'Twas The Night Before Signing Day

Twas the night before signing day and all through the land,

Canes fans were praying for the recruits in high demand.

The visits were now done and the recuits were all tucked in,

On National Signing Day we would know who was out and who was in.

Letters of Intent would be signed by players far and near,

Some recruits would be maligned while others would be cheered.

Come Harris, come Bryant, Jones, Hardin and Streeter too,

The Canes coaches, players and fans will proudly welcome U!

Comments

[solarcane]

Lost, Survivor, Nascar... spring must be right around the corner.

peace

[AlpharettaCane]

Matt in LA: I just finished reading the AJC sports section over my typical dinner of Cocao Crispies and milk...I couldn't believe it, I thought Shannon had gone out and gotten McCoy to transfer.

It was even in the headline: Miami gets the Real McCoy.

Some lazy azz who never updated the file....AJC usually pretty good on football - on Sundays they have a whole freaking section dedicated to it!

lol

[OCALACANE]

Repost...
Sorry for missposting!

86...

[86Cane]

Ocala...you need to change your blog name back to OcalaCane from 86Cane. I never changed it back after using your computer last night!

[busy_cane]

CoCane -
Hate to be a blog editor, but TGood will be doing drills and taking the wonderlic at the NFL scouting combine while the early indications of the 2 deep are being sorted out in Spring Ball.

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/olb/tavaresgooden.html

Editors note: I know you've been absent for a while, but, dude, you're too solid to make a mistake like that. Chalk it up to rust.

[OCALACANE]

Got it!!!

[CVS]

Does anybody else think Sam Shields is a lot like Jammi German?
- CVS

[busy_cane]

In regards to the Harper comments... that is really hard to believe. However, when you start to think about the C.J. Spiller situation and wanting to transfer and then doing an sudden 180, it makes you wonder if there is any veracity to the story.

cheers

[busy_cane]

Grapefruit league, pollen in North Florida, grass needs to be cut once a week again.

It is spring!

cheers

[CVS]

Is Buchanon a safety or a LB? I keep hearing his weight is 180 and other times I hear it at 195. I read he's labeled by scouts or rivals as the biggest hitting safety or something like that. Aren't we set at safety with jojo and little campbell?

Other than Coop...who were our impact freshmen last year? I was really excited with last year's class but I haven't seen much. I think Shawnbrey had one big run and I didn't see much of anybody else.
- CVS

[86Cane]

Hey guys. 86, Solar. I posted a new blog up over at Eye On The U... a follow-up to yesterday. Check it out.

I'm also writing a story tomorrow on Killian running back Lamar Miller. I know. National Signing Day is only 364 days away!

Posted by: Manny Navarro | February 07, 2008 at 05:55 PM

Thanks Manny! Remember to post the link!

[AlpharettaCane]

I don't have a DAMN bit of patience with Mr. Shields, not one. Kid gets all the opportunity in the world to show his stuff, and he puts his head up his azz. Lucky for him the guys behind him had hands of stone.

Brown may be most physically gifted, but does he have the smarts to step in at MLB? Not sure Sharpton does either, too bad.

C-Mac SLB
Cook MLB
Davis WLB

Brown, Futch, Spence all get plenty of reps.

Buchanon and Reddick at safety. A think a freshman can step in and play safety before they can play corner effectively.

[86Cane]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2008/02/the-day-after.html

[AlpharettaCane]

Can someone fill me in on Alex Smith? Who is this dude and where did he come from?

Canez1: hope you're enjoying the codeine...missed you on NSD.

Reading the posts at 1:02 pm when Harris announced was classic - there was like ten or fifteen of them.

Sheer joy.

[busy_cane]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2008/02/the-day-after.html

Link to Manny's new blog.

[AlpharettaCane]

Some service quoted as saying Buchanon 2nd hardest hitting safety in country....

Starting wide outs next year:

A Johnson
S Shields (on a short rope)
K Jones (my darkhorse - is he still on roster??)

