Mon., Sept. 7 at Florida State* (9-4)
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Miami will start the season on the road against arch-rival Florida State. It will be played Labor Day on ESPN. Miami has a new Offensive Coordinator in Mark Whipple and now a new Defensive Coordinator in John Lovett and fans will be anxious to see how the new offense and defense looks. FSU has won the last 3 of 4 including last years high-scoring 41-39 thriller. But this year’s game will most likely be low scoring because of it being the first game of the year. The last 6 games between the two bitter rivals have been decided by just 24 points. This will be the 54th meeting between Miami and Florida State with Miami controlling the series record 30-23. It will be crucial for the Hurricanes to learn the new playbooks quickly with the first game being a conference opponent, an arch-rival, an instate school, on National television, on a holiday and on the road against the Seminoles.
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Thurs., Sept. 17 Georgia Tech* (9-4)
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The Hurricanes will be coming off a bye week and looking for revenge from last year’s thrashing in Atlanta. From the early 1980’s and on Miami shut down, dominated and nearly sent the option attack into extinction. But in last year’s embarrassment the Yellow Jackets rushed for a school record 472 rushing yards. Georgia Tech has won 4 straight against the Canes dating back to November of 2005 when they upset then #3 ranked Miami in the Orange Bowl. This game will be broadcasted on a Thursday night on ESPN.
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Sat., Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech* (10-4)
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For the first time since joining the ACC Miami opens up their season schedule against 3 straight conference opponents. And this one is against rival and last year’s ACC Champion, Virginia Tech. The Canes won last year’s game 16-14 in a nail bitter, but Tech always plays tough at home. The Hurricanes season and ACC chances could be determined very early this season starting it with three conference games. It could be a rocky start but if Miami comes out firing on all cylinders it would play into their hands by getting the tough games out of the way early.
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Sat., Oct. 3 Oklahoma (12-2)
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Miami’s schedule gets no easier with a home game against the high-scoring Oklahoma Sooners. OU played in the national championship game last year in Dolphin Stadium and now make their return to play against the Canes. Miami and Oklahoma matched up in 2007 when the Sooners blew out Miami 51-13. The Hurricanes will now look for revenge in a highly anticipated game against Oklahoma and reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford.
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Sat., Sept. 10 Florida A&M (9-3)
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After four tremendous challenges in their first four games Miami can exhale to a certain extent when they play FAMU. Miami last played FAMU in 2006 and won 51-10. This should be an easy win for the Canes. It could be the first game of the season where the young players and backups get a chance for some game experience. Should be a blowout victory where Miami can play the youngsters, run up the score and give the fans a chance to see the always entertaining FAMU Band.
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Sat., Oct. 17 at UCF (4-8)
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In last year’s match-up the Miami Defense absolutely dominated. UCF was embarrassingly held to less than 78 yards total Offense. But UCF kept if close because of an interception returned for a touchdown and a kickoff returned for a touchdown. The Miami Offense needs to play better this year with better quarterback efficiency. If the offense comes ready to play this game should be a chance for Miami to play an instate team, show their superiority, impress the prospects and recruits in the Central Florida area and come home with a solid victory.
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Sat., Oct. 24 Clemson* (7-6)
