Five Star Follies: Part III

This is the third article in the on-going series of features evaluating the Rivals.com five-star recruits over the last five years...

The college football recruiting recruiting class of 2008 may go down as one of the best in recent time.

Unless of course you are a Miami Hurricanes fan.

Many of the National experts determined that in 2008 the University of Miami was to have landed the #1 recruiting class. But in the end it was simply not to be for various reasons and issues.

That was due to players like five-star DL Marcus Forston (seen above with OcalaCane and his wife) who's career was plagued by injury and five-star LB Aurthur Brown (seen below with Cat5 Cane) who could never break into the starting lineup and would later transfer to Kansas State.

What had looked so promising and good coming in to Coral Gables on National Signing Day in 2008 did not appear as successful or productive coming out on 2011. So goes the the game of love and war known as college football recruiting.

According to Rivals.com there were 30 five star players in the class of 2008. At least 10 of them would go on to be major impact players. Two of them were Hurricanes (DT Forston, LB Brown).

Yet both five star recruits for UM in 2008 were soon to be surpassed by another lesser-known and lower ranked player named Sean Spence (seen below with Aldarius Johnson, Brandon Harris and Blake Ayles).

Here are the 2008 five star impact players by rank, school and performance:

Rivals Class of 2008 Five Star Player Quick Facts:

• Total Players: 30
• Number of Impact players: 10
• Percentage of Impact Players: 30%
• Number of Players Who Transferred: 5
• Number of Injured Players: 5

The 10 impact players and their rankings from the 2008 class were:

• (1) QB; Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
• (2) DE DeQuan Bowers, Clemson
• (4) WR Julio Jones, Alabama
• (5) CB Patrick Peterson, LSU
• (9) WR A.J Green, Georgia
• (11) OL Matt Kalil, USC
• (14) QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
• (15) OL Tyron Smith, USC
• (26) WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pitt
• (27) WR Michael Floyd, ND

The 5 players who transferred from their original LOI to another school:

• (6) RB Darrell Scott (from Colorado to USF)
• (19) RB Jermie Calhoun (from Oklahoma to FCS school Angelo State)
• (23) LB Authur Brown (From Miami to Kansas State)
• (25) QB Dayne Christ (Notre Dame to Kansas)
• (28) ATH Burton Scott (Alabama to South Alabama)

The 5 players who were impacted by major injuries:

• DT Marcus Forston, Miami
• OL Matt Patchan, Florida
• WR Deandre Brown, Southern Miss
• ATH Richard Samuel, Georgia
• OL Tyler Love, Alabama

In summary the 2008 class was above average in terms of impact players (10). The class was also average in the number of transfers (5) and in players who were impacted by major injury (5).

Comments

[SlingBlade]

Uno

[roachcane77]

Nice job SlingBlade... the early bird...

Dude, the articles on "THE Space" here lately are UNMATCHED anywhere on the web!

Bravo!

Gotta go...

Let's Go Canes!

[TJL]

nice read-great info thanks

[Old Skool]

good info gracias

[LB]

Killer reads. Nice job. Let's go, EE's!

[WindyCane-Forecast1]

Great article!

[IraqiCane]

Great article, thanks Soup.

[Sean Spence is a Beast!!!]

NSD baby!

[Ohio_Cane]

Lady Canes lose Morgan Stroman for the season (Torn ACL)

[Willie Will in Nashville]

Sorry to be late to the party but I couldn't pass on this one.

If jacory Harris threw a ball thru a car wash that ball would get the ultimate cleaning package, the best that the car wash has to offer, with armor all and everything lol

[3G Cane]

Great read about a sore subject!

[]_[] GO CANES []_[]

[3G Cane]

Papa Cane-

Update: 2012 CB Larry Hope will enroll early and start classes at Miami tomorrow. Huge news. Was injured most of 2012 season.

[Ohio_Cane]

Canes will end up with 9 EE's. Holiett is enrolled now, and Hope will be soon.

[SOUP]

New photo is up with Spence, AJ#4, BH#1 and Blake Ayles from the UAAA game in 2008.

[Ohio_Cane]

^^^ Question: With 9 EE's, does that mean the Canes can sign a max of 34 recruits this year?

[SOUP]

Ohio...I believe the answer to your ??? is YES. Nine EEs that count towards the 2011 class and 25 schollies for 2012 = 34 recruits.

[Ohio_Cane]

SOUP, thanks! I thought so, but there's so many ins and outs I get confused sometimes lol

[Hassan]

I have been reported Hope days ago lol

[3G Cane]

Any word if Lockhart is going to make it in as an EE??? I think tomorrow is the last day.

