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'The Beast' interviews Damien Berry...

2010-03-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

'The Beast' caught up with senior running back Damien Berry after practice on Friday. Check out the audio interview:

No. 4 Duke 77, Miami 74

2010-03-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the Canes, who gave it a hell of a run in the ACC tourney.

Wins over Wake Forest and Virginia Tech set the stage for a Saturday semifinal match up with top-seeded Duke. Miami gave it a run, fought back from large deficits and gave the Blue Devils all they could handle.

In the end the team that was supposed to win did, but the Canes proved they were better than their 4-12 conference record this season.

Next up a NIT bid and hopefully a few more wins. Congrats on a great run in Greensboro.

Canes Basketball breaking hearts at ACC tourney...

2010-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Don't look now, but the Miami Hurricanes have awoken from their ACC slumber and as a 12th seed have found themselves in a Saturday showdown with top-ranked Duke.

The Canes upset fifth-seed Wake Forest on Thursday, delivered a colossal 83-62 beat down and followed it up with a narrow win over fourth-seed Virginia Tech on Friday, 70-65. Next up, a 1:30pm ET match up with the Blue Devils.

Miami actually held a 37-25 halftime lead against Duke on February 17th, but faded down the stretch when the Devils' defense clamped down.

From 4-12 in conference during the regular season to 2-0 and in the ACC's "final four" in the post-season. Kudos to the Canes for showing some fight as the season comes to a close. Most likely NIT-bound, at least they've made the past two days exciting.

Latwan Anderson signs with Miami...

2010-03-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

Is it too late to ask for a recount regarding 2010 signing day class rankings?

The Miami Hurricanes got a late gift this Wednesday morning when Latwan Anderson, one of the nation's top prospects finally made it official and signed with The U.

The 15th-ranked overall prospect and Ohio product lists Ohio State as his favorite program, but it came down to Miami and West Virginia this morning. Anderson originally committed to the Mountaineers but never signed a letter of intent.

A big reason Anderson went with the Canes was a desire to run track. He placed second in Ohio last year in the 200-meter dash and will take a track scholarship, but will also play football for UM. He will technically 'walk on' to the Miami football team, but could still make an immediate impact as a true freshman.

Miami signed 29 new players last month, but will gladly make room for Anderson on the defensive side of the ball. What was originally thought to be a top fifteen class just got a shot in the arm with the addition of Anderson and could still receive another in the coming weeks.

Top-ranked offensive line prospect Seantrel Henderson verballed to Southern Cal but also hasn't signed his letter of intent. Henderson's final visit before signing day was a trek to Coral Gables over Pro Bowl weekend. Henderson and his family loved UM but went with USC, his long-time front runner.

With sanctions looming in Los Angeles, there's a legit chance Henderson chooses The U when all is said and done. Maybe even more so now with the addition of fellow Midwestern stand out Anderson now on board.

Welcome to The U, Latwan.

ACC crown or Shannon gets the boot?

2010-03-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

I've been reading some of the comments on the blog here, as well as some other message boards and sites with Canes-themed articles.

The general consensus regarding a successful season? Randy Shannon and his Hurricanes not just getting to the ACC title game, but winning it and reaching a BCS games.

As a long-time Cane, I can appreciate the high expectations, but the 'all or nothing' mentality is bogus.

Miami went 9-4 in 2009 and even a 10-2 regular season wouldn't have gotten the Canes to Tampa for the conference title games. Georgia Tech lost one ACC game last season - to Miami - and with losses to Virginia Tech and Clemson, the Canes were technically out of the conference race by late October.

For all the knocks against the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Coastal Division proved competitive last year, with little margin for error. Should that again be the case in 2010, how can a fanbase run a coach out of town should he improve the program four a third straight season, should he not deliver a conference crown?

In 2008, Virginia Tech made the ACC title game with a 8-4 record (5-3 in conference). There was more margin for error that season, but Shannon's Canes went 7-6 (4-4 in conference), beating the Hokies in mid-November. A year prior, Miami stumbled to 2-6 in conference (5-7 overall) while Virginia Tech rolled to a 7-1 conference record and ACC championship.

The last two seasons UM knocked off the eventual ACC champ, but stumbled along the way and was out of the race by late November. Little solace at the end of the day, but a step in the right direction.

Even more puzzling than the 'win or go home' mentality, where does this sense of entitlement come from regarding just piling up ACC titles left and right?

In their hey day, Florida State racked up eleven ACC titles in thirteen seasons (1992-2003). Over the past six seasons, one title - after a 7-4 regular season and upset of Virginia Tech in the inaugural ACC Championship game.

If the once conference dominant Seminoles have lost ground in the ACC, why is it so hard to accept the fact the Hurricanes don't have the right to simply "expect" conference titles?

- Georgia Tech won the ACC in 2009, their first conference title since 1998.

- For all the recruiting hype and high preseason rankings over the years, Clemson hasn't won the ACC since 1991.

- Wake Forest surprised with a conference championship in 2006 - their second in school history and first since 1970.

- Virginia split the 1995 title with Florida State, their first since 1989 and second overall.

- North Carolina hasn't won the ACC since 1980, even with all the recent Butch Davis hype. NC State hasn't won since 1979.

- Maryland won it in 2001, their first since 1985. Duke took home the 1989 crown, their first since 1962.

- Virginia Tech is the surprise, bringing home three ACC championships since joining the conference in 2004. Many expected Miami to have the impact Tech has, but as fate would have it the Canes joined their new conference just as the then Coker-led program was beginning to backslide.

Winning the ACC should be Miami's goal at the beginning of every season. Absolutely. You have to win your conference before you can start thinking about national championships. Year four of the Shannon Era, getting to the ACC title game is a plausible goal. The talent is returning, the conference schedule is favorable (Florida State, Virginia Tech and North Carolina at home) and the ACC has proven it's fair game the past few seasons.

That being said, it's not how you measure the progress of a Shannon-led team.

Miami was run off the field by several squads in 2007, Randy's first season. 51-13 at Oklahoma. The 48-0 beatdown by Virginia in the Orange Bowl finale. Railroaded 44-14 at Virginia Tech a week later. Embarrassing losses where the Canes were outcoached, outtalented, outmotivated and were never in the game.

A year later, no real signature win but the Canes showed more grit, starting with a dogfight at No. 3 Florida which lasted three quarters before UM was taken down. A defensive collapse and stagnant offense did Miami in weeks later in a heartbreaker against North Carolina. A slow start against Florida State was the difference in a 41-39 loss. The Canes strung together five straight wins, with a shot at the ACC, but got worked at Georgia Tech and lost the following week at NC State.

Year three wrapped up 9-4 and many were miffed with the bowl loss to Wisconsin, forgetting about the progress made in 2009. A strong start at Florida State was impressive, no matter where the Noles ended the season. Ten days later a thorough thumping of Georgia Tech. Early October a win over No. 8 Oklahoma, a week after losing at Virginia Tech.

The Canes proved they could bounce back in '09. Lesser teams would've folded after the loss in Blacksburg. Miami circled the wagons and went toe-to-toe with a good, albeit injured, Sooner team.

Turnovers did Miami in against Clemson and North Carolina. You're not going to win football games with seven interceptions and three pick sixes over eight quarters. Still, the Canes closed strong with November wins over Virginia, Duke and South Florida. 3-1 down the stretch was improvement over a 2-2 final month run in '08 and 0-4 skid in '07.

Entering the 2010 season, logic needs to prevail... which is proving difficult as the Canes' skid is running over half a decade now. The natives are restless - and understandably so. Still, it's not the 1980s and this entitled mindset or cliche sayings ("we only play for national championships at Miami", etc.) - it has to go.

Fans need to accept this program for what it is and it's time you take note of the current landscape in college football - a game with much more parity now than ever. How else do you explain the success of a Boise State, TCU, Utah, Cincinnati or another flavor of the year? Smaller schools have become more competitive and money plays a huge factor.

While other programs continue to upgrade facilities, overpay coaches and put their focus on creating another football factory, the University of Miami - a private institution - continues to have to negotiate a different terrain en route to achieving success.

"UM has long struggled to pay coaches because of limited resources," said the Sun Sentinel's Shandel Richardson. Miami's top brass says they support Shannon, but still haven't broken open the checkbook. Virginia's new coach Mike London will reel in $1.7M this coming season and first-year Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher will earn $1.8M.

There's a ton of talk surrounding Shannon's 21-7 record - 9-4 in his last thirteen games after going 12-13 years one and two. Whatever the record, it's still better than 0-0, which is where London and Fisher are combined, yet making more than Shannon. Same to be said for Derek Dooley, the new Tennessee leader who will earn upwards of $2M this coming season. Not only are all three higher paid with less experience, but they're all believed to be making more than Shannon has even been offered.

Shannon has three years on the job and has improved his record annually. His first two recruiting hauls were impressive, but some have knocked the under-the-radar types that were brought on board year four. Some feel the lack of a contract hurt recruiting efforts down the stretch.

“A lot of times kids will say it’s coaching stability,” Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg said. “I could see how it could become an issue.”

Kirby Hocutt and Donna Shalala, pay the man already as the lack of a signed contract is going to inevitably hurt the program. Don't ink a Paul Dee-like extension akin to the one Coker received prior to the 2005 season, but do something to send a message to recruits that you believe in your guy. You can't talk out of both sides of your mouth, verbally supporting Shannon in the media, but being sticklers behind closed doors.

Those of you anti-Randy, what are your thoughts on the contract? Furthermore, defend your "ACC crown or bust" stance should Miami improve to a 10-2 regular season, yet possibly getting snubbed from a shot at a conference title.

Lastly, for those of you ready to run Randy off, enlighten us with your plausible game plan. Who is your replacement? What should he be paid? Why will he be a better fit and how long should it take him to turn it around? Some of you balk at a five-year rebuild for a head coach who inherited a dog of a team. What's your take on a timetable for Shannon's replacement?

The Beast's Random Spring Football Thoughts...

2010-03-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

I've been out to spring practice a few times the past few weeks. So far I've learned that Miami has very loose hamstrings and can run sprints as well as any team in the country.

In other words, I've seen as much football as a Norwegian salmon farmer.

Although it's possible there are some diehard Jan Stenerud fans over there, what does this mean? It means I don't find it particularly beneficial to lie and give you my list of who's hot and who's not and I don't see how anyone else in the media can either.

Sure, I can talk to players and coaches and get their thoughts - and I have - but I'm one of those crazy media types that likes to see the goods for myself, which can be pretty tough around these parts.

A side note, as much as I respect this university and love Randy Shannon, I'll never understand the paranoia that forces coaches to act like spring ball is some sort of nuclear sub exercise in the Pacific. I have no problem with a Thursday practice before FSU being shut down, but to close it all down in March, seems a bit excessive. That's just the humble opinion of this media member.

Saturday brought us the first full scrimmage of the spring. (Stats are below.) Pay no attention to any of it. What the stats don't tell is that the receivers had a gazillion drops.

"The guys we're depending on at receiver had too many drops and the tight end position had too many drops. Just as a total offense, we had too many dropped passes." That was according to the head coach.

Another Shannon sentiment; the defense didn't get their job done.

"We had too many missed tackles. We had opportunities to make tackles. Yeah, we've got running backs that can make people miss, but we have defensive players that should make those tackles. I'm very disappointed by the way we tackled. I thought we chased the football hard on defense, but that's the first scrimmage. You're going to miss tackles. We have a long ways to go," said Shannon.

Ask me if I'm worried about either of these things. C'mon, I dare you.

It's spring and I really have a hard time making any kind of correlation between what goes on in March and what goes on in September. Think of spring ball like the first exhibition game in the NFL. I remember Brandon London looking like Andre Johnson at Fins training camp last season. By the end of the first week in September he was looking for a job.

Don't get caught up in what goes on now. Am I excited about what I'm hearing about Lamar Miller, Storm Johnson and Damien Berry? Yes. Am I going to pencil in any of their names on the Heisman Trophy yet? Of course not.

Because we are such diehard fans, we tend to look at every moment of Hurricanes' football as if it were the National Championship game. Sometimes you have to take a step back and say, "we talking bout practice."

Just some other things in no particular order:

- I'm almost glad Jacory Harris is hurt and can't throw this spring. There's nothing more scary than an unused, unprepared backup quarterback coming into a game. The fact that A.J. Highsmith, Stephen Morris, and Spencer Whipple are taking all of the snaps is a good thing. They are getting more reps now with the first team than they will ever get when Jacory is healthy.

- If you're already thinking about how Randy is going to find enough playing time for the running backs, don't. Running back is the number one position when it comes to getting "nicked." It will take care of itself.

- Who plays what linebacker position in March is not important. I am going to bet that Kylan Robinson is not the starter when we get to opening day. Don't fret.

- I really like the two coaching hires. Rick Petri is old school and I want my line coaches old school. He's rugged, brash and he's been here before. He's gonna be great for our boys up front. Don't be surprised if our d-line starts drinking that raw egg shake that Rocky was drinking before he went for his run.

As for Mike Cassano. That's my boy. Being that I grew up in Beantown, I'm partial to the guy that's from the streets of Andover. Plus there are too many Yankee fans on the staff, so to have a fellow member of Red Sox nation in the house makes me feel better about the fall. In all seriousness, I've seen Mike coach for a while, here and at FIU. He's great and now is the time that we need a great running backs coach, with all the talent present at that position.

