Bailey, Harris Hurt

As if we needed more reason to doubt that Miami can make it 7 straight wins against the hated Gators, recent news these past couple of weeks have added fuel to the fire. Allen Bailey will be out the entire summer and possibly part of the season thanks to a pectoral injury (thats the worst...working out to get better and you get hurt). Hopefully he can be back in time to be the Tebow killer we need him to be.

But what's certain is that DE Courtney Harris out of the picture the whole season. That's a big loss, because Harris is a solid contributer. His injured Achilles tendon will mean that we will need huge contributions from the freshmen and from Adewale Ojomo if we plan on having a successful season. I was already skeptical that this team could win 9 games, and now I don't know if they'll make it to 7 or 8. The DL is thin enough as it is without the injuries.

The news on the recruiting front regarding the DE position isn't too great either. Oliver Vernon has gotten several other offers from prominent schools, and it has been well known for some time that he is considered a soft verbal. Nick Saban has offered to play him the in flex position that Jason Taylor does for the Dolphins and that is appealing to Vernon. Hopefully he doesn't change his mind, because people are quickly realizing how good he is despite playing for a relatively small school.

Running back Jamaal Berry is another one of the big names out there, but don't expect to see him in a Canes uniform, unless the NCAA allows schools to start trading players. With our already loaded backfield and a commitment from Bryce Brown (as well as a silent from Lamar Miller, supposedly), we have no need for Berry unless he wants to switch positions. It's a shame because the kid really wants to be a Cane, but will likely end up elsewhere, probably for a rival, and with a chip on his shoulder.

New OT/TE Commit for Canes

The Canes got their 6th 2009 commitment today in Cory White, an OL from Florida. White has received a number of offers, but it looks like this kid is being looked at as a diamond in the rough. Miami is the only BCS school to offer him, despite his interest in UF, FSU and Penn State. That's probably because the offensive lineman weighs only 235 pounds. I know Jason Fox was on the light end when he came in, but this is pushing it.

I trust the coaching staff to recognize talent when they see it. But apparently White wants to play TE. He does run a 4.8 40, so he is pretty athletic enough. However, we already have a commitment from Billy Sanders and are going hard after Orson Charles. If White will play TE, then I will get worried about our chances with Charles, who is pretty much the TE stud of this class. I really want him on this team.

Other than that, the Canes have been offering lineman left and right. OL and DL are probably the big need positions in this class, so it's wise to offer out to as many talented kids as you can.

Canes Miss Out on Pair of Recruits

We did get a verbal from Luther Robinson on Tuesday, but the past couple of days haven't been the best for the Miami football program. Yesterday they lost out on South Dade DE Ed Stinson, who committed to FSU. That's frustrating news because we just made some ground on the 2009 FSU class and then they go and get a verbal from another 4 star defensive player.

And today comes more bad news, this time from Texas. I might have mentioned we were going heavy after Craig Loston, the consensus #1 safety in the 2009 class. The 5 star stud opted to go to Clemson instead. Loston is 6-3 200 pounds and runs a 4.35, so imagine just how much of an impact he could make on a defense that lacks proven safeties such as our own. I still think we have some good depth there, but we need someone to stand out and make a difference now that Kenny Phillips has gone pro.

Canes BBall Continue Success

Frank Haith landed his first commitment for the 2009 class today in Donnavan Kirk. The slim PF supposedly has Al Horford's game. Sounds good to me. I'm not big on basketball recruiting, so I can only point you to what other people are saying about him. But extra bodies on the front line will be happily received down here in Coral Gables.

Kirk is rated 3 stars by Scout and is ranked 56th on the Rivals Top 100. Looks like the recent NCAA Tournament success might have swayed the first of many more great players to come to Miami and build a strong basketball program.

DT Commits to Canes

It's been a pretty slow couple of months since Signing Day, but UM hasn't exactly been slacking on the recruiting trail. We had already landed 4 commits and were looking to get verbals from a couple of more kids during the summer. Last night, Randy Shannon got his 5th commitment of the 2009 class from Florida DT Luther Robinson.