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In 2005 Miami beat Clemson on the road in a triple overtime thriller and then the following year lost to Clemson in a overtime heart breaker. They have not played since then. Miami’s Defensive Line has the potential to have a big game here because of Clemson’s weakness at Offensive Line. But Clemson is no slouch with their talented Running Backs and speedy Defense. Could be a good match-up but Miami probably has the edge here.
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Sat., Oct. 31 at Wake Forest* (8-5)
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Expect the fans to come decked out for Halloween for this game. Wake Forest has had a solid program over the past few years, but have yet to beat Miami in ACC play. Last year’s games was one of the most exciting home games of the year in a 16-10 win for the Canes. Miami has not traveled to Wake Forest since 2005 when they blew out the Demon Deacons 47-17. Wake Forest was a senior squad last year and likely won’t be as good this year, whereas Miami was extremely young playing more Freshmen than any team in the country. Miami could show more separation compared to last year’s 6 point victory.
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Sat., Nov. 7 Virginia* (5-7)
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Two years ago Virginia crushed Miami 48-0, but last year Miami shocked the Virginia faithful when true Freshman Jacory Harris drove the Canes 97 yards for the game tying touchdown. Miami tied the contest on a 26 yard reception by LaRon Byrd and then won in overtime with a touchdown reception by Aldarius Johnson. The key to this game will be Miami’s Offensive Line picking up the blitz from Virginia. If Jacory has time he should pick them apart with receivers like Benjamin, Byrd, Johnson and others. Pass protection will be the key in this game.
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Sat., Nov. 14 at North Carolina* (8-5)
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North Carolina has defeated the Hurricanes two years in a row. In 2007 Butch Davis’s squad jumped out to a 27-0 lead at the half. Miami stormed back in the second half but still came up short 33-27. Last year Miami controlled the game early but collapsed late. The Tar Heels took the lead for the first time at 28-24 with just 46 seconds left. Miami had one last chance throwing the ball into the end zone on the final play but is slipped through the fingertips of Kayne Farquharson and resulted in an interception with no time left on the clock. Miami will look for revenge once again. This is an absolute must win game for the Canes. It has obvious ACC implications and Miami must put the Tar Heels back in place. North Carolina is beginning to recruit well with Butch Davis and Miami needs to knock them off with superior talent.
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Sat. Nov. 21 Duke* (4-8)
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Duke scheduled Miami as its home-coming game last year. It didn’t go as planned for Duke. Jacory Harris threw four touchdowns in the second half and ran for another. Miami has the obvious edge in this game and should win heavily in their final home game of the year.
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Sat., Nov. 28 at USF (8-5)
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There were two recruits this past year that were offered scholarships to play for UM but chose USF. Unfortunately for them we play USF every year from now until 2013. USF fans have grown cocky over the past few years and its up to Miami to make them regret scheduling the Canes. The Bulls have an athletic Quarterback in Matt Grothe so Miami’s athletic Defensive Line needs to pin their ears back and rattle him early and often. This is an important game for recruiting purposes. The Hurricanes need to dominate and keep quality Football Players from choosing USF when offered to play for the Canes.
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Miami has a tough schedule this year but should be much improved from last year. It will be exciting to see how much this team has grown and even more exciting to see them playing for new coordinators and see how things develop. A National Championship is probably a stretch, but Miami should be in the hunt for an ACC Championship this year and could return to BCS Bowl Games this year.