[Ohio_Cane]

3G, from what I'm reading, Hope and Holiett would be the last 2 in addition to the previous 7.

Doesn't look like he will.

[UMike]

Does a certain amount of players need to leave the program for the EE's or can their be an unlimited amount of EE's?

[SOUP]

FROM PHIL STEEL:

Miami lost six players to the draft which was two more than any other school and clearly HC Al Golden has some rebuilding to do in Coral Gables on and off the field. The Canes lost leading rusher Lamar Miller who ran for 1,272 yds (5.6) and 9 TD’s, their leading receiver in Tommy Streeter who had 46 rec (17.6) and 8 TD’s and their best OL in Brandon Washington while also losing some talented defensive players who were suspended parts of this past year. Golden looks like he is bringing in a solid recruiting class to help but it will be tough to replicate the type of production the offensive players had this year.

[Texascane]

For all of you "Stars don't matter" folks...here is an extremely in-depth article rating stars vs draft rank. In addition, it shows the development of talent by the schools...Miami, as we all have noted, is not very good at developing their talent...

http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2011/4/30/2143688/the-best-and-worst-college-programs-and-conferences-at-developing

[Ohio_Cane]

Does a certain amount of players need to leave the program for the EE's or can their be an unlimited amount of EE's?

Posted by: UMike | January 24, 2012 at 10:42 AM
-----------------------------------------------

EE's go towards last year's 25 max, so it's not unlimited. I think we had 14 last year, so max EE should be 11 for this year.

[SharkJordan]

Angelo State?? Haha never heard of it
Nice stats, 30% is a very low number wow

[Ohio_Cane]

Yuri Wright has committed to Colorado. See what tweeting can do to U, recruits?!?! WATCH WHAT U TWEET!!

[Old Skool]

It will be interesting to see what kind of signs will show up at the away stadiums in which Colorado plays. Fortunately, Yuri's most tweeted word can't necessarily be repeated.

I wonder if Colorado plays Stanford. If so, the Stanford band would have a very easy target.

[Old Skool]

In other bizarre news, PETA wants to buy OJ's house to create a murder exhibit.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/os-oj-simpson-peta-home,0,7526713.story

Can't wait to see the bloody glove room.

[Texcane]

I read somewhere 9 EE's is the max that can count towards last years class. Then anyone more that you have count toward the current yr's class.

[Ohio_Cane]

Scout.com actually has Tracy Howard as the #4 CB in the nation? Lol, seriously?

[3G Cane]

^^^Right across the street from Killian HS

[Texcane]

Typing while driving
*Then anymore that you have..

[Ohio_Cane]

Canes offered 2013 DT Deadrin Senat 6'1, 311, and he's thinking about committing.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/florida/football/recruiting/player-Deadrin-Senat-129381

[Ohio_Cane]

Canes also offered Louisiana TE DeSean Smith, 6'4, 222. One of the top TE's in the country.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/rutgers/football/recruiting/player-Desean-Smith-124312

[Hassan]

Darrius White Canceled his visit to UM this weekend. lets see Iowa State or UM? lol WOW these kids are crazy, must be afraid to compete. Here's Kiper's take on some of our guys.

Jorge Milian (PB Post) spoke to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. on a conference call on Thursday afternoon regarding the draft prospects of quarterback Jacory Harris and UM’s quintet (not counting Aldarius Johnson) of underclassmen.

Here is what Kiper had to say:

….UM hasn’t had a quarterback chosen since Ken Dorsey was selected in the seventh round of the 2003 draft and that doesn’t figure to change this year. Kiper said he has Harris ranked as the No. 22 draft-eligible quarterback. As a comparison, only 12 quarterbacks were taken in the 2011 draft. “I don’t see a scenario where he is selected,” Kiper said. “There’s too many quarterbacks rated ahead of him.”

….Kiper said that Lamar Miller, Tommy Streeter and Brandon Washington made the right decision by leaving early, but questioned whether defensive linemen Marcus Forston and Olivier Vernon were wise in choosing to leave UM. “I’ve talked to kids in past years, it’s not about being a first-round pick, it’s about feeling they accomplished what they can and if they go in the fourth or fifth round, they’re satisfied,” Kiper said. “If they’re not going to be satisfied with it, it’s a different ballgame entirely.”

….Regarding Miller, who Kiper projects going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 21st overall pick: “I have him in the first round right now, at worst a second-round pick. I think people are going to be looking at him very favorably as we move through the draft process. I think Lamar Miller is a very good prospect.”

