Quotes from Mark Richt
Opening Statement…
“I’m very excited to announce our class today, our 2017 recruiting class. Before I do that, there’s a lot of people I want to thank, so if you could bear with me, I wrote down a few names and have a few groups of people that have made this thing work. It’s just amazing how many people that get involved in this recruiting process. I want to start with President Frenk and the leadership that he has given this university and the strength of our university, our academics – it’s a very easy sell when you bring student-athletes on our campus and just get to see the beauty of the campus, and also get to see the way our university is ranked among other universities across America in so many different areas, and overall. For just a great job of leadership of this university, I want to thank Dr. Frenk. Then Blake James, our athletic director, and the rest of his administrative staff - I can’t tell you how much cooperation I’ve had with him, and just to be able to pick up the phone or go by his office and talk to him about things we might need, or ways we can become better, and his willingness to do everything that he possibly can to help be great, I want to thank him.
“Our assistant coaches obviously – they’re the ones that get on the road and do the pounding the pavement, so to speak. Maybe even more so, their wives - our coaches’ wives - in just trying to hold down the fort while everybody is out there doing their job and taking care of business. I want to thank the coaches’ wives as well. Our graduate assistants, our quality control coaches – it’s kind of like all hands on deck in every area of our program, and recruiting is a part of that as well. Our recruiting and player personnel department, headed up by Matt Doherty - just a great job by them. Just their title lets you know that they’re in the heart of all of our recruiting. Football operations, Don Corzine and his group. David Case and our equipment staff. I know you saw pictures of the players that have come on our campus and put on the gear and got a chance to see all the other things we had. But when they put that uniform on, you can just about tell who’s coming. They don’t want to take it off. It’s an awesome job that they do. Gus Felder and our strength & conditioning staff, and also Kyle Bellamy, who heads up our nutrition – those guys do such a great job of obviously developing our players, but obviously in the recruiting process, letting young men know what’s going to happen once they get here. Vinny Scavo and our athletic training staff. So many questions that parents have about, ‘what’s going to happen to my son if he gets hurt? What about the physicals? What about if something happens with dental work?’ Whatever t might be, there’s just so many things Vinny and his staff take care of for our players, and they do such a great job of explaining that to our recruits and their parents. That’s awesome. You can add the Lennar Hospital and its staff. That new hospital is beautiful, it’s fantastic just to know your student-athlete or your son, when they get here, has that hospital right across the street from us, it gives people peace of mind and they’ve been very gracious to host some of our events. It’s been wonderful there. Dave Wyman, Demetrius Darden and our academic support staff. They do a great job explaining everything academically to our student-athletes, our recruits and their families. Shirelle Jackson and the student-athlete development office. “What’s my son going to do besides play football and academics? Is there anything else?” We have life skills, we have community service and all the things we do that really enhances the holistic approach to these student-athletes that we bring here at Miami.
“Our professors, the University of Miami faculty, the deans of schools – I can’t tell how many times professors have sat down with families and young men to just take an afternoon or breakfast time out of their life to sit there and talk to our student-athletes and prospective student-athletes…I can’t thank them enough. We have such an intimate group of professors and deans and all that. We’re not a huge university – we’re a small private institution. Because of that, our student-athletes and our prospective student-athletes understand how easy it is to get to know your professor, where in other places, there’s so many kids in class you can’t even see your professor half the time. We love that. Drew Rossetti and the video department, there’s so many things that he has done to help us prepare for our weekends. Leo Ramos and our graphic design. Our compliance staff - Craig Anderson and his group.
“And our current Miami players. How many times do young men come on campus and they see everything that we show them, but then they spend time with their player host and the player hosts are our current players. It takes a sacrifice. You may give up your Friday night or your Saturday night or sometimes we have player panels where kids will come in the afternoon, they might help us demonstrate strength and conditioning. Our current players are really bought in to helping us be great. I want to thank our current players for that. Our fans. You can’t create excitement without fans. Our fans are very rabid. They love this university, they love this team and they create a lot of excitement around recruiting. They create a lot of excitement at our ballgames, when recruits come to a ballgame and see our fans respond to players, it’s just paramount. Just a lot of people to thank, even our custodial staff who keeps the building clean when we bring our prospects on recruiting weekends. Almost every weekend is a recruiting weekend. There’s official visits and unofficial visits. Almost weekly, there’s somebody coming onto our campus to spend time.
“With that, I guess I’ll just open it up to questions. I know you all know the list of people, of our players. I’ll just say this. We have 24, I think it is, in the house right now, counting the guys that are already here at midyear. I think it’s 16 out of 24 are from the state of Florida. One of our junior college kids, Jhavonte Dean, didn’t play junior college ball in the state, but he’s a local kid. He’s an in-state guy and actually a south Florida guy. If you count him in the 16, two-thirds of our [class] is from the state. Because of our national brand, and because of popularity of our program, we can attract great plyers outside the state. I’ll say one more thing before I open it up: we really hit, across the board, all the position needs we have. There’s at least one guy at every single position across the board. We feel real comfortable that we hit the number. There’s a couple spots we may look into the possibility of graduate transfers or someone who might transfer before it’s over, so there are a couple spots available, which I think is a smart thing to do, the way recruiting goes nowadays. We do have a space or two left for that type of thing. Other than that, I thought we nailed it and we’re very excited about this class. With that, I’ll open it up.”
