place.
Tracy Howard – Defensive Back : The steal of the day and the recruit that can turn a good class into a great one. Howard is a five-star and the top-ranked corner in the nation. A long-time Florida commit, Miami wasn’t in his top three until ten days ago. If there’s a true feather to stick in Golden’s cap, here it is. He sold a local kid on being part of the process, when the hometown school was really never on the radar. Howard was intent on leaving South Florida for college, but in the end, it was too hard to walk away from this new-look Miami squad. In the end, UM won out over UF and FSU, the other two in the final three.
Daniel Isidora – Offensive Line : Isidora is a three-star offensive guard from Weston who had offers from Michigan, NC State, Central Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and two dozen others, before choosing Miami back in November. Isidora cites a love for the coaching staff and feeling at home in Coral Gables. Great feet and tremendous athleticism will have Isidora competing early at The U.
Dequan Ivery – Defensive Line : Another last-minute pick-up for Miami, Ivery was a Louisville commit heading into today and with mom not on board, many feared he’d get away. Instead, the Lake City product is headed to Coral Gables. Ivery is a three-star defensive tackle who Miami discovered late in the recruiting process, seeing his Columbia High squad in a playoff game. A Jacksonville Bartram High coach alerted Miami coaches to Ivery, a scholarship was offered late December and after a visit, Ivery was sold.
Angelo Jean-Louis – Athlete : Jean-Louis is listed as a four-start athlete out of Wellington and is officially a Cane this morning. Jean-Louis committed to Miami last April and stuck by The U the entire way. Jean-Louis could play defense, but appears to want to try his hand at wideout, citing the legendary Reggie Wayne as an influence. Still, whether it’s offense or defense, Jean-Louis just wants to play and barring that he’s eligible academically, he’ll be doing just that this fall.
Rayshawn Jenkins – Defensive Back : Jenkins is a three-star corner / safety out of St. Petersburg who chose Miami over some big name programs, including Alabama and Florida State. At one point Jenkins was a South Florida commit, but in the end chose Miami. Jenkins would like to see some time on offense, as well as in the secondary and he’s a solid pick up for the Canes.
Duke Johnson – Running Back : Johnson is truly the face for the ’12 class, committing early and doing all he could to sell the program to other recruits. Johnson is a five-star running back our of Norland High, the fifth-rated overall prospect and the number two running back in the nation. Johnson is one of three players in Dade County to amass 5,000 career rushing yards (Frank Gore is another) and he helped lead his team to a state title, as well as being named Florida Dairy Farmers 2011 Mr. Football as well as the Class 5A player of the year. If there’s anyone who can step in and fill the void of the departed Lamar Miller, Johnson is that guy.
D’Mauri Jones – Wide Receiver : Jones is a three-star prospect out of Leesburg who dreamed of heading south to play for the Hurricanes. The lifelong Cane committed back in June and in the end chose Miami over West Virginia, South Florida and South Carolina, among others. Jones measures in at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds and expects to compete immediately due to the loss of Tommy Streeter and depleted receiver corps.
Raphael Kirby – Linebacker : Kirby is another out-of-state product that showed Golden’s recruiting prowess. The four-star outside linebacker out of Stone Mountain, GA was a great pick-up for Miami. Kirby had offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and as slew of others. Even better news, the fourth-ranked linebacker in the nation and U.S. Army All-American is one of several early enrollees, already on campus and ready to compete in spring. Kirby committed to The U last spring and stuck by his commitment. Florida was considered his number two, but cited Miami’s coaching staff, specifically legendary linebacker Micheal Barrow, who recruited him.
Malcolm Lewis – Wide Receiver : Lewis is a four-star recruit out of Miramar who committed to Miami back in November. He’s also a teammate of Howard and a big reason the top-ranked corner chose The U. Lewis measures in at 5-foot-10 and has aspirations to play as a true freshman and to eventually become an All-American. Lewis had upwards of thirty offers and chose Miami over Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, West Virginia and others.
Robert Lockhart – Wide Receiver : Lockhart is the second Miami signee from Fork Union Military Academy and a long-time Virginia Tech commit who chose UM at the final hour, early January. He’s also an early enrollee who is jockeying for early playing time and at 6-foot-2 and with JUCO experience, has a leg up on other signees. Lockhart is originally from West Boca Raton and heads to The U as a four-star wideout.