[norm]

I was talking to somebody about this year, and I think what Miami will show the most improvement will be in the DL.
If Young can only imitate what Miami used to do with the DL rotate them, and keep them fresh, I think Miami will be in excellente shape this year. We all seem what an excellente DL can do to a good QB. Just ask T. Brady about it.
The QB position it's another part of the puzzle too. I think everything starts with the defense.
Just look at the roster we have in the DL.
LE: Eric Moncur | Ojomo Adewale
LT: Marcus Fortson | Dwayne Hendricks
RT: Antonio Dixon | M. Regis
RE: Courtney Harris | Allen Bailey

[The Truth]

Super, Canes 1

The worst part is....

Its true.

He told the coaches here he was a cane and was part of the tooth paste and floss crew along with RB...

Very sad the way it works sometimes, but that's recruiting.

[Canez1]

According to Pat Dooley (The Gainesville Sun)...

"When defensive back Ramon Buchanon backed out of his intention to sign with Florida, it was enough to get Meyer to throw his cell phone against the wall Frisbee-style."

"It did shock me a little bit," Meyer said.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[The Truth]

Believe it or not, that's not the worst of the stories and its better than in my day...

...the again, in my day, Barry Switzer rolled up to your house in a limo with other players and as many bi*ches as the back could hold. Then you went out, ate, got drunk and f*cked and NO ONE EVER KNEW...

Then the internets and then later on Willie Williams with his damn diary came along and f'ed it ALL up!

LOL

[Canez1]

Truth it's a dirty little world... and that is just the stuff we know about. I can imagine the garbage that goes on behind closed doors.

TB pulled in a hell of a class tho. I will give him that. No matter how he did it.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[The Truth]

And the good news with Harper is, he's still going to get an education and his buddy will too. Harper will have as good a shot as any to make it to the show and no one gets hurt.

Miami was good as running back...he's was just going to be a great get that couldn't be passed on...

[Canez1]

Barry Switzer sounded like my kind of guy !!! ;)

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[The Truth]

Very few of them do it right...its a dirty dirty game.

[CVS]

I wonder if Bailey can step in at DE and just destroy that side of the line. My biggest fear about our DL is that we have a lot of speed up front with guys like Forston, Bailey, Harris, Moncur...and Dixon is worth two plays, and the fear is that teams will be running trap plays against us. We will need to implement some sort of zone blitz schemes every now and then to keep our athletic DLmen away from the initial setups some of the time and force the OLine to block our D Line one on one.

Nix needs to get these kids to buy into some sort of consistency. He has good individual plays and even some good strategy plays (two straight deep passes over a tired DB at UNC) but he needs to put a real scheme with TEs and FBs and RB passes and even (gulp) a few halfback toss and passes every now and then (last time was against VT in 2002...ew). We have way too much talent, and after these last two recruiting classes, way too much speed, to be a reactionary offense.
- CVS

[OCALACANE]

86... Remember who U told me last Night could punt?
Picture this 4th. Down He comes in to punt... Or will he pass? What a 4th. down weapon!!!
LMAO!!! I now have hope!!!
Grinning ear 2 ear!!!

[DZ8]

CVS
Just heard Jordan Futch on Mannys' interview w/him. He was talking about Bill Young and spoke specificly of zone blitzes. He spoke a lot of basics and fundamentals. Gives me the impresion that we'll get more complex as the season goes along.
We are thin at CB, young everywhere else.

[CVS]

Next year's wish list...Anything less than 9-3 is offensive
Put me in the 12%
Offense
1) A very respectable 3rd down and red goal percentage.
2) 400+ yard average offense per game, 30 pt average per game
3) O-Line to keep consistent blocking
4) Coop or McNeal to house a few long runs
5) Some receiver for the love of God to break 700 yards receiving and 7 TDs
6) At least a 3-1 TD-INT ratio on offense
7) Some TD passes at the goal line for our offense
8) Fewer than 1 dropped ball per game
9) Patient QB play, not a QB who plays like a jackson memorial psych ward patient
10) Three plays a game over 40 yards
Defense
1) RP to actually learn to cover
2) For the D to get more picks than TD passes allowed
3) Make 100 yd opposing running backs a thing of the past
4) Some sacks and ints on scrambling QBs!
5) For opposing TEs to not run drag routes through our unaware LBs

