The Miami Hurricanes had a couple of recruiting fireworks over the 4th of July weekend.
Teddy Bridgewater, the Miami Northwestern QB committed to UM for the class of 2011 added to his list of accomplishments. Badger Sports held a National 7 on 7 football camp for kids from all areas of the country to compete. Teddy Bridgewater was the QB representing the South Florida squad named the ‘Express’ that took home the National Title on the 4th of July. Bridgewater continues the Miami Northwestern Pipeline to UM. He lead his team to the State Championship game his Sophomore year in 2008 and looks to win the title this year. The Northwestern QB broke Jacory Harris’ Dade record with 7 TD passes in a single game last year. He is an incredibly athletic QB who also has a gun for an arm. He is rated as the 3rd best QB by scout.com, 5th best Dual Threat QB by rivals.com, and the 8th QB by espn.com.
Seantrel Henderson has been one of the highest touted Offensive Lineman in history. The massive Offensive Tackle from Minnesota is 6′8 and over 300 lbs, and very athletic for his size. Henderson is the first Offensive Lineman to ever win Offensive National Player of the year. He has been compared to Bryant McKinnie, Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden. He was rated as the top Offensive Lineman by all recruiting services. On National Signing Day last year he committed to USC just edging out Miami who made a big push at the last minute. He waited for weeks and weeks before finally signing his letter of intent with USC. He said he was worried about possible probation and then down came the hammer on USC. He no longer wants to be a Trojan. He had still not shown up to report at USC.
He spent the 4th of July weekend in Miami with his family. USC has now released him from his letter of intent and he is free to sign with any team he wants. That team looks like it will be Miami for sure. It is not known if Miami has an available scholarship for the 2010 class left. Miami has a few options if Henderson decides to pick Miami. Miami may have a scholarship available which would allow him to enroll immediately and play as early as this year, they could ask a player to gray shirt for a year which would require them to pay their way for a year and then use up a scholarship for next year, or Henderson could wait to enroll for the winter semester. This would be a great surprise to land one of the best players in the country 4 months after signing day.
Bruce Feldman of ESPN is reporting that Randy Shannon has signed a 4 year contract. This news is relieving to say the least. Coach Shannon has brought in a ridiculous amount of talent and has Miami back on the rise. With one year left on his contract heading into the season, the lack of an extension was a major cause for concern in the minds of recruits. The handling of this contract could have been used as a negative recruiting tactic from other schools. With this issue finally behind wrapped up and behind us the coaches can focus on the season. Administration fumbled the ball on this one by taking so long but at least it has finally been settled.
The University of Miami football program is the very best college for pipe lining prospects into the NFL.ESPN is doing some sort of bracket to try and find this out. But come on…no seriously, come on…everyone already knows this bracket is just silly. The only reason we are even paying attention to it is the off chance they actually don’t have Miami winning it. I know they have Miami as the 2 seed and USC as the 1. But as I said before…come on.
I just saw this on proCanes and got a little nervous. If you were in Baltimore and saw a street sign for Ray Lewis Way #52 would you find an alternate route or decide to take your chances going down this street? Although Martin Luther King streets are usually full of violence so maybe this route will also have an opposite affect and will be surprisingly pleasant.
The offense put on a show at Yesterday’s Spring game at Traz Powell Stadium in North Miami (yet another more suitable home stadium than that stadium with all the different names).
Blocks away from Liberty City and surrounded by barbed wire, Traz Powell Stadium would be a much more intimidating home game site than Sun Life Stadium.
A lost FSU fan getting jeered by children. “Hey mister wanna tussle?” Classic.
Travis Benjamin was fantastic. He finished with six catches for 171 yards and this touchdown.
Ray Ray Armstrong was great; he had two interceptions.
Travis Benjamin makes a great juke move to get by two defenders.
Warren Sapp talking with Randy Shannon.
A.J. Highsmith and Spencer Whipple show great promise.
Congratulations to former Canes Jonathon Vilma and Jeremy Shockey on their Super Bowl win last night. Vilma played a great game and was a huge factor in stopping the Colts drive late in the game that ended in a missed field goal. He showed he could cover slot receivers deep down the field as well as stop the run during the pivotal drive. And who scored the go ahead touchdown for the Saints? None other than Jeremy Shockey. Man the haters are pissed about that.