The Fort Pierce prospect called his commitment a strong one, but that only means so much this early in the game. Regardless, it's great to have Luther on board. He is rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals and is currently unrated by Scout. I haven't seen any video of him so I can't really confirm those ratings, but at the very least it is nice to get another commitment to keep up with the barrage of FSU verbals this spring.

Noles Land 7th 2009 Commitment

Since February's post regarding the CJ Mizell commitment, the Seminoles have gotten verbal commitments from 3 more local recruits. Chris Thompson and Brandon Jenkins committed on consecutive days a little over a month ago and just this week FSU received a commitment from Georgia safety Gerald Demps.

The former two are rated 4 stars each by Rivals, while Demps is unrated for the time being. I don't know much about them specifically, but that now makes 7 total commitments for the 2009 class, all of whom are highly regarded.

What this means is that Randy Shannon and his staff have to increase their recruiting efforts to make sure there isn't a run of talent into FSU. It's extremely early to be panicking, especially considering Miami already has a great foundation set for their own 2009 class. However, kids like jumping on bandwagons and right now FSU's is looking really good.

I don't know that we have any guys who are ready to commit to the Canes anytime soon. Other than TE Orson Charles and RB Lamar Miller, I don't know of many players we are targeting that are rumored to be making their decisions early. We have offered several dozen highly rated recruits by now, many of which have us high on their lists. I don't think we'll be in bad shape even if FSU reels in a top class, but it would help to gain some momentum to keep up with them.

We shouldn't expect too much from the 2009 class anyway because we only have 18-19 scholarships left for next season. We got our bounty this year and should hope they can produce. If the new freshmen can have an impact, then the Canes should be looking at a relatively successful season and start that push towards title contention again.

Charles Gets His Offer

It looks like Miami will likely be landing their 2nd TE commitment of the 2009 class pretty soon if things go as planned. 4 star (Rivals) Orson Charles had been wanting a Canes offer and has us above everyone else on his list. I wrote yesterday that an offer would likely be extended sometime soon, and so it has.

Clearly, Randy Shannon and the staff don't feel that we have the necessary playmakers at tight end. We toyed with the idea of giving Futch some reps there, and have officially moved Daniel Adderley to help shore up the position. Landing Billy Sanders from Arizona was the first step in rebuilding our strong TE lineage, and hopefully Charles will be the next.

Assuming he does end up here (always a bad idea, anything can happen between now and Signing Day), then I'd like to know what becomes of Austin Fitzpatrick. The Cane legacy is a TE out of Texas and unsurprisingly has us high on his list, but I sincerely doubt that we will take 3 tight ends in this class when there are other pressing needs at OL and CB. I'd just as soon take yet another WR than take a 3rd TE next season.

Then again, like I said anything can happen so it's better to hedge our bets and continue to go after every kid available. Make sure they know they are valued even if there isn't a spot in the class for them. That way, if somethings changes, you can let them know they are welcome to come aboard the rebuilding project.

UM Loses Out on MLB

I had mentioned earlier that we were in the running for 4-star MLB Jaydan Bird over in Kansas. Unfortunately, Bird has committed to Oklahoma, leaving us with one less MLB prospect to go after this year. Many of our incoming guys are great players, but not necessarily the best fit on the inside. If Sean Spence is to eventually move inside, then getting a MLB in this class isn't the biggest need. However, it would be a nice luxury to have.

A couple of other Canes recruits have been around the team lately, most notably Bryce Brown. The all-world RB is a ball of muscle and definitely looks the part of the guy who has received all that hype lately.

We are supposedly in the Top 4 for the top safety in the country, Craig Loston. The Houston, Texas native has been rumored to favor LSU or Clemson, but it is still extremely early in the game and a good season by the Canes should boost our status in the eyes of Loston and other recruits.