The ACC has released its All-Conference Academic Football team and it features three Hurricanes. Xavier Shannon, Brandon Harris and LaRon Byrd all made the Academic team for the 2008 season. To be eligible a player must have a 3.0 GPA.
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Xavier Shannon is a Senior and is finishing his masters in enrollment management. Xavier won the team award for Academic Excellence at this year’s team banquet. Shannon is one of just two players from this year’s roster to have started all 13 games. Brandon Harris, a graduate from Booker T. Washington, is majoring in sports administration. The true Freshman played in each game this year and snagged his first career interception in the regular season finale against NC State. LaRon Byrd is a true Freshman from Louisiana. He caught four touchdowns this year including the game tying touchdown against Virginia.
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Congratulations to these student-athletes for their accomplishments in the class room and on the field.

Sam Shields will be making the switch from Wide Receiver to Cornerback this spring. The Canes are loaded with talent at Wide Receiver but are extremely thin at Cornerback. Miami needs more players at the position and Sam Shields hopes to fill that vacancy. Shields is a versatile athlete and with his athleticism could make the transition. He was excellent on Special Teams in kick off and punt coverage doing a great job getting down field quickly and making the tackle. This could be a good move for the Canes because of Sam’s athleticism, the ability to tackle, and his knowledge of pass routes. With a new coordinator and a new playbook every player is starting fresh so Shields might not have too much to catch up on. If Shields is not ready to play he could be red-shirted. He is expected to change numbers since 83 is typically a Wide Receiver Number. And Shields may not be the only one switching numbers. Travis Benjamin who wore 80 last year is expected to wear number 3 this year, his old high school number.
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Ryan Hill, a Safety last year, is also expected to make the switch to Cornerback. Hill played Corner in high school and should make a smooth transition. Safety is another position where the Canes are loaded with talent and because of Hill’s versatility and experience and Cornerback, expect him to make the switch by the start of spring practice.

As of February 3rd, this is the incoming 2009 recruiting class for the canes, except for Bryce Brown of course.
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***SIGNED*** Billy Sanders – Coeur d’Alene (ID) Lake City High School – 6’4 235
Sanders committed to Miami early in the recruiting process but then had a change of heart and switched to UCLA. Finally, there was another twist in his recruiting on National Signing Day. It is officially the last change in his commitments as he signed his Letter of Intent and will play for the Miami Hurricanes. Sanders is a big Tight End and highly ranked around the nation. Sanders is rated as the 18th Tight End in the country by both scout.com and rivals.com and looks to make an impact as a Hurricane. With Miami being so thin at the Tight End position it is great news to have Sanders come back on board. Truly a surprise to have Billy Sanders sign with Miami on National Signing Day, it really paid off that Miami’s staff stayed in contact with him even after switching to UCLA. Great get for the Canes at the last minute.

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***Bryce Brown – Wichita (KS) Wichita East High School – 6’0 215***
The best player in the country. There is no doubting Bryce Brown’s ability and athleticism, but there are many that doubt, criticize and speculate about just what his “verbal commitment” to the Hurricanes really means. Bryce’s brother, Arthur Brown, currently plays Linebacker for Miami and Bryce committed to the Canes back in February of last year with the intention of avoiding the recruiting circus. But Bryce is actually in the middle of one of the biggest recruiting circuses to date. He graduated high school in December and had the intention of enrolling in college early so that he could be a part of spring practice. He then decided that he wasn’t sure yet if he wanted to come to Miami and decided not to enroll early. And even though he is verbally committed to Miami, he will not be signing anywhere on National Signing Day because he is currently on vacation and wants to take more visits to other colleges before signing anywhere. His recruiting which has been advised by his “mentor,” Brian Butler, has been confusing and shady to say the least. It is unknown if Brown will stick with his original commitment to Miami or not but if the Canes are able to hold onto Bryce they will have themselves one heck of a player. Brown is rated as the #1 Running Back and #1 overall player by scout.com as well as by rivals.com. ESPN has him rated as the #2 Running Back. Brown is the first Running Back to be rated as the number one player by Rivals or Scout since Adrian Peterson and is expected to have that kind of immediate impact. Brown played in the prestigious US Army Bowl with the top recruits in the nation and was awarded co-MVP for scoring two touchdowns on long receptions. He has often been compared to Adrian Peterson, Ronnie Brown and Gale Sayers. His speed is the best of any Running Back in years, he is very shifty, breaks tackles and is a receiving threat out of the backfield. Simply put, this kid is the Real Deal. Let’s cross our fingers and hope we keep him.
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***SIGNED*** Ray Ray Armstrong – Sanford (FL) Seminole High School – 6’4 214
Ray Ray is one of the most intriguing players in the country because of his rare blend of size, speed, and power. He played multiple positions in high school and was an excellent player wherever he lined up. He played Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Linebacker, and Safety. His primary positions were Quarterback on offense and Safety on defense. Ray Ray has said that he enjoys playing defense and that he wants to play Safety for the Hurricanes. Armstrong was the leader of the Seminole team that beat back-to-back defending 6-A Champions Miami Northwestern. Armstrong was the best player on the field and rallied his team from a 21-0 deficit to win 28-21. He lead his team in rushing with 114 yards on the ground while passing for 98 yards and completing 5 out of 6 passes, including the 40 yard game winning touchdown. He is rated as the 13th Safety by scout.com, 1st Athlete by rivals.com, and 4th Safety by ESPN.com. As an offensive player he has excellent hands, good speed, and runs extremely tough. The momentum he brings because of his size and speed makes him extremely difficult to bring down. As a defensive player his best asset is his coverage ability and his closing speed to make a play on the ball. He is terrific at going up for the ball and coming down with an interception. He has great vision as a Safety to read the quarterback. If he does play Safety he would compare favorably to former Hurricane All-American Kenny Phillips. Regardless of what position he plays, he will almost certainly play as a true freshman. Ray Ray chose Miami over offers from the likes of Florida, LSU, and Georgia.