Recruiting Coordinator Filled
Aubrey Hill has been named the new Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Miami. Hill grew up in Miami and played for Carol City before playing at UF (nobody is perfect). He is the Wide Receivers Coach at UM. Hill is a young coach, just 38 years old, and has done a terrific job in his two years so far at UM. The Wide Receivers have done a great job under Hill and they are probably the best group of the team. Hill has also been a great recruiter for Miami. He was the recruiter for Stephen Morris, Allen Hurns and Travis Williams this year and has brought in players in the past such as Ray Ray Armstrong. Hill is a young Coach who knows the area, has a great relationship with players and will now take over as the new Recruiting Coordinator for the Hurricanes.
Running Back Coach Position Filled
Mike Cassano will be named the new Miami Hurricane Running Back Coach soon. Cassano will replace Tommie Robinson who left the Canes to coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Cassano previously was a volunteer Coach and Offensive Assistant at Miami from 2004-2006. The past 3 years he was the Florida International Running Backs Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. In 1998 he was the Running Backs Coach at Massachusetts under then Head Coach Mark Whipple. UM has made no official announcement but players have indicated that this is a done deal. Expect this to be announced early on this week.
2010 Schedule Released
There is no rundown or summary of the schedule. Just circle September 11 on your calendars. Nothing else matters.
***Signed*** Allen Hurns – WR – Miami (FL) Carol City – 6’2 175lbs
Hurns has 4.5 speed which is good for a wide receiver coming out of High School. He catches the ball well with his hands, usually avoids catching it with his body. He gets the ball at the highest point on a regular basis snagging it out of the air. He makes good adjustments on deep passes and knows how to position his body to box defenders out and away from the ball. His route running may be limited at this time though, in his highlights he seems to run mostly flys, posts and hooks. In Whipple’s Offense he will need to learn how to run the route tree. Allen is rated as a 3* 86th WR by scout.com, 3* 77th WR by ESPN.com and a 3* 60th WR by rivals.com. Hurns will play this year as a Freshman. He has the ability to contribute and is already enrolled and will participate in spring practice.
***Signed*** Storm Johnson – RB – Loganville (GA) Loganville – 6-1 217lbs
Storm has the best name out of all the recruits this year for the Hurricanes. Storm may also be the best Running Back in this year’s stable of Backs coming in. He is well balanced and can do it all. He has great vision, breaks tackles, can house any run once he gets in the open field and can catch out of the backfield. He is very, very strong for a High School Running Back. Storm is rated as a 3* 40th RB by scout.com, a 4* 3rd RB by ESPN.com,and 4* 7th RB by rivals.com. And I think he is underrated. He has already enrolled at Miami and will participate in the spring, that shows that he is a dedicated hard worker. Given his ability, speed, strength and hardwork – my comparison is Edge.
***Signed*** Brandon Linder – C – Fort Lauderdale (FL) – 6’6 290lbs
Linder is one of the best and well rounded Offensive Lineman in this year’s class. He has played Center and Left Tackle. He started as a Sophomore at Center and started his Senior year as a Left Tackle. He is an excellent pass blocker and run blocker. He has quick feet, he gets to the next level and flattens Linebackers and he drive blocks exceptionally well. He is clearly one of the most important recruits in this class not only because of need at Offensive Line but also his talent. He is very well coached from St. Thomas Aquinas and has nearly perfect technique for a High School Offensive Lineman. He is rated as a 4* 1st Center by scout.com, 4* 2nd Center by ESPN.com and 4* 3rd Center by rivals.com. He certainly has the talent to play Left Tackle and very well may end up there, but with A.J. Trump departing at Center and Franklin presumably taking over for Fox at Left Tackle, Linder could potentially start from Day 1 if he plays Center. I expect that is where the staff will start him out and he will almost certainly avoid a redshirt and could start right away. Because of his versatility he compares to Chris Myers.
***Signed*** Asante-Jabari Cleveland – TE – Sacramento (CA) Christian Brothers – 6’5 230lbs
Cleveland is a major sleeper. He is not rated by most recruiting sites, although rivals.com rates him as a 2*. He has been committed to Washington State until today, he has committed and signed with Miami. He had a youtube clip up earlier but I believe it has since been taken down. He is a devastating blocker as a Tight End.
