The latest at The U...

Some recent Miami Hurricanes related news lately. Let's dive right in.

Linebacker coach Micheal Barrow was recently relieved of his duties as head coach Randy Shannon wants new defensive coordinator John Lovett to handle linebackers. Some have questioned the move and fear Barrow will look for another opportunity. Personally, I think it's another strong play by Shannon.

Barrow will now focus on special teams (a weak link for Miami as of late) and recruiting. Before returning to The U, Barrow was defensive coordinator at Homestead High (2006). Prior to that, Barrow wrapped up a thirteen-year NFL career. Homestead was the first stop in the former Cane's coaching career.

Barrow is as important a coach as Shannon has on staff, so you have to believe this reassignment was handled tactfully. All signs point to Shannon wanting Barrow to learn more as a defensive coach, specifically from both he and Lovett. Cut his teeth with special teams and work his way up to defensive coordinator someday.

Barrow earned a nice NFL payday and isn't in the game for money these days. This is a labor of love. A hometown kid back home working for his alma mater. A coach on the fast track might not have handled the 'demotion' but Barrow is a unique situation and this was a great move on Shannon's part. Barrow is a top recruiter for The U and there's no way Shannon would've done something detrimental to Barrow's future with Miami.


Mark Whipple got some good ink this week. Critics, media members and Miami players are impressed with his playbook and stated that it's giving an "NFL feel" to UM's offense. Jacory Harris expressed his excitement and stated that there's much more creativity in the offense.

Whipple has Miami players watching NFL film, something that never happened on Patrick Nix's watch.

Whipple wants Harris making quicker reads. Release the ball quicker. Find #2 if #1 isn't open. Expose mismatches by lining running backs up against linebackers. For the first time in forever, running backs are learning more passing routes and will be more involved in the passing game. This is something that's been talked about at Miami for years (Who hasn't forgotten about Coker talking about Devin Hester or even Graig Cooper becoming "the next Reggie Bush"...)

Shannon had an interesting comment regarding Whipple's offense, saying "sometimes you're going to have to outscore people and that's one thing Coach Whipple has always been able to do."

The Herald's Barry Jackson went on record saying that Shannon has placed no limits on how creative Whipple can be with the playcalling. Sounds like the head coach wants to clear the air after a recently-fired Nix accused Shannon of putting restrictions on him.


The Bryce Brown circus looks to have come to an end; at least as far as Miami is concerned.

Rumors are flying, so it's hard to tell truth from fiction. Shannon isn't allowed to speak on the matter (and probably wouldn't anyways...) so all news coming out is either from Team Brown, Bryce Butler or conspiracy theorists.

What we do know as fact, Signing Day was February 4th and Brown's scholarship offer expired on the 18th. Team Brown insisted that wasn't the case and that the door was still open according to Miami coaches, though it never rang true among fans and sounded more like damage control.

According to the Miami Herald, Monday was showdown day as both sides traded calls. It appears The U sent a strong message; commit and end the charade now, or make plans to go elsewhere. Team Brown is pressing on with their sideshow and Miami hasn't returned their call since. Brown is expected to visit LSU this week and no trek to UM appears to be on the books.

While Bryce and "mentor" Brian Butler continue with the double-talk, the elder Brown at least has a level head about things.

"In all fairness to Coach Shannon, I have to kind of say I understand where they're coming from. This thing has turned into something we never anticipated," said Arthur Brown Sr.

"It has gotten to the point where this whole thing should have been avoided and could have been avoided. If we could do it all over again, there are a lot of things we should have and would have done differently."

"For Bryce, I'd say regardless of how you express the need to make additional visits, if that's your plan, then don't commit. Don't commit. Also, you should keep a very frequent communication with the coaches -- Coach Shannon and the other coaches. If you have that time constraint, then keep in mind that [the coaches] have time constraints, too, and you should be sensitive to that."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Pops.

From an on the field standpoint and regarding Brown's skills, it's a shame he won't suit up for Miami. That said, from a maturity and a 'where his head is at' standpoint, he's proving to be the exact type of player Shannon is weeding out. Thankfully this circus appears to be over... for now, at least.

As I peck away with this blog, a Google alert just informed me that a brand new Sports Illustrated article has Brown Sr. stating that there's been a death in the family and that reports of Miami being eliminated from the equation are absolutely false.

Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Stay tuned, I guess.


