Commitments, a new roster & no reporters allowed

The Miami Hurricanes picked up their tenth commitment for the 2009 recruiting class when West Charlotte (NC) High DT Curtis Porter chose The U over the likes of Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and a few others.

Porter joins Fort Pierce's Luther Robinson as the second - and last - defensive tackle in next year's class,  as the Canes were only looking for two guys and two are now committed, making Columbus' Antwan Lowery the odd man out.

Lowery has been flirting with the Canes for months and was set to make a commitment on August 1st, choosing between Miami and Rutgers. He's since backed off his self-imposed date and he's added Florida to his short list, as well.

Randy Shannon is again doing what's best for the program, getting kids on board who are ready to commit, instead of being jerked around by guys caught up in the recruiting game.

You have to believe Miami will still take Lowery if he commits soon enough and there's still a scholie available, but the days of the Canes being passive and on the recruitee's schedule are long gone. 


In other recruiting news, Miami offered TE Sheldon Richardson, the state of Missouri's top prospect. Richardson was committed to the hometown Tigers, but has since backed off that commitment and has always dreamed of playing for The U.

Richardson took matters into his own hands, calling Miami coaches and discussing his interest level and by the end of the call, the four-star prospect had reeled in an offer.

It will be interesting to watch this play out as the Canes have also been courting Plant High (Tampa) TE Orson Charles. The four-star prospect is checking out Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and LSU, but Miami is also on the radar big time.

With Richardson now on the radar, does that push Charles another direction or does he embrace the competition? Time will tell. 


I've seen some reporters complaining about Shannon no longer allowing reporters locker room access after games. Instead, Miami players will be available to the media in a post-game press conference-type setting - but not in the locker room.

Shannon's reasoning was players being uncomfortable with female coeds being in the locker room, but I don't buy that for a minute. I've been around my share of NCAA locker rooms and can tell you first hand that players could care less who's in there. Modesty is not a trait of many male student athletes.

This excuse is a smoke screen and simply put, Shannon is trying to eliminate another distraction. He doesn't seem to be a fan of the media and prefers they get their post-game quotes in a different setting. So be it. 

The sports media world has become such an oversaturated circus, you can hardly blame Shannon for not wanting to play the game and trying to nip this thing in the bud. 


Fans concerned about the well-being and immediate future of defensive end Allen Bailey can take some solace in Shannon saying his recovery from a torn pectoral muscle is "ahead of schedule". Bailey should be ready for the season opener, but coaches aren't going to push his return if he's not ready. Miami opens with Charleston Southern on August 28th (Thursday) and 10 days later treks to The Swamp, where Bailey's efforts are necessary if the Canes have any shot at upsetting the Gators. 


In linebacker news.... Gulliver's Brandon Marti has been given the OK from the NCAA Clearinghouse and will report to campus on Thursday. Marti isn't expected to redshirt and should immediately see some special teams action this fall.

Troubled linebacker Zach Kane is supposedly headed to Milford Prep, along with a handful of Canes who didn't make the grade. Kane was charged with aggravated assault this past June, after allegedly breaking a bottle over someone's head at a house party.

Kane is facing criminal charges and will not be allowed to report until the situation is cleared up. Being that this could take a while, prep school seems the best option. He'll either get it together up at Milford, or the wheels will fall off and Shannon will have no choice but to cut bait. Either way, it doesn't make any sense for Kane to be at The U this fall.


The new roster was released this morning and someone emailed me a copy. A few standouts and newbies: Brandon Harris is #1. Glenn Cook traded in #55 and is now sporting #3. Aldarius Johnson got #4. Arthur Brown is #11. Jermaine McKenzie got a very un-wide receiver-like #15. Thearon Collier will sport #28. JUCO transfer Patrick Hill is #30. Sean Spence will rock #31. New kicker Jake Wieclaw is representing #40. Ramon Buchanan is #45. Laron Byrd is #47, a great number for any Miami wideout. Jordan Futch is #58 and Gavin Hardin got #59. Marcus Forston is holding down #99, the number his idol Warren Sapp wore in the NFL.

Kent to The U; Miami says 'no excuses'

Prince Kent is headed to The U. What that means at this point of the game, we'll see. Late July and the Miami Hurricanes have already 'reeled in' another prospect for the action-packed 2009 class. I use quotations when I say reeled in as Signing Day is half a year away and verbal commitments really don't amount to squat. Just at Patrick Johnson.

