Reuben Randle Gets an Offer

Widely considered to be the top receiver in the nation for the class of 2009, Randle has received a written offer from the U.

I'd venture to say Miami will target him and maybe 2 or 3 other receivers next year and will look to sign only one, maybe two of them. They are already overstocked at the position, but Randy Shannon won't make the same mistake that Larry Coker made in not signing a player at that position in a given year. If it's a talent like Reuben's we can sign, then Shannon will make room for him.

Haven't heard much else about recruiting. I'm pretty sure Lamar Miller won't be phased by the Bryce Brown commitment and ultimately should be the 2nd 5-star back to sign in 2009. If not, well there is always Jakari Gore in 2010.

As for the team itself, spring practice starts soon and I'm excited to see if any of the incoming freshmen/young guys can take a starting job from underachieving upperclassmen. I fully expect to see Jermaine McKenzie or Aldarius Johnson as one of our two starting receivers alongside Sam Shields (if he gets his head out of the gutter). Orlando Franklin should be a starting guard once he gets back to speed.

The most interesting battles might be on defense though. I think Brandon Harris has a shot at landing a starting job, as does Marcus Forston. I would be very surprised if either doesn't play a lot this year. At linebacker I think that most of our guys will be redshirted or be limited to backup duty. I don't think our LB corp is the best out there, but Shannon won't want to start 2 or 3 freshmen when he has a pair of heady seniors who will be better prepared to start the season. That means plenty of Glenn Cook and Romeo Davis.

Oh, and I wouldn't buy any talk of a QB competition. This is Marve's job. Period. Unless he stinks it up, I sincerely doubt they would put in Harris. The kid needs to pack on some pounds before he goes up against Div I defenses. I'm not sure about Cannon Smith's chances either, though he has had the most game experience at a level past high school of all our QBs.