Spring practice is officially underway, so prepare for the media onslaught. ESPN's College Football Live profiled Miami on Monday and didn't say anything that the uber fan doesn't already know. New coaches. New schemes. Brutal schedule.

A nickel's worth of free advice to the fan who hangs on every article or tidbit of coachspeak; it's not even March yet, people. We're half a year from kickoff and a lot of things will happen between now and then. More time spent in the weight room. More unofficial practices led by players. New blood making their way on to campus this summer.

Yes, there's been some good news out of Greentree. Freshman running back Mike James is 'wowing' his teammates with his work ethic, attitude and skills set. Rumors of Sam Shields doing dual duty at WR/CB have been squashed out by Randy (Shields will stick with defense, no offense.) Jason Fox is taking young offensive linemen under his wing and is attempting to pass on some knowledge.

The Herald did a write up on Tommy Streeter and Randy Phillips, both sidelined last year due to injury and ready to get back to business. Vaughan Telemaque wasn't mentioned in the piece, but he too is expected to give the defense a jolt upon his arrival.

There will be a lot of feel-good stories this spring, but keep things in perspective. Spring ball is for the team, not the fans. This isn't about sizing up the competition from the fans' perspective. It's about getting these kids back in football shape, putting the pads back on, introducing new schemes, new coaches and new players.

Start your "worrying" in August and save the criticism for them. Until then, let the players play.


Miami Baseball started its season last weekend with a homestand against Rutgers. The Canes eventually took the series, 3-1, handling the Scarlet Knights. Miami outscored Rutgers 28-12 in the three wins, but dropped a 5-4 contest in the late game of a Saturday doubleheader.

Head coach Jim Morris notched his 1,200th career victory in the season opener, last Friday night as the newly dubbed Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. A sell-out crowd of 3,000 were on hand for the new season.

The Canes opened the season ranked 12th and climbed to 10th after winning 3-of-4 against Rutgers. Miami lost a lot of talent after last year's College World Series run and is doing their best to reload. Some of Morris' best teams have been a bit more under the radar and found a way to overachieve, while talent-heavy teams went ice cold in Omaha.

Miami faces its first big challenge of this young season this weekend with a three game series against at 13th-ranked Florida. Since 2006, the Gators have won six of the past nine against the Canes. Seven of those contests were decided by three runs or less.


Time is officially running out for Miami Basketball. 16-10 overall and 5-8 in the ACC, this team came into 2009 with high hopes and is now hoping others lose to assure a spot in the conference tourney and outside shot at an NCAA bid.

On some level the Canes underachieved this year. The games I've watched, it's been the Jack McClinton show and everyone else. If McClinton was off, rarely did someone else pick up the slack. A three-game skid in late January might prove to be the nail in the coffin this season.

From a talent standpoint, Miami could sit somewhere around 21-5 right now. In February they proved they're a dangerous bunch, taking Duke to overtime and falling at North Carolina by four, in another game that went to the wire. From there, a 13-point loss at Florida State in a must-win situation.

Road trips to Virginia and Georgia Tech remain, with a season-ending home game against NC State. Miami obviously has to win out and hope that a handful of other things happen. With no control of their destiny or collective fate, I've stopped trying to do the math. Here's hoping these Canes get a chance to prove their mettle in the ACC tourney, but should that bid fall short they have no one to blame but themselves.

For those who argue that Coker isn't to blame...

... hopefully you folks caught a recent episode of ESPN's College Football Live where Todd McShay talked about this year's NFL combine and the lack of presence regarding the Miami Hurricanes. Cornerback Bruce Johnson is the only Cane invited to Indy and he's expected to at best, be a late Sunday pick. At worst, he's not expected to be drafted at all.

When pressed for an answer regarding what happened to the Miami program and dropoff in overall talent, McShay said the following:

"It's been building the last few years. You look at Larry Coker when he took over as head coach and this program as a whole got lazy recruiting. They thought that they'd be able to just pluck every player they wanted from the South Florida area and it just hasn't been the case.

You've seen the Florida Gators get some of their players. Teams from outside the state, Rutgers for instance, coming down to South Florida and taking out very good players.

Right now you're seeing Randy Shannon do a really good job of putting a fence around that area, getting some of the top guys and really, it comes down to speed and athleticism and they're starting to get those young players back in the program.