On adding speed at the wide receiver position in Mike Harley, Jr. and Jeff Thomas…
“As you mentioned - Harley and Jeff Thomas, we also have Evidence Njoku. He’s pretty fast too. As of right this second, Deejay Dallas, we believe, will start at the receiver position. There’s always a chance - he’s so versatile, he can really probably play three different positions for this team. We did need speed. We know Ahmmon [Richards] can really run on the edge, and we have some other guys in the program that run well. If you have a superfast guy on this side of the field and you don’t have much speed to balance it, then guess what? The defenses starts to tilt towards the speed and all of a sudden you get guys double-covered and all that. But if you have speed on each side, you have speed in the slot, you have speed at tailback, it’s hard to just sit there defensively and try to shut a guy down. We’re excited about that. But not only are they fast, they’re very skilled, they can make people miss. I think they’re very legitimate receivers. They’re not just fast guys that happen to play football. They’re football players who happened to be fast.”
On if there is added boost when players make their commitments on national television…
“These guys pick their own timetables as far as when they announce. We don’t. We don’t say, ‘Hey, do it signing day for extra good drama’ and all that kind of thing. When you have good news like that, on a day like today, when fans aren’t 100-percent sure – and I’ll be honest with you, we’re never 100-percent sure until the fax or I guess nowadays email or even a picture of the NLI come through - it’s good to have that positive momentum on signing day.”
On putting a fence around south Florida in his first full recruiting cycle…
“Everybody talks about putting a fence around south Florida, but if you put a fence around it, there might be 120 guys that are going major Division I - guess what? You can only take 15 or 20 a year, on average. You can’t get every great player in the tri-county area. It’s impossible. The goal is to get the ones you want or at least a high percentage of those. Some kids want to stay at home. Some kids want to leave. There’s a lot of different dynamics to the whole thing. But when you have that many great players in your backyard, you have to make sure you are creating those relationships with those kids as early as possible. People will say, ‘you had a whole year to recruit those guys.’ That’s true, but guess what? You start recruiting kids in the eighth grade, ninth grade, 10th grade, 11th grade…it’s not like we had a full year. You really need a recruiting cycle, nowadays, [which] is three or four years long. There’s a lot of seeds that have been planted with young kids. I probably went to close to 20 youth parks, maybe up to the eighth grade, maybe, and just trying to spread the love right away because it takes a lot of time to create those relationships. Because we’re close to so many, it’s easy for them to come on campus - come watch a basketball game, come watch practice, come hang out for no good reason. It’s not that hard to get in the car and come see us. Because of that, we want to continue to get all the young great talent in this area to feel comfortable around us.”
On the addition of quarterbacks Cade Weldon and N’Kosi Perry and how the race will unfold…
“The quarterback position, talking about having two that we’ve signed, one is already here in Cade Weldon and N’Kosi [Perry] on the way - both of these guys are very talented guys. They’re quality quarterbacks that are athletic. Sometimes you have quarterbacks who can run, but they’re a runner who can throw decent. These guys are true quarterbacks who happen to be able to run well, which is a nice dynamic to have. It doesn’t mean you have to have a guy that can run like a deer to be great, because it’s has been happening for years without it. But I do like the fact that they can move. Like you mentioned, Cade is in town and he’ll get a chance to compete this spring. He’ll be in practice, he’ll be in the meetings, he’ll do all those things - he’ll get about as many reps as everyone else on scholarship this spring. It’s a wide open competition. I absolutely don’t have a front runner, in my mind. You would think I would after being here a year, but it’s as wide open as it can possibly be and my guess is it’ll go well into the summer and fall camp before we figure out who it is.”
On the difference in recruiting student-athletes to a small, private school like Miami…
“When you have a private school institution, a private school education, people pay a lot of money to get a lot of value. When you’re at a private school, just like if you go to a private school in high school, you tend to have certain things you might not get at a public university or public high school. One of the things, I think, that people pay for and the value of education is the number of students in the class. If you average 18 to 24 students in a class, that’s a great ratio. It’s just like our strength program - if you lift 60 guys a time with five coaches, that’s about 11 guys per coach. But if you lift 20 guys with five coaches, that’s four guys per coach…hat’s a great ratio. The same thing is true educationally. If you have a small classroom setting, you have a chance to actually get to know your professor. You might ask your professor for help and not just rely on a tutor in a certain class. Of course, the beauty of the campus and the fact that we’re in south Florida, I call it ‘paradise.’ It’s a beautiful place. Beautiful weather. That’s why everyone wants to live down here.”
