Miami Football Recruiting 2012: Canes Host Tracy Howard, Darius Hamilton & More

Watch out for Miami!

That seems to be the sentiment shared by many recruiting analysts with National Signing Day now just a few days away.

Al Golden welcomed a strong group of highly touted prospects to Coral Gables over the weekend, some who have already committed to the Canes, and some who are still trying to make up their minds. 

We'll have to wait until Wednesday to see how successful this last weekend of visits actually was, but obviously it never hurts to be the school that has the last chance to talk to a top recruit before National Signing Day.

Here's a look at five key recruits that paid a visit to Miami this past weekend.  

DE Darius Hamilton (Don Bosco Prep, NJ)

Before Greg Schiano left Rutgers to coach the Tampa Bay Bucs, many believed that 5-star defensive end prospect Darius Hamilton's decision would ultimately come down to either the Scarlet Knights or the Florida Gators. But with Schiano gone, it seems that Miami has now crept back into the mix. 

Hamilton is one of the best recruits remaining on the market, and the New Jersey native has the type of frame and athleticism to grow into an absolutely dominant defensive lineman at the collegiate level. 

The question is, was Hamilton's visit to Coral Gables enough to swing the momentum in Miami's favor?

With Schiano gone, and Florida already stocked up with great defensive linemen, Hamilton will certainly have to think long and hard about becoming a Cane. 

CB Tracy Howard (Miramar HS, Florida)

Many recruiting analysts believe that 5-star cornerback prospect Tracy Howard is destined to be a Florida Gator, but Al Golden and his staff had the last crack at the blue-chip recruit this past weekend. It will be interesting to see if they did enough to sway Howard's decision in their favor. 

Howard is the type of elite cornerback prospect that could come in and make an immediate impact for a defense, and if Golden were somehow able to land the Miramar, Florida native, it would send a major message to the folks in Gainesville and Tallahassee. 

WR Angelo Jean-Louis (Palm Beach Central HS, Florida)

Angelo Jean-Louis is one of the most athletic and explosive players in the 2012 recruiting class, and he has all makings of the next great Miami receiver.

The 6'0'', 185-pound 4-star recruit has been committed to the Canes since last April, and after paying a visit to Coral Gables this past weekend, it doesn't seem like that's about to change before National Signing Day. 

With offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma and USC, Jean-Louis was a huge get for Al Golden, and he's the type of prospect who could contribute in a big way early in his career.

LB Gabriel Terry (Palm Beach Central HS, Florida)

Miami probably didn't have to worry too much about LB Gabriel Terry switching his commitment from the Canes at the last minute, given that he holds zero other offers from BCS schools. However, it was still good to get Terry on campus to help the Wellington, Florida native get a little more familiar with the school and his future teammates. 

Terry is one of the most underrated members of Miami's 2012 class, and he has the speed and explosion that you look for in a typical Miami-type of a linebacker.

If he gets the proper coaching and keeps developing physically, Terry could develop into a starter within a few years and ultimately become one of the diamonds in the rough of this year's class. 

CB Antonio Crawford (Plant HS, Florida)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson can't be a happy camper right now, as Johnson just lost out on one of his top commitments, CB Antonio Howard, who reneged on his pledge to the Yellow Jackets and switched over to Miami after his trip to Coral Gables this past weekend. 

Crawford, who played for Plant high school in Tampa, had been committed to Georgia Tech since July, but he reportedly enjoyed himself so much while on the trip to Miami, that he felt strongly enough to commit to the Hurricanes immediately. 

The 3-star cornerback prospect probably won't see much action early in his career, but he's got the chance to develop into a valuable nickel cornerback down the line.