I expect two to three years from now we'll be looking at that year's combine and saying 'you know what, they're back to being Miami with four, five or six guys in the first day that are prospects right now."

Again people, it's not just Coker bashers here and the former Hurricanes coach was hardly a scapegoat for what went wrong. Miami's bread and butter players simply didn'g get on board between 2003-2006, when the program head simply got lazy recruiting Miami-caliber players and let too many good ones get away.

In Randy We All Should Trust..

The "lead, follow or get out of the way" mindset continues with Randy Shannon.

The past few weeks, he's dealt with the types of decisions that will either cement his legacy as the man who brought Miami back, or the one sent packing should this rebuilding project fail.

Today's news focused on uber-recruit Bryce Brown. The top-ranked prospect in the nation remains unsigned and knee-deep in everything wrong with the recruiting game. Tennessee. Oregon. LSU. Southern Cal. All in the picture two weeks after Signing Day, though the talented running back remains "committed" to Miami.

Two weeks after the fact Brown is still aloof, speaking mostly through 'mentor' Brian Butler and continuing with his 'me first' mentality. Team Brown is ready to announce a decision on March 16th -- almost a month past Shannon's deadline -- and seemingly against the wishes of Arthur Brown Sr., who made it clear he wants his son to be a Hurricane. 

"That would be my ideal preference, for he and his brother to play together," the elder Brown told the AP. "That's always been my preference."

Too bad junior is choosing the heed the advice of a money-grubbing former rapper and telemarketer instead of the man who brought him into this world.

Rumor has it come midnight Wednesday the scholarship offered Brown is expired and off the table and a new one isn't expected to be offered. Smart play by Shannon, taking control of the situation. The Canes don't need another 'me first' headcase. Team players. Miami-style athletes. There's a formula here. Everything needs to come together for the Canes to truly be 'back'. 

This is a chess match and Shannon just made a big move. Miami drew a line in the dirt, yet remained politically correct and kept the door open, barring Wednesday ends with Brown not signed.

A verbal commit for almost a year, Brown was set to be an early enrollee and ready for spring ball. Instead, he's the Canes biggest distraction early this year. Unsigned, undecided and unfazed, Brown isn't coming across as the type of player a program in repair can depend on when working their way back.

With his head screwed on right, Brown would be a coup for Miami. The first big time, big body back behind center since Willis McGahee left town. Brown is the real deal on the field, but if his head is elsewhere he'll never be the guy the Canes need.

Lamar Miller and Mike James will prove to be much better overall prospects for Miami, as their desire to compete, rebuild and put the program back on the map are as important as their on the field abilities. Shannon seeks out 'team first' type players and both fit the mold.

Come Wednesday Miami's hands are clean. The ball will remain in Brown's court and the weight of the world on his shoulders. His "gimmie" school will be gone and for the first time in a long time, there's nothing to fall back on. Proactive instead of reactive; something which hasn't been the case at The U for years. Set the tone. Remind these kids who's in control.

This situation is no different than life in the dating world. If you're in a relationship and your significant other wants to date around, what do you do? Sit idly by and remain someone's fall back option? Watch how little they respect you if you're the type to sit there and take it. 

The more mature option is to pull away from said relationship, let the other person sort their head out and see what happens if paths cross again down the road. They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone and that we want that which retreats from us. Maybe that'll be the case regarding where things are at this late in the game.

Brown may be the best back in the nation, but no one is bigger than the program. Great call on Miami's move to pull out of the sweepstakes on a technicality. Your move, Bryce.

Another 'team first' decision was the recent move of Sam Shields from wide receiver to cornerback. The pundits are against it, saying Shannon is ruining Shields' career with an offense-to-defense switch entering his senior year. A more realistic approach is to point out that Shannon is truly giving Shields one last opportunity to shine.

Shields isn't going to play receiver in the NFL, no matter how impressive his high school stats and love received from recruiting websites a few years back. 

Few would've felt that after his impressive freshman campaign (2006), when Shields hauled in 37 receptions for 501 yards and four touchdowns. The last two seasons combined aren't as impressive as Shields' first go around.

Seven new receivers were brought on board in 2008, including proven playmakers in Aldarius Johnson, Travis Benjamin, Thearon Collier, Davon Johnson and LaRon Byrd. Tommie Streeter and Kendall Thompkins both redshirted and will be ready to compete this fall.