***Signed*** Shane McDermott – C – Wellington (FL) Palm Beach Central – 6’3 266lbs
McDermott is projected to be a Guard or Center. He still needs to get bigger before playing. He has good technique and does well drive blocking in the run game. McDermott is rated as a 3* 13th Center by scout.com, a 3* 5th Center by ESPN.com and a 3* 31st OG by rivals.com. McDermott is enrolled at Miami for the spring and getting into the weight room will be key for him to get bigger. He would benefit from a redshirt year but competing in the spring will really give him a leg up.
***Signed*** Stephen Morris – QB – Miami Shores (FL) Monsignor Pace – 6’2 186lbs
Morris is athletic enough to run and has a strong enough arm to make all the throws. He makes good decisions and checks down when he needs to. He has a strong arm and can throw the ball deep but sometimes struggles with down field accuracy. The good thing is that he usually puts it where only the receiver can get it. At times it may take a diving catch but he won’t risk forcing into coverage. He is smart, athletic and has a strong arm. He could really flourish with Miami’s athleticism around him. He is rated as a 3* 61st QB by scout.com, a 3* 49th QB by ESPN.com and a 3* and 26th QB by rivals.com. Jacory is obviously the starting Quarterback for the next few two years, but after that Morris will be in a battle with A.J. Highsmith for the starting position. He is enrolled for the spring and will participate in spring practice.
***Signed*** Kevin Nelson – LB – Gainesville (FL) Gainesville 6’1 220lbs
Nelson had the quote of the year out of all the recruits. Nelson said of the Gators,
“I can’t wait to play them suckers, for real. I know it’s a long time from now. I just can’t wait ’till we play these suckers. They are just disrespectful.”
I love this guy already! And he is from Gainesville High on top of that. He plays Middle Linebacker and certainly has the attitude for it. He is a tackling machine tallying over 120 his junior year. He plays with great instincts and intensity. He is a terrific athlete but will need to improve in pass coverage. Nelson is rated as a 3* 22nd MLB by scout.com, 4* 3rd MLB by ESPN.com and a 3* 14th MLB by rivals.com. He should be a very good linebacker for the Hurricanes. He may see the field on special teams as a freshman. Although I expect him to be good, just based on his hatred for UF I will love this guy even if he never makes a single tackle. 2013 can’t come soon enough!
***Signed*** Keion Payne – CB – Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas – 6’0 165lbs,
Payne has great speed. He has good balance and fluid hips changing direction with ease. He has good closing speed when the ball is in the air. He is a very good tackler for a Cornerback, especially for his size. He has very good hands and comes down with interceptions. He did however, play opposite possibly the best Cornerback in the Country so he probably had the luxury of facing the second best WR from each team he faced. He is great at getting to the ball for either a break up or interception once its in the air. Payne is rated as a 4* 19th CB by scout.com, a 3* 22nd CB by ESPN.com and a 3* 28th CB by rivals.com. Miami had a few freshman Corners last year so based on the fact that the Canes are young at the position there is a good chance Payne redshirts.
***Signed*** David Perry – DE – Fort Lauderdale (FL) University – 6’6 230lbs
Perry is big and fast and shows flashes of being an excellent pass rusher. He gets off of blocks well and is solid in run support. He tends to go too wide at times which can open up holes if done too much. Perry is rated as a 3* 39th DE by scout.com, a 4* 12th DE by ESPN.com and a 3* 29th DE by rivals.com. He will need to grow into his frame more and obviously has room to grow. He has a chance to play this year if he works hard in the weight room and adds some bulk.
***Signed*** Kacy Rodgers – CB – South Lake (TX) Carroll – 6’2 185lbs
Rodgers has been well coached at South Lake Carroll and has great technique. His backpedal is very impressive and he breaks on the ball well. He is a solid tackler, not huge hits but he always wraps the guy up and gets him down. He had on more than one occasion a Wide Receiver break inside for a slant without much resistance, he needs to do a better job of jamming on the line. He has great speed and should be a solid player. Rodgers is rated as a 4* 14th CB by scout.com, a 3* 32nd CB by ESPN.com and a 3* 37th CB by rivals.com. Rodgers may be underrated and could become special if he can get a little more physical at the line.
