The University of Miami’s depth chart took another hit today when back up quarterbacks Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith decided to leave the program to pursue other opportunities.
Obviously this is ‘news’ as its two players – from the same position – deciding to up and leave, seemingly out of nowhere. The timing is also off as they’re choosing to do so before the third scrimmage of fall, when depth chart decisions are made.
Rumors have swirled that true freshman A.J. Highsmith was moving up to second string quarterback – which would make logistical sense regarding the timing. Still, this really is much ado about nothing… beside the lack of depth.
Cook was given a fair shake during spring and fall, while Smith sat out 2008 with an injury and has seen limited action in practice the past two years. The starting job was Harris’ to lose and with no signs of that happening, as well as the potential #12 will start for Miami through the 2011 season, the back ups are looking for greener pastures and immediate playing time.
A tough situation as there are so many angles and vantage points – quarterback, teammates, coaches, parents of said players. On one hand, a situation like this makes you wonder what the word ‘commitment’ means anymore. If instant results aren’t there for a player, they’re ready to run – looking for what they think is the next sure-fire opportunity.
You have to wonder about their parents. As seen with Robert Marve, his daddy and his high school coach, they question then arises – who is doing the pushing? Who is in that 19-year old’s ear, advising or pulling his strings?
Both Cook and Smith have left Miami in a lurch… should Harris go down injured. Especially Cook, who seemed to be learning the offense and was a legit threat to take over the number two spot come fall. That said, it’s his life – as it’s Smith’s – and how can you fault a man for following his heart and doing what he needs to do? Teammates are teammates and the team is the team, but at day’s end people have to do what is individually best for them – whether that means transferring two weeks before the season opener or skipping that senior season to chase those NFL dollars.
Stephen Morris of Pace has already committed to Miami for 2010 and it’s safe to say Shannon and staff will now turn their recruiting focus to another quarterback (or two) by February. Interesting to see who winds up at The U as a result of these transfers and where that future Miami quarterback’s career goes. For all anyone knows, the loss of Cook and Smith might open the door for the Canes next Heisman winner.
Take it all in stride, people.
Regarding those blaming Shannon, let’s take a moment to address that claim. Harris is a true sophomore. Smith is a redshirt sophomore, Cook a redshirt freshman and Highsmith a highly-touted true freshman. Poor recruiting on the part of Larry Coker left Miami – and Shannon – in this lurch. Had Coker brought on a Pat Devlin, Derek Shaw, Daniel Stegall or Nick Fanuzzi, the lack of depth at quarterback wouldn’t be where it’s at today and there wouldn’t be such a logjam with freshmen and sophomores at the position.
I saw a thread on a message board talking about Southern Cal’s ability to build depth at quarterback and pot shots at Shannon for the fact Cook and Smith packed their bags.
Really? Someone wants to play the Trojans card? A program 59-4 over the past five seasons when the Canes posted a 37-25 record over the same span? Anybody and everybody wanted to play for USC these past several years – like Miami circa 2000-2003.
Aaron Corp is slated to be ‘the guy’ when back from injury. Corp is a junior and is battling it out with true freshman Matt Barkley. Should Corp hang on for two years, Barkley could redshirt and would still see three full seasons as a redshirt sophomore in 2011.
Mitch Mustain transferred in from Arkansas and hasn’t seen much action his one year in Los Angeles (16 attempts in six games) and he enters his senior season. Garrett Green is another senior with one career completion, which happens when you back up John David Booty and Mark Sanchez. John Manoogian is a sophomore who’s never seen a lick of action.
Five quarterbacks at USC completely staggered out from freshmen to seniors thanks to winning ball games, stellar recruiting, solid depth and rolling on as a well-oiled machine that’s only lost four-games since 2005… all while UM has been sucking wind and had four quarterbacks, none older than a true sophomore.
Great analogy comparing Miami’s quarterback woes to the success of Southern Cal and blaming a head coach whose been on the job no more than two full seasons.
well. i didnt see this coming. but i did see that A.J. was getting some snaps. and i thought was is going on. But i saw it on espn. soo hey. good luck to them. 3 qbs in 6 months. no good. but as long as Jacory didnt leave. i dont care!