That said, Kent sounds like a stand up kid and the exact opposite of PJ. The Norcross (GA) High School senior plays WR/CB but Miami coaches have told him he's being tabbed to play defense. He spent his pre-teen years living in Ft. Lauderdale and the last few years bouncing around with his mother in the ARMY.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound Kent says his commitment to The us is "100% solid" but I'll feel a lot better about that come February - or January, if Kent makes his way to campus as an early enrolle, as planned.

Next big name recruit set to make a decision is Antwan Lowery, a four-star DT out of Miami (FL) Columbus. Lowery is deciding between Miami and Rutgers and will announce on August 1st.

Early enrollment and pre-season commitments seem to be the way of the future and are doing away with some of the Signing Day theatrics and last minute flip-flops. I've oft vented about my disdain for the recruiting game, broken commitments and teenage kids playing coaches who could be their fathers or grandfathers.

Kids that are truly committing in fall, aren't interested in playing the game and are ready to get on campus in January for early enrollment - those are the mature kids who you want on your roster.

Kent chose Miami over Alabama and Clemson.


"No excuses" is the new Miami mantra for 2008. Senior linebacker Glenn Cook then took the new catchphrase and brought it to the next level, creating LiveSTRONG-type bracelets for players and coaches.

I'm all for the motivational rah-rah stuff... if it works. I guess I'm still scarred by some preseason comments a few years back about Miami being not just hungry, but famished after giving away the Fiesta Bowl an wanting to win it all in 2003. Where was all that hunger after 31-7 at Virginia Tech and 10-6 against Tennessee a week later?

I believe we're seeing a legitimate attitude change at Miami. Left tackle Jason Fox spoke up on the matter on Sunday at the ACC Football Kickoff:

"Some of the players we had to get rid of were kind of cancerous to the team and really brought us down and didn't care about football," Fox said. "They're gone now, and we can get back to focusing on football. Sometimes the coaches were more worried about punishing the guys who weren't doing well instead of focusing on football."

"...This year the biggest change is everybody's attitudes. When you cut off all the negativity on your team and everybody's attitude is positive, it's contagious."

Again, sounds great, but how will it play out if Miami is 1-2 going into a September 27th match up with the same North Carolina team who upset them last year? Saying the right thing is a lot easier than doing it. Here's hoping this team has had a real attitude transformation and that the influx of new, young talent from winning programs helps keep this team focused.


Another step to ensure the 'no excuses' chant won't just be an empty promise? The implementation a seven-player council that will keep close tabs on players and punish those who need punishing.

To ensure there will be no backlash or favoritism, the players themselves voted Fox, Cook, Eric Moncur, Colin McCarthy, Chavez Grant, Khalil Jones and Dwayne Hendricks to the council. Council members meet at least once a week, usually after 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday or Saturday.

Fox says their job is to help 'police' the other players, while Moncur quipped that there are no guidelines for the punishment ("Our team will take care of it.")

Some might call it another motivational ploy, but I see yet one more way Randy Shannon is attempting to preach his sermon on 'accountability'.

After spending some of the off-season with mentor, former coach and former boss Jimmy Johnson, Shannon is definitely reaching into JJ's bag of motivational tricks and is working to get the best out of his players and personnel.

This will help the program in the long run and also proves that Shannon isn't as stubborn or set in his ways as some of his biggest critics might believe.


Shannon has also confirmed that his one-year experiment with no names on the jerseys has now come to an end. Point proven. Miami players will officially have names on the back of the jerseys this coming season, ending the mass confusion regarding who the hell was who last year (and who was screwing up.)


Rumors are still swirling on the Zach Kane front, but nothing has been confirmed. It appears Miami coaches will sit back and wait on the legal system to run its course. This being the case, you have to assume Kane will be on campus by fall as odds are this latest brush with the law will be swept under the rug, like some past transgressions (supposedly) have been.

I'm all for due process, but I still think something stinks here. I don't have a good feeling about Kane's tenure at Miami, should he wind up at The U. He just seems like the type of kid who attracts trouble. I hope I'm wrong.


A reader chimed in on a recent blog, asking where some Miami signees stand. Sounds like Gavin Hardin, C.J. Holton, Ben Jones and Andrew Smith are officially in. The news wasn't so promising regarding Antonio Harper and C.J. Odom.

Harper is headed to Milford (NY) Prep and odds are Odom is looking at a similar fate. Not great news on that end, but Miami's offensive line will welcome Jones, the d-line needs Smith's assistance, Hardin will boost the linebacker corps and Holton looks like he'll be a solid safety. Celebrate the ones that got in as opposed to lamenting those who are 'on hold' for a while.

Brandon Washington has retaken the ACT and scored a 21 (he scored a 15 last time around), so he's now waiting on the NCAA Clearinghouse for things to be official. Washington says that his ACT score combined with his GPA will be enough to have him reporting to UM by month's end.