Even the biggest Shields bleeding heart has to admit the senior's chances of getting his head right and stepping up at wideout are slim based on the current level of competition.

What motivates one player might turn another off completely. Shannon knows this and is continuing to work on Shields, where another coach would simply write him off. Last year Shields earned his way out of the doghouse with spirited special teams play, capitalizing on his speed and showing he was more physical as a hitter than he was as a receiver.

If there's any hope for Shields, it's on the defensive side on the ball - most notably cornerback, where the Canes are weakest.

Shields won't become a lock-down corner overnight, but he has the tools and potential to help the Canes fill a much-needed void. Few expected him to excel on special teams. Maybe he'll surprise on defense and maybe Shannon knows a little bit more about this kid's skills set and mindset than some folks pecking away on a message board.

There's a reason for this move. Besides helping the program and team, it could also save the career of a wideout who simply hasn't panned out.

In a matter of week Shannon took the power back regarding Brown, is refusing to give up on Shields, reeled in another big time recruiting class and added two veteran coordinators to his staff. Never ceases to amaze me how people in the anti-Randy camp can miss all that, choosing to nit pick and focus on the little stuff.

Seeking counsel from mentors, learning what it takes to build a top-flight staff and a preaching 'team first' mentality, Shannon is absolutely on the right track, whether some folks see it or not.

What's new at The U...

Things were relatively quiet for the Miami Hurricanes after signing day, but in the past few days there's been a lot of chatter and some new news to report: 

Randy Shannon has finally settled on a defensive coordinator, 18-year veteran John Lovett. Lovett's most recent stint was special teams coordinator under Butch Davis at North Carolina. He's also spent time at Clemson, Auburn and Mississippi. 

Lovett wasn't the "sexy" hire the message board contingent was looking for. Georgia's Willie Martinez was a hot name early on, while Notre Dame's Jon Tenuta was mentioned, though was never confirmed.

Like last year's Bill Young hire, Shannon again went for a veteran. Lovett doesn't have Young's track record or resume, but he received a ringing endorsement from Tommy Tuberville, who he worked for at Auburn. Shannon respects Tubbs' opinion and if his former position coach backed Lovett, that proved good enough for Randy.

Experience with North Carolina and Clemson also mean that Lovett knows the ways of the ACC, which is another plus as Miami needed to fill this defensive coordinator void. 

While this Lovett hire doesn't garner the same buzz that Young's did this time last year, time will tell if this is a strong hire. Combined with Mark Whipple on offense, Miami now has an experienced staff that will help Shannon as a third-year head coach. Lovett inherits a defense that returns 15 players with starting experience and three Freshman All-Americans.


I stumbled across a message board post (from a reliable poster) regarding Shannon's recent visit to Palm Beach. Some interesting tidbits from that experience:

Shannon never intended to run this defense himself. That 'rumor' was simply started by the head coach himself in an effort to thwart out any negative recruiting tactics other schools employed as Signing Day was on the horizon and Miami still lacked a DC... Shannon consults with the likes of Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells regarding the selection of a coaching staff and what it takes to jell... Shannon recently spent some time with mentor Jimmy Johnson regarding all things The U.

Kirby Hocutt joined Shannon at the function and it was stated that Miami's athletic department raised upwards of $4.5M last year with the move to Dolphin Stadium. Though the stadium needs more bodies in seats, it's hard to argue with the bottom line. The Canes left the Orange Bowl for money and for a strapped program, it's hard to argue with almost a $5M increase... in a down economy, no less.

Shannon drove some other obvious points home regarding Miami not being a college town, 8K undergrads (as opposed to the built-in student body you get with 40K), UM alum being scattered nationwide as valid reasons for the lack of week in/week out fan support. While Miami fans know all this, let it serve as a reminder to other state funded programs who don't deal with the issues The U does.

I read a recent blurb in USA Today about Florida's athletic budget being upwards of $85M for 2009. Again, no mystery why the Gators can afford state of the art weight rooms and the biggest name coaches in the game. You're supposed to win national championships when money isn't an issue. The fact Miami still has five to Florida's three (in football) is nothing short of amazing.

Florida has a high eight-figure budget, while The U is canceling two chartered flights this football season (Central Florida, South Florida) and will opt to take buses to Orlando and Tampa. Keep that in perspective when comparing these two programs.

If anyone knows how to rebuild Miami and do so in an under the radar, unorthodox manner... it's Randy Shannon, with the help of Jimmy Johnson. Be patient, people. This thing is finally on the right track. 


