Last week, the Miami Hurricanes added their eighth commitment for the class of 2009 when they snagged Mike James, a big, strong running back from Davenport, Florida.
James is rated a four-star prospect and the 18th overall running back by Rivals.com, but doubts still linger among pundits and Hurricanes’ fans.
All indications so far from the Miami coaching staff lean towards the fact that Miami was looking to add two running backs for their class of 2009, and they would stop after they signed two. The signing of James now fills Miami's quota as they also have top prospect Bryce Brown already in the fold.
The two running backs Miami has signed are both good players. In fact, Bryce Brown is one of the top three running backs in the entire class. But the frustration that is beginning to show in Miami fans is due to what the Canes are missing out on because they won't sign more backs.
Both Lamar Miller and Jaamal Berry are ranked by Rivals.com as top 10 running backs with Berry ranked fourth and Miller ranked ninth respectively. Both players possess something that Brown and James do not, and that is game-breaking speed.
Berry has been clocked as low as 4.4, while Miller has been timed at 4.32, speeds that only the rare running back possesses.
The real head-scratcher is that both of these players grew up and go to high school in Miami's backyard.
Miller goes to Miami Killian High School, a place that routinely sends their best players to Coral Gables. He has always maintained all along that Miami was way out in front in the battle to win his services. He grew up loving the Hurricanes, and dreamed of playing for them.
But although he does have an offer, the Hurricanes don't seem to be showing him enough interest for him to feel comfortable committing.
Berry goes to Palmetto High School, another school right on the doorstep of the Coral Gables campus. When asked, Berry said that the Hurricanes would be up among the favorites IF they offered him a scholarship.
Yes, you heard that right, the fourth best running back in the entire country plays less than 20 minutes from the U, and they can't even offer him a scholarship.
The consensus seems to be that Miami is looking for bigger backs. Both James and Brown weigh about 215 pounds and run strong between the tackles, and Berry and Miller are both around 180 pounds and are more elusive.
The logic is understandable. Bigger backs are less prone to injury and can take more of the punishment a running back in the ACC should expect. But there are exceptions to that line of thinking.
Warrick Dunn, Reggie Bush, and Darren Sproles all come to mind as smaller, more fragile running backs who have not only succeeded in college but excelled.
These aberrations all have one thing in common that made them so successful...speed. The ability to run past tacklers is just as important as the ability to run over them.
Berry and/or Miller would give Miami a lot of options for the 2010 season (assuming that's when they would start to rise on the depth chart).
Maybe Miami is right and smaller running backs are going the way of the dinosaur. But there can't be much harm in taking a flier on one of those players and see if they can become a stud.
Graig Cooper was less than 200 pounds when he signed with Miami. He had a good but not great freshman year, and now he weighs right around 200 pounds and claims that he hasn't lost any of his speed or elusiveness.
If Cooper can do it, why can't Miller or Berry?
This diatribe is not meant to insult the abilities of Mike James at all. Having only seen his highlight clips he looks more elusive than some might think for a guy his size, but it is clear he won't be out running defenders in the ACC.
Something is wrong with the way Miami is recruiting, but who will fix it?
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3 months ago
You have totally missed the Boat here my friends. Both Miller and Berry's grades are deplorable. I would be very suprised if they did not have to go the JUCO or Prep School route. Of course, some schools like LSU, WVU. etc., may find a way to get them in, but I can assure you, Randy Shannon/Donna Shalala won't.
This has nothing to do with Miami wanting bigger backs. They would love to have Miller and Berry, but these kids have not kept up their part as far as grades.
3 months ago
John, i can respect what you're saying but i seriously doubt that every signee The U has signed in the past was an "Einstein". I personally know several current players at U.M. and speak with them on a regular basis and can assure you that from an intellectual perspective they ARE NOT college material. If Miller and Berrys grades are that bad its up to Shannon and co. to work with them on that too (they did with Kayne Farquson).... Do some research.
3 months ago
Wrong again, look at the gpa and graduation rate of the Canes for the last few years and compare them to any top 20 school. John is right. Do some research.
from 3 months ago
The GPA and graduation rate are certainly indicative of Miami trying to improve their academics standards and reputation. But football players at any Division 1 school don't exactly take the hardest classes, and they are given tutors, and receive enormous amounts of help at every turn.
This past season Miami signed C.J. Holton, C.J. Odom, and Brandon Washington...none of those players met the NCAA minimum admissions standards for college football, and there were several others who were on the fence until the end.
Miami is better than most programs in academics, and I respect Randy Shannon a great deal for the image he puts forth at Miami, but his first goal is to win football games...period.
from 3 months ago
do a little bit more research
3 months ago
First off you could never be so wrong. This biased report does not take into affect that all state schools have now passed on Lamar. I cannot give you the details but the kid is not going to play in this state. In addition Berry cannot give you 20+ carries a game in college and also suffers from a CORE GPA problem. Both these kids are eligible to play HS football in the state because of a weighted GPA but there CORE (college only) classes fail to meet. It would take numerous retakes to bring their GPA up.