(Update 7/23: Washington's test scores were flagged by the NCAA Clearinghouse and there are no more test dates this year, so he's headed to prep school along with Odom and Harper.)


One last rant before I go. I'm seeing a lot of chatter on message boards about The Gator and I don't get it. Thread after thread on Tim Tebow. Hypothetical scenarios regarding the September 6th match up between the Canes and Gators at the Swamp. Pissing and moaning about ESPN's coverage of Florida and their Friday Night Lights camp last week.

Stop already.

Who gives a hell about UiF? Why the obsession. They're a four-loss team with a Heisman winning quarterback. No more, no less. They'll be top five when they play Miami in a few months and the Canes have an uphill battle. Great. It'll be dealt with then and there.

Until that day comes, can the bitch-fest stop? Yes, ESPN is stroking all things Florida right now. They're sporing and Urban woody and they're sending their cameras out to get all the footage they can of Mr. Everything-Right-With-College-Football-Tebow. Deal with it.

That's what happens when your soph quarterback wins a Heisman. That's what happens when you're a state school with one of the largest athletic departments in the country. That's what happens when you're in a podunk, one horse, 'rah rah' college football town like Gainesville.

All that said, TV cameras and pretty boy head coaches don't win football games. Does all the coverage help recruiting? Bet your ass it does. Still, any kid swayed to go to UiF over The U because of Urban Meyer's sharp tongue or ESPN's bonus coverage - he was never a Cane to begin with. Those aren't the kids Shannon and staff are targeting.

Let the Gators get all the hype. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Four losses is still four losses, no matter how you dress it up. They'll get theirs this year.

Miami needs to worry about Miami. The rebuilding process is on and it's time to start getting excited about the future of Hurricanes football, instead of getting pissed off over Flori-duh's media coverage.

Come fall, It's a Marve Thing...

Robert Marve is The One.

Miami's version of Neo in The Matrix, billed as a savior and heir to throne at Quarterback U.

All this talk about the quarterback situation for Miami being a 'wide open' race is a sham. True freshman Jacory Harris will get some necessary snaps this year and can be a capable #2 guy year one, but the future of the Miami Hurricanes rests on the right arm of Marve.

When success happens, a slew of things take place. Hard work and preparation are your main ingredient, as is natural talent and ability. From there, timing, a little bit of luck and the stars aligning.

My gut tells me Marve is the right guy at the right place at the right time. The antithesis to Kyle Wright. Marve is primed to be the "ying" to Wright's "yang".

Like Wright, Marve headed to The U with substantial high school success and a handful of post-season accolades. Highly touted. Tons of potential and upside. Sky could be the limit if all goes according to plan.

For Wright, everything that could go wrong, did. Riding in on the coattails of another Northern California native, Ken Dorsey, the Danville product landed in Coral Gables half a decade ago when things began falling apart.

Miami had the defense to carry them in 2003-2004. The running game was still semi-potent with a banged up Frank Gore and promising frosh Tyrone Moss. Gritty QB Brock Berlin had enough chutzpah and game to step up in big games and rally the Canes to victory.

Wright was given the keys in 2005. 'Cokerization' was in full force. The effects of less than stellar recruiting and poor development of players was coming back to bite these once proud Hurricanes.

In five seasons on Miami's campus, Wright saw four offensive coordinators, two head coaches and a drop-off in talent that seems unfathomable after what the Canes accomplished between 2000-2003.

Wright walked in when the Miami program was fat, happy and resting on its laurels.

Marve came aboard when The U was gasping for it's last breath and in need of salvation.

Last year was almost the start of The Marve Era. With neither Wright or Kirby Freeman able to get the job done, Randy Shannon would've quickly thrown the true freshman in the fire, a la Dorsey in 1999, but a wreck on Interstate 75 a year ago yesterday changed everything.

Marve fared much better than his flipped-six-times, totalled Dodge Charger, driven by teammate Jermaine McKenzie. The quarterback and wide receiver who were supposed to inject life into a limp Canes bunch instead spent 2007 on the sidelines, lucky to be alive and starting the countdown to 2008.

2008 is finally here.

Marve's non-throwing hand, healed but still baring the scar of a life-changing July evening. The broken left wrist again strong, but nerve damage between the ring finger and pinkie will force Marve to sport a precautionary glove for the rest of his playing days.

'Fate' is defined as 'the will, principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are, or events to happen as they do'.

Not only did Marve walk away from a wreck that should've killed him, but had the cut been positioned a quarter-inch the other way, his pinkie might've been lost.