When I took a visit to Miami, I fell in love with it. I feel like I’m at home there.

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***SIGNED*** Malcolm Bunche – Newark (DE) Newark High School – 6’6 315
Miami’s Offensive Line has grown thin in terms of depth over the years and the coaches have emphasized the importance of shoring it up by bringing in players that can provide depth. Malcolm Bunche is one of the promising Offensive Lineman in this class. While having the size and capability to play either Offensive Tackle or Guard, he may be more suited to play Guard at the next level. He is considered a raw talent and may need to improve on his technique. He is rated as the 18th Guard by scout.com, the 39th Tackle by rivals.com, and the 85th Tackle by ESPN.com. The reasons for such mixed reviews by these recruiting services is because of lack of competition and his technique. He was able to be physically imposing on his opponents in high school because of his size but lacked in technique. There is a lot of potential if he can improve in that area. He chose Miami over offers from Rutgers, Maryland, USF, and West Virginia.
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***SIGNED*** Dyron Dye – Sanford (FL) Seminole High School – 6’4 215
Dyron will join his teammate Ray Ray Armstrong at UM. Both players committed to Miami on ESPN U during the Under Armour All-American Game. Dye is a fast Defensive End that gets to the Quarterback quickly. His first step is what makes him special as he gets off the ball faster than any Offensive Tackle that will line up in front of him. He was a part of that special Seminole team that upset Miami Northwestern in the Championship and he was a big part of that. He does a great job of exploding off the line and getting in the backfield while on defense and showed off his athleticism as a Tight End on offense. Dyron is rated as the 20th Defensive End by scout.com, 8th Defensive End by rivals.com, and the 12th Defensive End by ESPN.com. Miami already has a plethora of young talent at the Defensive End position but Dyron Dye will be a nice addition and will likely play as a true freshman. He missed several games his senior year because of injury, but his junior year stats are impressive with 67 tackles, 13 sacks, and six blocked kicks. His explosiveness off the ball and his potential to grow is much like what Baraka Atkins was like as a freshman. Dye chose the Hurricanes over offers from LSU, Florida, and FSU.

I’m a machine. That’s why I picked the U baby.

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***SIGNED*** Shayon Green – Tifton (GA) Tift County High School – 6’2 225
Shayon is an explosive defensive player who has the potential to play either Outside Linebacker or Defensive End. He played both positions in high school but will likely play Defensive End for the Hurricanes because of his already solid size and his ability as a pass rusher. Green is rated as the 123rd Defensive End by scout.com, the 65th Defensive End by rivals.com, and the 140th Defensive End by espn.com. Because of his size and speed he has the potential to be a true sleeper in this class that surprises some people. A good comparison to Green would be Javon Nanton who lead the Hurricanes in sacks during the 2003 season. He chose the Canes over offers from Purdue, Auburn, USF, UCF, and Ole Miss.
Quote (From his high school coach, Jay Walls):

He’s a physical kid who can play well against the run, is a great pass rusher. The comment that is made when you watch film on him is that he plays very hard on every play.