SP Teams
1) A consistent kickoff and kick return game that isn't depressing...I nearly cut my neck during the OU game
2) One Punt and One Kickoff for a TD
3) No allowed KO or P returns for a TD

Intangibles
1) Second half adjustments!
2) Far fewer suspensions!
3) A real game plan...I'm thinking of UNC, GT and NC State Games...and what the hell was the locker room speech before the UVA game? Seriously?!?!?!?!
- CVS

[norm]

CVS, I'm a little worry about Nix. He was not very consistent, and like a lot you have said, he didn't have an identity. I hope it was because of the players, and he just trying to be creative. I guess this year we'll be able to see what he can truly do in offense. Marve said he is actually understanding what Nix is trying to do with the offense.

[vince]

Truth I know several guys who played for Switzer at Okla and they loved him. They had nothing bad to say about the guy. Hell, if I were 18 and the coach was getting me laid I don't think I would have anything bad to say either!

[norm]

6) At least a 3-1 TD-INT ratio on offense

I don't like this one. I have to say at least 5-1 TD-INT.

[CVS]

Norm,
It's not wishing a lot...a 3-1 is a 30 TD 10 INT season...and I could put up with that...a 5 to 1 hasn't been seen since Dorsey's soph year...25 TDs and 5 INTs...and 3 of those were in one game.
- CVS

[Canez1]

CVS good point about the quick DL but you got to remember that Forston, Lewis and Regis are all 300 pounders that can move. The past few years it seemed like the bulk of our DT's were converted DE's. These dude are solid and will eat up double teams. Mix that in with an attacking D that blitzes everyone and anyone that will keep the O guessing and on their heels.

IMO Young was a huge get for this team.

Nix will have many weapons at his disposal. There will be no excuses this year. Last year he did what he had to do to protect the inept QB's we had. You can't blame him for last years crap. Without a QB you are fukked.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[Cavaleer]

Ponce, please find where I was singing any of these LBs praises. I said T-Good was a pleasant surprise and C-Mac showed promise, if I even said that. I think I said T-Good might sneak into the first round because he'll probably blow-up the combine.

BUT WHERE DID I SING ANY PRAISES OR EVEN MENTION THE INCUMBENT LBS???

Find it or get off my nutz already and read my whole post.

Watch Brown and Spence's highlights and tell me that with EIGHT MONTHS UNDER THEIR BELTS they won't be supremely equipped to start the first game.

[norm]

CVS, so it can be done ha, ha,. I see what you're saying though. I just want to score more points than the other team.

[pb(CSHOF09)]

Randy the temporary coverboy for ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/

[norm]

Can you guys hear it? It's the heart beat of the Cane Nation, and everybody knows we're coming back.

[Cavaleer]

Super, that's all SS does is drop balls and walk away like nothing happened.

In the FSU game he dropped a critical 3rd down ball that was actually a well-thrown pass from Kirby.

Kayne comes in the next series and makes a great catch as he is undercut by the defender yet he still holds on to the ball.

I'm serious, he's done. His only shot is the slot because J-Mack, Streeter and AJ are almost as fast as he is and they make moves AND CATCH THE DAMM BALL.

The only advantage he has is that Davon and Theron are not on campus early.

He SHOULD start in the slot like Darnell but he's not making clutch 3rd down catches. That spot belongs to Kayne.

That's why I say he doesn't start and probably won't see the field much. He's soft, just candy. He should just run track or something.

[Cavaleer]

"Without a QB you are fukked."

GO CANEZ!!!!!

Posted by: Canez1 | February 07, 2008 at 09:10 PM

EXACTAMUNDO. Nix should be breaking records in 2009.

[Cavaleer]

Norm, how can an OC have an identity with the extreme ineptitude we had at QB??

You guys act like you didn't see Kyle and Kirby fukk up just about everything they tried to do.

What would you do if you were in Nix's shoes???

[Cavaleer]

Ponce, swallow it...and start reading an entire post before you start on my nutz...

"Mark it down. Brown and Spence will start against Charleston Southern. If they came in over the summer the incumbents would be able to do something but that's not the case.

Remember, Rohan Marley booted Jesse Armstead out of his starting position as a freshman if I'm not mistaken. And as good as he was Spence and Brown will be better."