Last year, the loss was seen as a tragic blow to a desperate team. Entering 2008, Marve is calling it a "blessing in disguise".

While Harris entered The U a skinny true freshman a few months back, Marve has been the Canes scout-team quarterback since the mid-season. He attended the meetings, broke down film and learned the offense. Come fall, Marve will be as ready as any hungry redshirt freshman in the nation.

He'll also be the most humble.

Gone are the glory days at Plant High, where Marve's Panthers went undefeated and where the QB is revered for breaking Tim Tebow's high school records.

Also gone? Marve's high school helmet, crushed in the wreckage. For those believing in fate, quite possibly a sign that it's all about looking forward and not dwelling on the past.

"It was like we could do no wrong my senior season at Plant - but that accident humbled me. Everything was taken away from me. I think there was a reason for it," said Marve.

"It could've been my throwing hand. It could've been one of my arteries, or something. But I was spared and now I'm allowed to continue. Am I different? No doubt. I'm going to appreciate every day, every snap. I'm going to work my butt off."

A few more tidbits for those believing that destiny has a hand in things? Marve's first game as a Cane will be on the same field as where he brought home the Class 4A State Title in 2006: Dolphin Stadium. Just over three months later, the ACC Championship will be held in his hometown of Tampa.

From a boy to a man in the matter of a year, without even taking a snap.

Mentally, Marve grew more from a vicious car accident than he ever would've lining up behind center last fall. Physically, he's packed on 25 pounds of the 'man weight' Harris won't gain until next season.

Life-changing experiences make or break us. Sometimes we need a jolt to wake us up or shift our perspective. Whether Marve was in need of it, he certainly took a big hit and is better for it.

Over the next few years we'll see how much of this is fate versus chance. For now, Miami has reason to be optimistic for the first time in a long time.

Wright and Freeman have been put out to pasture and new life has been injected into the veins of this Miami program; not only at quarterback but receiver, as well. Shannon and staff reeled in a half dozen highly-touted, ready to go wide outs to go along with McKenzie and Leonard Hankerson of last year's class.

Marve will see more talent at receiver in 2008 than Wright saw the last three years combined.

Action kicks off August 28th when Charleston Southern heads to town. Tune in to see Marve's debut and what could be the beginning of something very special.

Canes305... 'The State of Miami'

A few weeks back I started writing a column for CollegeFootballNews.com. I saw they were looking for bloggers and felt like I should get on board to take up for the Canes. Most of us feel The U doesn't get the national respect it deserves, so I got on board to let the outsiders know that Randy has Miami back on the right track.

The second-years coach is following the blueprint to a 'T', knows the lay of the land and between solid recruiting, aggressive personnel moves and his leadership, he'll right the ship.

Follow the blog at CFN.com or check it here a few days later when it's reposted.

I was originally going to write a piece this week detailing Randy Shannon, how he's the right man for the job, how he'll out-recruit anybody and he knows the blueprint for bringing the Canes back.

I was going to call it 'The State of Miami' which was a term conjured up by Howard Schnellenberger during his tenure at The U.

As I sat down to lay out my piece, I received my weekly alert from the Miami Herald and stumbled across Barry Jackson's piece on the Miami Hurricanes and the state of the program this off season.

Jackson beat me to the punch and touched on much of what I was going to explain to you outsiders regarding Miami being "back" - and it being a matter of "when", not "if".

At The U, it's all about family. Miami lacks the rah-rah tradition of the big college school and the Canes are their own entity.

An Independent from their inception until joining the Big East in 1991 (and the ACC in 2004), the Canes built their legacy with that "anybody, anyplace, anytime" mentality that many smaller programs have employed over the years.

Miami played the big boys, whipped 'em, won titles and became the force to be reckoned with the past 25 seasons - outside a brief drop off in the late 90s and again the past two seasons.

The Canes won five titles with four different coaches and did so in a way outsiders couldn't understand.

Howard laid the foundation, but it was Jimmy Johnson who brought things to the next level, going 44-4, winning a title (1987) and leaving another in the desert (1986). Randy was a four-year letterman under Johnson in the mid to late 80s. While at Dallas, JJ made Shannon a Cowboy in the 11th - not for his size and skills, but for his football knowledge and ability to lead.

Shannon wound up starting as a rookie in the league.

When his playing days rapped, it was back to The U as an assistant for seven years - his final three under Butch Davis, his position coach at Miami in the 80s - as well as with the Cowboys. From there, to the Dolphins, reuniting with JJ and then back to Coral Gables, to take over for defensive coordinator in 2001, when Larry Coker took the reigns.