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***SIGNED*** A.J. Highsmith – Fort Bend (TX) Hightower High School – 6’0 185
A.J., the son of former Hurricane All-American Alonzo Highsmith, is a quarterback out of Texas with great athletic ability as well as an incredible understanding of the game. A.J. lead his team to the state finals before losing in the championship game. He is a fluid athlete who has the ability to run and pass. He has a quick release, can throw on the run and reads Defenses exceptionally well. He makes very few mistakes; in his senior year Highsmith threw for 2,100 yards while tossing 28 touchdown passes and just 4 interceptions on the year. He also showed why he is considered a dual threat by adding 500 yards on the ground and 4 more touchdowns. Some recruiting services have suggested that he may be better suited to play a different position, but he has proven to be a very effective quarterback and should remain there. He is a true student of the game and a natural leader. Highsmith is rated by scout.com as the 47th Quarterback, the 87th Athlete by rivals.com, and the 24th Quarterback by espn.com. One area for improvement in Highsmith’s game would be his arm strength. He may also be at a disadvantage because of his height. Although he did a good job of finding passing lanes in high school, the lineman will be much taller at this level so there may be a major adjustment from that perspective. Because of his size, quickness, smarts and ability to throw on the run he compares to former Iowa Hawkeye and Heisman Trophy finalist Brad Banks. Because of the three young Quarterbacks already at Miami, A.J. will likely redshirt as a freshman. He chose Miami over offers from Houston, Oklahoma State, and Boston College.

I’m going to just compete and do the best I can, if playing is a possibility I’ll do it. If not I’ll wait my turn to play.

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***SIGNED*** Mike James – Davenport (FL) Ridge Community High School – 5’11 210
James is a tough Running Back who refuses to go down. He is excellent at shedding tackles with his hands, he hits the hole quickly, and when he gets to the second level he has the speed to go the distance. He is a terrific runner that has great vision and finds a way to get by tacklers and gain positive yardage on each play. He also falls forward and gets the most yardage possible. James will need to improve as a receiver out of the backfield and also in pass protection. James is rated as the 18th Running Back by scout.com, 21st Running Back by rivals.com, and 33rd Running Back by ESPN.com. Although fellow commit Lamar Miller – and possibly eventual commit Bryce Brown – have more hype around them, James is in a unique situation in that he is the only freshman Running Back who enrolled early and will be participating in Spring Practice. Because of this James has a great possibility to play as a true freshman. He has a similar running style to that of Michael Turner of the Atlanta Falcons. He chose Miami over offers from Illinois, USF, Louisville, and Georgia Tech.
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***SIGNED*** Jermaine Johnson – Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy – 6’6 309
Jermaine graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale in the spring of 2007 and was committed to Auburn at this time two years ago. However he was not academically eligible so he attended Hargrave Military Academy where he played Offensive Tackle. This past fall he did not attend school while he was taking visits and deciding on a college. He switched his commitment from Auburn to Miami. He did not play football until his senior year of high school but after just one year he was rated as a four star prospect. Because of his size he could be ready to make a major contribution to the Offensive Line this year. But it is yet to be seen how much improvement or regression he has made over the past year. He has been working out and practicing technique and it will be interesting to watch him in spring practice. He is a big player with tons of potential. The Offensive Line’s depth is extremely thin and with all the new recruits coming in this class it is expected that at least a few will see immediate playing time. Jermaine Johnson will certainly be one of those players who plays right away given his size, potential and the fact that he will be participating in spring practice. Because he is not part of this graduating class the recruiting websites do not rank him among the other players, but he is ranked a four star Offensive Lineman and is considered one of the very best prep school prospects in the country. Johnson chose Miami over Auburn whom he had previously committed to.

I’m trying to get in there fast, learn the playbook, work on my technique. Mainly I just want to get better as a player.