Here's a tidbit; on a college staff, many times the running backs coach is the weakest link. He might be a recruiter or he might be a guy that's just learning the ropes. Hell, he might be a guy that the head coach lost a poker game to. On a lot of staffs, the running backs coach is like the Ambassador to Barbados. Most of the time you're just making sure your tan is good. This is not the case with Cassano. This guy can flat out coach. He can motivate, he can recruit and he knows the mind of Whipple from their time at UMass. Just a 'wicked awesome' hire, in my opinion.

- Finally, can we get the head coach a contract please? Who knows if the numbers that are being reported ($2,000,000) are accurate? I don't, but, I do know this - the salaries of coaches are going up by the day.

Is Randy going to take a home court discount? Most likely in the end, but if market value for a head coach of a decent D-1 program is $2M, then pay the man his money. Randy has done more than enough to warrant the going rate.

Remember how you felt when we lost to Virgina in the last game at the Orange Bowl? That's not going to happen again under Randy. This program has improved. The kids are staying out of trouble. They are graduating. He is accomplishing what MOST other Division 1 coaches can't . At some point we, the diehards, have to put some pressure on the university to get him signed.

I don't think Randy is asking for some ridiculous amount of money. He's not going to do that to his alma mater. Give the man most, if not all, of what he wants and let's get on with the football. Word out of the Hecht is that there is a likelihood of LOSING recruits because Shannon doesn't have a deal. It's all fun and games until you start losing recruits. Sign the man... NOW.

Canes305 set up thebeast@allCanes.com so you guys can get a hold of me. I'm going to interview players and coaches this spring/fall and welcome your suggestions or questions.

I hope to see most of you at the OPEN practice On Thursday night at Lockhart. As promised, here are the stats from Saturday's scrimmage:

Rushing
Lamar Miller - 9 carries, 32 yards, 2 TD
Damien Berry - 8 carries, 48 yards
Mike James - 6 carries, 46 yards
Storm Johnson - 6 carries, 34 yards
Pat Hill - 2 carries, 13 yards

Passing
A.J. Highsmith - 9-for-18 95 yards, 3TDs
Spencer Whipple - 2-for-10 60 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Stephen Morris - 6-for-11 63 yards

Receiving
Travis Benjamin - 4 catches, 49 yards, TD
Thearon Collier - 3 catches, 19, TD
Leonard Hankerson - 2 catches, 50 yards, TD
Kendal Thompkins - 2 catches, 32 yards
LaRon Byrd - 2 catches, 30 yards, TD

Kicking
Jake Wieclaw - 3-for-3 field goals (32 yards, 25 yards, 22 yards)

Scoring
Highsmith - 5-yard TD pass to Hankerson
Miller - 9-yard TD run
Highsmith - 17-yard TD pass to LaRon Byrd
Whipple - 15-yard pass to Travis Benjamin
Highsmith - 14-yard TD pass to Thearon Collier
Miller - 3-yard TD run

Defense
Colin McCarthy- 5 tackles, fumble recovery
Vaughn Telemaque - 5 tackles
Shayon Green - 4 tackles
Steven Wesley - 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Ray Ray Armstrong - 3 tackles, 1 INT
DeMarcus Van Dyke - 3 tackles, 4 pass breakups

Brian "The Beast" London is one of the foremost insiders on all things Miami Hurricanes. He was on the Canes broadcast crew for more than a decade. He hosts a daily online radio show on SoFloRadio.com.

Hurricanes v. Gators all weekend at A-Rod Park

2010-03-05T09:41:00.001-08:00

A full-on jorts alert this weekend in Coral Gables as the Gators are invading. No. 5 Florida is headed to A Rod Park for a three-game series with No. 10 Miami.

GAME 8: FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI - LHP Chris Hernandez vs. FLORIDA - LHP Alex Panteliodis
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES, 90.5 WVUM

GAME 9: SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 7 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI - RHP Jason Santana vs. FLORIDA - LHP Brian Johnson
RADIO: 90.5 WVUM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES

GAME 10: SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 3 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
MIAMI - LHP Eric Erickson vs. FLORIDA - RHP Tommy Toledo
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 90.5 WVUM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES TV: SUN SPORTS

The Canes are averaging eleven runs per game through seven contests this year and heads into the weekend with a 6-1 record. The Gators roll in 5-1.

Miami is relatively untested, having swept Rutgers, winning two of three against Manhattan and taking the one-game series against South Florida. Florida's lone loss came against No. 3 Florida State, while its five wins came against South Florida, Central Florida and Siena. Rankings aside, this is anyones series.

Head on out there to support your Canes this weekend!

"The Beast" is officially back... at allCanesBlog.com

2010-03-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

allCanesBlog.com wants to officially welcome Brian "The Beast" London on board. Beast has been a friend of allCanes for years and we're thrilled to have him as part of the team.

Covering UM from the west coast has its challenges and with a local pro like Beast involved, allCanesBlog now has the ability to cover practice, getting more in depth with players/coaches interviews and unlike other sites, all our content will remain FREE. We don't believe in charging for 'premium' content. We're simply here to spread the Canes gospel and to keep the fans educated.

The Beast wrote up a little blurb for our readers and I'm posting it below. Check it out as there's always more to the story than meets the eye. On air, he's The Beast and he's covering UM but behind the persona is a long-time UM fan, an alum and an all around good guy who has bled orange and green since he was knee high.

Welcome aboard, Beast. Let's do this. - Canes305

"Hey Canes' fans, it's been toooooo freaking long. I feel like I've been on a remote island in the Pacific for the past seven months and the one thing I can definitely say is that I miss all of you.

This past season was an odd one for me. For the first time in almost two decades, I watched the Canes as a fan from the stands. On one hand, I got to tailgate and scream my head off when the ref made a bad call. On the other, I had a deep sense of emptiness as I wasn't able to do what I love to do the most; bringing you the best Hurricanes' coverage anywhere.

My hiatus is over. The Beast is back!

Most of you know that up until August I had been an integral member of the Hurricanes' broadcast team, something I'd done for the past decade. Without getting into the nitty gritty, someone decided they were better off with out me patrolling the sidelines as part of the Canes' broadcast team - my dream job. They made this decision for their own personal gain and cost me and my family a lot in the process. That said, it's time to look forward, not back.

I've had a few opportunities to get back into it over the past few months but nothing felt right... until now.

I recently reconnected with Harry Rothwell at allCanes and we got to talking about the blog, as well as some other ideas for how to take things to the next level. As I told Harry from day one, in my mind there is no better brand or business more synonymous with 'The U' than allCanes. It's a reputable brand and one I've been patronizing since I was a wee little Cane back in the day.

I can remember back in the late 80s/early 90s calling up All Sports (the previous incarnation of allCanes) and attempting to order a green jersey. This was before the "alternate" green jersey was brought back in the late 90s. I can still remember arguing with Harry over the phone (waaay before the Internet) about a green jersey. He said, "Kid, I got two jerseys, an orange one and a white one. They don't make green."

Reluctantly I ordered an orange jersey. Surprisingly it hasn't fit in a while, but I still keep it around for my son to put on some day. The bottom line is I'm thrilled to have this relationship with allCanes, even when Harry told me I wouldn't quite make it as a model for the new line of Coaches Gear.

We'll have plenty of time on this space to prognosticate, analyze, breakdown and debate all things Canes' football over the course of the upcoming months. For now, I wanted to use my introductory blog to let you know where I was coming from.

I popped out of my mom back in May 1976 at Beth Israel Hospital of Boston, MA. My mom Diann was born at Doctor's Hospital in the Gables. My dad Gerry grew up just outside of Boston. Mom always says she got on the wrong plane in the late 60s when she decided to go to school at Northeastern, but that's what she did. She met my dad ... yadda yadda yadda ... I'm on this planet.

From the time that on, all I wanted to do in my life was to attend the University of Miami. Even before I knew what college was (or keg stands for that matter), I knew I would be headed to UM. My grandparents lived a few blocks from campus and my uncle earned two degrees from The U. Being a Cane was in my blood.

I grew up in Boston, one of the only kids that even understood there was such a sport as college football. Aside from that certain game where that certain guy threw that certain pass, no one in that region ever talked about college football. The Beanpot? Yes. The Orange Bowl? No.

Despite my friends' lack of understanding, from the time I could dress myself, I wore Canes gear almost daily. Even if I couldn't explain it, I knew that putting a 'U' hat on my head felt right. I was a part of something bigger than me, like a member of a special fraternity.

As I got older, my dream of moving down south and going to school at UM turned into an obsession. I would have my grandmother drive me over to campus when ever I was down to visit. I would hit All Sports, dine at LB's Eatery, hit the bookstore and stop by the admissions office. I remember being a freshman in high school telling the folks at admissions that I would see them in a few years. Saying I was focused on being a Cane; a gross understatement.

Just before my junior year of high school, my grandmother Syl passed away after a long battle with Leukemia. Our entire family was at her bedside until the end, which was one of the saddest days of my life. Just before she passed, in bed and attached to a morphine drip, my mom - in tears- told her that I'd been accepted at UM.

Even in her dire condition, hours from death, my grandmother looked at me, grabbed my hand and gave me the biggest smile.

Though she never saw me walk across campus as a student, knowing that I had been accepted to The U gave her probably the last happy thought of her life. This never left my heart or mind since that day. Every time I walked onto the sideline of a Canes game, mic in hand, I always envisioned her watching the game from somewhere, telling all of her friends that her grandson had the best job in the world. This from the same woman that knew just as much about Bernie and Vinny as she did about chicken soup and stealing Sweet & Low packets from Wolfie's.

I lived in Eaton for three years, Mahoney for one (female made me move...don't ask.) I majored in Broadcasting and Political Science.

Along the way I was a proud member of The Band of The Hour's percussion section for three years, became a brother of Tau Beta Sigma, the National Honorary Marching Band Sorority (yes I'm a brother of a sorority) and did a ton of student radio on 90.5 WVUM.

I graduated in 1998 and at the time I was interning at WQAM. In November of 1998, a great guy by the name of Duff Lindsay (the QAM PD at the time) called me frantically and told me that I was hired if I could run the radio board from midnight to 6am that night. I said yes and the rest is history.

QAM got the Canes' rights in 1999 and in one capacity or another I've been involved with the broadcasts ever since - not to mention the time I put in doing student radio before that. Unfortunately I had the "honor" of broadcasting Miami/Florida State in 1997 from a telephone in the the end zone of Doak as the Canes lost 47-0. A definite low point.

For those who didn't know, I'm a diehard like you. I bleed Orange and Green. It's not just my team - it's my alma mater. It was never just a job. The U, is the place that I love most on this planet. You can have Disney World and the Grand Canyon. I'll take the Greentree Practice field and the Ashe Building. You can have Europe and the Med. I'll take the towers and the BUC. You can have the west coast and Hawaii, I'll take the UC and A-Rod Park.

It's from that perspective that I embark on this new endeavor. A Cane, bringing you the Canes. Other sites will bash. Other places will encourage nonsense and negativity. Other outlets will treat you - the fan - like village idiots. That's not what will happen here. This, will be honest, fresh, and trustworthy. We'll be as much about the people, as we are about the players. The bottom line is, this will be about The U. Syl would be so proud.

Thanks again to allCanes for the opportunity and after a way-too-long hiatus, The Beast is back!"

Brian "The Beast" London is one of the foremost insiders on all things Miami Hurricanes. He was on the Canes broadcast crew for more than a decade and he hosts a daily online radio show on SoFloRadio.com.

allCanes.com Daily Specials

2010-03-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

A heads up as we know all of you don't receive our email blasts. We're running five daily specials this week, between Wednesday March 3rd and Sunday March 7th. Each day, a different item on sale at 50% off. Act now while supplies last.

Wednesday March 3rd : Miami Sports Buds & Case

Thursday March 4th : The U Invented Swagger Tee

Friday March 5th : Nike Rivalry SwooshFlex Flat Bill Hat

Saturday March 6th : Nike Authentic Basketball Shorts

Sunday March 7th : Miami Girl Ribbed Tank

Each item will be on sale midnight to midnight for specific day sale is listed. Any questions, email sales@allCanes.com or call 800.226.4247. Go Canes.

AD Kirby Hocutt says, "It's Our Time"

2010-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

I oft marvel when supposed fans take the to streets, bitching that Miami's top brass "doesn't care about winning".

Talk that athletic director Kirby Hocutt or president Donna Shalala are happy with a mediocre football program and are simply keeping Randy Shannon on board because of graduation rates, running a tight ship and a discounted price tag.

One more time for the record, in case you missed it, everyone associated with this program is about winning. Miami football helps drive revenue. BCS games bring in bigger pay days. Merchandise sales directly impact the University of Miami's bottom line and winning football games puts asses in seats and gets fans hopped up to donate more to the program.

Simply put, you're an idiot if you feel that you, the armchair quarterback superfan, care more about winning than the coaches or administration that spend forty-plus hours a week work at and for The U.

ESPN.com's Heather Dinich went straight to the source with today's piece in the ACC blog.

"Success is measured by wins and losses and competition, and success is measured through championships," said Hocutt. "Randy knows the expectations that are here better than anyone. He's lived it for practically his entire career. He has the same expectations upon himself that we do as an administration, that we do as a program. It's nothing new.