((ZarOkoN))
i wish i could just delete them from college 2010 now. lol..
Something just doesn't smell right with this. Giving every benefit of the doubt to Shannon, one can assume that AJ was outplaying Cook & Smith and they didn't think they'd ever get a chance to start at the U.
Even with these assumptions, what made them think they'd never see the field? I mean, Jacory's not leaving for another 3 years, and a lot can change during that time (including a change to the depth chart or an injury to our super-skinny superstar). And even if they remained backups, Brad Johnson, JT O'Sullivan, & Matt Cassel all proved that college backups can make it to the NFL. And unlike that other QB on UM's roster last year, we haven't heard any whispers about Cook or Smith being problem children.
I really, REALLY want to be wrong about this, but I have a feeling that there's something more to this.
I am just baffled. It comes down to how other schools have no problem getting depth at qb, no matter who is starting, yet we have four transfers and three or four de-commits over the past few years. I just don't understand. Maybe it's the character of the qb's we've been getting, or maybe it's something else. I have no idea what's going on, but now we are now one hit away on a thin guy in Harris, to playng a true Freshman who's been here for a couple of weeks. I know the world is not ending but this has the potential to really become more of an issue. For example, how does USC have three or four all-americans under center, and we can't keep more than one? We have to go forward and will, but it goes back to building depth and competition.
-Columbus Cane
Here's the link on the subject when Manny Navarro was on wqam earlier today: http://www.wqam.com/index.php?page=347
We can and will win without these two guys. The O Line just needs to take pride in their play and get a mean streak. Another thought for me is this: If a guy like Cannon Smith was never going to see the field anyway, then why recruit him? Why not use the scholy on a player who will have a better chance of seeing the field? I know recruiting is a crap-shoot, but we can't take any more guys right now who are projects and may play in 3 or 4 years. We just can't afford that in my opinion. We need guys who will fit nicely into the existing systems. I know the coaches will keep doing a great job overall.
As far as Cook is concerned, I just wonder what he was thinking when he came here in the first place. He knew that Harris had three more years to play. It's about competition. I guess Cook doesn't have the patience or inner faith to stay with a program he just came to. Maybe Highsmith has been giving him a run for his money for the back-up spot. The best players will play, as the depth returns to the program. Battle for your spot. Cook obviously hadn't bought into the program, but I wish him and Smith good luck in wherever they land.
No matter where they go, on the field, in the classroom or in life, it's about competing. So nothing is guaranteed, no matter what program you go to. You can't always just take your ball and go. At some point you have to be a man no matter what happens and just try to better yourself, your family, and/or your program every day.
-Columbus Cane
I was shocked when I heard this news earlier today. I just read the article that Taylor Cook was "ready" if the time came what seemed a like a few days ago… I can't fault them for leaving as they obviously are doing what's best for them, it's just a crappy situation for us to be in less then 2 weeks out. I have faith in #12… just gotta make sure that o-line protects him like a faberge egg.
Good lord…another blow to the canes!!!first the defensive linemen hurt and now losing two quality quarterbacks on the same day no less!!
Look i'm not tryin to the bash the canes by any means but one has to wonder just what is goin on in coral gables??!!how do you go from such a promising season with cook which looked like the #2 guy behind harris to deciding to transfer? i mean cook looked like he and smith were coming along nicely.I know these are just kids and don't blame them for wanting to find greener pastures on another team;but why now? why so late? I can't blame this one on shannon but when your already on thin ice with a die hard fan base i think alot of people are going to question shannon on this one.
All i can say is good luck cannon,smith if your not in it for the team good riddance!!
as for shannon…i hope we prove alot of people wrong this year but
man this is devastating!! it seems just like when we had freeman and wright behind center except a better quarterback and of course a better offensive coordinator
my only question is how is this going to affect us on recruiting?
and should shannon have a bad year this year do you think he'll be gone by the end of it?
thanks
GO CANES!!!!