On keeping spots open for potential additions to the class, including high school or grad transfers…
“Sure. If a high school player hasn’t signed at this point…no one has to sign on signing day. They can sign tomorrow, they can sign a week from now, they can enroll in school in August if they want do. We have space if there are guys still out there who have interest in Miami, we would entertain that and we welcome the opportunity to have them join our team. I think it’s healthy to have one or two at the end of your class, because things do happen. Sometimes the ability to have space for another guy to join your team - whether it’s a high school kid who didn’t sign or a graduate transfer or whatever it may be, even a walk-on you might be able to put on aid and those types of things.”
On the addition of local offensive linemen Navaughn Donaldson, Corey Gaynor and Kai-Leon Herbert…
“We thought we did great with our offensive line. The whole class we’re excited about, but we just felt there was a tremendous need to get our numbers up at that position, but also bringing in guys we really thought could help us be great. All three of those guys are guys that will compete for playing time right now. I say right now, [I mean] this season coming up. There’s no doubt in our minds they have the skillset eventually become a starter and be great before this thing is over. It’s hard to be a really great offensive football team if you can’t provide space for your runners and time and space for your quarterback. I feel like we’re well on our way to having that group be special for us in the near future.”
On the difference between recruiting in a time crunch last year to a full first year….
“A year ago, we were just trying to see who was committed, trying to see who was still on the board as far as the previous staff. Of course the recruiting staff was still here, and they were holding things together. There were some assistant coaches that were still here and they were working. They were continue to recruit these kids. I gave credit a year ago, I’ll give credit again - they did a very nice job of recruiting that class last year. Some guys fell by the wayside in the transition, and we added a couple here and there, but there were some tremendous football players already committed, that when we made our evaluation, we agreed that they could help us win and we continued to recruit those kids. Some of them just had a true love for the university, some felt like they were excited about the possibility of what we might be able to bring as a staff. It was very good.
“This year, obviously having a lot more time to get into the high schools, spend times with the high school coaches in our tri-county area and in the state, and all the other places we went to, just try to help them understand what we’re about, and getting faith in confidence that if they send their young men to our school, they’re going to get everything they need. And a chance to get to know these players more. There were some NCAA restrictions on guys being able to come to your campus. A year ago, a kid could only go to one event – one football game, basketball, baseball, track…if they wanted to come to a sporting event, they could come to one. That was it. After that got lifted, that allowed us to bring guys to every home game if they wanted to come, come to basketball games, come to baseball games. Getting them on your campus is huge. The previous staff was fighting with one hand tied behind their back. This is the first year we’ve had 85 scholarships. We were at 80 a year ago. There’s a huge difference.”
On if he noticed any difference in recruiting with the addition of new coaches in the state of Florida…
“Not really. I think we’re always going to be an exciting place for young men to go. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble attracting guys to our school. As I said before, there’s such a large talent base in this area, I think there’s enough talent for all of our state schools to have success. There will be battles, for sure, but I think if we do our job the way we should, the University of Miami will have great, great classes in the future.”
Good Article Soup
Posted by: Old Skool | February 08, 2017 at 05:38 AM
That worm is awful tasty
Posted by: Old Skool | February 08, 2017 at 05:40 AM
3 4 U
Posted by: nemo2002 | February 08, 2017 at 07:01 AM
That worm is awful tasty
Posted by: Old Skool | February 08, 2017 at 05:40 AM
Tees it up and...
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 07:54 AM
LOVE THIS:
"They’re not just fast guys that happen to play football. They’re football players who happened to be fast.”
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 08:05 AM
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE BEHIND...
Miami Hurricanes total number of four and five star players annually:
2006: 46 (7-6)
2007: 42 (5-7)
2008: 42 (7-6)
2009: 41 (9-3)
2010: 39 (7-6)
2011: 28 (6-6)
2012: 21 (7-5)
2013: 22 (9-3)
2014: 25 (6-7)
2015: 28 (8-5)
2016: 27 (9-4)
2017: 31
On paper this will be the strongest team overall this decade, and for the first time since 2010 we will have more than thirty players on the roster with four and five stars. Furthermore, at the moment I believe that only five players ranked at four or five stars would automatically depart after next season (Gerald Willis, Braxton Berrios, KC McDermott, Trevor Darling, and Braxton Berrios). An additional nine would depart after the 2018 season.
If Richt can have recruiting classes as strong or stronger in 2018 and 2019, very quickly we are looking at a team that is now on par with Florida State and keeping pace with Clemson, meanwhile further building on the gap with the rest of the Coastal. The numbers are now in our favor - the inverse of the situation that we faced in 2011 and 2012. Wonderful to see.
Posted by: TonyCane | February 08, 2017 at 01:27 AM
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 08:13 AM
meanwhile further building on the gap with the rest of the Coastal.