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***SIGNED*** Prince Kent – Norcross (GA) Norcross High School – 6’2 190
Prince is a terrific athlete who projects as a Defensive Back at the next level. He has the size to play Safety and the speed to play Cornerback. But in the end it is likely that he will play Safety because of his tall frame. It is rare that a player of his height can be an effective corner because of the constant demand for agility and change of direction. As a corne, you must have a low center of gravity and be able to turn on a dime and have fluid hips and change of direction. When you are 6’2 it becomes more challenging. Kent played Safety as well as Cornerback in high school and because Miami is in such high demand for Cornerbacks he may remain there this year, but he will most likely switch to Safety even if he plays corner his freshman year. Kent is rated as the 39th Safety by scout.com, 37th Athlete by rivals.com, and 5th Cornerback by ESPN.com. Kent could play as a freshman but that could all depend on what position he plays. Safety currently has a boatload of young talent while Cornerback is a position that basically any freshman at that position will play right away because of how thin the Canes are. He has the same kind of playing style as former Cane great Antrel Rolle. He chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Clemson.
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***SIGNED*** Brandon McGee – Lauderhill (FL) Plantation High School – 5’11 186
Miami is in desperate need of a freshman Cornerback who can come in and play right away. Brandon McGee is exactly that. He is one of the most prized recruits of this class because of their need for a Cornerback and the fact that Brandon McGee is an All American. He has terrific change of direction, 4.38 speed and can make a play on the ball in the air. He played in the US Army Bowl and shut down some of the best Wide Receivers in the nation. McGee’s character and accomplishments of the field are simply off the charts. In his hometown Lauderhill, September 22nd is known as “Brandon McGee Day” after they city council made the announcement and awarded Brandon with a plaque. He was given this award for overcoming adversity and giving back to the community after both parents were diagnosed with cancer and losing his mother at the age of 13. McGee is an honor role student who graduated high school early with a 3.8 GPA and is now enrolled at UM and will be participating in spring practice. He is a terrific football player, a great student, a young man who has overcome incredible adversity and he gives back to his community. Brandon is one of those special people and incredible football players who will become a great role model for kids everywhere. He is rated as the 8th Cornerback by scout.com, 10th Cornerback by rivals.com, and 3rd Athlete by ESPN.com Brandon was the leader of his team this past season, playing Quarterback on Offense and leading his team to the playoffs. He will absolutely play as a true freshman and has the possibility of becoming a starter this year. He has the athletic ability of a younger Charles Woodson. He chose the Hurricanes over offers from Ohio State, FSU, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.
Early in the recruiting process he said:

I want to attend a school that is dedicated to academics, but on the football field playing time is a big thing for me because I’m looking to make an immediate impact. Location or is distance is not a concern for me. It is just where I fit into a school. As I told my dad the other night, I plan on doing some really hard training after the season so I’m going to be ready to earn some very early playing time.

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***SIGNED*** Lamar Miller - Miami (FL) Killian High School – 5’11 205
Lamar is one of the most explosive Running Backs in recent history to come out of Dade County. He is a speed demon running a 4.4 and has a knack for breaking long runs throughout the game. He lead Dade County is rushing yardage his senior year with 1749 yards. He rushed for 22 touchdowns and also averaged over eight yards a carry. He capped off his incredible senior season by making first team 6-A All Dade Team, a Parade All-American, rated as the 7th Running Back by scout.com, 8th Running Back by rivals.com, and 12th Running Back by ESPN.com. Miller’s greatest attributes are his speed, acceleration and his vision. He is a threat to score at anytime. He also has good hands and returned kicks in high school. He has a tendency to bounce the play to the outside too much and needs to work on running inside on a more consistent basis. He may need to work on pass protection as most freshman Running Backs do before seeing extended playing time, but he could see the field as a true freshman. Lamar Miller is one of the top players in this class and is comparable to former great Clinton Portis. Lamar chose Miami over offers from Florida, FSU, LSU, and Clemson.