All I know at this point is that if we go 0-4 to start and Jacory gets hurt, things will get VERY UGLY VERY FAST with the alumni and fans. Something is WRONG with this program: There's no stabilty anymore, just constant turnover of coaches and players (especially QBS, which used to be a strength of this team when it was good). Patience will run out FAST if the season starts poorly…and with this schedule and the weakness of this team at key positions, this is a definite possiblity. Good luck to Randy Shannon because the heat will be up from the very start now.
The timeing of this is very curious. What is the advantage of these two qb quitting before taking a single snap in '09'? Has Highsmith had such an impressive fall that the writing was on the wall for these two? Even if true why leave now and not after the season?
Pacificus is baffled!
Something just doesn't smell right with this. Giving every benefit of the doubt to Shannon, one can assume that AJ was outplaying Cook & Smith and they didn't think they'd ever get a chance to start at the U.
Even with these assumptions, what made them think they'd never see the field? I mean, Jacory's not leaving for another 3 years, and a lot can change during that time (including a change to the depth chart or an injury to our super-skinny superstar). And even if they remained backups, Brad Johnson, JT O'Sullivan, & Matt Cassel all proved that college backups can make it to the NFL. And unlike that other QB on UM's roster last year, we haven't heard any whispers about Cook or Smith being problem children.
I really, REALLY want to be wrong about this, but I have a feeling that there's something more to this.
Something doesn't smell right… but who knows.
I've seen others write that the timing is strange. Hard to disagree.
Your point about perennial back ups… those guys are either old school (Brad Johnson) or very rare cases (Matt Cassell).
The 'x' factor here is the personalities of Smith and Cook. We really don't know. More goes into it than just being back ups at Miami… the timing being terrible, etc.
Smith… did he ever really have a shot? Honestly. Undersized and under the radar, it appears he'd have always been behind Harris, Cook and Highsmith. How long is he going to stick around for that?
As for Cook… if he has the game to start, again, does he really want to ride the pine at Miami? Does he really want to risk his collegiate career on the premise that Harris gets hurt? He didn't come south for mop up duty.
Sounds to me like Cook came to Miami looking for a starting job, worked to win it, feels Harris is 'the guy' and with the premise of waiting around for three years to maybe play (who knows if Highsmith or Morris would beat him out – as well as whoever else gets on board the next few years?)
Depth-wise it sucks that these guys took off – especially when the did – but what can you do? How much of this is 'something stinks' as much as it's poor timing?
Hard to really tell… but either way, I'm a believer in worrying about those who are on board – not those who bailed out. Best of luck to those guys, but time to move on.
My initial thoughts when reading this news yesterday were "what the hell is shannon doing down there"? But after getting a little more info from various articles and sources it's understandable why these two players left for greener pastures. Still, this situation doesn't look good in the eyes of the media as well as football fans all over. Thee QBs transfer out in the same year, all of whom are the same skin complexion…it definitely begs the question of whether or not RS is showing extreme favortism. Add to the fact that A.J. Highsmith, who despite moving up on the depth chart, is the son of former Cane Alonzo Highsmith and this just looks bad from a public relations perspective. I wonder how much this is going to hurt recruiting. I support Randy Shannon and believe in him, but i hope that his faith in JH yields great results, because if not this could be the very thing that buries a coach.
I will put $$ that somewhere Tommy T is sitting back with a devilish grin on his face. The cards seem to be stacking themselves up for this job to almost fall in his lap. If you would have asked me a few months ago whether Shannon was on the hot seat or not my answer would have been wait until the end of the season to see. Now though, i can see RS is definitely feeling heat on his A$$! If this season goes to hell then so does his job. Just my .02 cents.
I knew this would happen, RS is FUCK*NG everything up!
FSU L
GT L
VT L
OU L
RS gets fired!
Can we move on please…
The timing really isn't that fishy. These kids have both said they want to transfer to a Div 1 school (I refuse to call them FBS schools). If they played out this year in Miami, they would have to sit out next year and then only have 1 (Cook) and 2 (Smith) years of eligibility left. They have been gracious on the way out the door, and I have no hard feelings toward either of them.
I may be mistaken, but I beleive the decision to transfer at this particular time is based on the fact that classes started today. If the players transfer to another FBS team, they have to sit out for two semesters. It is my understanding that, had the players not transferred prior to starting classes, they would've had to sit out an additional semester. Obviously, if they go to a division 1-AA school, they don't have to sit out at all.