Tyriq McCord – Defensive Line : Another U.S. Army All-American, McCord, a four-star defensive end from Tampa, was a stellar pick-up for Golden and staff. McCord chose Miami over Southern Cal, but also had offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame and others. McCord is a world-class athlete, but is also focused on academics and cited UM’s broadcast communications program as a big sell, as well as Coach Golden and the vision he has for the football program.
Earl Moore – Defensive Line : Moore is a three-star defensive tackle and one of Tampa’s best products. Moore loved the coaching staff and family vibe at The U. He chose Miami over Florida, Florida State, Georgia, South Florida, Southern Cal, Texas Tech and others. Moore is a versatile athlete, having played basketball most of his life and switching over to football as a high school sophomore. Moore cited the early departure of Marcus Forston and immediately playing time as one of many reasons he chose to head south.
Jake O’Donnell – Defensive End : O’Donnell is a Doylestown, PA product that has been on board since last summer. A three-star defensive end, O’Donnell cites Miami’s football legacy as his reason for heading south, as well as Golden’s turnaround of the Temple program. O’Donnell is slated to either play defensive end or outside linebacker at UM and is said to have a good blend of size (6-foot-6) and speed.
Gabriel Terry – Defensive End : Terry is a three-star linebacker / defensive end from Wellington and is a under the radar recruit that Miami started selling over Thanksgiving weekend. Terry is a lifelong Cane who dreamed of playing for UM and he believes in the Golden vision. His high school coach cites a high motors and calls him “relentless” on the field. Terry grew up in Omaha, NE and moved to South Florida prior to his high school years.
David Thompson – Quarterback : Thompson is a three-star prospect out of Westminster Christian in Miami and an interesting signee as he’s another top-notch two-sport star. Two decades ago it was Alex Rodriguez who was headed to UM to play shortstop and quarterback, eventually heading to MLB as the first pick of the 1993 Draft. Will Thompson follow suit? He’s currently projected as the sixth overall pick, but he’s a lifelong Cane who’s dreamed of being under center at The U and has admittedly stated that he wants to experience college life. Thompson is a leader, has smarts and possesses all the right tools. Should he choose UM over pro baseball, it will be an interesting race between he, Dewey and Crow.
Herb Waters – Wide Receiver : Waters is a three-star wideout from Homestead who committed to Miami last June, but flirted with Louisville over the past few weeks (where high school teammate and one time UM commit Burgess Jr. wound up). An in-home visit from Miami coaches in late January got Waters back on track with his Hurricanes commitment and today he’s official headed to The U. Waters loved the coaching staff, the family atmosphere, the bond and the overall vibe, stating that Golden has changed the program and culture. With a lack of depth at wideout, the 6-foot-1 Waters expects to complete immediately, where coaches see him as a slot receiver.
Josh Witt – Linebacker : Witt is a three-star linebacker prospect out of Weston who committed to Miami last summer, despite offers from Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia and others. Witt is another early enrollee that is on campus and ready to compete this spring. He committed to Miami after earning Linebacker MVP honors at one of Golden’s camps last June. Witt came to the Miami camp with zero scholarships offers, but netted upwards of a dozen when camp ended. Witt is a great athlete, originally from Texas, and with experience at quarterback and safety. He’s also a life-long Miami fan who always dreams of playing for the Canes.
This is a very good all around class. Reading what some of the players had to say today you can just feel the culture change. Words like hard work, competing, winning, team, national championships. Its just refreshing to hear and see. We are finally turning the corner with a great coaching staff and players that get it. One more hurdle and we will be smooth sailing.
Al Golden is the man and its refreshing to see a plan being laid out. Also for those that think its just a bunch of 3 stars. There are quite a few gems on this team. I have full faith in the coaches eval over a star label. I think some of these guys are going to emerge as true gems of the class making this class even better than what it is.
Awesome!!! Great class. Great write up. Go Canes 2012
I cant wait to see what Al “the closer” Golden is going to get out of these kids! He discovered some serious talent last year with perryman and reviving streets career. I Cant wait to see these kids come out of the smoke!
I am a realist, and perhaps a skeptic. The same furor that surrounds this class surrounded the #1 recruiting class in 2008. Same views expressed then are being expressed now. “This is the class that is going to turn us around.” etc. However, many of recruits of the 2008 class were a bust or underachieved: Aldarius Johnston, Marcus Forston, Byrd, Arthur Brown, Davon Johnson (5 stars). I could name 10 more.