Bryce Brown is still in hiding. Over a week after signing day, all is still quiet regarding the Kansas native. Miami? Oregon? LSU? What about the CFL, recently mentioned by Brown family 'mentor' Brian Butler. 

Miami is officially in a sticky situation with Brown, strictly because Arthur Brown is a Canes linebacker. With big brother on the roster, Shannon and staff can't pull a scholarship offer from little brother, without ruffling any feathers.

Brown is a talent. I've seen the film and I can appreciate what a running back of this caliber would bring to the Canes roster, but this "me first" attitude is the exact type of player Shannon has spent two years weeding out.

Even if Miami winds up with Brown, safe to say this is no more than a two-year experience. Money seems to be the motivating factor and that 'team first' mentality is nowhere to be found.

Lamar Miller and Mike James both signed with Miami a week ago and both are top flight running backs who can make an immediate impact. They're not Brown caliber, but if you weigh out talent, heart and attitude, both probably trump Brown, Plus, both committed early to Miami and never wavered. That has to count for something, doesn't it?

If this is my team, I'm cutting ties with Team Brown. Enough is enough. Brown was an early commit who flaked down the stretch, a la Patrick Johnson. Sometimes it's about more than talent.

Character has to come into the equation and while Brown says some of the right thing, citing his faith and letting God guide him to the right decision through fasting... you have to question anyone who's in bed with a person of Butler's character -- a former rapper ("Big B"), liquor store employee, telemarketer and cellphone call-center manager who now charges $9.99 a month for updates on Brown's recruitment and 'mentors' several players. Doesn't seem very Jesus-like, if you ask me. Where's all that humility the son of man preached we should employ?

As good as Brown may be, this is a situation you absolutely run from. There writing is on the wall and the University of Miami doesn't need to be associated with a character like Butler, who played much more of a background role when the Canes were recruiting Arthur.

Ironic that LSU Is now in the mix and slated to get Brown's last visit. A year ago rumors surfaced that Johnson's family was looking for money and the Tigers eventually won that battle. Now the seemingly money-hungry team of Butler/Brown is talking CFL and money, while LSU suddenly blew into the picture.

No player is bigger than the team. Here's hoping Brown goes elsewhere. Seriously. Enough is enough. With Miller, M. James, Graig Cooper and Javarris James on board, the Canes have a slew of capable backs to carry the load in '09. 


The 2009 ACC schedule has been released and Miami better hit the ground running as there are no warm up games and there's no breathing room. Labor Day will be another season opening match up against a hated rival, followed up by two tough conference games and a match up with the title game runner up.

9/7 - @Florida State (ESPN)
9/17 - Georgia Tech (ESPN)
9/26 - @Virginia Tech
10/3 - Oklahoma
10/10 - Florida A&M
10/17 - @Central Florida
10/24 - Clemson
10/31 - @Wake Forest
11/7, - Virginia
11/14 - @North Carolina
11/21 - Duke
11/28 - @South Florida

Opening with the Noles is never a picnic, but the national exposure and money make it too hard to turn down. The loser can win out and the ACC can still get their dream conference championship match up between the two rivals.

Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech back to back is a rough go of it, as well. Miami will get their three toughest conference games out the game, in less than three weeks. From there, a home game against Oklahoma.

Miami players and coaches have their work cut out for them this season. An absolute baptism by fire for Coach Whipple and Coach Lovett.


Defensive end Eric Moncur recently found out he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Moncur was injured four games into the 2008 season and was unsure if he'd be back at Miami for 2009. The Canes went 5-4 down the stretch without Moncur in the line up and the senior's presence was truly missed in back-to-back losses against Georgia Tech and NC State, where Miami's run defense was shredded for 691 yards.


Only at Miami could a Major League Baseball steroid scandal hurt a program when the player in question didn't even attend the university. Westminster Christian product Alex Rodriguez was named in a recent report and was linked to steroid use back in 2003, days before a ballpark adorning his name is slated to open. 

Should be an interesting banquet Friday night fundraiser and naming ceremony for Alex Rodriguez Park, thanks to the slugger's $3.9M donation.