Andrew Tallman – TE – Dorchester (MA) Boston College High – 6’5 240lbs
Tallman is a big athlete with potential. There are mixed reviews on what position he is best suited for. I think in the end he would be a good blocking Tight End. He is a solid drive blocker. Andrew is rated as a 3* 53rd OT by scout.com, a 3* 47th TE by ESPN.com, and a 3* DE by rivals.com.
***Signed*** Delmar Taylor – DT – Miami Beach (FL) Miami Beach – 6’4 265lbs
Taylor played Offensive Tackle and Defensive Tackle for Miami Beach High School. Taylor will play Defensive Tackle for the Canes. The only video of him on youtube though is all Offense. You can see in his tape his pure strength, drive and nastiness. He has the attitude of a Defensive player. He has extremely strong legs and drives players for as long as he can and as far as he can, usually he just knocks them off their feet though. This guy is underrated and should be a disruptive force on the D-Line. Delmar is rated as a 2* 96th DT by scout.com, a 3* 45th DT by ESPN.com and a 3* DT by rivals.com. With only Offensive highlights its unknown how his technique is on Defense, so its unknown whether he will redshirt or not. Based on his size he probably won’t play right away. He will surpass expectations down the road though, he is so strong and never quits, he will fit right in on a Miami Defensive Line. Can’t wait to see how disruptive this guy gets as he develops a few years from now.
***Signed*** Clive Walford – TE – Belle Glade (FL) Glades Central – 6’6 225lbs
Walford is a great athlete but somewhat of a project. He obviously has size and he also has plenty of speed. He is a receiving threat and he helped lead his team to an undefeated season at Glades Central. Walford is just the latest product of Glades Central which has produced Travis Benjamin, Randy Phillips, Damien Berry and others. He is a big Tight End but very raw. He didn’t play his junior year but was a star his senior year at his High School. He is rated as a 3* 42nd TE by scout.com, a 3* TE by rivals.com and not rated by ESPN.com. He is a project but has the potential to develop into a special player.
***Signed*** Travis Williams – OLB – Norfolk (VA) Lake Taylor – 6’2 195lbs
Williams is one of the fastest front 7 Defensive Players in this class. He played a standing DE in High School and rushed mostly every play. He has great speed and a tall frame to grow into. He has phenomenal potential and has the Cane attitude. He played in the USA vs. The World game this past Saturday and after delivering a big blow on a kickoff immediately found the cameras and flashed the U. Although he mainly played Defensive End/rush OLB in High School he probably isn’t strong enough to be a Defensive End at Miami. He should be a weak side Linebacker at Miami. Travis is rated as a 3* 58th OLB by scout.com, 3* 44th OLB by ESPN.com and 4* 14th OLB by rivals.com. Based on the fact that Williams still has room to grow he will probably redshirt unless Miami wants to use him on special teams. He should be an exciting player a year or two from now.
Tavadis Glenn, Storm Johnson and Shane McDermott chose the Canes
***Signed*** Jermaine Barton – OT – Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas – 6’6 270 lbs
Barton is a big Offensive Tackle who excels in down blocking (blocking a defender inside towards the Center) and he is a good kick out blocker (blocking a defender outside away from the Center). He is good in pass protection but is better at run blocking which is normal at the high school level. He does a good job of getting to the next level and blocking Linebackers. He is very well coached. Jermaine is rated as a 3* 60th best OT by scout.com, 3* 83rd OT by ESPN.com and 3* player by rivals.com. Barton probably won’t play right away but could develop into a starter a year or two down the road.
***Signed*** Jeffery Brown – DT – Evanston (IL) Evanston Township – 6’3 275lbs
Brown is very athletic for a Defensive Tackle. He is always chasing the ball carrier which is not usually the case for interior Linemen. He does need to improve on his technique though. He sometimes relies too much on pure athleticism rather than technique. He chose Miami over Toledo, Illinois State,and Eastern Michigan. Brown is rated a 3* 74th DT by scout.com, a 3* 77th DT by ESPN.com and a 2* DT by rivals.com. Jeffery would almost certainly redshirt this year unless injuries in the depth chart force him into action. He could be a project but has enough ability that if developed could pay dividends.