I knew this would happen, RS is FUCK*NG everything up!
FSU L
GT L
VT L
OU L
RS gets fired!
Wow… you knew that the third and fourth string quarterbacks were going to transfer and now as a result of that you know that Miami will open 0-4?
We need to get you a booth at the Youth Fair with a crystal ball and some Tarot cards.
Relax.
Good analysis AllCanes, and I agree – it is time to move on and worry about beating Florida State with the guys we have.
Go Canes!!!!
You win with us or watch us win. All I know is in all the years that I have watched Miami football since 1983, every player that ducked out of the program did not fare to well where ever they went. Anybody remember Pat Devlin. He decommitted and went to Penn State and now he has left their too for the same reason these two kids left us. We will be just fine. Next year we will have space between our qb's. Everything happens for a reason.
"We need to get you a booth at the Youth Fair with a crystal ball and some Tarot cards."
I do have a booth, how'd you know? Come by this year, I'll hook you up…
0-4 RS is out the door!!!
Everyone has to remember that Jacory is THE FRANCHISE. These kids knew that and decided to leave. Everyone's treating it like we lost two studs. These two guys can't hold a candle to Jacory and had ZERO experience. Even is they were around and Jacory got injured, WE'D BE F**KED. Can we just move on.
JACORY IS THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM.
Cook and Smith were roommates and probably got into each others head and convinced each other it was a good move although bad timing. If they did any research, I can't recall one quarterback that transferred from the U and made a name for himself at another university. Please post if I am wrong. It's too bad but the show doesn't stop because someone leaves. Everyone is concerned about JH getting hurt. The majority of schools have one QB relied uponon to win games, not the back-up. I haven't seen too many back-ups that actually look better than the starters, except maybe JH last year. It would have been great if Cook stayed becasue of the possibility of being needed but if being a Hurricanes wasn't in the core of his heart it was time to move on.
We are left with a back-up freshman QB and from his stats he is no slacker. Whipple is supposely the guru of QB development and working the system to the players strengths, well it's time for him to earn his dollars.
I refused to try to look into this other than what was quoted. Smith said Shannon handled it with class and Shannon said he understood where the guys were coming from. Good enough for them good enough for me. By the way, big fan of your blog. Great write-ups and insight. Go Canes
Cook and Smith were roommates and probably got into each others head and convinced each other it was a good move although bad timing. If they did any research, I can't recall one quarterback that transferred from the U and made a name for himself at another university. Please post if I am wrong. It's too bad but the show doesn't stop because someone leaves. Everyone is concerned about JH getting hurt. The majority of schools have one QB relied uponon to win games, not the back-up. I haven't seen too many back-ups that actually look better than the starters, except maybe JH last year. It would have been great if Cook stayed becasue of the possibility of being needed but if being a Hurricanes wasn't in the core of his heart it was time to move on.
We are left with a back-up freshman QB and from his stats he is no slacker. Whipple is supposely the guru of QB development and working the system to the players strengths, well it's time for him to earn his dollars.
I refused to try to look into this other than what was quoted. Smith said Shannon handled it with class and Shannon said he understood where the guys were coming from. Good enough for them good enough for me. By the way, big fan of your blog. Great write-ups and insight. Go Canes
Cook and Smith were roommates and probably got into each others head and convinced each other it was a good move although bad timing. If they did any research, I can't recall one quarterback that transferred from the U and made a name for himself at another university. Please post if I am wrong. It's too bad but the show doesn't stop because someone leaves. Everyone is concerned about JH getting hurt. The majority of schools have one QB relied uponon to win games, not the back-up. I haven't seen too many back-ups that actually look better than the starters, except maybe JH last year. It would have been great if Cook stayed becasue of the possibility of being needed but if being a Hurricanes wasn't in the core of his heart it was time to move on.
We are left with a back-up freshman QB and from his stats he is no slacker. Whipple is supposely the guru of QB development and working the system to the players strengths, well it's time for him to earn his dollars.