Former Miami linebacker Brandon Marti was arrested today and charged with battery and false imprisonment. Shannon suspended Marti last season for violating team rules and was let go at the end of the 2008 season. Marti never saw any game action and played mostly on the practice squad. Sounds like a tragic ending for a troubled kid and sounds like a wise move for Shannon to cut ties with Marti as last season came to a close. 


After a three game losing streak, Miami's basketball team rebounded with a beatdown of then-sixth ranked Wake Forest, 79-52. A few days later, the Canes took third-ranked Duke to overtime in Durham, but fell, 78-75. 

At 15-8 (4-6 ACC) it's safe to call this season a bust. Loaded top to bottom with experienced upperclassmen, this was the year Miami needed to make a run. Unfortunately there were too many games that got away. Ohio State. Virginia Tech. NC State. Maryland. If the Canes had any realistic NCAA dreams, 19-4 would be where this team sits today. 

North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Georgia Tech and NC State remain, with the ACC tourney on the horizon. If I had to call it, I believe the Canes limp into the conference tourney with a 18-11 record.

Frank Haith and staff did get some good news this week when Baltimore Cecil Kirk AAC standout Antoine Allen decommitted from Providence and committed to Miami. Haith and staff are hoping they found the next Jack McClinton in the 6'2" and 182-pound shooting guard.

Tubbs and Luginbill talk The U on ESPN U...

Earlier on ESPN U's Signing Day special, they were talking Miami with Tommy Tuberville, former Canes defensive coordinator from yesteryear. Tubbs dropped some pearls of wisdom regarding the hardships coaches at The U go up against. Recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill also chimed in and talked Canes and The State of The U. For those who missed it, I transcribed their comments below:

ESPN U Host: Then there is Miami, all of a sudden a sleeping giant, winning again on the recruiting trail. Was it just a matter of time before this program started getting those blue chippers left and right?

Tommy Tuberville: Randy's a good football coach. Randy played for me when I coached at Miami and he's a guy that understands the school.

Miami's a lot different than most schools because you have so many players within a five mile radius of that campus - number one you gotta be able to evaluate them, number two you gotta be able to get them to the school and number three you gotta be able to make sure that they stay in school and do things the right way. It's a tough school to coach at.

ESPN U: It seems obvious that it'd be easier when you have all that talent, like you said, in a five-mile radius. Is that true? Does that make it easier?

TT: It makes it easier to recruit them, but a lot of thing also come along with that. They're close to home... distractions... all the distractions are there.

The big thing... when you sign a scholarship and you go to that university, whether it's five miles down the road or five hundred miles down the road, you have to persevere, give it all you got and get the most out of your ability because they're going to get in a line at the school that they're going in and in the next year coaches are going to try and recruit players just as good as them so you have to keep improving each year.

Tom Luginbill: You know, I don't think there's been any team in college football in the last couple of years, outside of USC, that is creating an environment of competition the way Randy Shannon has right now. This is a football team that a year ago played over twenty true freshmen and many of them, including Sean Spence, including Aldarius Johnson, Marcus Robinson, the list goes on and on, started and played significant time for this football team and are becoming the backbone and foundation for getting this team back to the pinnacle of college football.

So now what happens... the recruitment starts for the next class and now it's up to you to beat that guy out who just came in and it's not like he's a junior or a senior, so the competition remains wide open. A lot of speed, a lot of athleticism in this class. The question will be can they continue to get kids to sign over the long haul when you have this much talent - and it's all youthful - at the same time. 

Signing Day proving to be effective for Miami

The Miami Hurricanes reeled in what ESPN called the top-rated class back in 2008, chock full of big time wide receivers, linebackers and defensive linemen. A year ago this time, Signing Day was a roller coaster ride and was exciting. Commits were piling up as the day went on and there seemed to be twists and turns around every corner. 

2009 is proving to be effective instead of exciting. Void-filling and solid, instead of up, down and all around. 

An ounce of drama remains, regarding top-ranked running back Bryce Brown. While the verbal to Miami is still in tact, Team Brown has made it clear there will be no news on Signing Day, as they play the game and go through the process.

With Mark Whipple calling the offensive shots and big brother Arthur Brown already one year in the program, the Canes are still the team to beat... but it's definitely taking something away from the excitement of Signing Day when your top prospect chooses to mull over a decision he made and confirmed almost a year ago this time. 

Sheldon Richardson looked to be a guy who would give Miami a Signing Day boost, but the St. Louis prospect announced earlier that he's sticking to his Missouri commitment. The Canes went hard at the five-star, but the DT/TE chose to stay home. Same for OT Marcus Hall, who stayed local and committed to Ohio State a few days back. 