….While many UM fans questioned Washington’s wisdom in skipping his senior season after a so-so junior campaign, Kiper is not among them. “His versatility will be a plus,” said Kiper, who has Washington as the third-best guard prospect in the draft. “He’s played guard, he’s played tackle. He struggled this year in that role, but I see him as a guy that’s going to be assisted by the fact that there’s going to be a few teams that see him as a versatile guy who can help you at two positions. He can end up going a little higher than he’s graded. I can’t necessarily argue with [him coming out].”

….On Streeter: “Has some size, made some big plays this year, did some good things. Not as seasoned as some other wideouts. He didn’t have a ton of catches going into the year…but he stepped up and averaged almost 18 yards a catch and [scored] nine touchdowns. If he tests out well from a speed standpoint, he could be a second-round pick.”

….Kiper had Forston going in the first round before the season. But with the injury-prone Forston missing most of 2011, Kiper said he was “surprised” that the defensive tackle chose to bolt Miami. “Another guy that’s going to drop significantly further down the board than you would have thought two or three years ago,” Kiper said of Forston.

….The UM underclassman that really had Kiper scratching his head was Vernon, who sat out six games in 2011 as part of an NCAA-imposed suspension in connection with the Nevin Shapiro case. “I was obviously surprised that he was in this mix,” Kiper said. “He [is] way down the line as far as the defensive ends.”

[SOUP]

I wonder if Colorado plays Stanford. If so, the Stanford band would have a very easy target.

Posted by: Old Skool | January 24, 2012 at 11:53 AM

One can only hope, right? LOL

[Ohio_Cane]

OK, so the announcements I have that could pick the Canes, in order, go:

Tyriq McCord: Jan 26, no time/channel yet
Darius Hamilton: Jan 31, 8pm, no time/channel
Eddie Goldman: Feb 1, 10:30am, ESPN
Avery Young: Feb 1, 2pm, ESPN

Any others I'm missing?

[CGNC]

CGNC the Pens are hot. I saw them when they played the Panthers.

Posted by: canesteeler | January 23, 2012 at 10:38 PM

Lucky! and we still don't have Staal back yet. The lines that Bylsma has look like they are coming together finally

[SOUP]

"Kiper said that Lamar Miller, Tommy Streeter and Brandon Washington made the right decision by leaving early, but questioned whether defensive linemen Marcus Forston and Olivier Vernon were wise in choosing to leave UM."

What Mel Kiper doens't know is that...well, let's just say that Mel just doesn't know what he doesn't know. U know what I mean?

[Hassan]

Umm yeah Tracy Freakin Howard lol 8:30 espn Feb 1st. Dequan Ivery Feb 1st...

[Ohio_Cane]

Thanks, Hassan! Need more if they pop up!

[SOUP]

“I’ve talked to kids in past years, it’s not about being a first-round pick, it’s about feeling they accomplished what they can and if they go in the fourth or fifth round, they’re satisfied,” Kiper said. “If they’re not going to be satisfied with it, it’s a different ballgame entirely.”

VERY INTERESTING!

That really changes everything IF a player is just happy or satisfied with being drafted in the 4-7 rounds.

U go from several MILLION and a BIG signing bonus to $1.5 M over three years and a minimal if any signing bonus.

Now that I think about it $1.5M over 3 years doesn't sound so bad after all?

[SOUP]

Shark and Tex...welcome to The Space!

Post here, post often.

[Ohio_Cane]

PS - Hassan, is that 8:30 am or pm?

[SOUP]

Can somebody (TonyCane?) do some research on the average salaries for 2010, 2011 or projected for 2012 in the NFL for each round of the draft?

I was just guessing at numbers above.

[TheWhat]

Miami was on the bottom of that list yet still sent 6 to 8 players to the nfl last year alone. Players weren't being developed
In the Coker or Shannon era but that will change with the golden era.

[Texascane]

Recruiting Stars
Percent drafted
Average draft position

★★ 4.9% 143 (5th rd)

★★★ 8.1% 124 (late 4th)

★★★★ 16.7% 107 (early 4th)

★★★★★ 38.0% 81 (3rd rd)

[Ohio_Cane]

Interesting, only 2 rounds difference in the draft between 5* and 2*

[Hassan]

8:30 AM. I think as his school.

[Texascane]

Ohio,

Of course, this only speaks to draft rank...not how long or successful a career in the League they will have...Ray Lewis.

It is amazing, however, that the average "must have" Five Star recruit will be drafted 81st...

Better get that degree boys...