The most interesting issue regarding the 2009 class is how many QBs Randy Shannon plans on signing. We already have a freshman QB who is going to start this season, be it redshirt freshman Robert Marve or true freshman Jacory Harris. We also brought in Taylor Cook (probably will be moved) and Cannon Smith, and have recently gotten a commitment from A.J. Highsmith. The legacy will probably be moved to another position as well, but Miami is a heavy favorite to land Eugene Smith, a 4 star QB out of Miramar. Also, studs Cody Green and Tom Savage have us very high on their list.

Seeing as how our current QBs on the roster are already young, I would like to know how many QBs Shannon wants in 2009. There won't be enough snaps for all of them and there will be the potential for a messy situation or someone transferring. I don't see someone like Marve or Harris or even Eugene Smith (if he comes) leaving the program, and I'm sure none of these guys are afraid of competition, but the fact we have a mini-logjam at the position has to factor in for all of these kids.

A final note regarding the TE position that I addressed earlier this week. Miami is the frontrunner for 4 star Florida TE Orson Charles, but has yet to receive an offer. Charles already has offers from the major SEC programs, so it would be wise for Miami to jump aboard as well before he loses interest. However, if they really are as concerned about the TE position as I think they are, I don't doubt that Orson will be getting a letter from UM very soon.

Spring Practice and Recruiting

Check out Manny's blog to hear news straight from the players' mouths about the 2008 football team. I really got a kick out of Shannon tossing everyone out after finding out that some website posted the entire previous scrimmage online. The tough guy attitude doesn't necessarily work (see Saban and the Dolphins) if you don't have the players, but it's still nice to see some fire from the coaching staff. Coker would have probably expressed mild disappointment and let it continue.

From what I've gathered over the past few weeks, it will be a shock to see anyone but Robert Marve starting. I'm not sure I like the idea of rotating quarterbacks per se. It worked for UF in 2006 with Tebow and Leak, but this team is nowhere near a championship. There are examples of other semi-successful experiments with it (David Greene and DJ Shockley come to mind, and no it's not a white/black QB thing), but this is a young team. I'd rather have one guy back there leading them.

If we do end up going with just one quarterback, from reading Jacory Harris' quotes, it seems we won't have much of a controversy. Granted, he's saying all the right things now, but it appears young Harris has his head in the right place and is really a team player. Same goes for Cannon Smith. We heard similar talk from Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman last year, but there were still whispers about jealousy and potential transfers. We'll see how this one turns out.

I'm particularly interested in seeing who wins the two starting wideout spots. I think with the emergence of Pat Hill and John Calhoun at FB, we won't be running as many 3-wide formations out of the I as we have before. That would create a bit of a bottleneck. I would venture to say that Leonard Hankerson will take over the split end position while either McKenzie (who I'd give the edge to) or Aldarius Johnson will take over the flanker. I might be way off on this, but I haven't heard much about Sam Shields this entire Spring.

As far as recruiting goes, I don't know much about any potential commitments anytime soon. We've offered Kansas MLB Jaydan Bird (4 stars on Scout) and Rivals said he was expecting to announce early. That might be something worth watching. Most of the LBs we signed in this class will eventually end up as OLB or other positions. Despite the fact UM coaches say Spence will eventually move to the inside, landing another MLB would be great in this next class.

We've also offered Devon Kennard, 5 star DE from Arizona. Rivals mentions he is interested in the Canes, but it's not a good sign that the #5 overall player on Scout doesn't even have us listed on his list of schools. It's way too early to tell, but it might be a pipe dream to think about landing this kid. He's already attended USC's camp and is in close proximity to the recruiting powerhouse, in addition to UCLA and Arizona State. Still, we all thought Arthur Brown was an Oklahoma lock this time last year, so that's why following recruiting can be so fun.

Quickie Recruiting Tidbit

Andre Debose, a 4-star (Scout) WR/ATH out of Sanford, FL recently received an offer from Coach Aubrey Hill and looks incredibly impressed by our program. He had been leaning towards South Carolina, but from what he has said following the offer, I would have to say Miami is way out in front for the time being. I would hesitate to call him a lock because we still have 11 months till Signing Day 2009.