Posted by: Cavaleer | February 07, 2008 at 04:15 PM

[solarcane]

blog up
peace

[norm]

Norm, how can an OC have an identity with the extreme ineptitude we had at QB??
You guys act like you didn't see Kyle and Kirby fukk up just about everything they tried to do.

What would you do if you were in Nix's shoes???

Posted by: Cavaleer | February 07, 2008 at 09:26 PM

Cavaleer, you're totally right. I forgot about those two. I think Nix doesn't get a free pass though. This is his year to show us what he can do.

[bg1906]

Per GFerman on Canesport from multiple sources...

J Harper was all set to ink with us. Clemson called him and told him if he didn't sign with them they were going to pull his boy( Andrews) schollie and send him packin. Miami said they would honor the kids scholly but his folks( one of them really ill) wanted him at Clemson, so they both inked with Clemson. Nice job Bowden!!! Way to real in the big fish.

Shyt gets real nasty in this soap opera!!

GO CANEZ!!!!!

Posted by: Canez1 | February 07, 2008 at 06:34 PM

Wow, Bowden pulling an Urban. Pathetic

Larry Blustein touched on this a slight bit when he was on here the other night and called it ...

"the sad side of recruiting..."

[Calvin]

One time for randy shannon, barrow, hurt and company for getting real UM players once again. Men, this year will be a year of of learning on the battle field, if they can't beat us this year, they won't be able tobeat us for the next three years for sure unless patrick nix starts running the option again. Talent makes a big difference, don't think so, watch this link, does this look familiar:

Watch what he does against the last team, the same team we played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7XKj68ja4Q

I like how i've been reading people say this class is a little defensive heavy, of course it is, what did randy shannon play, what did hurt and barrow play, shannon knows(just like in basketball), you might not always score a lot of points or any points, but you can always play defense. While it's true this class has a minimum amount of offensive lineman, realistically, not to many true fresman were going to start anyway.

Our o-line has a real young nucleus in place, , don't forget shannon's son is here and will be a senior who maybe our starting center, he's probably somewhere hiking the nall with robert marve or jacory right now. So if we have an o-line that looks like jason fox, orlando franklin, shannon, harland gunn and figs(if he can make the transitiom out their, we'd have one of the most agressive lines in college football.

I'm not worried about anything, the days of being irritated by inept coaching is almost over, although the jury is still out on about 3 coaches on staff(nix, pannuzzi and robinson) we should still see major improvements. By the way, why does it seem like gavin hardin is the onnly recruit fluzzi panuzzi has ever got to committ to UM.

It was noted early in the recruiting season what type of players shannon and company were recruiting, annd most of us already knew the majority of this class was going to stick together because shannon recruits to a kids manhood not about playing football and that goes a long way into keeping committs. I would have rather had brewster who went to the suckeyes over patchan anyday of the week. They keep talking about this mike adams being the top o-lineman, but i haven't seen a better o-lineman than brewster yet in this class.

One thing for sure, nick saban will be running the sec before long if steve spurrier doesn't go back to the gators, only so much the ole ball coach can do at soiuth carolina, missing out on a guy like dequan bowers is a big lost to a team like the gamecocks. Not to much more needs to be said about what's going on at UM, it's just back to being fun again knowing real UM football is right around the corner.

I hate loosing but at least when we would loose, the other team had to have played their best game, and be a top rated team, but would still maybe only beat us by a field goal or something controversial. Blow-outs, are you kidding me, we do the blowing out.

The guys are in, the competition is up in just1 and a half year at the helm by shannon. Some say the players that were brought in weren't properly coached in those so called high recruiting classes from the past, that maybe be true on the offensive side of the ball minus soldinger, but defensively that's not true, if players didn't cut on defense that had more to do with a player not being talented enuff to play on defense.

I don't know who's going to start where, but i do know whoever makes it to the starting lineup, had to have shown something somewhere, because the competition is truly up.

[dlu]

sorry mean the names on the uniforms.

[J Diesel]

Check out www.flavaristy.com. I just sent them the highlights ofour Jr. and soph. They have an exclusive video on our next set of stars here at MNW. Daquan Hargrett better known as Dicamo is featured now. check em out.