I have great vision and I see the whole field well. I’m fast too and am a hard runner. I compare myself to Clinton Portis and LaDanian Tomlinson. They can break tackles and get away from guys well and that’s what I do. But I want to improve on my blocking skills and just work harder in practice.

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***SIGNED*** Stephen Plein – Fort Myers (FL) Fort Myers High School – 6’6 240
Plein is a player that is coming in as a Tight End but may end up playing Offensive Tackle ala Eric Winston. He has not gotten a lot of attention from other schools but Miami is hoping they found a hidden gem in Stephen Plein. He is big enough that he could grow into an Offensive Tackle. He committed to the Canes early on in the recruiting process and graduated early so that he could participate in spring practice. Miami was Plein’s only scholarship offer.
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***SIGNED*** Curtis Porter – Charlotte (NC) Victory Christian High School – 6’2 334

Curtis was a two-way player in High School and projects as a defensive player at Miami. He played Guard on offense and Defensive Tackle on defense. He is a big kid who is very strong and has a good drive with his feet. He has good hand placement both offensively and defensively and continues to drive his feet. He fires off the ball well and excels at the bull rush. Curtis is rated as 61st Defensive Tackle by scout.com, the 54th Defensive Tackle by rivals.com, and 19th Defensive Tackle by ESPN.com. He is a big Defensive Tackle with a lot of potential. But he must keep his weight under control. Curtis is currently enrolled in Miami and will be participating in spring practice. Coming in already over 330 pounds can be a concern if he gets any bigger. He does a great job stuffing the run and he compares well to Antonio Dixon. Curtis chose Miami over offers from Flordia, FSU, Clemson, and Rutgers.
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***SIGNED*** Jamal Reid – Mayo (FL) Lafayette High School – 6’0 175
Jamal is a terrific athlete who played on both sides of the ball and excelled at both Wide Receiver and as a Cornerback. He played as a Wide Receiver in the Under Armour All-American Game and caught a long touchdown pass. In his senior year he had 49 receptions for 1,224 yards and 17 touchdowns at Wide Receiver. On defense he had 68 tackles and 6 interceptions. He is a fluid athlete with great hands, top notch speed and excellent agility. He will most likely play Cornerback for the Hurricanes because of how deep they are with young Receivers compared to how desperate they are for young Cornerbacks. He is very good at man coverage and can easily shadow any receiver and can go up for the ball once its in the air. Jamal is thin and will need to hit the weight room hard to add some muscle. He will also need to get better at jamming Receivers off the line of scrimmage. He is rated as the 10th Cornerback by scout.com, 17th Athlete by rivals.com, and the 6th Athlete by ESPN.com. He will absolutely play as a true freshman assuming that he plays Cornerback. He is comparable to former Hurricane All-American Phillip Buchanon. Reid chose Miami over offers from Clemson, Ole Miss, NC State, and Louisville.

I’m looking for playing time right away if I work hard enough, and keeping on my grades. If I work hard enough I should be able to play right away.