"It takes time, but we're in a period now where it's our time. I'm confident that the upcoming season and the season that follows, what has been a young team are now upperclassmen who are determined to return the program to where it was before."

Entering year four, Shannon now has three full classes under his belt and as both he and Hocutt mention in Dinich's article, the pieces are finally falling into place.

"It's the first time I've finally felt comfortable in three years," Shannon said. "It's time to take that next step now."

While the mantra the first few seasons was 'youth', Miami coaches are now using words like 'older' and 'experienced'.

"We've finally got an older team," Shannon said. " ... Everybody has played two years. I was thinking to myself, I'm beating myself up, I just want to win, win, win. Sometimes people have to calm me down about things I always see. I'm going to continuously be that way as a coach, but after the season I evaluate, 'OK, where are we at?' I compare us to some teams I've been on and played on and things like that. You really don’t get good until you have your guys play a lot of football, in their second and third years.

"I think the team is starting to evolve and change into where we need to be at now," he said. "It makes it a lot of fun because the team is starting to get my mentality and attitude, and they understand what winning is about and what we have to do. I'm going to continue to stress the point of winning and competing at a high level because of the competition that is here."

Yeah, good call from the 'anti' camp. Randy Shannon is just going through the motions and the higher ups keep him on board simply as an authority figure. Dude isn't about winning ball games. He just wants to keep those grades up, keep kids out of trouble and is 'content' with four-loss seasons.

The past few years Shannon was quick to point out deficiencies, most notably a lack of depth and talent on the offensive line. Entering fall, the Canes will have upwards of fifteen linemen to choose from - most of which were signed over the past two seasons. Miami will be three-deep at every position except the secondary, a far cry from where things were in 2007 when Shannon took over.

A year ago the Canes only had five linebackers and needed to raid the basketball program for a tight end. A few years prior, a punter was listed as the third string wideout. As weak as the ACC might be, you're not going to dominate a major conference with a lack of depth or talent. I don't care how much 'tradition' and supposed 'swagger' a program claims.

This is a five-year rebuild whether you want to swallow that pill or not. Year four is on the horizon and you're finally seeing the depth and talent returning. Miami has taken one step closer to being a player again. The schedule is daunting, but Shannon finally has the weapons necessary to win ball games without fading down the stretch.

The Latest at The U...

2010-02-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

Another football recruiting class is in the books, spring ball is underway, men's basketball remains in the toilet and the baseball team opened the season with a three-game sweep of an old Big East foe. Such is life at The U early in 2010. The latest:

Toughening up is the new mantra around Greentree this spring. When asked his one overall goal for spring, Randy Shannon answered "get tougher".

"It's going to be physical football this spring. I want to see how our mindset is. I want to see us take the next step in improving in a lot of different areas. We're really going to go after it", said Shannon.

Many were critical after the Canes were pushed around by a mid-tier Big Ten squad in the bowl game. Wisconsin owned both trenches and Miami came off soft. Jacory Harris was sacked five times, UM never got any offensive rhythm and defensively never got any pressure on the Badgers, proven by an unscathed quarterback, a powerful ground game and tight ends who ran rampant all night.

Practice officially kicked off today and the Canes have just over a month to 'get it', as does Shannon. This is more than just rededication in the weight room; it's a change in mindset. How does Miami get mentally stronger? How does Shannon coach up his team without wearing them out down the stretch?

This marks Shannon's fourth spring as head coach. Time for another step forward. He has the coaches he wants and February marked his third full recruiting class. Will Shannon's message resonate? Will these kids respond? Will we see a tougher bunch come fall?

Miami is at Ohio State on September 11th - the defending Big Ten champs, not a mid-tier Wisky bunch. Toughness is a must.

J-12 is limited to non-throwing drills this spring as he recovers from shoulder surgery, meaning sophomore A.J. Highsmith, true freshman Stephen Morris and scout team quarterback Spencer Whipple, son of Mark, will trade snaps.

Two sides to the argument - a sky is falling mentality to Harris' absence or acceptance and understanding that the back ups will get some valuable playing time. Whatever the mindset, Harris is gone and Miami will deal with the blow.

One optimistic take; Harris physically needs the rest. He took an ass-beating in 2009 between a line that faded down the stretch. At 6'4" and 190 pounds, Harris needs to focus on building man weight and healing for fall.

Get healthy, study film and come back strong in fall while the Canes settle on a legit second option.

Regarding the younger Whipple, some good ink in the Herald recently. Son is helping explain father's schemes to his teammates. On the surface doesn't seem like much, but probably a bigger deal than most would initially give credit for.

Where the elder Whipple might not relate to some teenage quarterbacks, a quarterback son who is their peer can. Son knows father, his schemes, what he means and can help deliver that message.

Curious to see how the Spencer Whipple experience plays out, but whether he takes a meaningful snap or not, his presence and lineage will absolutely help the development of University of Miami quarterbacks while he's on campus and his father is calling plays.

Marcus Forston looks to be out all spring after missing most of last season with a lower extremity issue. Gavin Hardin continues battling neck issues and rumors swirl regarding not when he'll return, but if.

Any question as to the importance of building depth, look no further. Miami's defensive line can't afford the hit, proven last year when Adewale Ojomo missed the season due to a broken jaw. The Canes lacked the numbers, forcing young, inexperienced players to play more than they should've.

Miami brought in some defensive line talent in last year's class - Dyron Dye, Curtis Porter, Luther Robinson and Oliver Vernon. Time for all four to take a step forward and help out an in-need line.

Creating pressure up front; a Miami staple for all great Cane teams. UM hasn't seen top-flight line play in years. The last three classes can hopefully turn the tide.

Random thought; why so much chatter about the state of Shannon's contract? You can't turn anywhere Cane-related and not see a slew of opinions on the subject.

Shannon is heading into the final year of his contract and has been offered a three-year extension and a 'modest' bump regarding his $1M a year salary. Shannon was the eighth-highest paid coach in the ACC last season. Conversely, first-year Tennessee coach Derek Dooley is earning a cool $1.8M as a first-time head coach.

For all the idle chatter and questions, it sounds like an agreement is close to being reached. Either way, it's late February and as long as it's dealt with in the coming weeks, what's the big deal? The 2010 class is in the books and Miami is just beginning to turn up the heat recruiting-wise for next season.

Whatever the subject matter, if it's Shannon-related you can be ensured opinions will be voiced. The 'anti' contingent loves to make something out of nothing, in this case taking it upon themselves to determine what Shannon "deserves" to be paid - clueless to the process of negotiating, as well.

If nothing more than to shut some mouths, here's hoping an agreement is reached sooner than later. The commentary surrounding the new contract, or lack thereof, is tiring.

I've received a few emails asking about Miami Basketball and the lack of coverage here. Living on the left coast, I haven't seen much of the 18-9 Canes, so it's tough for me to cover them or to have much of an opinion. If/when they make the post-season, it's easier to follow with the national coverage, but the regular season is tough from So Cal.

From what little I have seen, it's been disappointing and I've made a conscious effort to not get emotionally involved with Miami Basketball over the years. The football program sucks the life out of me every fall and I sweat out the regionals and College World Series for the baseball program annually. Another Miami sport tough to cover from out west, but growing up going to Ron Fraser's camp, Hurricanes Baseball remains near and dear.

A 4-9 ACC record is pretty brutal in what looks like a down year for the conference. Even more frustrating, seeing Leonard Hamilton and his Seminoles at 8-5 in conference and continuing to grow annually. Florida State is far from being a powerhouse like Florida turned into a few years back, but they look to be closer to getting over the hump than the Canes are.

Miami got a much-needed ACC win over Virginia a few days back, but is still 0-7 on the road against conference foes. The Canes have one road game remaining - at North Carolina on March 2nd - meaning Miami has a good shot at winless in ACC road games for '10. Pretty pathetic.

Not sure what has to happen, but something's gotta give. Here's hoping Frank Haith can turn it around next year. You have to think the clock is ticking.

Speaking of Miami Baseball, 3-0 out the gate after a home sweep of Rutgers. Last night's game against Florida Gulf Coast was postponed and Manhattan visits this weekend, so 6-0 should be a reality come Monday. The Canes' first real challenge comes the weekend of March 5th with the Gators come to town.

Tough to get fired up about baseball this early in the year as it's really all just a race for the Super Regional and Omaha. Two years back the Canes waltzed into the College World Series a top seed, choked against Georgia in the opening round, beat Florida State and were sent home by Stanford... while nobody Fresno State went on to win the whole thing. Last year Miami couldn't even find its way out of the Gainesville regional, losing to the Gators twice.

The Canes look promising this year with some more depth, stronger pitching and a good unit... but until June, who really knows where this season will go.

Lastly, a lot of ink on Ojomo's return this week. After sitting out all of 2009 with a broken jaw, resulting from a sucker punch, Ojomo is healthy and good to go.

You hate to see a young man suffer such a setback, but the older we get the more we realize the growth that comes from loss. Sometimes you have to lose something to realize the love and passion you have for it. Ojomo was sidelined for a 9-4 season where the Canes truly needed some help at defensive end. He's now back on the field and will have the chance to make up for lost time.

Miami is in need of some leadership on defense and Ojomo looked fiery in his freshman campaign two years back. Here's hoping he can pick up where he left of - bigger, stronger, faster... and more appreciative of the opportunity in 2010.

Barrow to Florida rumor false... or is it?

2010-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

It's not a question of where the rumor starts as much as it's about the fuel added to the fire and the harsh opinions formed before said rumor is a proven fact.

The latest topic beat up on the message boards yesterday; defensive assistant Micheal Barrow supposedly headed to Florida to lead the recruiting charge out of Gainesville and to coach linebackers for the Gators.

A day later, Barrow is staying put at UM and has been moved back to linebackers coach, after spending 2009 as an assistant.

Instead of sitting back, playing the wait and see game, Miami faithful took to the Intraweb to voice their displeasure with the situation. Some choice nugs posted online yesterday on various message boards:

"Why work for an unqualified lightweight at the U when you can work for the best in Gainesville?"

"This move was done simply by CUM for Barrow's contacts with SoFla high schools. It was a recruiting move plain and simple. Shannon is toast."

"One incontrovertible fact is it is hard for a team to gain traction when assistant coaches leave after one or two years. A new coach comes in and the team has to start at square 1 all over again. I don't understand why Miami can't keep its coaches around. Its hard to believe its just pay."

"Good. He sukked as a LB coach anyways."

"Sorry to say this but, it might be true because Urban is trying to hire another black coach. He only has one black on his staff rite now. He also needs to get someone to recruit S. fl, and Mike wants to further is career and not just be a assistant. Randy this is bad if you cant keep Mike B."

"His specific job will be to come into Dade and Broward and take our kids. Not honorable. Guy cares more about a few extra bucks than the U. A true Cane would not accept that job. Either that, or he would and then literally derecruit kids he is going after. Eff Urban, and eff Barrow."

"It's a damn shame to see how much Shannons ego is affecting this program. I have been saying it all along. COACHES DONT WANT TO WORK WITH SHANNON."

"Money obviously means more to Barrow than his core ties to Miami. Now you think "honor" is more important too? LOL. CUM hired him for one thing. To tell the kids the truth about the Miami program and Randy Shannon. I'll take back the word "trash". All he has to do is tell them the truth. How inept the head guy is. CUM will close after Barrow tell recruits the truth."

"Meyer now has a former Miami guy who worked directly under Shannon who can relay to the kids how inept Shannon truly is."

"First he gets demoted from LB coach to basically no real responsibility on the defense. Then Randy uses him to bring in the top talen nationally for visits b/c of his name recognition and then he gets passed over as recruiting coordinator. You think maybe he is fed up with being treated like a dog on this staff and is now looking for better opportunities elsewhere (even if it is with the enemy)??"

"I'm glad he is moving on. Just find it traitorous that he will now spend his time trashing his own university just for some extra bucks. Sold his soul. Not a Cane ne more."

"Michael, you're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at the games, I don't want you near my school. When you see our Canes, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?"

"I might hate Meyer, but man the guy is a genius. He's now got the one thing he didn't have. A former Miami assistant and Shannon loyalist who can now give props to the Gates and bad mouth Miami."

"I can't f*ckin believe this guy, I guess he didn't save a dime of his NFL money, what a f*ckin Benedict Arnold. Go F yourself Bam Bam."

Is it any wonder why Miami fans get such a bad rap nationwide? Nice work, superfans. Way to trash one of our own before the body was even cold. The rumor wasn't an hour old before the hatefest started.

Barrow is Miami born and bred. A Homestead kid who came to The U in 1989, won two national championships and was an All-American his senior year, finishing seventh in the Heisman race.

After a thirteen-year NFL career, Barrow returned to Homestead High as defensive coordinator and came back to UM in 2007 as linebackers coach. Barrow spent 2009 as a defensive assistant, which according to Randy Shannon was done to help Barrow learn more about coaching the entire defense, possibly grooming him for a defensive coordinator gig down the road.

According to the Herald's Manny Navarro, Barrow will be coaching linebackers again in '10 and to date there's no evidence that the former Cane linebacker even traveled to Gainesville, outside of a few premature Internet reports.

Anyone with an ounce of logic knows this was a power play. UF showed interest, Barrow - like any working stiff - responded in an effort to show his current employer that he's a desirable employee. The result; a move back to coaching linebackers and probably a bump in pay. Safe bet Barrow had zero intention of coaching for the enemy... but played the game to jockey for better position at UM. The whole scenario played out in less than a day, yet the harsh words remain out their in cyberspace because some fans have no filter or patience.

