The Latest at The U…

Mid-summer and football season is a month and a half out. Head coach Al Golden remains hot on the recruiting trail, a familiar face has rejoined the baseball program and the questions keep rolling in at allCanesBlog.com. Let’s discuss the latest at ‘The U’ … slow as things may be.

Former UM running back Alonzo Highsmith was on 560 WQAM with Joe Rose earlier today talking shop. Highsmith is a scout for the World Champion Green Bay Packers, as well as father of Miami defensive back Alonzo Highsmith Jr.

The elder Highsmith small-talked Rose with some praise of Packers cornerback and recent Cane Sam Shields and listed Ted Hendricks as the greatest UM player in history (over Ken Dorsey), but the conversation soon turned towards Miami’s new head coach.

Regarding Golden and the current state of the UM program, Highsmith said, “I’m ecstatic about Al Golden. I think he’s brought the right state of mind back to the program. The thing I like about Al Golden … I call him a cross between Jimmy [Johnson] and Howard [Schnellenberger]. He’s all about accountability. You’re going to have to earn your keep on this football team. There’s nothing given to anybody.”

Highsmith is also in the process of writing a book called “Entitled”, which he said, “it’s just about today’s athletes and how everybody feels like they’re owed something. … It’s amazing to listen to young guys talk.”

Hurricanes running back Lamar Miller was named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, given to the to nation’s top running back at season’s end. Upwards of fifty backs nationwide earned the honor.

Miller played sparingly for the Canes last season, but when he saw action, he shone – especially later in the year. Miller carried 22 times for 125 yards and a touchdown against Maryland, his longest carry of the day going for 27 yards. Two weeks later, in a losing effort against Virginia Tech, Miller carried 15 times for 163 yards, his longest run at 47 yards and finding the end zone once.

The first time the world got familiar with Miller was his 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Ohio State in week two.

With Damien Berry NFL-bound and Storm Johnson transferring, it’s a two-man show between Miller and back up Mike James this season, so No. 6 will definitely be the go-to back and the workhorse.

With UM breaking in a new offense, the ground game will be heavily relied upon and while it’s too early to decide if Miller is a legit Doak Walker candidate, he looks like he has the tools to become Miami’s next speedy back.

Head baseball coach Jim Morris welcomed a much-needed alum back to the program last week when former player and assistant Gino DiMare rejoined the Canes. DiMare was an assistant from 1997 to 2008, but stepped down to play the role of ‘Dad’ as he had two young kids at the time.

DiMare legitimately stepped away to be with family, but with three daughters who are now 6, 4 an 2, it seemed as good a time as any to return to a program which has sorely missed him.

As noted by Manny Navarro at The Herald: “Miami’s offense ranked among the top 10 in school history in eight of DiMare’s nine seasons as the club’s hitting instructor. The 2008 team that advanced to the College World Series and spent much of the season atop the national collegiate baseball polls finished the year hitting at a school eighth-best .320 average, while also ranking tied for second in home runs (106), fourth in slugging percentage (.541), eighth in total bases (1,202) and RBI (517), tied for ninth in doubles (135) and 10th in hits (711).”

DiMare has Omaha on the brain and feels that Miami can turn things around quickly. “I certainly wouldn’t be coming back if I didn’t feel the program could get back to Omaha,” said DiMare. “I wouldn’t put myself in that situation. I think we can get it turned around. I don’t think they’re that far off.”

Hitting is obviously the first issue to address and on the recruiting front, it’s all about finding players who can help right away.

This is a huge shot in the arm for Miami Baseball. Welcome back Coach.

Some good “father an son” ink in the Miami Herald this weekend in regards to the recent verbal commitment of James Burgess Jr., son of former Canes linebacker and Homestead product James Burgess. The elder Burgess credits the hiring of Golden in getting JBJ back in the loop.

“We kind of argued a year ago when my son told me he wasn’t interested in going to [UM]. I guess he kind of got out of the loop when Randy Shannon was there. But when Al [Golden] came in, a lot of his feelings started to shift,” said Burgess Sr. “I took him to the spring game and he liked what he saw. When he came home from the Nike Camp in Oregon he said ‘Dad, I think I’m going to UM.’ That put a big smile on my face.”

Burgess Sr. remembers his UM days fondly, his then three-year old son running around Greentree with dad’s helmet on and fifteen years later, James Jr. is following in his father’s footsteps, just like this year’s signing of highly-touted defensive end Anthony Chickillo, who became the first third generation Cane, following in the footsteps of father Tony Chickillo and grandfather Nick Chickillo.

Burgess. Chickillo. Highsmith. It really is a Canes thing and “U Family” has taken on a whole new meaning entering fall.

Keep the questions coming in regarding our summer series, “allCanesBlog.com Q&A”. Email them to us or post on our Facebook or Twitter pages. This summer’s best questions will receive some allCanes gift cards and we’ll answer your question here in the blog. Tune in tomorrow for another.

Lastly, any way you try to spin it, college football and summertime don’t go hand in hand so enjoy the beach as kickoff is in forty-eight days. See you in College Park, MD for the beginning of the three most exciting months of the year. Go Canes.

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