Miami doesn't look like there will be any Signing Day surprises this year, which is obviously good and bad. For every Richardson or Hall who got away, those who verballed with the Canes days, weeks or months back, are sticking to their commitments. Sadly, in this 'instant gratification' Internet society, the process makes the fans numb. 

The Canes inked nineteen commitments today and according to ESPN, reeled in the seventh-ranked class. Par for the course regarding the fan base, many in Hurricane Nation focused more on the ones who got away instead of those who came aboard.

Fans are suckers for hat trickery and last minute signing day hijinx. ESPN U provides half a day's worth of coverage, in an effort to fill a need feed the hype machine. Last year, Miami was knee-deep in the Signing Day hoopla. A healthy dose of national champions from Northwestern and Booker T. Washington. Last minute commits televised live. It was a shot in the arm for a program hurting talent and depth-wise.

A year later, a different feel as Shannon and staffed filled needs, flew under the radar and started locking down commits last spring. Today "signing day" was a formality in the sense that early enrollees were already on board. Dotting the i's and crossing the t's isn't as exciting as a full day of chain-yanking, as kids draw out the process.

Adding four to five offensive linemen simply isn't as sexy as bringing in half dozen top flight receivers. For some, losing a Kayvon Webster felt worse than gaining a Billy Sanders. Why, I don't know.

Four to five new members added to to the secondary today, yet people lament a three-star who defected late for South Florida. Ray Ray Armstrong and Jamal Reid on board at safety and corner, but some folks prefer to sweat losing Webster?

Proof that some fans are lost causes, impossible to satisfy. Crying the blues on a doom-and-gloom message board has become more trendy than logic and optimism.

Sanders, an early Miami commit who defected for UCLA, recommitted to the Canes. The 6'4" and 235 pound tight end helps fill a much-needed, big time void... yet some still focus on the ones that got away. Amazing.

For those who say Shannon couldn't close. you're off base. Closing is more than signing day - it's the process down the stretch. Reeling in Rutgers commit Malcolm Bunche weeks back is closing. Same for Shayon Green, a Georgia prospect already committed to Purdue.

Landing Armstrong and Dyron Dye at the UnderArmour game is closing. Keeping Luther Robinson and Oliver Vernon on board, when both long-time commits started getting distracted as February approached; that's closing.

Each late commit each as big as getting Sanders back day-of.

Miami is coming off 7-6 and hauled in the seventh-ranked class. A year ago, 5-7 and the top-ranked class. Shannon' first year, less than two months on the job and he still backed into the top ten when he first proved he could close.

Six teams finished ahead of Miami this year. Four were in the BCS. The others, last year's preseason number one and the past two national champions. After them, a program that went 19-19 the past three seasons. Fiesta Bowl loser Ohio State finished ninth. Orange Bowl winner Virginia Tech came in 18th. Rose Bowl loser Penn State didn't even crack the top fifteen.

What other 7-6 teams are selling their program and rebuilding project the way Shannon and staff are? No one. Depth is being built at all the right positions. More freshman will have an immediate impact this fall. Last year's superstar newbies are coming back proven sophomores.

Today wasn't a flashy day for the University of Miami, but it was a much-needed, effective one. Those who aren't excited by this class, check out last year's depth chart and pencil in this most recent class. There's reason to be excited.

A hearty welcome to this year's freshman class.

Ray Ray Armstrong (ATH)
Malcoim Bunche (OL)
Dyron Dye (DE)
Shayon Green (DE)
A.J. Highsmith (ATH)
Mike James (RB)
Jermaine Johnson (OL)
Prince Kent (ATH)
Brandon McGee (DB)
Lamar Miller (RB)
Stephen Plein (TE)
Curtis Porter (DT)
Jamal Reid (ATH)
Luther Robinson (DT)
Billy Sanders (TE)
Oliver Vernon (DE)
Brandon Washington (OL)
Jared Wheeler (OL)
Cory White (TE)

Only name missing is Brown, on vacation, fasting away and heeding the advice of mentor Bryce Butler. Should that situation work itself out, with Brown sticking to his commitment, Shannon will have again outdone himself and pulled in a stellar class.

Even without Brown, there's a lot of meat on the bone with these nineteen.