Posted by: TonyCane | February 08, 2017 at 01:27 AM
Love that are numbers are better, but having a talent gap in the Coastal hasnt got us anywhere lol... We need to match those numbers with play calling.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 08:29 AM
Is it just me or is the hype surrounding Perry starting to turn him into something a little bit larger than life?
Got no problem with pressure or comparisons but in the last two days I've seen it written where he's the next deshaun Watson or Lamar Jackson.
Let him throw a college pass first and truth be told I'd be very happy with him having a year like Francois had for now.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 08:30 AM
Wouldnt surprise me one bit to see Rosier or Weldon start day 1. Going to be interesting.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 08:41 AM
Go...
I agree. But we shall see what people think of him after his first bad game.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 08:54 AM
Miami Hurricanes coaches excited about offensive line signees
http://caneswatch.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/07/miami-hurricanes-coaches-excited-about-offensive-line-signees/
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 08:55 AM
Crow to Jones for 6.
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 08:56 AM
That Smith Kid at Safety and That Jennings Kid at Linebacker are True Football Players. One More Good Class at DB, WR and DT.
Posted by: Coolmac758 | February 07, 2017 at 09:56 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if Smith ends up at linebacker. The kid is physically imposing right now as a high school kid. The frame he has, he could easily put on a lot more weight.
Posted by: thirstybuzzardcane | February 08, 2017 at 09:08 AM
Love that are numbers are better, but having a talent gap in the Coastal hasnt got us anywhere lol... We need to match those numbers with play calling.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 08:29 AM
Final 5 games of the season for the Canes:
5 wins, zero losses
Avg PF: 37
Avg PA: 18
Avg yds gained: 466
Avg yds allowed: 331
Our offense finished the year off as well as anyone's.
A slow start against WVU doesn't change the big picture.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 09:25 AM
I see Negative UMike is at it again..... haha
Posted by: raizecane | February 08, 2017 at 09:49 AM
Go Canes = Cherry Picker
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 09:59 AM
Our offense finished the year off as well as anyone's.
A slow start against WVU doesn't change the big picture.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 09:25 AM
Hopefully OC richt now has what he needs to run his O. 2017 will Mark our return to relevance if he does.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 10:07 AM
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 09:59 AM
Five consecutive games to end the season is cherrypicking.
Ok.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 10:11 AM
Casual fans.
Smh...
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 10:12 AM
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 10:07 AM
With Linder, McDermott, Darling, Sunny health and a ton of talent coming in I can't see how we dont solve our O-line issues.
Defense will be frightening.
Difference between good and great is going to come down to the guy under center imo.
We'll see.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 10:15 AM
Yup. The QB will be key as usual. Interesting to see whether or not we miss BK.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 10:33 AM
Five consecutive games to end the season is cherry picking?
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 10:11 AM
Yes, it is.
I do not have the time nor the inclination to explain my self to a person who sleeps under the blanket of freedom that my blog provides and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd rather you just say "Thank You" and go on your merry way.
Buy we did that with a good to above average QB. Imagine what we could do with a GREAT QB?
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 10:50 AM
Casual fans.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 10:12 AM
Wake me up when we beat FSU AND win our division of the ACC AND win an ACC title.
#CasualFansUnite
#NapTime
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 10:59 AM
I see Negative UMike is at it again..... haha
Posted by: raizecane | February 08, 2017 at 09:49 AM
Or stating facts. I said the talent gap in the coastal hasnt helped us. We have won 0 Coastal Division titles..how is that negative?
We looked great the last 5 weeks against teams we should of beat, I think if that type of play mixed with out talent is there all season we will win the Coastal easily.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Where RCCF at? 12% club for life!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 11:27 AM
Where RCCF at? 12% club for life!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 11:27 AM
*******************************
he is currently at 13%
Posted by: raizecane | February 08, 2017 at 11:54 AM
There goes that word should again.
The ever sliding criteria for what that is constantly changes.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 11:54 AM
So Pitt, UVA, Duke, NC State & WVU aren't teams Miami SHOULD beat? We should expect losses to those teams?
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 11:58 AM
With u UMike, hell no we shouldn't lose to those bums and it's about time we didn't lose a game to a team that shouldn't be on the field with us. Oh, I forgot we did lose to UNC.
Posted by: Herbieibis | February 08, 2017 at 12:13 PM
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 11:58 AM
What's the determining factor? Stars? Depth of roster? Quality wins?
Pitt was playing great football. They beat Penn State and Clemson this year.
And WV was ranked what, 13th?
So no we shouldn't have beaten Pitt or WV. But we played great and won.
For this program, right now, should is a tough word to use.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 12:42 PM
I respectfully disagree. Miami should never be in a position to worry about Pitt...and according to you WVU was way overrated since they lost to the only good teams they played. You called for a blowout. So IMO, we should have won those 5 games.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 12:56 PM
The determining factor is we are Miami, I would assume we have had higher ranked recruiting classes then all those teams the last 4 years or so.