Additionally, Robert Marve's former teammate at Plant in Tampa, TE Orson Charles, has Miami out in front. We already have a commitment from Billy Sanders, and have legacy Austin Fitzpatrick high on us as well. It might be a bit too much to sign three tight ends in this class when we only have about 20 scholarships to offer.

Oliver Vernon Commits

The Canes picked up their 4th commitment of the 2009 class with Oliver Vernon of American High. Vernon projects to be a 4 star player once Rivals gets all their evaluations completed. He also fills a need position for the Canes, who desperate are looking for some depth at the defensive line.

Boynton Gives Canes a Shot

Local shooting guard Kenny Boynton is a 5 star player according to any recruiting service. The kid has offers from just about every school in the country, and yet his list is said to be down to Miami and Duke. Frank Haith has recruited him since he was in 8th grade (Kenny is a junior now), and calls him every week.

So why is this important? Boynton represents the biggest recruit the University of Miami has really had a shot at landing in quite some time, if not ever. Aside from Devin Ebanks last season (who went to IU), most of the kids we target have historically not been McDonald's All Americans. If we actually start getting commits from these nationally recruiting players, then our basketball program has really arrived.

Beating a program like Duke for a talent like Boynton's would be the next step in making Miami a basketball school. This process might have the potential to be sped up if Ebanks decides to opt out of his LOI to Indiana due to all the recruiting issues going on over there. Imagine some dream scenario where both kids wound up in Coral Gables. Not only would the Canes be a Top 15 team, but they would have the exposure to stay there.

Bryce Brown Video

Here's a sample highlight reel of Bryce Brown. The Kansas stud is Arthur Brown's brother, and is potentially the #1 overall prospect in the country. If anything, just watch the first play. Sick.

New TE Commit for Miami

New commit from out West for the Canes. Miami landed a commitment from 6-4 235 pound Billy Sanders out of Arizona. The TE/DE combo player isn't someone I've heard of too much, but regardless of which position he plays at the next level he will be coming in to fill a need. Look for Billy to be the first of two TE commits this class. In terms of stars, for those who care, most recruiting sites haven't gotten around to evaluating all players yet, so he is still a NR.

Here's a video of him

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.

Bryce Brown Commits

The Canes have landed their first superstar recruit of the 2009 class. Bryce Brown, 2008 signee Arthur Brown's brother, has decided to end the recruiting process early and commit to Miami.

Bryce is the #1 rated RB by both Rivals and Scouts, and is a 5-star, all world player. Many believe he will be the #1 overall player in the entire country regardless of position by the time NSD 2009 rolls around. He is that good. That makes things extremely interesting on offense, because this team will be LOADED at running back in 2009.

In addition to Brown, expect fellow 5-star RB Lamar Miller from Killian to be a Cane barring unforeseen circumstances. Add in an already experienced Graig Cooper, Shawnbrey McNeal, Javarris James, and the underappreciated but explosive Lee Chambers, and you've got the best backfield in America.

What also gets me excited is that kids tend to gravitate towards good classes. Locations and relationships with coaches are important, but many of these kids want to be on the national stage winning championships. They have the best shot of doing that with teams that have highly rated classes. It's why you constantly see USC, Florida and Texas sign 5-star guys out of the woodwork. They've only won a title apiece in the past 12 years but still see kids flocking towards them because they win the recruiting titles year in and year out.

There might be a flurry of local commits now, much like FSU has received in the past couple of weeks. Then it'll die down over the summer and pick back up again during the football season. Regardless, the 2009 class should be another good one. One thing to keep in mind is that it'll be a pretty small class in comparison to the huge one we hauled in just a few weeks ago. Think 20-21 kids instead of 33. And that includes a pair of grayshirts from this year's class.

Canes Land First 2009 Commitment

Not more than a few hours after I posted the Sean Spence video yesterday, saying nothing much was going on so far in Hurricanes recruiting, AJ Highsmith committed to the University of Miami.