***Signed***Malcolm Bunche – New Berlin (NY) Milford Prep – 6’5 325lbs
Bunche signed with Miami out of High School last year but did not qualify academically. So he attended Milford Prep School, played there this fall, brought his grades up and is now enrolled at Miami for the spring. Coming out of High School in New Jersey last year he was very raw. He had the talent but was lacking in technique. Milford has some of the best prep coaches around who praised Bunche during the year. We’ll see how much he has improved over the last few months. He could be a great player for Miami. Bunche is rated as a 3* OL by scout.com and a 4* OT by rivals.com. Bunche should start out at Right Tackle this spring. He has a chance to get some playing time this fall if he continues to improve on technique.
***Signed*** Kelvin Cain – LB – Clovis (CA) Buchanan – 6’4 210 lbs
Caine played Defensive End in High School but could be a Linebacker in College. He is very fast and can run from sideline to sideline. In his highlight film he showed the ability to recognize screens and either bat them down or make the tackle. He may need to improve on his pass coverage skills if he plays Linebacker. Cain is rated as a 2* 113th OLB by scout.com, a 3* 71st OLB by ESPN.com and a 2* OLB by rivals.com Although the recruiting services don’t rank him all that high, I expect he will surpass expectations. Think about all the talent in Florida, and Canes coaches went all the way to California to get this sleeper. Don’t be surprised if Randy found something special everyone else overlooked. (Gotta love Cain picking the Canes)
***Signed***Eduardo Clements – RB – Miami (FL) Booker T. Washington – 5’10 185 lbs
Clements has been one of the best Running Backs to come out of Dade County this decade. There are two things that make Eduardo so special. The first is his hands, Eduardo could play Wide Receiver if he wanted to. The second is his unbelievable acceleration. He is a very shifty Back. He has been a productive player both running the ball as well as catching the ball. Clements changes direction quickly without losing speed, but he doesn’t dance. He is always headed up field, he changes direction only to quickly make someone miss without wasting time dancing. He has great vision and will be a great player for the Hurricanes. He reminds me of Brian Westbrook from the Philadelphia Eagles. He is rated as a 4* 14th RB by scout.com, a 4* 14th RB by ESPN.com, and a 4* 7th RB by rivals.com. Clements has the talent to play right away at Miami. The only thing that could keep him off the field is the depth at Running Back. Eduardo is already enrolled in Miami after graduating Booker T. Washington this December. With him having the advantage of participating and learning the plays this spring expect him to be a contributor this fall. THIS IS NOT ALL EDUARDO IN THE VIDEO. HE IS THE HB WEARING #2
***Signed*** Tyrone Cornelius – OLB – Stone Mountain (GA) Stephenson – 6’2 195 lbs
Cornelius is extremely fast for a linebacker. He is not fooled by play-action or draws. He is a solid tackler with great form and technique. He is a also a special teams demon, something that should get him on the field right away. Tyrone is rated as a 3* 61st OLB by scout.com, a 3* 26th OLB by ESPN.com and a 3* 38th OLB by rivals.com. Expect Tyrone to play right away on the Kickoff unit. He may also get some burn time at Linebacker if Miami gets a comfortable lead. He is enrolled for the spring semester and should play right away on special teams.
***Signed*** Devont’a Davis – CB – Gainesville (FL) Gainesville – 6’1 168lbs
Davis has been timed at 4.5 in the forty. He is athletic and changes direction well. He has good hands and great leaping ability. He will need to work in the weight room and add strength. He needs to improve jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. Davis is rated as a 3* 113th CB by scout.com, 3* 33rd CB by ESPN.com and a 3* CB by rivals.com. Davis is a good athlete but would benefit from a redshirt year.