We have just lowered our standards so much after over a decade of being mediocre.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 12:59 PM
I think the only 2 games that werent a "should win" were FSU and VT... IMO.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 01:09 PM
thankfully we have a much better schedule next year. Just have to wonder how far we can go with a rookie QB.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 01:13 PM
Like I said if we have more "stars" we should win but if they're bad like the Irish then we should have won.
If they have less stars but develop guys and play well we underachieved.
The should have line moves so that we should basically win every game but one every year.
Miami hasn't been Miami for a long, long time. So five straight and quality wins should be seen as such and not something we "should have" done.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 01:18 PM
Just have to wonder how far we can go with a rookie QB.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 01:13 PM
Definitely, a major concern.
Posted by: nemo2002 | February 08, 2017 at 01:28 PM
Definitely, a major concern.
Posted by: nemo2002 | February 08, 2017 at 01:28 PM
*****************************
just give me a QB that has the physical ability to tuck and run for 9 yards on a 3rd and 5 when there is a blitz or all WR's are covered so we can keep the drive alive....
Posted by: raizecane | February 08, 2017 at 01:46 PM
Give me a much improved offensive line and I am good. U can be Randle Cunningham but if your line suck U ain't winning Jack.
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 08, 2017 at 01:50 PM
^^^^^^^^^^
This.
Posted by: TruCane81 | February 08, 2017 at 01:58 PM
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 08, 2017 at 01:50 PM
💯
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 02:19 PM
Nice article 86
Posted by: CGNC | February 08, 2017 at 02:24 PM
thankfully we have a much better schedule next year. Just have to wonder how far we can go with a rookie QB.
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 01:13 PM
That FSU game comes up quick this year
Posted by: CGNC | February 08, 2017 at 02:25 PM
Give me a much improved offensive line and I am good. U can be Randle Cunningham but if your line suck U ain't winning Jack.
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 08, 2017 at 01:50 PM
It's easier to fix 1 then 5. And a mobile QB can hid offensive line woes
Posted by: raizecane | February 08, 2017 at 02:29 PM
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 08, 2017 at 01:50 PM
People forget how Mike Vick used to lead the league in sacks.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 02:41 PM
I dont think N'kosi will start game 1, and I hope he doesnt so he can get a redshirt and get to 205 pounds. My hope is that Rosier has gone into complete warrior mode and is obsessively focused right now, giving Richt zero options at QB. I hope that Jack is seeing that and is following suit giving us a serious backup QB option.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 02:44 PM
LOL @ throwing the OL under the bus...some of y'all believe everything the coaches tell y'all.
Again, we finished 5-0 minus 2-3 OL starters, so OL wasn't the problem to begin with.
Posted by: CaneRock | February 08, 2017 at 02:46 PM
I hope Mullins is in similar warrior mode. Would love to see a four wide receiver set with him, Richards, Berrios, and Cager.
Posted by: TonyCane | February 08, 2017 at 02:52 PM
People forget how Mike Vick used to lead the league in sacks.
Posted by: The Dude | February 08, 2017 at 02:41 PM
Yep, holding the ball to long, not trusting what he sees.
It's hard to find an explosive athlete like that with the patience to go through his progression and make a good decision.
Posted by: TruCane81 | February 08, 2017 at 03:34 PM
"Now, it is one thing to sign what we judge to be elite classes based on high school performances and projections. It is quite another to deliver on the vast potential that schools bring in on an annual basis. This is where the Tigers have done an exceptional job, and it is a big reason why they won their 2016 national championship.
Their hit rate on top-level recruits has been stellar. Every player the Tigers absolutely needed to work out at the top of their class did, either immediately or down the line. Go back to 2009: No. 1 recruit Tajh Boyd helped put down the groundwork for the current Clemson program. His would have been a tough miss to take.
No doubt, there were a few misses sprinkled in between, including a mostly underwhelming 2012 class, but the hit rate with the top recruits between 2013 and 2016 is undeniable. Those classes specifically are the biggest reasons Clemson finished No. 1 this past season."
Posted by: CaneRock | February 08, 2017 at 03:38 PM
^^^^^^^^Continued
"2013: Mackensie Alexander, Ben Boulware
2014: Deshaun Watson, Artavis Scott
2015: Mitch Hyatt, Deon Cain, Christian Wilkins
2016: Dexter Lawrence
Clemson's 2016 national championship team featured 13 starters who were ranked in either the ESPN 150 or ESPN 300. The 2015 Clemson playoff team had 11 starters with similar designations.
There are always going to be players who do not work out; there will be injuries and attrition with every class. But Clemson has been able to keep that attrition in check with its most recent classes. Between 2013 and 2016, only eight players left the team because of dismissal, injury or the decision to transfer. The 2013 class in particular highlights how well Clemson not only recruited but also developed its talent. The Tigers had the No. 13 class in the country, but if they were re-ranked, they surely would be higher.