Whether Barrow is on Miami's sideline next fall, Florida's or Homestead High's, the reacting from the Canes fanbase was pathetic and it's time for some folks to take some serious inventory. Message boards give everyone an outlet for their opinions, but sadly most commentary is knee-jerk, poorly thought out and nobody is held accountable for their brash, biased opinions.

For some idiots to state that the move to another sideline means Barrow "is no longer a Cane" - shame on you fools. A local kid that suited up for the hometown team, won two rings, did the program proud, played in the NFL and now coaches at his alma mater - he's no longer part of the family if he takes another job?

Give it a rest, uber fan, hiding behind your keyboard bitching away instead of showing up for home games on Saturday. Barrow is more a Cane than every clown combined in a chat room on any given night.

To the mods at CaneSport and CanesTime, tighten up your game. The inmates are running the asylum and it's time you remember that coaches, players, parents of players, alum, boosters and a slew of others are reading what a small percentage of this fan base are saying. Don't let these people represent what for the most part is a stand up group of fans.

Weed out the morons and promote the words of those who do this program a service, not a disservice. Other message boards have their gestapos and it's time Miami message boards employ a similar mentality. Enough is enough.

More recruiting perspective; Canes class '10

2010-02-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

ESPN released their top 25 list regarding this year's recruiting haul and Miami fell smack dab in the middle at #13. The rest looked like this:

1. Florida... 2. Texas... 3. Alabama... 4. Auburn... 5. Oklahoma... 6. Florida State... 7. Southern Cal... 8. LSU... 9. Tennessee... 10. UCLA... 11. Penn State... 12. Georgia... 13. Miami... 14. Michigan... 15. California... 16. Ohio State... 17. Texas A&M... 18. Stanford... 19. Clemson... 20. Washington... 21. Notre Dame... 22. Oregon... 23. South Carolina... 24. North Carolina... 25. Mississippi

On paper and according to some online 'gurus', twelve teams finished ahead of the Canes... yet Miami fans remain up in arms over this most recent class. Forget the fact that 28 new kids pledged their allegiance to "The U", par for the course the focus remains on those that got away, as opposed to those who are on board.

Florida snagged the top spot, a program with two titles in four years. Texas rolled in second, just like they did in last year's title game. National Champion Alabama was third. Perennial BCS staples Oklahoma and Southern Cal were number five and seven, respectively. LSU - a two time champ this decade - was eighth. Traditional powers Penn State and Georgia rolled in eleventh and twelfth. Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and UCLA were also ahead of Miami. Not exactly bad company.

But what about those behind the Canes? Funny how few focus on that.

Big Ten and Rose Bowl winner Ohio State came in at #16. Feel good story Stanford and superstar coach Jim Harbaugh came it at #18. Dabo Sweeney and Clemson #19. Notre Dame and new coach Brian Kelly came it #21. Chip Kelly and Oregon at #22. The 'amazing' Butch Davis pulled in the #24 class.

And what about the flavor of the week-month-year type teams? Boise State, TCU, Utah, Cincinnati and BYU were unranked. So was Bobby Petrino's Arkansas bunch. So was Dave Wannstache's Pitt program. Same for Greg Schiano and Rutgers. Same for Mike Leach/Tommy Tuberville's Texas Tech squad.

Mark Stoops at Arizona or Dennis Erickson at Arizona State? Unranked and nothing to write home about. BCS winner Kirk Ferentz, nada at Iowa. In state rival South Florida, nowhere to be found.

Time for some perspective, Hurricane nation. Miami pulled in a top class in 2008 and followed up with a top ten class in 2009. Gone are the days of promising immediate playing time. The Canes are loaded at some positions and are depth challenged at others.

Offensive line is not a 'sexy' pick with recruiting sites. (Seriously, there's a reason these guys are referred to as the 'big uglies'.) UM took five o-linemen in this class and filled other voids at tight end and linebacker. Miami got some quality four-star players and some three-star kids that should pan out over time. They also rolled the dice on a few two-star guys and took a ton of premature grief for doing so.

This class should be judged at the end of the 2011 season - not days after the ink dried on the LOI.

Give these kids time to make a name for themselves... and pay attention to your surroundings. The 13th rated class in the nation is nothing to sneeze at. Especially in the wake of 9-4, 7-6 and 5-7. Miami is still rebuilding and this is part of the process. Relax.

Perspective on recruitment of Seantrel Henderson...

2010-02-04T04:40:00.000-08:00

There's a common theme among some bitter Miami fans that Randy Shannon can't close. After top-ranked offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson picked USC earlier today, those complaints were voiced yet again.

Below is a blurb from Thayer Evans of the New York Times regarding the Henderson recruiting process and hopefully shedding some light for those who live in the dark:

"The decision of Henderson, who has yet to qualify academically, capped a frantic final recruiting week.

It started last Wednesday with a visit by Southern Cal coaches: Lane Kiffin, the head coach; his father, Monte, the defensive coordinator; Ed Orgeron, the assistant head coach; and James Cregg, the offensive line coach.

Sean Henderson recalled telling his son in his freshman year, “If you really, really kill it, who knows, you might get a call from U.S.C. someday.”

In May, that dream came to be with a call from Pete Carroll, then the Trojans’ coach. During his son’s recruitment, Sean Henderson said, recruiters from other colleges mentioned that the Trojans might face penalties from an N.C.A.A. investigation of their athletic program. But while visiting the Hendersons last week in Minneapolis, Lane Kiffin told them not to be worried, Sean Henderson said.

“As far as he’s been informed — he was very, very choosy with his words — there shouldn’t be anything going wrong because there was no knowledge of anything going on by the staff,” Sean Henderson said. The Hendersons asked Kiffin to be clear about what impact the N.C.A.A. might have on the Trojans’ football program, Sean Henderson said. Just before Seantrel chose U.S.C. on Wednesday, Kiffin reiterated not to listen to others who said the Trojans might face sanctions.

The day after U.S.C.’s visit, Miami Coach Randy Shannon made his home visit, but it was delayed by an hour and a half while Seantrel was having his hair done.

After saying that he thought he was bound for U.S.C. just after midnight Friday, Henderson and his father left freezing temperatures in Minneapolis in a limousine sent by Miami to head to the airport for their official visit to the university. The trip was Henderson’s fifth and final official N.C.A.A. visit, and came on the weekend of the Pro Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla.

That night, Seantrel Henderson was taken to a Miami club, where he met the former Miami stars Willis McGahee and Bryant McKinnie. The next day, McKinnie was kicked off the National Football Conference Pro Bowl team after two unexcused absences from practice. On Saturday he went to a South Beach nightclub, where he met Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed, another former Miami player.

Sean Henderson said his son told him, “Wow, Dad, this trip right here is making my decision even harder.” Besides the Hurricanes’ storied history, father and son liked that the university was private and that the team was 9-4 last season and seemed to have a bright future. They also liked the warm weather, but had concerns about Miami’s fast pace."

How can anyone say that Miami and this staff didn't go after Henderson with a vengeance?

Shannon heads to Minneapolis for an in-home visit and is left waiting for ninety minutes while Henderson gets his hair done for his Wednesday close up. Days later UM sends a limo for the Henderson family's trek to Coral Gables.

Henderson meets up with McGahee and McKinnie at a club, Friday night on South Beach during Pro Bowl weekend. The next night, he's hanging out with NFL great and all-time Cane, Ed Reed.

Both Sean and Seantrel loved the UM experience, see the program improving, like where it's headed and feel Miami has a bright future... and that STILL wasn't enough, which is sometimes the case.

Henderson had USC on the brain for years and the family chose west over east. It happens, but not for lack of trying. All that "Miami is too fast paced" stuff would've flown if the big man chose Columbus (OH), but calling Miami too 'big city' and then choosing LA - not the smartest play.

Sounds like Cane coaches set up a perfect weekend for the top-ranked recruit, but the big man wasn't to be swayed. His mind was made up before that free limo ride to the airport. It was a weekend away from freezing Minnesota while every NFL somebody was tearing up South Beach. Not exactly a bad weekend for a free trip.

It sounds a bit like the teen-friendly MTV series "Parental Control", where a mom and dad aim to get their offspring to break up with said loser boyfriend/girlfriend by introducing a dreamy new partner into the scenario. In the end, offspring is forced to choose between current love interest or one of the two picks from mom and dad's screening process.

The overwhelming majority of teens wind up sticking with their first love, despite being shown the flaws. That's how it works when you're young - you ignore sound advice and simply do what you want to do regardless.

Henderson and family know that the NCAA is ready to crack down on USC and choose to listen to Lane Kiffin's cries of, "everything's gonna be alright" and take it as gospel. "Ignore what they're saying - we'll be fine".

Sounds like something the CEO tells his shareholders right before the hammer falls and the stock tanks.

Even though Henderson has verballed to USC, he'll wait until late February to sign a letter of intent. USC will meet in front of the NCAA infractions committee between the 19th-21st to discuss the Trojans fate and while no clear cut answer will come that day, the Henderson family feels it'll have a better feel on what the punishment will be.

Worth keeping an eye on the next few weeks? Absolutely. In the end, Henderson to Los Angeles doesn't quite seem like a done deal.

Signing Day '10 comes to a close

2010-02-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

To the twenty eight new Canes who signed letters of intent today, welcome to 'The U'. To those who didn't want in, best of luck in your future endeavors. All parties need to move forward.

That's where it starts and where it ends. Appreciate and embrace those who got on board instead of lamenting over those who you feel got away - the term 'got away' used loosely as they were never yours to begin with.

Those caught up in the recruiting process, enamored with player rankings and YouTube highlight reels, this class isn't going to "wow" you. No five stars. Six four stars. Eighteen three stars. Four two stars. Only a few kids from ESPNs' Top 150, too. 2010 wasn't about flash, it was about substance.

For Randy Shannon, a "great class" that can "help us get that next step" regarding his take on its impact on the future of the program.

Needs were met - most notably offensive line, tight end and linebacker. Miami reeled in five offensive linemen, three tight ends (including a JUCO transfer) and five linebackers. Five defensive linemen were also added, bringing some depth to the trenches.

Anyone who watched Miami's lines getting manhandled by Virginia Tech and Wisconsin this year should obviously welcome the upgrades.

To say that college football recruiting has gotten out of hand - the understatement of understatements. Played out hat tricks. Flip flopping and double-talk. Coach-speak coming out of the mouths of babes. Star rankings rising and falling based on the outcome of one game. Not taking 'competition faced' into the evaluation. Everything is so arbitrary, which makes for less accountability and more wiggle room when making predictions.

Star rankings for high school players may sell subscriptions to paid sites, but it's as inexact a science as you'll find. Want proof? Look no further than some past Miami classes:

>>> In 2002, wideout Ryan Moore was a five-star prospect out of Dr. Phillips in Orlando and was listed as the top receiver nationwide, according to some. Moore's career flamed out at 'The U' before it even started and he's more known for smacking up a female bar patron than any catch he ever made on the field.

Others to flame out in that highly-touted '02 class; Kareem Brown (#1 defensive player in Florida), Marc Gullion (nation's #10 quarterback), Akieem Jolla (#5 wideout in nation), Curtis Justus (highly-touted TE that flamed out), Alex Pou (#21 OL in nation), Greg Threat (#21 DB in nation), Alton Wright (highly-touted DL).

Miami had the 7th ranked class in '02 and of those 20 players, only three made the NFL - Eric Winston, Sinorice Moss and Brandon Meriweather - and over a dozen could easily be referred to as 'busts'.

>>> Larry Coker reeled in what was rated the sixth-best class in 2003. Five-star quarterback Kyle Wright led the charge and obviously never became the next big thing, as expected. Devin Hester and his speed have taken him to new heights in the NFL, but his role proved limited at UM. Tyrone Moss was a local four-star back expected to be the next great. He wasn't.

Again, a highly-ranked class full of more misses than hits: Glenn Cook (#26 linebacker in nation), Willie Cooper (#21 safety in nation), Vegas Franklin (#18 outside LB in nation), Dave Howell (drew comparisons to Vince Wilfork), Terrell Walden (#9 DB in nation).

The '03 class was thought to have reeled in a top-flight offensive line with Derrick Morse, Cyrim Wimbs, John Rochford and Andrew Bain, but outside of Morse the rest flopped.

Regarding "those who got away", this should've been a class that included Ali Highsmith (LSU) and H.B. Blades (Pitt) -- UM legacy that went elsewhere, yet Coker wasn't raked over the coals as Shannon would've been. Amazing how that happens on the heels of a 24-1 start to ones coaching career - not to mention inheriting such tremendous depth that a few "misses" could be absorbed without missing a beat.

A lot of the kids Miami reeled in earlier this decade were thought to be big time talent and they proved to be busts, meaning two things - the players weren't developed and the so-called experts were wrong regarding the overblown rankings, which can happen when trying to predict the career path and future of a high school superstar.

Miami didn't win the beauty contest on Signing Day '10, but there's substance which should pay off down the road. Tom Luginbill agrees:

“I term this class an upside class, a class that you could look back in two or three years and say, ‘You know what, there’s some really fruitful kids that came out of this class that not a lot of people talked about", said longtime ESPN recruiting analyst.