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***SIGNED*** Luther Robinson – Fort Pierce (FL) Westwood High School – 6’2 275
Luther is a very athletic Defensive Tackle who recorded 71 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior. His first step is what makes him so special as a pass rusher. He committed early in the recruiting process and has a chance to see the field as a freshman. He is rated as the 39th Defensive Tackle by scout.com, the 18th Defensive Tackle by rivals.com, and the 41st Defensive Tackle by ESPN.com. He excels as a pass rusher firing off the ball, but when he is blocked he needs to improve on shedding blockers off of him. He can sometimes be driven back by bigger Offensive Lineman when he is blocked and that is where he has to improve: shedding blockers with his hands. A good comparison to Robinson would be former Minnesota Viking John Randle. He chose the Canes over offers from Florida, Florida State, Purdue, and UCF.
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***SIGNED*** Oliver Vernon – Miami (FL) American High School – 6’3 239
Vernon is an exceptional pass rusher who has all the tools to become great at the college level. He has good size with a frame to grow bigger, impressive acceleration which gives him an advantage firing off the ball and the strength to fight off blockers. The big concern about Vernon is that he is coming off a foot injury that forced him to miss his senior season. As a junior he recorded 12.5 sacks and was impressive enough to earn some big scholarship offers by dominating at some of the all star camps. He has good hand placement when fighting off blockers which helps him on swim moves to get by Offensive Tackles. One concern would be his angle of pursuit, at times he over estimates his speed and will sometimes take a bad angle on a play. Miami may have picked up a great one, but there is also some uncertainty because of the injury. He is enrolled in the spring and will be participating in spring practice. He is rated the 9th Defensive End by scout.com, the 11th Defensive End by rivals.com and the 17th Defensive End by ESPN.com. He has a similar playing style to current Hurricane Adawale Ojomo. Oliver chose Miami over offers from Florida, FSU, Alabama, and USF.
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***SIGNED*** Brandon Washington – New Berlin (NY) Milford Academy – 6’5 330
Brandon, one of the best Offensive Lineman in the country, is finally a Hurricane. He was a part of that special Miami Northwestern class from a year ago and was actually the first to commit to the Canes out of the eight. Unfortunately Brandon was not academically eligible to make it into Miami last year and went to Milford for one year. Last year when Miami had their Signing Day party on campus with the early enrollees, Brandon went to cheer his teammates on. He was one of the best Offensive Lineman coming out last year and has improved over his last semester at Milford. He is a dominating run blocker and does a great job in pass protection as well. He has played Guard and Tackle but will probably play Guard at Miami. Brandon will be reunited with his Northwestern teammates and will be back to winning championships in no time. The Canes needed to bring in some big Offensive Lineman in this class, and Brandon Washington is the best of the bunch. He will play right away at Miami and has a chance to start at some point during the year. He is already enrolled at Miami and will be practicing with the team in the spring. He is not a part of this graduating class so he is not ranked among the recruits from this year but is rated as a high four star player and one of the best prospects in the country. Brandon never gave much consideration to offers from Florida, FSU and others. He committed shortly after receiving an offer in May of last year. The Canes certainly have a great Offensive Lineman in Brandon. Because of his versatility of being able to play Guard or Tackle and his great drive in run blocking he compares well to former Cane and Current Miami Dolphin Vernon Carey.
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***SIGNED*** Jared Wheeler – Miami (FL) American Heritage High School – 6’4 300
Jared played Offensive Tackle in High School but will most likely play Guard for the Hurricanes. Jared has good footwork and does a great job on hand placement. He plays with a lot of intensity and does not take any plays off. He started on varsity as a 9th grader. He is an impressive Lineman but struggles in getting to the second level and blocking linebackers. There isn’t any film of him pulling so that may be a concern. He is rated as the 21st Guard by scout.com, the 43 Guard by rivals.com and the 114th Guard by ESPN.com. Wheeler is a tough player who is smart in the class room and takes his academics seriously. He graduated with a 4.0 and said that academics came first in deciding which college to pick. He had offers from Miami, Florida, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Tennessee among others. His finalists were Miami and Vanderbilt and picked Miami live on 560 WQAM earlier this month.
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***SIGNED*** Cory White – Jacksonville (FL) Fleming Island High School – 6’4 235
Cory played Tight End in high school but has the possibility to become an Offensive Tackle. He played some Tackle in high school and is a terrific blocker for his size. He would obviously have to add some mass before playing as a Tackle. But he has the work ethic and fundamentals to become a great Tackle if he can get bigger. He has great footwork and stays squared in front of the defensive player. He is tenacious as a blocker and has a chance to grow into a great Tackle down the road. He is somewhat of a project because of his lack of size and doesn’t have much of a chance to play early, but the potential is there because of his work ethic and technique. He is rated as the 79th Offensive Tackle by scout.com, the 25th Tight End by rivals.com and the 29th Tight End by ESPN.com. Cory chose Miami over offers from Troy and FAU.
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