Rebuilding 'The U'
Miami looks to reclaim South Florida's recruiting pool
Larry Coker inherited a tremendous group of players at Miami when he took over for Butch Davis in 2001.
Coker took that talent, won a national championship and was one late penalty flag from a second title.
But then things began to unravel.
The Hurricanes went 36-14 over Coker's last four years, including an embarrassing 7-6 record last season. Much of the reason was a lack of recruiting focus.
The Hurricanes became "The U" by recruiting the top players in Broward and Dade counties, and by keeping the top South Florida talent home. Under Coker, they lost that focus. However, under new coach Randy Shannon -- himself a Miami high school standout -- things are quickly changing.
Shannon and his staff have made South Florida the No. 1 recruiting priority for 2008 and beyond. Of the six early commitments for the class of 2008, five are from south of Port St. Lucie, Fla., within 100 miles of campus. These are kids who grew up watching Coker's first two teams at Miami. These are kids who love "The U."
Last year, Urban Meyer and his top recruiting assistant -- John "Doc" Holliday -- marched into South Florida and took away two of the top players in the Miami area, as defensive back Major Wright and wide receiver Deonte Thompson each spurned Miami for Florida. It would have been three for the Gators, but Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis stole away running back Armando Allen at the last moment. Don't expect a similar invasion in 2008.
South Florida is loaded with talent this year. The competition to land that talent will be as fierce as ever with Holliday at Florida, Chuck Amato back at Florida State and Davis at North Carolina. However, Shannon grew up in Miami, played for the 'Canes and won a national title. The focus has returned.
Irish heating up: Last week I wrote that the Notre Dame coaches needed to get a couple of speedy wide receivers this year because of a lack of explosiveness at the position on the current roster. While Weis & Co. are still trying to land those wideouts, they continue to load up at other positions. Last week, the Irish secured a much-needed defensive tackle in Hafis Williams from Elizabeth, N.J. ND followed that up with a commitment from Owing Mills (Md.) McDonough School standout Lane Clelland. The offensive lineman only weighs 265 pounds, but Clelland has the athletic ability to play any position along the line -- even when he adds weight.
• UCLA starting strong: Karl Dorrell and his staff received 10 commitments in a six-day period in March. That group was led by Rivals100 recruits Rahim Moore, E.J. Woods and Datone Jones. After a run of four pledges in two weeks, the Bruins are up to 14 commitments. Quarterback Nick Crissman from Huntington Beach (Calif.) Edison highlights the latest group. This could be the class that pushes UCLA closer to USC in the Pac-10, especially if the Bruins can land standout running back Darrell Scott.
• The next JaMarcus Russell?: Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside quarterback E.J. Manuel is being compared by some to JaMarcus Russell. Manuel is 6-foot-6 with plenty of room to add weight to his 202-pound frame. He has a very strong arm, is surprisingly athletic for a bigger quarterback and could end up at LSU. Manuel, who has more than 30 offers, loved his visit to LSU last month and hopes to make a decision by the end of the summer. Florida State also has an excellent shot at Manuel because the man who coached Russell, former LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, is now at FSU.
However, there's a quarterback out there who more closely resembles -- at least physically -- the 2007 No. 1 pick. Keep an eye on Winter Haven, Fla., signal-caller D.C. Jefferson, who also stands 6-6 and weighs 246 pounds. Not surprisingly, LSU has also offered Jefferson.
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