If the name sounds familiar, that's because he is son of former Canes great Alonzo Highsmith. AJ is a quarterback/athlete and currently is unranked by major recruiting services, but is still a talented kid. From what I've heard about him, he'll probably be in the 3/4 star range.

AJ is the 2nd of Alonzo's sons to commit to Miami, but the first, Ali, didn't qualify academically and instead had a stellar career at LSU. Shame.

As far as other recruits go, there continue to be rumors about silent commits, and the number is up to 6 now. Who knows. None of it really counts until NSD 2009 anyway, so it's not a big deal. We've offered a bunch of kids by now and many of them have come out as having the Canes on the top of their lists.

Some, like CB Darrell Givens have claimed they've always wanted to play for Miami. Doesn't surprise me considering many of these guys were 10-12 years old when Miami was last on top of the world. A young mind is a malleable thing so I'm sure many of them grew to like the Canes (what kid isn't a bandwagoner?).

Truth is, most of it is all for show until we get some verbals and then some LOIs in front of these kids. Chances are if a kid is highly rated and has an interest in us, then he's probably getting an offer from us, regardless of what the services have on their player profiles. That's just common sense. Then they'll tell us what we want to hear until Signing Day.

Look for Shannon to target OL, TE, DL and some corners in this class. I'm sure they'll still sign a QB (maybe two since Highsmith is technically a QB and Eugene Smith is super-high on us) and some running backs (I'm guessing 2 5-star guys in Lamar Miller and Bryce Brown), but those 4 areas are ones we should be concerned about heading into the 2009 season. The staff did an excellent job of stocking up on the other positions in this past class.

Sean Spence Video

It's been a while since my last recruiting update. For the most part, nothing substantial has been said because it is still so early in the 2009 recruiting season. The Canes have offered several dozen players and later today I'll try to write up a summary of some of the kids we are looking at for the next class.

For now, here's a YouTube clip of Sean Spence, one of the many LBs we signed this year. The kid is a flat out baller.

Tommy Streeter Video

Here's a 4 minute reason why landing Streeter on Signing Day was so important. The kid is a big play threat and has the size of a Dwayne Jarrett. Despite rumors, I doubt he'll be moved to TE.

A Few Canes Notes

Not all that much happening since Signing Day, but still a few things are worth mentioning.

First off, congratulations to to Clint Hurtt and Michael Barrow for getting consideration from Rivals as two of the top recruiters in the ACC. Hurtt's involvement in the recruitment of 8 players landed him the top spot amongst assistants in the conference. Not that they really care what a recruiting website thinks of them, but it's always nice to be recognized for your efforts.

Next is the news of two position changes on the UM roster. Incoming linebacker Jordan Futch has been slotted as the 3rd string TE for the Canes. My guess is that there is so much depth now at LB that his skills might be better off used at the TE position. Not to say Futch couldn't play ahead of Spence or Brown, but there's nothing wrong with moving guys around to see what works.

UPDATE: Interestingly enough, Manny contests that this is a permanent switch. Futch is apparently going to be given a chance to try both positions.

Additionally, Allen Bailey has finally been moved to DE. He came in as a 260 pound MLB recruit and signed with the Canes under the impression he would be allowed to stay a linebacker. However, he has grown way too much to play that role and I have to assume he and Randy Shannon had a conversation about his long-term future in the business and that putting his hand on the ground would be best for all parties. I'm glad Allen acquiesced to the decision rather than throwing a fit and transferring elsewhere. He should be a monster for the D, especially now that we don't have much DL depth.

As for recruiting, it's still pretty early in the game. USC did get a 9th commitment for the 2009 class, but it's next to impossible to compete with them at this point. We are early front runners for many South Florida stars, and should have no problem landing a Top 10 class next year.

Austin Fitzpatrick, son of former Hurricane defensive tackle Tony Fitzpatrick, has us as his top choice entering his senior year. He is an athletic TE out of Texas, so landing him will be a big deal for the future class considering the lack of bonafide threat at the position right now.