Not only did Alexander and Boulware lead that 2013 class, but Dorian O'Daniel, Tyrone Crowder, Mike Williams, Shaq Lawson, Jordan Leggett, Wayne Gallman, Jayron Kearse, T.J. Green, Ryan Carter, Cordrea Tankersley and Jadar Johnson also became starters. Clemson missed on ESPN 300 prospects Tyshon Dye (transfer), Ebenezer Ogundeko (dismissed) and Kyrin Priester (dismissed), but the losses were easily outweighed by the overall production of this talented class.
For comparison's sake, Georgia has signed a better class than Clemson in each of the past four years. But the Bulldogs’ hit rate at the top of their class is comparatively low, especially with the class of 2013, in which three of their top four recruits either transferred or were dismissed."
http://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/98160/clemson-reached-championship-level-thanks-to-its-recruiting-hits
Posted by: CaneRock | February 08, 2017 at 03:41 PM
LOL @ throwing the OL under the bus...some of y'all believe everything the coaches tell y'all.
Again, we finished 5-0 minus 2-3 OL starters, so OL wasn't the problem to begin with.
Posted by: CaneRock | February 08, 2017 at 02:46 P
True, CR, but our guys got whipped one on one too often against talented opponents.
We won't argue the reason for those failures because that mess we saw on display in 2016 has an all of the above answer.
However, improved play as a unit will go further to help us than anything else.
Line plays well, all we need is a qb that protects the ball and we get the coastal, acc berth, 10 wins and a bowl win, our base expectation for the year.
To help us
Posted by: TruCane81 | February 08, 2017 at 03:42 PM
Erick Marrero:
Update on Lorenzo Lingered
CanesInSight.com has confirmed that Lorenzo Lingard is on campus ---- I reported over an hour ago that there was a BIG time 2018 recruit on campus this morning, and it was indeed about Lorenzo Lingard. I was told to keep it on the low
Update
It's down to Miami and Clemson according to a very close source to Lingard.
Many are wondering why Lingard took an unofficial visit to Miami on a Wednesday?? Here's why
- He wanted to get a feel for the campus during a school day. I'm hearing he's loving the visit and the Miami coaches are trying to seal the deal.
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 03:44 PM
Mark Pope: Welcome to The U!
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 04:14 PM
Mark Pope: Welcome to The U!
Posted by: The Dude | February 08, 2017 at 04:14 PM
------------------------------------------
Uhh, wut?
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 08, 2017 at 04:15 PM
He committed to the Army game...
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 08, 2017 at 04:16 PM
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 03:44 PM
Seel what deal?
Posted by: Letter of Intent | February 08, 2017 at 04:23 PM
Uh can I get some credit? Me and Mark go eat back.
Posted by: Gene Chizik | February 08, 2017 at 04:26 PM
I did a pretty good job blitzing the human statute, right?
Posted by: Bud Foster On Thursday night 4 days off the second loss in a row in two weeks. | February 08, 2017 at 04:27 PM
You act like this is the first time you ever lost to FSpoo
Posted by: Jimbo Fisher | February 08, 2017 at 04:29 PM
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 08, 2017 at 04:16 PM
Must have misread... dont blame me, I was driving at the time.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 04:58 PM
Matt Porter @mattyports
Random Miami 2016 stat:
Most snaps in a game
CB Corn Elder, 89 (of 89), UNC 10/15
S Rayshawn Jenkins, 87, UNC
MLB Shaq Quarterman, 86, UNC
Matt Porter @mattyports
That defense played five days later at Virginia Tech (missing 3 injured starters). Only game of the year Miami D looked gassed
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 05:23 PM
12% is Never Changing to Anything Else!!
No Worries..
Posted by: RCCF | February 08, 2017 at 05:31 PM
Scouting report: Analyzing Miami Hurricanes’ 2017 signing class
http://caneswatch.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/02/07/miami-hurricanes-scouting-report-recruiting-analysis-2017-class/
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 05:49 PM
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 08, 2017 at 05:23 PM
As I was saying
Posted by: Bud Foster | February 08, 2017 at 08:06 PM
So Pitt, UVA, Duke, NC State & WVU aren't teams Miami SHOULD beat? We should expect losses to those teams?
Posted by: UMike | February 08, 2017 at 11:58 AM
Tell them KIDDO!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 08, 2017 at 09:22 PM
Scouting report was spot on but The Herb could of told u the same thing. The db's are an absolute must in the 2018 class as is a couple top level dt's and at least one top tier Rb of the 2 we will need to bring in. The same could be said of the te's and at least another top shelf lb.
Posted by: Herbieibis | February 08, 2017 at 09:36 PM
Canes men basketball winning against Virginia Tech, 40-34 at halftime.