"I just think there are some targets who are really special. Even without (Seantrel Henderson), I still think its a very, very good class... Because of how young they are I think they've found some kids who they can redshirt and develop down the road -- real gifted athletes. I know some people may criticize that, but I'm not sure that wasn't done by design. Plus, you look at the six kids they already have in school.''

The six early enrollees - Malcolm Bunche (OL), Stephen Morris (QB), Allen Hurns (WR), Storm Johnson (RB), Tyrone Cornelius (LB) and Shane McDermott (OL). This is the third straight season Shannon and staff have been successful getting kids on campus for spring ball, helping build depth and experience - as well as getting an eight-month jump on a freshman's first season.

The Canes landed only one Signing Day 'bonus' in tight end Asante Cleveland. Shannon stressed the importance of adding depth at the position, so a fourth tight end in this class was a huge pick up. JUCO transfer Chase Ford should vie for immediate playing time, while either Andrew Tallman or Clive Walford could redshirt. Regardless, today's addition will help ease the loss of Dedrick Epps and Jimmy Graham.

Some are saying Miami whiffed, but last minute pick ups haven't been Shannon's style down the stretch. The Canes take care of recruiting business all year long, landing more than the average amount of mid-season verbal commits. Entering this morning, UM had over two dozen kids (almost) signed, sealed and delivered, whereas other programs had much less, allowing them to 'close' on Signing Day.

Of the supposed "misses", Ivan McCartney picked West Virginia over UM. The Canes are loaded at wideout, McCartney's former Miramar quarterback is in Morgantown and his high school coach was a Mountaineer. Is it really a 'miss' when a kid chooses playing time over being buried on the depth chart? Same could be said for Florida's Quinton Dunbar, a local wideout who decommitted from Miami months back.

OT Shon Coleman chose Auburn and was always considered a Miami "longshot" so again, is it really a "miss" when the odds were considered low?

Ego Ferguson surprised everyone last minute and chose LSU over UM, FSU and Texas Tech. The DE out of Virginia's Hargrave Military Academy had no real UM ties and was recruited late and while he'd have been a great addition, he wasn't Miami's to lose.

California LB Josh Shirley decided to stick with a hometown program and chose UCLA over Miami and USC. A left coast kid wanted to stay out west and like some others who went elsewhere, he was never a Cane and UM was a underdog in the three horse race.

Lastly, Seantrel Henderson gave Miami a late look, but went with Southern Cal - a favorite of his, along with Ohio State. The Minnesota product was beyond a longshot, but again the staff will be blamed for an inability to 'close'.

Of the six final day prospects, Cleveland was the lone signee - a northern California kid committed to Washington State who essentially defected because of Miami's need at tight end. The exact opposite of the situation at wide receiver which obviously weighed in McCartney's decision to seek out a weaker depth chart.

Miami started the day with 27 commitments and ended with 28. Cleveland is a nice pick up (the nation's #15 TE) and is one more played than the Canes began the day with. Plus, he fills a huge void at tight end - where some who've seen him film are reminded of former Cane great Bubba Franks.

Jacory Harris is the key to Miami's offense and the first-year starter was tossed around like a ragdoll late last fall. A new-look Mark Whipple offense worked early on, but the offensive line fell apart when different schemes were tossed at them. The lowlight, a 20-14 bowl loss to Wisconsin, where Miami was owned in the trenches and Harris was sacked five times.

Offensive line was a glaring hole and while Henderson would've been a dream left tackle, again, focus on who's on board.

Brandon Linder is a top-notch prospect from St. Thomas, a program that churns out some college-ready talent like Sam Young (Notre Dame) and Andrew Datko (Florida State).

The 6'6" almost 300 pound Linder is joined by high school teammate Jermaine Barton, prep school transfer Bunche, local product Johnathan Feliciano and Wellington's McDermott, a 6'3" down and dirty center who looks like he'll bring some piss and vinegar to the line.

What the line has been to the offense, the linebacking core has been to the defense - spotty, undeveloped and full of holes and a day after Arthur Brown decided to "take some time off", five new Cane backers are on board.

I guess four-star Travis Williams leads the charge, if you're judging rankings. A solid pick up out of Virginia. Miami also added three-star Tyrone Cornelius, two-star James Gaines, three-star Gainesville product Kevin Nelson and two-star Kelvin Cain.

Gaines, Cain and defensive linemen Delmar Taylor and Jeffery Brown are the under the radar types that Shannon and staff have made a habit of targeting. Miami coaches obviously go after top talent - proven by the half dozen four-star players and the heavy pressure put on a five-star like Henderson. Yet in the same breath, Cane coaches won't shun a kid who doesn't garner the same hype.

Gaines sent a highlight tape to Miami mid-January. He planned on playing for the hometown team, but after Buffalo head coach Turner Gill booked for Kansas it was game off. Cane coaches dug what they saw and the academically sound, hard hitting linebacker received an offer.

Taylor, a local product, hand delivered his reel to Cane coaches and everyone liked what they saw. Taylor is raw, but Miami is his dream school and there's said to potential and upside.

California-bred Cain said his heart dropped when Miami offered and the versatile athlete committed on the spot. His coach calls him a born leader and made him team captain. Sounds like the kind of kid you take a chance on. Especially late in the game when a D.C. linebacker breaks his commitment, defecting for Maryland and staying closer to home.

At some point, everybody is unheralded. The greats eventually have that first 'next level' moment and it grows from there - but at some point, everybody is a nobody.

Gaines, Cain and Taylor could become 'all world' or 'no world'. Time will tell, but at least give them the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to prove themselves.

If "can't miss" products like Wright, Moore, Moss, etc. all missed, who's to say today's "nobody" can't become tomorrow's superstar?

All the so-called 'experts' who earn a living ranking classes, a bit of advice - save your opinions as you're way ahead of yourselves.

You can't rank a class based on potential. You have to let it develop over time and rank it when it's fact, not theory. "On paper" means nothing. High school and college are night and day. Just ask Kansas-bound Brown, passed on the depth chart two years in a row by "lesser" players, according to Internet rankings.

Signing Day is simply the starting line. Don't predict how the race will be run. Watch it go and write about it when it's done.

A slew of new Canes on board today. Welcome them with open arms as they signed on and will spend the next four years putting this program back on the map. Another class is in the books.

Celebrate the victory instead of dwelling on perceived loss.

Devont'a Davis & Kevin Nelson bailing Gainesville...

2010-02-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

A little more perspective regarding appreciating those who got on board instead of lamenting those who got away. Here's some footage of two Gainesville High products - Devont'a Davis and Kevin Nelson - signing their letters of intent to play for the University of Miami.

Check out the final third where both Davis and Nelson talk about this being a dream come true regarding playing for "The U" and joining the U Family.

Besides plucking two kids out of Florida's backyard, Miami reeled in two quality kids here and solid athletes.

Choosing the 305 over the 352, welcome to The U, fellas.

Miami Hurricanes : 2010 Recruiting Class

2010-02-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

Please welcome the 2010 Miami Hurricanes recruiting class to Coral Gables. To those who wanted in, thank you for signing on to help rebuild 'The U'. To those who went elsewhere, it's a Canes thing and you obviously didn't understand.

Jermaine Barton
Offensive Lineman, 6-7, 283
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS
- Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Named second team All-Broward by the Miami Herald and the Florida Sun Sentinel ... Allowed only two sacks his senior season ... Very good athlete who also is a gifted basketball player ... Helped St. Thomas Aquinas to a 28-1 record the last two seasons and a Class 5A state title in 2008 and No. 1 national ranking in 2009.

Jeff Brown
Defensive Line, 6-3. 275
Evanston, Ill./Evanston HS
- Rated a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, a three-star recruit by ESPN.com and the No. 75 defensive tackle in country by Scout.com ... As senior, totaled 42 solo tackles, five sacks, nine tackles for loss, a forced fumble, four fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks ... Also wrestled in high school and compiled a 39-1 record as a senior ... Also lettered in track and was a state qualifier in the shot put.

Malcolm Bunche
Offensive Line, 6-7, 328
Newark, Del./ Milford (N.Y.) Academy/Newark HS
- Enrolled at Miami in January 2010 ... Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and the No. 8 prep school prospect in the nation regardless of position ... Ranked the No. 18 best offensive guard by Scout.com, No. 39 best offensive tackle by Rivals.com and No. 86 best offensive tackle by ESPN.com out of high school ... Originally signed a national letter of intent with Miami in the spring of 2009.

Kelvin Cain
Linebacker, 6-3, 226
Clovis, Calif./Buchanan HS
- Rated the 10th best outside linebacker in the state of California ... As a senior, recorded 80 tackles and nine sacks while also returning eight kickoffs for 150 yards ... Played at Portland (OR) Grant High School, where he finished with 61 tackles and seven sacks as a junior.

Eduardo Clements
Running Back, 5-9, 183
Miami, Fla./Booker T. Washington HS
- Rushed for 3,105 yards and 50 touchdowns in four seasons at Booker T. Washington ... Rated the No. 79 player in the Sporting News 100 ... Rated the No. 43 prospect in the Mobile Register Super Southeast 120 ... As a junior rushed for 892 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 34 passes for 296 receiving yards and three total touchdowns ... In limited action as a senior, rushed 694 yards and nine touchdowns ... As a sophomore on the state champion team, ran for 961 yards and 19 touchdowns ... Rated the No.62 player in the Sports Illustrated Takkle Top 200 ... Rated the No. 11 running back by Rivals.com, a four-star recruit and the No. 156 player nationally ... Named first team All-Dade by the Miami Herald as a senior and second team All-Dade as a junior and sophomore ... No.76 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List.

Asante Cleveland
Tight End, 6-5, 240
Sacramento, Calif./Christian Brothers HS
- Ranked the No. 15 tight end and a three-star recruit by Scout.com ... As a junior earned all-league honors after leading his team with 21 receptions for 262 yards and four touchdowns ... As a senior had 24 receptions for 412 yards and seven touchdowns.

Tyrone Cornelius
Linebacker, 6-2, 195
Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson HS
- Enrolled in January 2010 ... Ranked the No. 39 outside linebacker prospect in the nation by Rivals.com and three-star recruit by Scout.com ... Finished his senior season with 108 tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles, two blocked punts and eight tackles for loss and helped lead Stephenson to an 11-1 record and the second round of the playoffs ... As a junior tallied 118 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles (one returned for a score), four sacks, 11 tackles for losses, a blocked punt and three safeties ... Named a first-team all-state selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Associated Press ... No. 28 player on the AJC Top 50 List.

Devont'a Davis
Defensive Back, 6-0, 166
Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville HS
- Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Named first team all-area by the Gainesville Sun ... Finished his senior year with 75 tackles, seven interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 12 passes broken up which included a season-best 12 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles against Buchholz ... As a junior had 50 tackles - seven for losses - with one interception and 15 passes broken up.

Jeremy Davis
Defensive Back, 6-0, 188
Cape Coral, Fla./Ft. Myers HS
- Three-star recruit and No. 49 cornerback by Scout.com and No. 77 wide receiver by Rivals.com ... No. 92 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... Tallied 71 tackles, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 15 pass break-ups and three blocked punts as a senior ... On offense carried 72 times for 1,047 yards and 15 touchdowns ... As a junior at Ft. Myers High School, played mostly offense and had 30 catches for 500 yards and 12 touchdowns ... As a sophomore played defensive back and had 50 tackles, 11 passes broken up and an interception.

Jonathan Feliciano
Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 318
Davie, Fla./Western HS
- Three-star recruit and No. 19 offensive guard by Scout.com ... Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com ... No. 56 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... First Team All-Broward by the Sun Sentinel.

Chase Ford
Tight End, 6-6, 245
Corrigan, Texas/Kilgore J.C.
- Second team junior college All-American ... Named first team Southwest Junior College Football Conference's MVP after leading the conference with 32 receptions and 545 receiving yards ... Named first All-SWJCFC ... As a high school senior at Corrigan-Camden High, earned All-District honors as a senior.

James Gaines
Linebacker, 6-3, 205
Getzville, N.Y./Canisius HS
- NYSSA Second Team All State, Class A ... Played linebacker, safety, tight end, tailback and receiver at Canisius this past season ... Finished with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown, 15 catches for 270 yards and two scores along with 154 tackles (108 solo), three sacks, an interception and fumble recovery.

Tavadis Glenn
Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 300
Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS
- Under Armour All-American ... A four-star prospect who is rated the No. 22 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by Rivals.com ... No. 105 Mobile Register Super Southeast 120 ... No.62 player in Sports Illustrated Takkle Top 200 ... finished with 50 tackles, 17 for losses, along with six sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal as a junior at Terry Parker HS ... Played senior season at Raines HS and had 50 tackles, 10 for losses, and three sacks on defense.

Maurice Hagens
Running Back, 5-11, 237
Riverview, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech HS
- Three-star recruit and No. 4 fullback by Scout.com and No. 8 fullback by Rivals.com ... No. 47 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... Helped Tampa Bay Tech to a final record of 9-2 with 1,300 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging six yards per carry ... As a junior, finished with 1,019 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. ... Ran for 1,300 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Darion Hall
Running Back, 5-11, 190
Naples, Fla./Lely HS
- Three-star recruit and No. 49 running back by Rivals.com ... No. 34 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... Finished his senior season with 965 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 107 yards per game and 7.6 yards per carry ... Had 1,791 yards with 21 touchdowns, averaging 179 yards per game and 10.6 yards per carry as junior.