***Signed*** Jeremy Davis – WR – Fort Myers (FL) Cape Coral – 5’11 162 lbs
Fast! Davis is listed as a 4.5 guy on rivals, I don’t believe it. This guy is probably closer to the low 4.3s. He is projected to be a Wide Receiver at the next level. Unfortunately, in his highlight videos almost all of the plays are direct snaps or handoffs so with only a couple passing plays on display its anyone’s guess what his hands are like. Personally I don’t care how we get him the ball as long as he is getting the ball. I could try and describe how electric this guy is but instead just watch the video, you’ll realize how fast this guy is with in two or three plays. There is also the possibility that he could play corner. He is the half brother of former Hurricane All-American Phillip Buchanon. Jeremy is rated as a 3* 49th CB by scout.com, a 3* 51st ATH by ESPN.com and a 3* 75th WR by rivals.com. He still needs to get bigger but I hope that doesn’t keep him off the field this year. I wouldn’t want to redshirt this much speed. He reminds me of Trindon Holliday of LSU.
***Signed*** Johnathan Feliciano – OT – Davie (FL) Western – 6’4 283 lbs
Feliciano is probably the most underrated player in this class. When you look at his highlights they are better than a lot of 5* guys. I really don’t understand how he flew under the radar like he did. His may have not played in a high level of competition in High School, that is really the only thing I can imagine that would hold back his ranking. Even if that is the case I am still VERY impressed with him and I think he is one of the top 2 or 3 players in this class. He grew up a Canes fan and showed up at the Spring Game to give the Coaches a DVD of his games. Shortly after he received a scholarship offer and he committed on the spot. He has great technique in his blocks. He gets to the next level and flattens Linebackers, he has great strength, often knocks defenders off their feet and is excellent in pass protection. He is rated as a 3* 19th OG by scout.com, a 3* 51st OT by ESPN.com and a 3* 55th OT by rivals.com. Although some of the recruiting services don’t rank him as highly as he should be, I expect him to play as a Freshman. That is very rare, especially at Miami. But I believe if he works hard he will be in the rotation as a true Freshman.
***Signed*** Chase Ford – TE – Kilgore (TX) Kilgore – 6’6 245 lbs
Ford is a Junior College transfer. He adds depth to a position of need for Miami after losing Jimmy Graham, Dedrick Epps and Tervaris Johnson to graduation. He has been described as a great down field threat in the passing game but that his blocking needs to improve. Ford is rated as a 2* TE by scout.com and a 3* TE by rivals.com. My guess is that he will play since no one else on the depth chart has any experience.
***Signed*** James Gaines – LB – Buffalo (NY) Canisius – 6’3 205lbs
Gaines is somewhat of a mystery. I could not find any highlight tapes of him anywhere and the only other offer he received was reportedly from Buffalo. He is rated as a 2* LB by scout.com and rivals.com and not ranked at all by ESPN.com. He was a two way player in High School and registered over 120 tackles this year.
***Signed*** Tavadis Glenn – DT – Jacksonville (FL) Raines – 6’5 265lbs
Glenn has the Hurricane Swagger. He competed at this year’s Friday Night Lights, which is an all-star competition held in the “Swamp” (or as Lamar Thomas calls it the “Puddle”) in Gainesville. After making big plays he celebrated by holding up the U and saying “its all about the U!” Gator coaches kicked him out of the event. He played both Offensive Line and Defensive Line in High School and could potentially play either as a Cane. He has strength and is extremely fast for a Defensive Tackle. He still needs to develop more technique. He is rated as a 3* 35th OT by scout.com, a 4* 16th OT by ESPN.com, and a 4* 22nd DT by rivals.com Glenn will most likely redshirt this season based on his size and the room he still has left to grow into his frame but he should develop into a great player down the road. His most likely position is Left Tackle on the Offensive side. He is more groomed as an Offensive player and with his athleticism Left Tackle makes the most sense.
***Signed*** Maurice Hagens – FB – Tampa (FL) Tampa Bay Technical – 6-1 235lbs
Hagens is a tough downhill runner and has one of the best stiff arms I’ve seen. He has a very physical game and loves contact. He will be a Fullback for Miami. He played in a Wing-T Offense where he was the B-Back (the Fullback that lines up directly behind the QB with two Wing Backs on the sides). Unfortunately in his high light tapes there are no plays that show his blocking ability. I know the Hurricanes coaches evaluate game tapes and not high light films, so I’m sure the coaches have seen him block. Hagens is rated as a 3* 4th Fullback by scout.com, 3* 4th Fullback by ESPN.com, and 3* 8th Fullback by rivals.com. I expect him to redshirt since he is in a crowded backfield with Pat Hill and Mike James returning at Fullback.