I refused to try to look into this other than what was quoted. Smith said Shannon handled it with class and Shannon said he understood where the guys were coming from. Good enough for them good enough for me. By the way, big fan of your blog. Great write-ups and insight. Go Canes
I don't know why us fans are freaking out about the whole back up QB deal. Sure Cook and Smith were here for a year but that's not going to make any difference once it comes game time. Cook didn't play a snap last season. Smith only played in the first game. AJ came in with pretty much the exact experience since it's under the new offense. And the racist remarks are just plain old ridiculous. Again wait until the season end and start judging.
Smith is not a loss, I wonder if his dad's company is going to pull their sponsorship from the Orange Bowl. Cook is a kid that I like. He could throw the ball and seemed like he had a passion to win. Maybe he got mad cause Shannon opened back up the competition to all comers. My fear is this, we all know that teams like to play dirty from time to time. Ie Robert Marve taking a shot in the FSU game last year. Now I'm not saying a coach will admit this, but lets say he has some back up walk on take a hit on Jacory knocking him out of the game. Its only cost the other team 15 yards, but if they get a win in the process I see a team doing it. If I were Shannon I would warn the officials. Go Canes and hopefully the O-line and playmakers step up!
Here is an interview that came out Sunday in the Miami Herald. Taylor Cook said he was ready to be the back up etc. Was it a mirage or didn't something happen in the last 24 hours?
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/1199442.html
BZCanes here-
Nothing changes because of this.
I'm actually wondering where Cannon Smith thinks he is going to go and play? I could see Cook getting a shot somewhere, but Smith should've stayed and tried to be a part of something special rather than going to some 1AA school and getting PT…maybe.
Easy for me to say not being there everyday. I've never seen 2 guys do this at this time which is the only thing I don't understand.
Regardless of all of that—-it does not matter—-if Harris gets hurt we were in trouble whether or not Taylor Cook was still here.
Lets keep him healthy—and focus on the players that want to compete for their jobs.
Survival of the fittest—that's how it's always been and how it needs to be.
Good luck to the 2 of them.
I will not lose any sleep over either—and better yet it gives Highsmith–a true cane, a chance to get more reps.
AJ Highsmith will do well as a back up and harris would be great(like past canes). in comparison to USC well when your winnng the rich get richer but MIAMI will soon be walking on water DONT be surprise WHEN miami goes 4-0. Think about it, teams are still looking for identity or have a slow start not saying will have the same but I think it's a smart move to play these teams early instead of late when team have an identity. haters will be haters soon miami will be back on top!
These guys think Randy is on the way down. It's hard to argue this.
http://bustersports.com/blog/acc-news/2009/08/26/is-shannons-ship-sinking/
Its staggering to take this kind of hit. The character of these kids has to be questioned. Adversity used to make you strong, now it makes you move on.
Yesterday was my day of shock. Now I'm only concerned about who IS here and how they will help us get better and win games. If someone doesn't want to be here then bye. I want guys who want to be here. 12 days until FSU. I can't wait. I see Harris leading The U in pulling off the "upset" at Doak and starting the season off right. We have playmakers now and I expect them to make the right plays at the right time. I can't wait. Go Canes!
-Columbus Cane
"three QBs transfer out in the same year, all of whom are the same skin complexion…it definitely begs the question of whether or not RS is showing extreme favortism"
gotta love comments like these from people trying to suggest shannon is a racist. if thats the case why would he have recruited these guys in the first place or why hire white assitant coaches over the years? you do know robert marve was HALF black dont you? its ridiculous to even suggest it, in the business of college football a coach would have to be a fool to not put the absolute best players on the field no matter what color and i believe they all do.
@Anonymous, I am a black guy and I brought up the question about all three QBs transferring out being white..so how am I being racist? I was merely asking how this may look in the eyes of some white players(especially at the QB position). Unfortunately, there may be a few individuals who look at that and some coaches who may use these transfers as a reason to lure recruits away from UM. I hope this doesn't negatively affect Shannon's reputation. Don't act as if some of you havent at least wondered the exact same thing.
Sidenote on RM being half-black; really?
Perhaps Cook could go play for Coker now….