Allen Hurns
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 175
Miami, Fla./Carol City HS
- Enrolled in January 2010 ... Three-star recruit by Rivals.com ... Ranked as one of top 100 receivers by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Finished his junior year with 23 receptions for 450 yards and seven touchdowns ... As a senior had six catches for 110 yards before suffering a season-ending injury.

Storm Johnson
Running Back, 6-0, 212
Loganville, Ga./Loganville HS
- Enrolled in January 2010 ... Under-Armour All-American ... Ranked No. 22 recruit in the country by ESPN.com ... Named a 2009 second team EA Sports All-American ... Rushed for a school record 1,937 yards and 31 touchdowns, caught 11 passes for 150 yards and returned two kickoff s for touchdowns as a senior ... Rated the No. 7 running back in the country, No. 8 player in the state of Georgia and No. 106 player nationally by Rivals.com ... Rushed for 1,300 yards and 21 TDs as a junior at Buford (Ga.) HS in 2008 ...Named the 2009 Atlanta Journal Constitution AAAA Player of the Year ... Earned first team all-state by the AJC and Associated Press ... No. 6 player on the AJC Top 50 list ... Rated No. 34 prospect in the Mobile Register Super Southeast 120 and the No.137 prospect in Sports Illustrated Takkle Top 200.

Brandon Linder
Offensive Line, 6-6, 290
Southwest Ranches, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS
- U.S. Army All-American ... Ranked No. 145 in the ESPN Top 150 ... Named first team All-Broward by Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald ... Helped St. Thomas Aquinas to a 28-1 record the last two seasons and a Class 5A state title in 2008 and No. 1 national ranking in 2009 while the offfense averaged 321yards per game ... Rated the No. 47 prospect in the Mobile Register Super Southeast 120 and the No.167 player in Sports Illustrated Takkle Top 200 ... No. 3 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List.

Shane McDermott
Offensive Line, 6-3, 275
Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central HS
- Enrolled in January 2010 ... Palm Beach County First team All-Conference as a center ... First team All-Area by Palm Beach Post ... First Team All-Broward by the Sun Sentinel ... Three-star athlete who is the No. 20th rated center by rivals.com ... Under Armour All-American Game ... No. 44-ranked player in the Sentinel's Florida Top 100 ... Recorded 50 pancake blocks and earned a 93 percent grade for the season ... No. 44 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List.

Stephen Morris
Quarterback, 6-2, 183
Miami, Fla./Monsignor Pace
- Enrolled in January 2010 ... Three-star athlete who is the No. 26th dual threat QB by rivals.com ... Also rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com ... Completed 96 of his 179 pass attempts for 1,531 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions and also ran for 125 yards and a touchdown as a senior ... Finished his junior year completing 64 percent of his passes with 2,005 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions ... In his career, had 98 carries for 162 yards and four touchdowns and completed 240-of-404 passes for 3,536 yards ... Named second team All-Miami-Dade by the Miami Herald as a junior.

Kevin Nelson
Linebacker, 6-0, 213
Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville, HS
- Three-star recruit and No. 22 middle linebacker by Scout.com ... Nelson finished his senior season with 150 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six sacks. He scored three touchdowns, two on interceptions returns and one on a fumble recovery. As a junior Nelson had 125 tackles, 10 for losses, and 3.5 sacks along with a blocked punt. Named first team all-area by the Gainesville Sun

Keion Payne
Defensive Back, 5-10, 160
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./ St. Thomas Aquinas HS
- Named All-Broward third team by the Miami Herald and All-Broward honorable mention by the Sun Sentinel ... No. 19 cornerback and four-star recruit by Scout.com ... Rated No. 29 cornerback prospect by Rivals.com ... No.72 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... As a senior had three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and was part of an Aquinas secondary that allowed opponents an average of only 100.7 passing yards per game ... Recorded 33 tackles, 14 passes broken up and four interceptions as a junior at Dillard High School.

David Perry
Defensive Line, 6-6, 230
Pembroke Pines, Fla./University School
- Three-star recruit and No. 39 defensive end by Scout.com ... Ranked No. 115 in the ESPN Top 150 ... No. 94 prospect on the Bill Buchalter's Florida Top 100 State List ... Named first team All-Broward by the Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald... Played defensive end and tight end in high school and recorded 12 sacks as a senior.

Kacy Rodgers
Defensive Back, 6-1, 200
Southlake, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS
- Four-star recruit and No. 14 cornerback nationally by Scout.com ... Rated the No. 37 cornerback prospect in the nation by Rivals.com ... Registered 29 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions as a junior.

Andrew Tallman
Tight End, 6-5, 240
Carthage, N.Y./Boston College HS
- Three-star recruit who is the No. 5 prospect at his position in the state by Rivals.com ... Three-star prospect and No. 56 recruit at his position by Scout.com.

Delmar Taylor
Defensive Line, 6-3, 270
Miami, Fla./Miami Beach HS
- Three-star prospect by Rivals.com ... Talented athlete, who played in just five games last season mostly on offense and saw limited time on defense ...

Travis Williams
Linebacker, 6-3, 200
Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor HS
- Under Armour All-American ... Four-star prospect by Rivals.com and ranked the No. 15 outside linebacker and No. 204 nationally regardless of position ... Finished his junior year with 68 tackles, 15 sacks and seven forced fumbles ... On offense, had 32 receptions for over 600 yards ... As a senior had 71 tackles, 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 11 passes broken up... Recorded a school record 69 career sacks.

Clive Walford
Tight End, 6-4, 215
Belle Glade, Fla./Glades Central HS
- Three-star recruit by Rivals.com ... Had over 400 receiving yards and six touchdown catches as a senior ... Earned All-Palm Beach County honors.

Interesting ink from ESPN's Bruce Feldman...

2010-01-31T21:56:00.001-08:00

With recruiting always a hot topic and 'Signing Day' just over a week out, Bruce Feldman - author of 'Cane Mutiny' - made an interesting observation regarding Super Bowl participants.

Recruiting hounds obsessed with stars and rankings, pay attention to the following list of "lesser talent" competing in next Sunday's game:

"It's an intriguing time around football: there were two entertaining games in the NFL conference title weekend; the countdown to the signing day is in full swing and the Senior Bowl week is about to kick off. Keep the Colts in mind if your favorite college team doesn't sound like it is cleaning up on signing day next week because the AFC champions are a very interesting study about what a group of mostly unheralded or off-the-radar recruits can become. (Or maybe they are a testament to what can happen to an NFL team if you have one for-the-ages, all-time great running the show.)

Anyhow, I went back to check their depth chart to see how the guys who start for the Colts were rated as recruits. Of those ones who have come through in the online recruiting era marked by the "star" system, it's pretty interesting.

Starting left tackle Charlie Johnson was deemed a two-star tight end prospect; left guard Ryan Lilja was a three-star O-lineman; RG Kyle DeVan was a three-star; Austin Collie was a three-star receiver. Of the remaining starters on the Colts' offense, you either have guys who entered college before the boom of the Internet recruiting era -- QB Peyton Manning (who would've had to have been a five-star); center Jeff Saturday, WR Reggie Wayne, RB Joseph Addai, RT Ryan Diem -- or guys like TE Dallas Clark, WR Pierre Garcon and H-back Gijon Robinson, all of whom were around the two-star range.

On defense, the lone starter ranked above the three-star level is startling left cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who was labeled as a four-star ... but at wide receiver. After that it was DT Antonio Johnson, a three-star JC recruit; LB Philip Wheeler, a three-star; LB Clint Session, a three-star; DB Melvin Bullitt, a three-star, and the same for CB Jacob Lacey." - Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com

Eleven Canes earn a trip to the Pro Bowl

2010-01-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

While the Miami Hurricanes looked to close several high-profile recruits this weekend, football fans nationwide saw 'The U' displayed on the main stage as eleven Canes were named to the 2010 Pro Bowl:

Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Brandon Meriweather, Frank Gore, Jon Beason, Bryant McKinnie, Antrel Rolle, Jon Vilma and Reggie Wayne were all Pro Bowl bound this year - though some didn't play due to injury, Super Bowl appearances or the nameless former Cane who skipped practice and got the boot.

A testament to the program, as well as a reminder that UM's on the field success isn't that far in the rearview. Lewis is Miami's veteran - in the league since 1996 - while guys like Beason and Rolle were getting it done at 'The U' few years back.

Potential Canes and current recruits - look at the talent around you, seek the common theme and realize that Miami is a cut above. You want to play your college ball at the home of the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl? Here's your chance. You want to be the next Hurricane great, dominating in the postseason after being praised as the best at your position? Come to Coral Gables.

Hurricanes Football: 101

2010-01-25T15:57:00.001-08:00

For years the premise intrigued me and after watching "The U" a few weeks back, the concept was solidified; the University of Miami needs to offer an accredited course on "The History of Hurricanes Football". Your average undergrad could take the class, but it would be created and mandatory for all incoming, football-playing freshmen.

Educate those suiting up for The U about the last three-plus decades of Miami football. Teach them about the storied history. Explain to them the size of the shoes they have to fill and remind them that the need to build on that legacy over the next four years.

As the Rakontur doc played on ESPN last December, I wondered how current Canes, incoming freshmen and national recruits felt about two hours of unabashed, unapologetic UM football history. At 35 years old, I remember and relished in the 'Decade of Dominance' era - Miami's 80s and 90s hey day - but what about those too young to reminisce? Were today's players reacting to this documentary? Why or why not?

I read about some Miami recruits having watched the piece and dug it, but there was not much coverage regarding current Canes. UM was not on board with the documentary and didn't want current coaches or players participating; a huge mistake on the university's part.

Whether or not you approve of the past, embrace it and reshape how the history is told. Point out the good that came from that era - be it the adversity local inner city players overcame, the determination, the leadership, the success.

There was more to Miami football than penalty flags at the Cotton Bowl and a Pell Grant scandal. By keeping your head in the sand, you allow others to tell your story for you, focusing on sensationalism and painting the Canes as bad boys instead of praising the program's accomplishments.

Hurricanes Football: 101; a way to educate next generation Canes about the job they're signing on for and the tradition they're expected to uphold.

Required reading would include Bruce Feldman's "Cane Mutiny" and Jim Martz's "Tales From The Hurricanes Sideline" while the Miami Football Vault could be your class textbook, featuring the following chapters:

- Foreward by Randy Shannon
- Shaky Beginnings, 1926-1947
- Coach Gus, 1948-1963
- The Coral Gables Carousel, 1964-1976
- "The State Of Miami", 1977-1983
- "The U" Against The World, 1984-1988
- Miami Rules, 1989-1994
- Hurricane Watch, 1995-2008
- Afterword by Ted Hendricks

Give a brief introduction week one regarding the program's inception, up through 1976 and then spend the rest of the semester focusing on 1977 through 2001.

Educate current Canes on Howard Schnellenberger and his impact on the program. How did the long-time NFL and NCAA assistant take a program that went 9-13 during the Lou Saban era and turn it into a champion within five years, as promised?

Break down the good, bad and ugly regarding the Jimmy Johnson era. Hell, even call JJ down in the Keys and invite him up to campus as a guest speaker. Same with coach Shannon and other former players of that era. Randy could talk late 80s, linebacker coach Micheal Barrow could go on about the 'Bermuda Triangle' era and Jimmy could drop some of his textbook psychology on the newbies.

Hurricanes Football: 101 - feature a guest speaker every week. From old school former coaches and players, right down to guys from the modern era who are currently dominating at the next level. Schedule the NFL guys on their bye weeks, reminding them that there are other ways to give back besides writing checks.

A three-day a week course could focus on the textbook every Monday, film study every Wednesday - footage of classic games and Guest Lect-U-re Fridays.

I took a one-credit 'Strength & Conditioning' course in college, as well as a one-credit racquetball course and a one-credit tennis course. My electives were a joke... which isn't a shock considering I did my final two years at the University of Florida. (Ouch.)

If I crept one step closer to a diploma for lifting weights and playing games, why can't a history of football type course be created? Especially somewhere like Miami, where the past three decades have provided so much depth and important information.

Of all the '30 for 30' docs on ESPN, only 'The U' was two hours (every other doc has been sixty minutes). There's more than a semester's worth of history to cover. You'd barely get to the turn of the century before it was time for the final exam.

Save the rest for Hurricanes Football:202 - a study of what made Miami tick between 2000 and 2003. Recruiting. Development. Depth. Domination.

Storytelling is a method of teaching and in this case you're dealing with student athletes who didn't see this era first hand. As much as we hate to admit it, 1983 was 27 years ago. Twenty-seven years prior to that it was 1956, which felt like lifetime ago in '83, let alone '10.

Even more sobering - the incoming college freshman was born in 1991, when the Canes brought home their fourth title. That generation saw Florida State and Florida combining for three titles before finally seeing Miami wax Nebraska in the Rose Bowl in 2001, the year they turned ten.

Once in high school, it was Florida winning titles - not Miami. No mystery why the Gators are cleaning up on the recruiting trail. ESPN college football coverage has been like a UF infomercial the past three seasons and Florida delivered on the field... until Bame came calling.

Florida's recent run can't hold Miami's jock, but their success in the now - which is a big deal at 35, but monumental when you're only 18. Before 'The U', today's teenagers flocked to YouTube for vintage Hurricane football footage. Thankfully the Rakontur folk gave the Canes an 'infomercial' of their own, which deserves to see the light of day for years to come.

