Verbal commitments are piling up, offers are being doled out and old is becoming new again. Resting on some post-championship laurels, Miami slacked half a decade ago. Summertime commits were few and far between. Everything Butch Davis preached in the late 90s, Larry Coker forgot within weeks of that early ’03 robbery in the desert.
ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill chimed in regarding Shannon’s new “old school” approach. Like Jimmy Johnson two decades back, his protege doesn’t give a damn about player rankings. In 2009, a player’s worth seems to be determined online instead of under the lights. At Miami it’s not about padded stats – it’s about competition, desire and production on the field.
“In my opinion, you’ve got to stay true to your own evaluation, your own blueprint,” said Luginbill. “Don’t worry about what everybody else is saying… but that’s a very difficult thing to do.”
Recruiting coordinator and former Miami defensive lineman Clint Hurtt took it a step further.
“I’ll always take a kid that is highly productive in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County,” said Hurtt. “If you give me a running back that runs for 1,000 yards in Florida, I’d take that over a kid that runs for over 2,500 in a lot of other states.”
Safe to say there was a little dig there at almost-Cane and Kansas-bred tailback Bryce Brown.
Shannon and staff are not only focusing more effort on under the radar, non-overhyped kids — but they’re staying closer to home and putting the emphasis on local talent, which has always been Miami’s bread and butter.
Offers are going out on a daily basis and kids are again hyped up about the Canes. While Florida has the most recent in-state success, kids who are high school seniors today all recall growing up on Miami. The dominance UM showed between 2000-2004 took place when next year’s college freshmen were playing Pop-Warner and entering high school. Marcus Forston echoed that sentiment last year as a true freshman.
“The Canes were gladiators that never could get beat,” said freshman Forston. “They always found a way to win. When I was growing up, those were my heroes, my role models.”
Naples Lely High running back Darion Hall committed to Miami this past week, wanting to stay close to home and to be a part of something special. Other recent players offered – TE Clive Walford (Belle Glade), listing Miami as his #1. OL Brandon Linder (St. Thomas), who has 29 scholarship offers and is in contact with Jeff Stoutland on a weekly basis. Pahokee DB Raheam Buxton, wowed by the fact UM is such a small private school with an intimate environment.
Shannon has even sent Micheal Barrow into Gator Country in an effort to lure LB Kevin Nelson and DB Devont’a Davis to Coral Gables. Both grew up life-long Canes and want to attend the same college.
Cane coaches are looking out of state at Atlanta CB Darius Robinson, a three-star who wants to get his folks to campus for a visit – which is always Shannon’s goal.
“They don’t understand that Miami is a private school, that we only have 8,000 students. They think Miami is 40,000 students. That perception you have to knock down real quick,” said Shannon.
“If we can get the parents on campus with the kid at the same time, I think we have an 80 percent shot that we’re gonna get him.”
Washington D.C. linebacker Javarie Johnson isn’t a homegrown product, but he lists The U as his “dream school”, which fits Shannon’s criteria of Miami-style players.
Signing Day is over half a year away, so it’s too soon to get over-excited about the potential influx of talent. The point to be made here is that Cane coaches are working tirelessly to rebuild this program and stockpile talent.
Weeks back, the Herald’s Manny Navarro penned a piece that threw Cane Nation into a frenzy, stating that Miami was no longer top choice for a handful of local kids. UM local recruiting wall had supposedly been ‘breached’ and the fear was that the tide would turn on the recruiting front.
Based on the action we’re seeing during these dog days of summer, I wouldn’t bet on that happening anytime soon. Shannon, Hurtt, Barrow and the rest of this staff absolutely have their thumb on the pulse regarding what it will take to get the right kind of kids back on board.
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Laron Byrd: 3 star...Sean Spence: 4 star...Arthur Brown...5 Star -- This star ranking businees is a load of Sh**-- It makes my blood boil when people complain that we don't get enough "5 star athletes"... This rating system is inaccurate simply because there are too many prospective players. So to all those cane fans out there who are clutched to this rating system... please, PLEASE have faith in randy and his ability to scout!
I completely agree. If these so call "experts" are that good at evaluating talent, why are they not coaching. Why are they hiding behind their amazing little "let me give you the breakdown" magazines. How on Gods green earth are they really able to put that much time into really evaluating each program. Its easy, they following what the trends, what is everyone else saying, what information can I use on the internet?