All joking aside, I'm not concerned. However, I will be holding my breath every time Jacory gets hit or takes off to run.
If Jacory does get hurt, I think we will be fine with Highsmith as well. I believe Whipple is smart enough to limit his play calling around the plays A.J. has perfected.
The key will be….how good will our running game be to help balance the offense and keep the defense from sending overload blitzes. Will Coop get to the 1,000 yard mark?
I know we are STACKED at WR, but this is the year the offensive line has to step up and this is the year our running game needs to step up!
Good lord…another blow to the canes!!!first the defensive linemen hurt and now losing two quality quarterbacks on the same day no less!! Look i'm not tryin to the bash the canes by any means but one has to wonder just what is goin on in coral gables??!!how do you go from such a promising season with cook which looked like the #2 guy behind harris to deciding to transfer
A blow to the depth, but too much is being made of this. I don't see how this reflects on Randy or what's "going on" in Coral Gables. Both guys transferred right before classes were set to start. Had they waited, it'd have pushed off the amount of time they'd have to wait to get back in the game.
Crazy to me how people forget that there was little depth when Ken Dorsey was carving teams up between 2000-2002. Derrick Crudup was pretty much the only available guy. Miami wasn't exactly a half dozen deep at the position.
Yes, the o-line was better than… but freak accidents happen with a great line or a terrible one. It's about luck and fate. Hopefully #12 can go unharmed.
Coker had nothing to do with Fanuzzi. That was Shannon who went for Marve instead.
It bothers me that people care more about 2 back-ups leaving than the development of Jacory. Sure our depth at quarterback has dropped, but people are holding Randy responsible as if Jacory were the one who transfered. If that were the case then I would be extremely worried. If A.J. did beat both of them out for the #2 spot, then im just assuming that he looked better on the field. They both realized that they might not have the chance to play here so they left. Its not a real big deal, but god forbid Jacory goes down i doubt that either of those two would be able to play like Jacory does.
2000 – Ken Dorsey, Ethnic Sands and wait for it .. Troy Prasek. That was your QB stable right there.
Ease up people. Exactly what advantage did Cook or Smith have over Highsmith? Cook had a little over half a foot in height, Smith had a little more money in his checking account. Other than that, what's the difference if Jacory goes down and the Canes had to put Cook, Smith or Highsmith in?
All 3 had to learn Whip's new offense – at least Highsmith didn't have to evacuate any of the "Nix" from his melon.
Highsmith isn't that bad of a player, hate to break it to all the 'Cane doomsday squad. The kid has an above average football IQ – the blood running through his veins aren't bad either. He came out of Hightower HS in Texas, led his team to the 5A Division 1 State Championship game last year and left the school with almost 6,700 yards and 70 TDs.
I think Randy Phillips said it best "He loves to study film and he knows the whole playbook. He doesn’t make mistakes. To beat him out, you have to beat him out mentally and a lot of guys can’t do that because they don’t sacrifice things. He is always meeting with coaches and trying to be the best he can be. I guess that is why he moved ahead of those guys."
If Cook and Smith felt like they needed to go elsewhere, fine, good luck and have a safe trip. Can anyone tell me what kid that has transferred out of the "U" has really done anything of significance anyway? I'm not just talking about the QB position, I'm asking about ALL positions. Marve had the bad Cane karma hit him with an injury to his knee. Freeman was watching a phenom Frosh out in Waco on the field, while he was sitting on the bench.
Stop with the race card thing as well. Last I checked, Coach Whip was the same color as the mayo product with his last name in it, that people put on their sandwiches – you think he gave preferential treatment to AJ Highsmith over Cook and Smith, simply b/c of skin pigment? Come on. How about, AJ was showing signs of busting his ass, getting the Offense down, Whip saw it in practice, moved him up to take reps more than Cook and Smith, and they saw the writing on the wall?
It's Miami. It's becoming old school Miami once again, where if you go to take a water break while others aren't, you should be scared for your job b/c someone else is jumping in and busting ass during their reps.
Yes, Ken Dorsey had a wall of 5 beasts in front of him that wouldn't allow him to get his jersey dirty. No, this line is no where near being even close to playing like Dorsey's line did – even on their worst day.