UM admin missed the boat when they had the opportunity to work with Billy Corben and crew, but it's not too late to do something. Take that footage and use it to your advantage. Create a course... and turn it over to Professor Art Kehoe. There's no one more passionate about Miami football. Anyone who's been to a pep rally or Friday morning pre-game breakfast can attest.

The former player and o-line coach can fire up a crowd and capture an audience. Plus, he's the only Cane in history that sports five UM championship rings.

Art saw everything, playing under Schnelly in the late 70s right up through 2005, working under five different UM head coaches during his tenure. No one more qualified to tell the story, teaching newbies what made Miami, "Miami".

There's an opportunity here, UM. Keep the legacy alive through the storytelling. Academically, this university has made a name for itself this past decade and should be proud... but don't forget about what put Miami on the map in the first place; a winning football program. Now it's time for you to give back, Administration and top brass.

Build the brand. Think creatively. Market this football program with something other than catchy slogans for Nike to sell.

Teach these current Canes about the past. The future is now as winning ways are needed to keep this thing rolling.

Modern day head coaches; careful what you wish for

2010-01-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

An interesting month on the college football coaching front. For those quick to piss and moan about the situation in Miami, let the reality of some other schools' situations sink in. Most of you aren't thankful for 9-4, instead choosing to vent at any given moment. Hopefully the current state of the college coaching carousel will give you some perspective.

No charm in being Tennessee right now, is there? A year ago this time, high on all things Lane Kiffin. A year later, trying to feign excitement over the start of the Derek Dooley era.

Dooley deserves his fair shake, but this was supposed to be year two for Kiffin; rather pivotal regarding the rebuilding process.

A combined 12-21 at Oakland and Tennessee, Kiffin hasn't proven much... yet. Another one-year career as he's USC-bound, leaving the Vols high and dry. The expectations will be lower year one in LA than year two in Knoxville. As a young coach, is it untapped potential ready to bloom, or a disloyal jobhopper given too much too soon, ripe for a fall?

Time will tell... and with all that, welcome back to LA.

USC dominated the last decade like no other. A two-loss season and Rose Bowl win were status quo. Toss in 1.5 titles, some top flight recruiting and all courtesy of the do-no-wrong Pete Carroll. His NFL coaching career a bust, Carroll had supposedly "found his niche" with the college game. King of Troy. Living the dream.

Carroll's had several chances to jump back to the bigs, declining every time, feeling USC was his perfect utopia.

Then the NCAA came calling.

Sanctions looming. A four-loss season. The reemergence of some once-down Pac-10 foes. Colossal beatdowns courtesy of Oregon and Stanford. A drop off in talent and development since losing key assistants like Kiffin, Norm Chow, Steve Sarkasian and others. The Trojans lost some luster and oh yeah, a hammer is about to be dropped regarding sanctions. The wins obviously came, but at what price? We'll soon find out.

Enter, Lane. The quick-fix. Save this year's class, rally the troops, keep the Trojans afloat and when the NCAA makes it official, head for the hills, Kiffin-five-thou.

Tennessee and Southern Cal, both are facing great unknowns. As is Michigan in the Rich Rodriguez era. Powerhouse program going against their traditional brand of ball with a modern era coach. Nebraska went through it with with Bill Callahan, before turning the keys over to one of their own - former assistant Bo Pelini - a one-year defensive coordinator (2003) who spent the past few years at LSU and has since revitalized the Huskers.

Texas Tech also faces a great unknown in the post-Mike Leach era. Leach was a hot name amongst Miami fans the past few years, believing he was a better prospect than Randy Shannon. Leach's gimmicky offense earned him 9-4, 11-2 and 9-4 run in Lubbock since Shannon took over at The U. High-octane offense, Swiss cheese defense. Not exactly UM's recipe for success the past few decades.

Questions have since arisen in regards to Leach's high-octane temper, fired for allegedly locking wide out Adam James in a closet after a concussion. Leach says the accusations are false, stating that Tech booted him in an effort to stick it to him regarding his contract and bonus money.

Regardless, the soap opera plays out on national television - picked apart by "TMZ-SPN" every hour on the hour. A public relations nightmare, in the middle of recruiting season. Tommy Tuberville is headed to town to clean up the mess, instilling his brand of defense, which could be good but is no guarantee.

Tubbs peaked with a 13-0 season in 2004 while coaching Auburn. He followed up with 9-3, 11-2, 9-4 and 5-7. During that skid, offensive woes and an inability to reel in the right offensive coordinator, which eventually brought on his demise.

I marvel at the Cane-loving, Tuberville-backing contingent who are quick to ignore a three, four and seven-loss season, clamoring for the former Miami assistant to return.

Shannon inherits a dog of a program, improves each of this three years at the helm, yet some want to run him out of town. Tuberville turned 13-0 into 5-7 within five seasons, yet he's the one that got away?

Many claim Shannon is too stoic, never showing enough emotion for the masses. What about the hard-ass approach so many loved in the fiery Jim Leavitt? The long-time South Florida coach was canned a few weeks back for smacking up one of his players at halftime. Way to keep those emotions in check, coach. Stay classy, Bulls.

Was the Leavitt firing part of the windfall regarding Leach's abuse charges? Sure. No way USF could justify keeping Leavitt once Leach was canned.

The Bulls scrambled last minute to hire Skip Holtz, but in the process took a PR hit - pardon the pun. Leavitt was getting it done as a coach, he just blew it as CEO. Don't rough up the employees. It'll cost you.

Meanwhile, it's business as usual down at Miami. Out of the headlines and game on regarding the off-season recruiting process. It's not the star-heavy class the premium site subscribing, recruiting fanatics were hoping for - but voids are being filled. Especially at offensive line, where the Canes were embarrassed in the bowl game.

Miami 1991 and 2001 won titles behind two of the program's strongest o-lines. The Canes lost the 1992 and 2002 championships because of lesser lines.

All the skills players in the world don't mean squat if your line can't buy your quarterback time. Beef up, Miami.

Randy's rallying cry two years back was a promise of early playing time - and it earned him the top-ranked class in the nation, on the heels of 5-7.

The on again, off again Urban Meyer is reeling in big time classes because of two titles the past four seasons. Nick Saban will do the same after earning another ring. As will Texas. As will Ohio State. As will other major players who haven't dropped off lately.

UM has to work it's way back to the top one kid at time. At this phase of the game, you'll lose a Louis Nix and roll the dice on a Delmar Taylor. When a Javarie Johnson doesn't have the grades and stays closer to home, you take a shot on a Kelvin Cain.

Ed Reed came in a two-star prospect that chose Miami over Tulane. Reed grew up loving the Noles, but Florida State didn't give him a look. Santana Moss came in on a track scholarship. Thought to be too small, few were looking at the pint-sized wide out. Joaquin Gonzalez earned an academic scholarship and stick with the hometown Canes instead of trekking to Harvard.

Conversely, kids like Kyle Wright, Lance Leggett, Willie Williams and Ryan Moore all brought five-star ratings to Coral Gables, but never panned out.

Amazing the different breed of player you get when on top versus on your way back up. Kids were lining up to come to Miami in '02 and '03, wanting to benefit from the hard work of some previous Canes, en route to the NFL.

Put more faith in a staff's ability to evaluate talent than the opinion of some writer from a subscription-based site, trying to drum up hype. Recruiting is big business, so stars and rankings are tinkered with, in an effort to get people talking and to justify subscriptions charges.

Shannon has the blueprint. He learned from Jimmy and Butch. Recruiting at Miami is a different type of monster. Have faith in the process. Just because Rivals and Scout aren't hyping a few Hurricane recruits, doesn't mean these kids aren't a good fit and won't make an impact.

Adewale Ojomo was an unheralded three-star prospect that only garnered attention from a half dozen average schools. A few years later, he's arguably one of Miami's best down lineman and his efforts were sorely missed in '09. Who's to say Taylor or Cain don't have a similar career path?

All that aside, take a moment to appreciate the class, conviction and character of Miami's current staff, which starts and Shannon and trickles all the way down. Look at the nationwide drama this past month at several programs and give thanks that it's been business as usual at The U. We're learning year after year that nothing should be taken for granted.

Signing Day is two weeks out and it's time for Shannon and staff to close strong. Former recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt is Louisville-bound, but the rest of the staff is rallying and looking to set up some final visits. Shannon is coast to coast right now, shaking hands and selling families on the program. Again, have faith.

See where this winds up two Wednesdays from now. There are still some solid kids with Miami still in the running. Close.

Needs are being met, the staff is getting an upgrade and with solid conditioning this off-season, the Canes will be ready come September.

U Family Relief Effort : Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

allCanes is calling out to all customers; please help us help Haiti.

We are asking for your old Canes gear. Anything you're not wearing or anything you're up for donating. For obvious reasons, please make sure the items are clean, wearable and suitable for donation. T-shirts, shorts, Polos, jerseys and hats.

For each accepted donation, allCanes will give you $5 of your next purchase with us - in-store or online.

If any out of towners would like to mail some gear to us, send to:

allCanes
c/o U Family Relief Effort
5831 Ponce De Leon Blvd.
Coral Gables, FL 33146

Any further questions, email us and we'll get you squared away. Go Canes and pray for Haiti.

"A Tale Of Five" : Documentary on UM running backs

2010-01-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Rakontur set the bar with thir recent documentary on "The U" and now a fellow Cane is getting in the game. Former running back Najeh Davenport is behind this new piece, "A Tale Of Five" -regarding the top flight backs at UM between 1999 and 2004. Aside from Davenport, this era also included Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Frank Gore.

No clue where this documentary is at production-wise, but a fellow Cane sent me the trailer link on YouTube and I thought it was worth passing along. Check it out.

A great era for Miami backs. EJ started it in the rebuilding era of the late 90s, getting on board when the Canes were on probation and doing all in his power to bring the Canes back. After leaving before the 1999 season, it was Davenport who was expected to carry the Canes, but the sophomore blew out his knee in the season opener against Ohio State. James Jackson became the go-to, but was eventually supplanted by the talented Portis.

By 2000, it was the Portis show and teamed with a healthy Davenport, the Canes rolled to an 11-1 season and Sugar Bowl win over Florida.

In 2001, it got downright embarassing with Portis the starter, Davenport getting his reps at fullback, the freshman Gore in mop up duty and McGahee getting carries at running back and later at fullback when Davenport was injured for the title game. Four future NFLers in one backfield in one season. Downright scary.

McGahee came damn close to the 2002 Heisman and in 2003 and 2004, it was the Gore show, though the Coral Gables product battled his fair share of knee injuries, as well.

Depth is finally returning at running back for UM. Four more are slated to get on board in February, including the highly-touted Eduardo Clements and Storm Johnson. Combined with last year's signing of Mike James and Lamar Miller and the Canes appear on the verge of being loaded at running back again.

Miami Hurricanes : Shannon's Year One Situation

2010-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of action in our 'comments' section lately, some of it spot on while the rest remain all over the map.

Fans are lumped into different camps these days; Randy Shannon 'lovers' or anti-Shannon 'haters'. Strange, so much focus is put on the man in charge instead of paying attention the past, present and future state of the program - where this recently was, where it is and where it's on track to go.

There are always two ways to look at a situation; either through a logical or illogical mind, where emotion prevails and facts are replaced by off-base opinions and knee-jerk reactions.

I've said it time and again; my loyalty is with the University of Miami. It's not about being pro and anti-Randy. I'm rooting for the guy in charge because he's in charge. This is the current State of Miami and one can either get on board, bitch relentlessly or simply stick their head in the sand until this era comes to a close.

Based on fact, I'm satisfied with what I deem progress and overall improvement. 5-7 year one, 7-6 year two and 9-4 year three. After a 5-1 tear, the four-loss total wasn't ideal - but Shannon has the Canes getting better each season. That's not opinion, it's fact.

Games that Miami would've lost the first two years, it found a way to win year three. A program that mailed it in or folded the tent so often the past two years; it starting showing some grit in both wins and losses this season.

It may not be the timetable many were hoping for. Then again, no one expected to see such a drop off in talent between '04 and where the Canes are today.

Those quick to play the "Don't Blame Larry" card- that'll happen when his last recruit is no longer on board. Until Shannon has a roster full of those signees, Coker's fingerprints remain on this program and squad.

In an effort to remind the overemotional folk where this all began, take it back to year one. Where did this program stand when Shannon took over? What was inherited talent-wise, putting Miami in the lurch it's been in the past few seasons?

The '07 Canes had 21 seniors, 31 juniors, 21 sophomores, 8 redshirt freshmen and 20 true freshmen. The recruiting haul that February was a combination of Coker's class - which Shannon attempted to save, as well as a few new guys.

Graig Cooper was originally on Miami's radar, but after a year at Milford Prep, Coop was unsure if the Canes were still a fit for him. Shannon reeled him in, as well as Allen Bailey. Fresh off a trip to Alabama, the Georgia-bred defensive lineman visited Coral Gables a week later and verballed to Shannon just before signing day.

Robert Marve was another one reeled in by Shannon. In the end, a bad call - but was the right call at the time. Marve was committed to Alabama and Texas product Nick Fanuzzi was Miami bound. The quarterbacks flip-flopped, flamed out and wound up transferring instead of working their way up depth charts.