Now if you knew anything you would know that Lamar had a conditional offer to UM, not an offer. He failed to meet his requirements at the end of his junior year and Randy and staff have evaluated and it will take too much for him to qualify to play in state. Also needs help on his FCAT, must pass to play on in this state. Notice again UF and FSU have moved on. Now he has other issues that would cost the University too much to attend to before he plays a down of football.
Please stop with the biased reports, do some research and actually talk to people within the program and develop some kind of credit with the university before you boost about something you have no idea about and try to trash a recruiting program that is easily Top 5 in the country.
from 3 months ago
You are probably right, I have no doubts that Lamar Miller has some academic issues, and you probably know more than I do...but I am a Hurricanes fan, a big one, and I still harbor no illusions that Miami is some holier than thou entity that won't recruit players with a little bit of a troubled background.
It was just a couple years ago when they signed (and kept) Willie Williams despite his extensive legal issues.
Your comments about the CORE GPA are right on!! There is a formula used by the NCAA that combines ACT score and GPA on a sliding scale that determines the eligibility of a player. But Miami signed more than one player who failed to meet those standards last year so I don't see why they wouldn't do it again.
from 2 months ago
http://insidetheu.com/blogs/?v=2
read that
3 months ago
Damn cmar you trashed that dude!!
from 3 months ago
Do your homework!!Please dont just write what is on you mind,this is the problem with internet write ups no editor!!!!
3 months ago
"First off you could never be so wrong. This biased report does not take into affect that all state schools have now passed on Lamar. I cannot give you the details but the kid is not going to play in this state. In addition Berry cannot give you 20+ carries a game in college and also suffers from a CORE GPA problem. Both these kids are eligible to play HS football in the state because of a weighted GPA but there CORE (college only) classes fail to meet. It would take numerous retakes to bring their GPA up.
Now if you knew anything you would know that Lamar had a conditional offer to UM, not an offer. He failed to meet his requirements at the end of his junior year and Randy and staff have evaluated and it will take too much for him to qualify to play in state. Also needs help on his FCAT, must pass to play on in this state. Notice again UF and FSU have moved on. Now he has other issues that would cost the University too much to attend to before he plays a down of football.
Please stop with the biased reports, do some research and actually talk to people within the program and develop some kind of credit with the university before you boost about something you have no idea about and try to trash a recruiting program that is easily Top 5 in the country."
BINGO!!
3 months ago
I would love to hear what Michael Lemaire has to say about Chris' response. And before Michael or anyone else here on this board questions Chris'....I can assure you he's connected to the UM program.
So have it Michael......I think a semi-apology is in order.
3 months ago
Ken said "If Miller and Berrys grades are that bad its up to Shannon and co. to work with them on that too (they did with Kayne Farquson).... Do some research." Wrong these kids are still in high school and not in college. Therefore it is up to the recruit, his parents, highschool tutors etc, to work with him and not Shannon and company. They can not and will not assist these kids with their highschool grades.
Michael said "This past season Miami signed C.J. Holton, C.J. Odom, and Brandon Washington...none of those players met the NCAA minimum admissions standards for college football, and there were several others who were on the fence until the end."
I am by no means connected to the program, but I have no problem with a school recruiting kids that are a "reach". You know those kids that I have some work ahead of them to do to qualify to get into UM. There is nothing wrong with recruiting kids that might have difficult task ahead of them trying to qualify to get into school, but not an impossible task. For all accounts it appears that both Miller and Berry would have an impossible time to get the grades to get them into school. Even if they were to get straight A's they still could get the Cumm GPA to get admitted. The bottom line is, these kids are not anywhere close to even be consider as "on the fence."
3 months ago
Ken said "If Miller and Berrys grades are that bad its up to Shannon and co. to work with them on that too (they did with Kayne Farquson).... Do some research." Wrong these kids are still in high school and not in college. Therefore it is up to the recruit, his parents, highschool tutors etc, to work with him and not Shannon and company. They can not and will not assist these kids with their highschool grades.
Michael said "This past season Miami signed C.J. Holton, C.J. Odom, and Brandon Washington...none of those players met the NCAA minimum admissions standards for college football, and there were several others who were on the fence until the end."
I am by no means connected to the program, but I have no problem with a school recruiting kids that are a "reach". You know those kids that have some work ahead of them to do to qualify to get into UM. There is nothing wrong with recruiting kids that might have difficult task ahead of them trying to qualify to get into school, but not an impossible task. From all accounts it appears that both Miller and Berry would have an impossible time to get the grades they need. Even if they were to get straight A's they still could not get the Cumm GPA to gain admittance. The bottom line is, these kids are not anywhere close to even be considered as "on the fence."
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