***Signed*** Darion Hall – RB – Naples (FL) Lely – 6’1 200lbs
Hall has good speed, excellent vision and was a TD machine in high school. His highlight tape is almost all Touchdowns, but he doesn’t seem to be a burner, so his level of competition may be weak. He has great vision and good speed none the less. He accelerates quickly and runs draw plays better than just about anyone. He is able to get skinny when hitting the whole and finding a crease. Hall is rated as a 3* 38th RB by scout.com, 3* 30th RB by ESPN.com and a 3* 49th RB by rivals.com. Hall will probably redshirt because of the depth Miami already has at Running Back.
Rick Petri is the new Defensive Line Coach at Miami. Although Clint Hurtt will be missed, this should be considered an upgrade at D-Line Coach. Petri has 33 years of college coaching experience. He was at UM from 1993-1995 when he coached Warren Sapp, Kenard Lang, Kevin Patrick and other star players.
This is a very good hire by UM. The Canes have so much talent on the Defensive Line and having a Coach with this much experience and accomplishments should help the players realize their potential. The Defensive Line is lead by All-ACC star Allen Bailey (a potential 1st rounder next year), along with former freshman All-Americans Marcus Robinson and Marcus Forston (who red shirted last year). The Canes also get back Adawale Ojomo who missed last year with a broken jaw. Oliver Vernon was a terrific freshman Defensive End last year and will look to continue his growth. Petri inherits a load of potential and talent. He was successful in the SEC with Kentucky and comes to a team in Miami with a lot more to work with.
The recruiting coordinator vacancy still has not been filled. I expect that Randy Shannon will assume that role until after National Signing Day (Wednesday February 3rd).
Rick Petri is on Miami’s radar to be the next Defensive Line Coach. Petri was Miami’s Assistant Defensive Line Coach from 1993-1995. He is currently Kentucky’s Defensive Line Coach were he has built up a strong Line in his time there. Remember when his DE knocked out Tebow?
Petri was up for Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008. While at Miami he was the Assistant Coach of a Defensive Line that featured Warren Sapp, Kevin Patrick, Kenard Lang and Kenny Holmes. He has been coaching in the SEC since leaving Miami at South Carolina, Ole Miss and Kentucky. Petri has 33 years of coaching experience in College Football.
This looks like it may come down to Kevin Patrick and Rick Petri to become the next Defensive Line Coach. Both have UM ties with Petri having much more accomplishments and experience. At this point Petri may be Miami’s #1 guy.
Unfortunately, Clint Hurtt has left the University of Miami for Louisville. Hurtt is a former player at the University of Miami and was the Defensive Line Coach as well as the Recruiting Coordinator. This is a blow for UM to have a position coach, the top recruiter and even more importantly the Recruiting Coordinator leave just weeks before National Signing Day. Hopefully Miami is able to act quickly and fill the holes in the coaching staff.
Kevin Patrick would be a logical choice to fill the Defensive Line Coaching vacancy. Patrick is a former star from UM who played Defensive End from 1989-1993 (he played with Shannon as a player and under him as a coach). He was a starter for the 1991 National Championship team. After his UM days he had a brief career in the NFL. He is currently the USF Defensive Ends Coach. USF’s Defensive Ends have been extremely productive specializing in sacks in recent years. Patrick is also a very good recruiter at USF. We have no knowledge if Miami has reached out to Patrick yet, but this would certainly be a great fit. Hopefully Kevin Patrick will be coaching at Miami next year.
The Recruiting Coordinator is a little tougher to figure out. My guess is that either Randy Shannon will take over for now or he may pass the duties over to Michael Barrow. Barrow has been a great recruiter at the University of Miami. Barrow is a Defensive Assistant but is not a position coach, so he could potentially spend more time to focus on recruiting efforts. There have been a number of commits in the past who have cited their relationship with Barrow as their reason for choosing the University of Miami.
Clint Hurtt always has been and always will be a true Hurricane.