I surely hope this class and this staff are different. At the end of the day what counts is what occurs on the field on Saturdays (and occasionally on Thursdays), and not the stars nor the class rankings.
Ok, it seems we got some well regarded prospects and it also seems this coaching staff is better prepared at developing prospects and talent. I bought in to Golden and his vision and I believe that considering all challenges of 2011, he did a remarkably good job. But before I label this class as this or that, I believe it behooves us to wait until about 2013 or 2014.
A final thought. It is remarkable how depleted the roster has been for the last 5-7 years. There has been no depth, no significant red-shiriting, no opportunities to develop. Watching the BCS games, you see a ton of juniors and seniors and redshirts, players that have been in the system for years. It seems our star players the last few years have not had an opportunity to watch from the bench for a few years while learning, getting more physical and developing. They’ve been thrown to the wolves early.
It will take years to have the right depth. Here’s hoping that this is the first year . . .
RSA
Coral Gables
It’s fine to be a realist, but let’s take into consideration the professionalism Golden has shown in his fourteen months at the helm. He saved last year’s class and he reeled in some gems this year — the types of kids Miami lost in recent years.
In 2008 everyone knew that was a paper champion regarding the top class as it was heavy with eight kids from the national champs (MNW). There as a lot riding on those guys and in the end the staff failed miserably with conditioning and bringing guys along.
Golden and staff came in last season and saved some kids who seemed broken beyond repair. Kids like J12, who turned it around (not counting his BC collapse), as well as Streeter, who was lost on Shannon’s depth chart. Newbies like Chickillo and Perryman were strong out the gate and conditioning-wise, things are changing.
This new crop of Canes will get proper teaching, conditioning and discipline out the gate. Some obviously won’t pan out, but more will than won’t as the culture has finally changed.
Golden has made it clear he doesn’t give two shits about stars or class rankings. Fans do and they blow it up. Go watch his presser.
You said it, it will take time to build proper depth and hopefully fans get that. Golden inherited a dog and it will take due time to create a true champion.
How quickly we’ve forgot the players departing early for the NFL. Most will regret their decision but Golden’s house cleaning is complete. The class of 2012 is a breath of fresh air. Cudos to coaching staff. And congratulations to 33 young men with the character to stick to their commitments. I look forward to seeing all of you be successful. To those reading my comment, be patient. We’re on our way back. Success is on the horizon. Go Canes!
Who forgot those who left early? If anything, it’s been pointed out often that they freed up scholarships and helped long-term depth.
Would’ve been great to have Miller, Streeter, Forston, Ojomo, Vernon, etc. back – and while there will be a short-term effect in 2012 with those bodies gone, Miami just picked up a half dozen kids it wouldn’t have had space for — kids who will give the program three to four solid years, providing depth that could be stripped from sanctions.
The early departures will pay off BIG time down the road.
I applaud loudly what Golden has done, especially considering what the morass he unknowingly stepped into. But culture and momentum take years to establish (just like character, it’s not a light switch that you can turn on), it does not occur overnight or in one year. Yes, some of the guys with problem attitudes are gone, some of the underachievers are gone and yes Golden resurrected both J12 and Streeter, Miller had a break-out year and Chickillo and Perryman did exceptionally well as Freshmen, all of which show that the coaching staff has the capacity to coach and develop (something the Shannon staff apparently could not do). But it will take 10-15 (or more) of these types of guys and time to turn around the U, create a new culture, create depth, create symmetry, and win games.
I believe there is strong evidence that these things are occurring. More importantly, I believe Golden has the capacity to do these things because of what he showed in year 1. But what matters to me is what occurs on the field. Ultimately, its about the wins and losses.
Go Canes!
I welcome all these guys to The U. Now is the time for optimism, positivity and celebration. I happened to be off on Signing Day and it was great to watch the class come together with the cherry on top being Howard when none of the “experts” thought he’d come to Coral Gables. ESPN U talked about our class and had an interview with Coach Golden as well. I love recruiting because for no other reason, it’s another chance to compete. Stars mean nothing but it’s great to battle other teams out there for the guys you want. These guys all have a chance to step up and play – IF they have prepared themselves properly. There is nothing negative to say right now. The future is what the team makes it. Golden and his staff did a great job. Once we get some more wins next year, more local HS players will want to be part of what Golden is doing, and it will pay off even more. We have to remember that he is still repairing a lot of strained/non-existant bonds with the area HS coaches. Golden is the right man at the right time.