Posted by: BigWindyCane1 | February 08, 2017 at 09:58 PM
The should have line moves so that we should basically win every game but one every year.
Miami hasn't been Miami for a long, long time. So five straight and quality wins should be seen as such and not something we "should have" done.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 08, 2017 at 01:18 PM
But most years Miami should've won all but 1 game each year. We haven't been miami for 16 yesrs, but our talent has always been top 20. Always.
I don't think the line has moved. It's just best the teams who have less talent. They haven't done that since 2002.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 10:04 PM
Packers cut Shields.
Posted by: CaneRock | February 08, 2017 at 10:17 PM
Spin,spin.
Should beat based on talent and coaching
BCC
Toledo
ASU
Duke
Gtech
Syracuse
Virgins
Pitt
None of the above posses the coaching staff nor the talent to consistently beat Miami.
UNC and Vatech talent wise the gap is not as big but the coaching(especially defense) is on par with what we have in place at the U. Given one is at home and one is away we should beat Vatech so a win there will help with winning the coastal but they are not a New Years Six team. A win against UNC on the road is not the same as beating tech on the road so no cigar there either.
FSU and Norte Dame both have had more success recruiting the last 4 years. In terms of coaching Jumbo has a ship, played in the BSC, made the playoffs and ba k to back New Years Six. A win on the road there would be program changing. Chip Kelly and his staff. I think we can agree will all take Mark Richt but and the big but ND spends the correct amount of coin to be relevant. A win at home should be expected albeit by 2 point or less.
So to summarize, given talent and coaching we should start winning 10 games a season. As long as its the right 10 games you could be talking New Years Six. Until we get that number from 31 to 41 4 or 5 stars in addition with upgrade to facilities and an elite O.C. we won't be in the playoff unless we get lucky. Same can be said with an 8-4 season and being
unlucky.
Posted by: Honey Dicking 4 Life | February 08, 2017 at 10:34 PM
Canes men basketball winning against Virginia tech, 62-49 with 8:06 left in second half
Posted by: BigWindyCane1 | February 08, 2017 at 10:36 PM
Canes beat Virginia Tech. Canes are 16-7. Next game Saturday at Louisville
Posted by: BigWindyCane1 | February 08, 2017 at 11:02 PM
Is it just me or is Trevor Noah my look a like, ijs.
Posted by: Stephen Morris | February 08, 2017 at 11:11 PM
Posted by: Herbieibis | February 08, 2017 at 09:36 PM
2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 3 OL, 2 DT, 1 DE, 2 LB, 2 CB, 2 DB.
17 Needs.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 11:29 PM
15 of which need to be 4 stars.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 11:29 PM
TC can probably tell us what that means as far as the numbers go. My guess is just shy of 40 4s & 5s.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 11:30 PM
When the '16 kids are seniors, we're gonna be trouble for most. Have to keep the defensive staff intact.
Posted by: Dude on a Pale Horse | February 08, 2017 at 11:32 PM
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 08, 2017 at 10:04 PM
Have we? With transfers, dismissals, injuries and the rest have we really had Top 20 talent for years?
Didn't Tony post recently that we got about zero from an entire recruiting class?
Imo we haven't even close imo.
You just can't with 60-70 scholarship guys.
Have we been heavy with good players at the top? Yes.
Have we had the depth and quality of players on this roster for the last 6-7 years to say we've been Top 20 year in and out.
No.
Schools like Michigan State, VT and others may have had fewer stars, but there is still a lot to be said with having your backup at a ton of positions be a redshirt junior instead of a freshman.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 07:04 AM
Honey, it's all incoming vs outgoing. We saw such a sharp drop off in 2011 and 2012 because:
1) Heavy attrition early on out of the 2010 signing class
2) The 2011 signing class completely fell apart as Miami's 2010 season collapsed. When Shannon left we had two recruits left
In order to keep numbers on par, Golden would have had to nailed Top 5 recruiting classes in 2011 and 2012. Both were virtually impossible to do each of those years for various reasons.
Fast forward to now. The amount of four and five star talent leaving each year is considerably smaller. If Richt can secure a Top 10 class in 2018 and 2019, then very quickly we will go from 31 to 40 four and five star players.
Posted by: TonyCane | February 09, 2017 at 07:24 AM
Overall depth has been a challenge too. 2009 and 2016 were the low points, with Miami's roster being exceptionally thin last year. Again, heavy attrition is to blame. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I believe over half of the 2012 class was gone within two years. A third of the 2010 class was out within 12 months. This cannot happen under Richt.
Posted by: TonyCane | February 09, 2017 at 07:35 AM
Tony...good comments. Bring the facts!
Posted by: 86Cane | February 09, 2017 at 09:15 AM
Is it September yet?
https://twitter.com/canesfootball/status/829696849112137728
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 09:24 AM
Outstanding work Brother Nero. Keep it up Yesssss.