Damien Berry, Jared Campbell, Lee Chambers, Orlando Franklin, Harland Gunn, Leonard Hankerson, JoJo Nicolas, Adewale Ojomo and DeMarcus Van Dyke were other standouts in the '07 class - some Coker guys, some Shannon guys - and all preparing for their 'senior' year this fall, barring redshirts. (JUCO transfer Kayne Farquharson was part of the '07 class, as well.)

A look across the board and it's obvious this team was void of superior talent, especially in comparison to 2000-2003. A comparison to 2009 and the upgrade is also impossible to ignore.

Three seasons ago it was Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman at quarterback; a five-star who never panned out and the other, a perennial back-up thrust into the starting role due to a lack of depth.

At running back, sophomore Javarris James was the guy, with Cooper challenging for some snaps. Charlie Jones, demoted to third string, transferred after never panning out. Jerrell Mabry held down fullback.

At wide receiver it was current cornerback Sam Shields and the disappointing Lance Leggett. Senior Darnell Jenkins proved the classic overachiever and had his moments, but a lack of depth had Shannon moving cornerback Ryan Hill to wide out, while junior Khalil Jones rounded out the position.

Some more depth perspective - punter Brian Monroe doubled as a third-string wide out a year prior.

DajLeon Farr and converted fullback Chris Zellner at tight end, with an offensive line comprised of Jason Fox, Andrew Bain, A.J. Trump, Derrick Morse and Reggie Youngblood, another five-star that never panned out. Back ups were Chris Barney, Tyrone Byrd, Matt Pipho, Chris Rutledge and Cyrim Wimbs.

Miami's defensive line - Eric Moncur, Antonio Dixon, Teraz McCray and Calais Campbell. Back ups were Vegas Franklin, Josh Holmes, Dwayne Hendricks and Courtney Harris.

At linebacker, Colin McCarthy, Darryl Sharpton, and Glenn Cook with Spencer Adkins, Romeo Davis and Tavares Gooden second string.

The oft-banged up Glenn Sharpe returned at cornerback, R. Phillips on the other side with Lovon Ponder and Kenny Phillips holding down safety. Willie Cooper was the lone safety reserve as the position was depleted. Chavez Grant and Bruce Johnson were back up corners. Redshirt freshman Matt Bosher played both placekicker and punter.

Look at those names. Think back to year one. Let it sink in and compare it to today. Can you really brush off any notion of improvement?

This wasn't a talent-heavy roster, proven by the lack of NFL love. C. Campbell, K. Phillips, T. Gooden and S. Adkins were the lone Canes from that era to get drafted - not quite the twenty first rounders drafted between 2000 and 2004.

Forty Canes reached the NFL overall over that five-year span.

Four have reached the past two seasons.

When you break down the 2007 squad, Shannon wasn't working with much. 5-7 on the heels of the 7-6 season which got Coker fired; it starts to make sense.

Despite things bottoming out year one, Shannon still brought in the top-ranked class in the nation come February. That crop of talent, thrust into the spotlight year one. Dive in head first and help with the lack of depth.

A far cry from plugging a high school phenom into a well-oiled machine like Southern Cal, Oklahoma and even Florida of late. Miami's '08 class was thrown to the wolves like Butch Davis' '97 haul. Different circumstances, yet talent-starved and in need of one big class to jump start the process.

How many young quarterbacks were given the burden Harris had on his bony shoulders? Stuck behind an up-and-down offensive line year one and working with a first-year coordinator? Toss in a nagging injury down the stretch, helping account for the 4-3 skid.

The hard-ass, illogical fan screams that Harris needs to 'toughen up' or 'find a way to get it done'. Fact remains, the first-year starter overachieved and the Canes got a hell of a lot of milage out of the sophomore, running him into the ground thanks to spotty line play.

Fix Harris up, put on some man weight and let him get after it again - healthy for that junior season and year two, where the growth will be obvious.

Miami went as far as Harris took them. At times, the Canes looked unstoppable. When out of sync, a lifeless bunch pushed to the brink by seemingly lesser teams. The anti-Shannonites love harping on a handful of collapses, quickly forgetting that when UM was 'on', you saw a glimpse of where this team will be in the near future.

Position by positon you'll see a squad full of hits and misses. Randy first addressed immediate needs, building depth at wide receiver. Year two, offensive line and defensive standouts.

This time next year, an army of new running backs - Storm Johnson, Eduardo Clements, Maurice Hagans and Darion Hall - and five more offensive linemen to help pave the way.

Defensive line has some talent and more coming in. Shannon brought in Dyron Dye, Luther Robinson and Curtis Porter last season, all of which need to make some noise in '10.

Tavadis Glenn, David Perry and Andrew Tallman will sign in February, adding depth to a position in need of some toughness.

Linebacker has been an issue '04 and needs to take a huge step forward this season. The surge begins with the line, but linebacker dictates so much - as proven every time a Wisconsin tight end caught a pass and rumbled for another first down. Hurricanes linebackers were oft out of position and with what should be a talent upgrade, Miami is due to experience a step forward.

Sean Spence spent the majority of '09 banged up, while McCarthy put together another solid season. Sharpton overachieved and made some big plays down the stretch, but a far cry from the Jon Vilma or D.J. Williams era.

Ramon Buchanan had some moments as a true sophomore, while Jordan Futch had a potential breakthrough season cut short by injury. Highly-touted Arthur Brown hasn't panned out and true freshman Shayon Green missed the year due to injury. Someone in this mix needs to become 'the guy'.

Miami lost recruit Javarie Johnson earlier (D.C. product choosing to stay close to home), but still has four linebackers on board to sign in February - Travis Williams, Kevin Nelson, Tyrone Cornelius and Kelvin Cain.

The secondary got a shot in the arm the past two years adding Brandon Harris, Ray Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque. A sophomore, a true freshman and a r-freshman, this position will get better in time. Gone are Shields and Grant, opening the door for someone new to step up. Last year's Jamal Reid and Brandon McGee or one of the four incoming DBs, it's up for grabs. Who wants it?

When building a case for 2010, it starts with the Canes returning some seniors - Bailey, Hankerson, McCarthy and Franklin. When you're on top, you're losing underclassmen left and right. When in rebuilding mode, guys need one more year and the program needs them.

It's been a while since Miami had a senior class with some big time players. Randy has preached 'retention' since day one and year three it's finally happening.

The Canes should be much healthier in 2010. Hardly the case this past season. Miami had upwards of a dozen starters sidelined for much of the season. Ojomo was missed on the defensive line. Marcus Forston was gone. Spence was banged up. Futch tore an ACL. Moncur was done. McCarthy and J12 played hurt. Cooper wore down as the year went on. Fox missed the final two games.

Injuries can be absorbed when you have the depth, but when you're so heavily reliant on underclassmen, it'll take its toll.

Year three is in the books and while Shannon still has his work cut out, he's still on track for those who buy into a five-year plan. Close strong on the recruiting front, get this unit in the weight room and come out hard year four.

Get back to that 'tougher, stronger, better' mindset this team employed when rebuilding in the late 90s.

Shannon understands Miami's expectations in a way Johnny Superfan never will.

Played for the Canes, spent years as a grad assistant and position coach, had a short stint with the Dolphins and spent six years as a top-notch defensive coordinator for The U. Owns three three rings and knows the city and it's culture like the back of his hand.

He also knows the game of football and what it takes to field a proper team. Shannon coached linebackers the first three years of the Butch Davis era. He endured probation, coached with sub par talent / a lack of depth and he saw Davis rebuild the right way. If anyone has the blueprint for how to fix these current problems, it's Shannon.

Whether he follows it and gets the job done, remains to be seen.

No disrespect, but this program was an absolute joke in '07 and by '09 worked its way back into the top ten on two occasions.

Injuries and spotty quarterback play killed Miami down the stretch, but the Canes proved they could hang with the big boys on the big stage, winning the opener at Tallahassee, whooping eventual ACC champion Georgia Tech and taking out eighth-ranked Oklahoma -- games Miami wouldn't have won at any point between '05 and '08.

This was a monumental fix from day one, which is why nobody else came running. You have to be "Miami" to endure the beating this fan base will throw at you for half a decade. Shannon is that guy.

Miami is a desirable job - when the Canes are on top. Coker literally inherited the best job in the game back in January '01. Shannon landed Enron stock in late '06 - void of talent and heavy on image woes due to a logo stomp, an on-the-field melee and beloved player's murder.

Does UM want a head coach who keeps the arrest rate down, graduates players and has a father figure-like dynamic with his players? Damn straight. But not at the expense of winning. Both are attainable, as Miami proved with its 2000-2003 run.

Word is recent decommit Javarie Johnson couldn't crank out better than 820 on his SAT, Miami's required minimum. Should that prove true, how is his departure not a good thing?

Don't rip UM for having standards. Criticism belongs on corner-cutting programs who let kids slip through the cracks at their football factories.

Shannon is doing it by the book, he's steadily getting better and he came running at this job. For that alone, he deserves five years worth of your support. Some of you flippantly suggest cutting bait now and starting over, which prompts me to ask - what's your plan?

"Fire Randy" is the go-to of so many, but what's the agenda? No pie in the sky, never in a million years suggestions, who can step in and do better?

There's never a solution from the anti-Shannon contingent, just the constant complaint.

Shannon is entering year four and busting his ass, tirelessly looking for solutions. He's also due to sign an extension, so it's time you accept the fact that Shannon and 'Hurricanes football' will be synonymous two more years minimum.

Knowing that and loving this program as you claim to do, can you give the same, tired argument rest already?

As long as he keeps improving, Randy Shannon has earned the right to be 'the guy'.

Jacory Harris preparing for surgery...

2010-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

It doesn't excuse seventeen interceptions over the course of a season - ten in the final seven games - but it helps explain why the Jacory Harris you saw down the stretch wasn't the same guy you saw in September.

The sophomore quarterback is preparing for post-season surgery to repair torn ligaments on his right thumb. This latest setback will most likely keep Harris out of spring ball, opening the door for A.J. Highsmith and incoming freshman Stephen Morris to get some much-needed reps. (Should Morris not graduate early from Pace High, Highsmith will be the only available quarterback.)

The lack of depth at quarterback came when Cannon Smith and Taylor Cook transferred during fall ball, leaving only Harris and Highsmith on the roster. Of course the overall lack of depth at the position started before Randy Shannon took over as Larry Coker and staff were unable to build an arsenal after Brock Berlin left town.

Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman were on board, but kids like Pat Devlin, Derek Shaw, Daniel Stegall and Nick Fanuzzi all left Miami at the altar, while last year's starter Robert Marve bailed when he didn't feel he received a fair shake.

According to the Miami Herald, top dog Harris was on crutches for a couple days after the bowl loss to Wisconsin. Strained ligaments in both his ankle and knee were the culprit.

Some folks turned on Harris as he led the Canes to a 4-3 record the final seven games. Success against Florida State and Georgia Tech out the gate had many forgetting the true sophomore only had two career starts leading up to the 2009 season.

The fast start was impressive, but should've been seen more as a fluke or stroke of good fortune, as opposed to 'the norm'. Especially with opposing defensive coordinators finally getting film on Mark Whipple, figuring out the pass-happy coordinator's schemes.

Truth be told, Harris exceeded expectations of a first-year starter. Especially for a program that started the season outside the top 25. It's one thing when a team is reloading, sliding in a new quarterback behind a solid line and giving him and arsenal of players at the skills position. The only program to do that in recent memory is Southern Cal, where a Matt Leinart replaced a Carson Palmer... a John David Booty took over for Leinart... a Mark Sanchez supplanted Booty.

Conversely, the lack of offensive firepower is the sole reason Matt Barkley struggled at times in 2009 (2,735 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.) Barkely will be the next Trojan great, but as a first-year starter he lacked the weapons that helped Leinart, Booty and Sanchez hit the ground running.

Miami fans can obviously relate to Southern Cal's recent success last decade having seen a similar feat in the Decade of Dominance era where the Canes fielded a Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson and Gino Torretta over a ten year span. Four titles and two Heisman trophies later, it was then a run that included Frank Costa, Ryan Clement, Scott Covington and Kenny Kelly before Ken Dorsey became the guy.

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is coming off a solid junior campaign - 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns and 4 interceptions - but his first year as a full-time starter was less than stellar. In 2008, Clausen threw for 3,172 yards but had a 25-to-17 touchdown to interception ratio.

Clausen played extensively as a freshman in 2007 - 10 of 12 games -but only had 138 attempts as a freshman, compared to 268 as a sophomore and 289 as a junior. Hate the Irish as Cane fans might, there's no arguing that he was a much improved player from his sophomore to junior season.

Harris has a freshman season comparable to Clausen's with 118 attempts and like Clausen, had an up and down sophomore season. With one full year under his belt, Harris now has eight full months heal up, bulk up, break down film and prepare for his next go around.

Quarterback growth from year one to year two - it's a big part of the college game. Harris has played in and won big games and as part of his progression, will need to take things to the next level in 2010. It'll start with hand surgery and once healed, Harris needs to get bigger and stronger. Offensive line woes aside, Harris' durability will be questioned as long as he's only carrying 190 pounds on a 6'4" frame.

Dorsey "beefed up" a bit by his junior season in 2001 and hopefully Harris can follow suit when healthy.

Best wishes to J-12 this off-season. Great run year one. Take it to the next level this fall.