Jacory and Whip will be fine. Have some faith that someone of Whip's caliber can devise the offense around this "problem", if that's what makes you sleep better at night. If everyone is that scared of Jacory getting hurt, form a posse to follow him around everywhere and do everything for him. Have 6 guys walk with him everywhere, inflated mattresses on hand in case he looks like he might trip over something, so he has a soft landing .. Jacory might start to choke on some food while laughing and joking with some of the team out at dinner – put his food in a blender and have him slurp it with a straw .. better yet, just chew his food for him and then regurgitate it and spoon feed it to him, like a mother bird
Relax. The timing was pretty bad for Cook and Smith to leave, I agree – but that's about all. Everyone, including Jacory, are learning a new system .. he's only 1 year older than Highsmith – only difference, he's been in the fire and cut his teeth already. Cook and Smith haven't, and do any of you really think they were that much more prepared than what Highsmith is now? Or Highsmith will now really be, knowing that he IS the backup for sure?
Coker had nothing to do with Fanuzzi. That was Shannon who went for Marve instead.
Coker targeted Fanuzzi as his guy and the QB for that class and like Devlin and Shaw before him, Fanuzzi proved to be another bust and bad call by Coker.
Shannon came in and made Marve a priority over Fanuzzi, but Nick was still Coker's guy for that recruiting class – and to date he's really done nothing with his football career.
Point being, Coker couldn't recruit a quarterback to save his ass.
S. Woodward,
great post bruh!! Your comments definitely answered the question which I had surrounding these transfers and that is all I wanted. I wasnt panicking or anything like that, rather just wondering.
I (heart) S. Woodward….
ATLcanes i didnt say you were racist, i just said it was ridiculous to suggest that shannon was a racist because some white QB's transferred. and you can bet all teams competing for the same recruits will use this situation as further proof that UM is unstable, luckily angles like that wont work with all recruits and i dont think it will work. not sure if you are being sarcastic about marve but yes his dad is black
reprint from Larry Wahl:
Don't forget '87…In the spring Walsh, Greg Jones and Bill Turkowski fought it out…Turkowski split after spring ball for Pitt…In the fall, Walsh (an unproven R-So) beat out Jones and then a week before camp broke JJ announced Craig Erickson, a true Freshman, beat out Jones for the #2 slot. So Jones left for WVU, leaving only Walsh and Erickson… Read More. JJ brought back Kirk Sandifer a former walk-on QB to be 3rd team QB, holder and scout team QB.
Oregon lost 2 QBs in the spring…Michigan lost 1 in the spring and 1 in the fall…they have 2 true freshman vying to start…Utah's projected #1 going into the fall got beat out and dropped to #3 so he transferred last week etc., etc….Let's not panic people.
I keep hearing on the radio down here that Highsmith wasn't recruited to be a QB….Blah, Blah, Blah. But Shannon said just the opposite, and had put Highsmith EXCLUSIVELY at QB even when Cook and Smith were here.
It is true that no one who has transferred has ever made a name for themselves. Remember Marc Guillon (sp) who went to Alabama? No? Well maybe that is because you haven't heard of him since!!!!
Canes are going to be great this season, Labor Day cannot come soon enough so we get a chance to prove all the naysayers and doubters and skeptics wrong, once again.
Hey, this is Miami. It's what we do.
RS is a raceist, thats why all the white boys will leave the u…
Hey Anonymus (10:31am post),
Take your ignorance to a Gator or Nole blog. We are hear to talk about Cane football, not your hidden inferiority complex-having, self-hating, excuse-making rationalization why you never made anything of yourself in life.
-Columbus Cane
Off topic:
305, are you going to feature the blog v. blog pregame analysis like the last several seasons?
BEAST FSU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully, this year the canes have a chance to possibly go 3-1 or 4-0. Especially when Bradford is out for a month. Virginia Tech looking sloppy. Watch out for Georgia Tech. The 'canes couldn't stop the run worth a damn. Before each game. The canes should get motivated by playing in the air tonight. Just like the canes in the 80s and 90s. Go canes. Destroy the noles