These ratings are a joke!!! I can smell what Randy is cookin', and smells good. The canes are surely on their way to bringing the swagga back. One day these "experts" are gonna be asking, "So Randy, tell us whats your secret man? What secret formula do you use to evaluate talent so well?" I hope he tells 'em all to @u!& off!!! If people were smart they'd realize that this program needs Randy. He bleeds orange and green and wants recruits that do the same!! I believe he would stick around for the long haul, and this program could be a power on the field and in recruiting for years to come!!!
UKNOW
BRINGING THAT SWAGGA BACK!!
Another great read AllCanes... In Shannon We Trust.
I don't see how anyone can have a problem with the recuiting this staff has done so far. I love the recruiting philosophy of The U right now. Go with your system, go with what you need for your program, and let everyone else worry about the rest. Coach Shannon is getting the type of players HE wants. My belief is this: If you are more caught up in the flash, the show, having to have the latest and greatest then go to Gainesville or School X, Y, Z. If you want to go to a school which requires you to go to class, earn a degree, and whose program has a proven track record of style TRANSLATING TO THE NFL then you go to The U. If you are drafting for an NFL receiver, you don't draft a WR from Florida. What they have their players do in that system does not prepare them for what they have to do at the next level. If you are drafting for RB, they hesitate to take guys from Texas. For whatever reason, those guys are headcases (Williams, Benson, the running QB Young). Yes, these are generalizations, but my point is Miami plays a pro style set. There's a reason we have the most players in the league. We have put difference-makers in the league, not guys who are riding the bench. So yeah, schools like Florida and Alabama are hot right now because they're on top, but they're the flavor of the month. If you want to put in the work at facilities that are still fine enough for NFL players to still come back EVERY SUMMER, even non-U players, then you'll come to Coral Gables. I don't know why more kids can't see this.
-Columbus Cane
AGREED! Good stuff all canes. NEED FOOTBALL...
79 days!!!!
2 1/2 months!!!
BRING ON THE FCUK'N-OLES!!!
Great work! You're the smartest Canes blogger on the Internet. Always a pleasure to read your stuff!
Great call, Canes. You don't want to get too overhyped over recruiting, but there's a shift and anyone paying attention can see that Shannon and his staff know what they're doing.
Everyone bitches about coaching, but let's be honest - the best coaches in the world wouldn't do anything with sub par talent. Miami was always about beating you with better players. We need to get back to those days and I think the Hurricane coaches are doing just that.
my only complaint to randy's short lived recruiting is that just now is when he's starting to stack our positions 4 and 5 deep with talent as apposed to only recruiting to our needs. we're still looking for hard nosed running backs even though we running backs up to our waist. We have been relying on young players for far too long, and finally we are building a system where players can come in and mature, then hit the field when theyr ready as apposed to being thrust into positions that they arent ready to play.
my only complaint to randy's short lived recruiting is that just now is when he's starting to stack our positions 4 and 5 deep with talent as apposed to only recruiting to our needs. we're still looking for hard nosed running backs even though we running backs up to our waist. We have been relying on young players for far too long, and finally we are building a system where players can come in and mature, then hit the field when theyr ready as apposed to being thrust into positions that they arent ready to play.
You have to recruit what's out there. Recruit who's interested.
Randy is going after hard-nosed running backs because Miami's running game has truly been anemic since Willis McGahee left town.
Javarris James has a glass jaw. Graig Cooper is undersized and isn't durable enough. Lee Chambers and Damian Berry are unproven.
Mike James and Lamar Miller look the part, but so did Charlie Jones and Tyrone Moss and neither flourished.
J. James/Cooper are gone after '09, so that leaves M. James, Miller, Chambers and Berry. That's exactly why the staff is still looking for a solid back and wants to sign Darion Hall.
Miami has been relying on young players for too long, but that's not Shannon's fault. He's entering year three and his first real class are sophomores this year. That's why the mindset is that 2009 will be a step forward, but 2010 is when the Canes should truly be *back*.
This was a 4-5 year rebuilding project and we all knew that going into it. This is year three. Let's see what happens.