Outside of a few years in Dallas, Shannon has spent all his playing and coaching days in Miami. He knows the city like the back of his hand. He knows the high school football programs, the coaches, the players and how things are done.

Shannon saw Johnson take Schnellenberger's Miami program to that next level, which is why he spent time this off season down in the Florida Keys with his mentor. Johnson is taking Shannon under his wing, teaching him how to utilize players and get the most out of them - starting with the upperclassmen who will be beat out by hungry freshman that were part of the nation's top-ranked recruiting class (per ESPN).

Get these guys on board with the rebuilding process. Get them one-on-one and ask them how they can make the team better. Get everyone involved and don't let them check out mentally. Eliminate any back-talking or counterproductive behavior by dealing with it immediately.

At Miami, it's not just young coach talking to old coach about how to maintain the tradition. Par for the course, older players and NFL superstars are reaching out to the new crop of Canes.

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has already reached out to true freshman Sean Spence and Arthur Brown, offering up his cell number and explaining his desire to mentor both of them. Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has done the same.

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has followed suit and did the same for Marcus Forston.

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has reached out to Aldarius Johnson, as have Colts wideout Reggie Wayne and Redskins flanker Santana Moss.

Enough is enough. After a 12-13 run since November 2005, the Miami alum know they're as important a piece in the rebuilding puzzle as the new Canes that will have to get it done on the field.

Beason said he was "in tears" when watching last season's 5-7 campaign. Vilma complained about "guys not improving year to year", refusing to just blame it on talent and hinting towards a lack of developing the skills set of the past few recruiting classes.

The first rounders and superstars that have earned Miami the moniker 'NFL U' are on campus this summer, working out to gear up for another season - and they're working out side by side with those Canes already on campus, preparing for fall.

Early as it may be in the process, they see change and a desire to improve.

Miami won't be back on the road to the National Championship in 2008, but it's also not as far off as some of the critics might feel. The Canes truly bottomed out last year, which happens after the wrong guy for the job 'Cokerizes' the program and leaves it in need of a full-on overhaul.

Shannon is one step closer to bringing things back and I'm going to keep selling you on that message as things progress.

Nice move, Kirby...

On paper it doesn't sound like much. New Miami Hurricanes athletic director Kirby Hocutt heard of a small public outcry, got involved and righted what looked to be a wrong.

In reality, it was a great PR move by the new AD for a fan base that's felt burned by Miami's athletic department and past regime.

The Canes are headed to Dolphin Stadium as the Orange Bowl and all its history have been reduced to a pile of recently removed rubble. Miami's athletic department will get a financial shot in the arm from the move, but will have contend with a fiery fan base questioning their every move and resisting change.

The latest dilemma? No midfield "U" logo on game day. One of many long-time Miami traditions looked to be extinct as the Canes are competing for field space with the Dolphins and Marlins.

When the news was announced last weekend, the message board jockeys were out in full force, voicing their opinions on matter.

It wasn't pretty.

To his credit, Hocutt sprang to action - setting up Monday morning meetings in an effort to find a compromise that would keep Miami's tradition alive, without stepping on the toes of its new stadium 'roommates'.

The verdict? The "U" will resurface as soon as late September, barring the Marlins' post-season agenda. Dolphin Stadium will grow a special patch of grass with the "U" on it and that turf will be transplanted onto the field for 5 of this season's 6 home games.

The result is similar to what is currently done for Dolphins home games regarding doing away with the Marlins' pitching mound on Sundays.

It's a small step for Miami fans, yet a giant leap for a new athletic director trying to win over a fickle fan base. The action itself is important, as tradition continues - but more importantly, it proves that Hocutt has his ear to the ground and is listening to the concerns of the fan base.

If there was a cause worth taking up, Hocutt chose a good one out the gate. Over time, this fan base will continue to have issues with the athletic department's decision-making.

Winning a small battle up front will definitely keep some of that heat off... for now.

Nice move, Kirby.

In other news, Hocutt struck another exciting chord when he mentioned wanting to renew a rivalry with Miami and Notre Dame. He stated that The U is done playing the likes of FIU and is interested in booking "marquee opponents".

Once the Irish get a new athletic director in place, Hocutt is interested in a prime-time showdown with the former rivals in one of their neutral site NBC games.

I smell one of two things here (1) the Irish going for a 'bigger name' opponent, like another service academy or (2) ND wanting that 'neutral' site to be in Chicago, at Soldier Field.

If Hocutt can get the dream match up of Notre Dame and Miami on the books again, this new AD will achieve rock star status in no time.