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 09, 2017 at 09:35 AM
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 07:04 AM
I disagree. Also.. im talking historically since 2002, not specifically about 2016.
The bottom of our rosters have not been less talented than the bottom of UVA or anyone else in our division. The top has been more talented than everyone. The problem has been coaching. A DC letting the same Short TE cross give up 10 yards time after time, or an OC thinking he's playing Madden and calling bomb after bomb etc etc.
If we played top 20 teams every week I would agree that we didn't have the depth to hang. We don't.. We play in the ACC-C and have over the last 15 years developed a habit of losing to basketball schools.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 09, 2017 at 10:30 AM
2003 was the last great team we had. When you go 11-2 win Orange Bowl Championship, BIG East Championship, Win State Championship and finish in Top 5 you had a great year. Now since that time we have been either sub-par, mediocre, good since joining the ACC on July 1St 2004 to begin the 2004 season.So we have been either one of the three things in the last 13 years. In this 14th season of Canes football as members of the ACC. Let's Be Great Again. Go Canes!
Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | February 09, 2017 at 10:40 AM
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 09, 2017 at 10:30 am
Agree all three of the previous regimes greatly contributed to their own demise.
This is the first one I've seen that's adapted and finished strong rather than sputtering to ends ranging from embarrassing to outright humiliating.
Just my cherry picking two cents.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 10:50 AM
5 Returning Players Who Must Fend Off Incoming Freshmen with Strong Spring
http://www.stateoftheu.com/2017/2/9/14529236/5-returning-players-who-must-fend-off-incoming-freshmen-with-strong-spring-miami-hurricanes-football
Posted by: 30CINCO | February 09, 2017 at 11:04 AM
How long before baby Kiff gets fired at FAU for sleeping with co-eds???
Posted by: raizecane | February 09, 2017 at 11:44 AM
This is the first one I've seen that's adapted and finished strong rather than sputtering to ends ranging from embarrassing to outright humiliating.
Just my cherry picking two cents.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 10:50 AM
I agree. u picked the right cherries that time.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 09, 2017 at 11:47 AM
03' sucked.
All that talent we had on that squad, and we only scored 30 points in a 3 game stretch where we went 1-2.
Posted by: CaneRock | February 09, 2017 at 01:06 PM
Should've let Butch name His successor in 01'.
Posted by: CaneRock | February 09, 2017 at 01:23 PM
Posted by: CaneRock | February 09, 2017 at 01:23 PM
If they didn't hate him when he left with the heat of a thousand suns they might have.
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 01:51 PM
Spring football will be interesting this year because there will be a lot of legitimate position battles. There will be a lot of competition at every position, including QB. I would say of the 22 starting positions on the team, only three positions on offense and two positions on defense where the starter is clear. All other positions will be earned in the spring and summer camps. Some battles will likely persist throughout the season, as some players improve while others decline.
RB Walton, TE (Herndon) and WR (Richards) are set as starters. The other positions on offense are still unsettled. I think no one is completely safe on the OL, and QB will be very competitive (Although I think it is Rosier's to lose, at lease for the start of the season). The fullback/HB position is open and the other starting WR positions are also open to competition with Berrios, Richards, Smith, Harley and others.
On defense, the front seven starters are probably set. It all starts up front, and for the first time the Canes have two legitimate All ACC DTs (thanks Coach Kul) Norton and McIntosh, with Willis and Moten and others backing them up. This is a good group. DE is Chad Thomas, with Joe Jackson probably the starter over toolbox Trent Harris. Quarterman is also safe, as is probably Pinkney. Zach McCloud came on strong at the end of the year and should start, but he will be pushed by the new linebackers coming in.
Jaquan Johnson should start at safety, but every other position in the secondary is up for open competition, although I have my thoughts on who might emerge.
Good programs are built on competition, and the Cans have plenty of that this spring.
Posted by: BigWindyCane1 | February 09, 2017 at 03:05 PM
If all goes the way it's looking right now, we'll be getting a commitment from the #2 RB in the country in Lorenzo Lingard.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 09, 2017 at 04:08 PM
Today ^^^^
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 09, 2017 at 04:08 PM
GO CANEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: SinisterCane | February 09, 2017 at 04:19 PM
If all goes the way it's looking right now, we'll be getting a commitment from the #2 RB in the country in Lorenzo Lingard.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 09, 2017 at 04:08 PM
That'll be a big relief to be able to count on him signing up w us.
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 09, 2017 at 04:21 PM
Oh, it'll be a big battle to keep him committed for a full year, but committing now would be HUGE. Especially if he's out there recruiting for us.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | February 09, 2017 at 04:26 PM
I know I was just playin
Posted by: 1mg Of epi | February 09, 2017 at 04:30 PM
Lingard: 4pm-5pm👀
Avante Williams: 6pm-7pm 😎
Posted by: Go Canes! | February 09, 2017 at 04:55 PM