Miami's Offseason Recruiting Hot Streak Just What Al Golden Needs

Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden is facing an unsteady future in Coral Gables due to inconsistent play from his program, but things are running smoothly as ever when it comes to recruiting efforts.

After a Friday morning commitment from rising sophomore defensive back Jalen Patterson, per Ryan Bartow of 247Sports, the Hurricanes now hold top-three classes in national composite rankings for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 cycles. It's quite an accomplishment for a squad that finished 6-7 last season.

Golden has picked up 22 total pledges from prospects in those three classes since Miami suffered a loss to South Carolina in the Independence Bowl. That puts him in rare territory when it comes to recruiting effectiveness with present prospects and those still years away from their national signing day.

In fact, the small collection of coaches who can compare to his current success rate during this decade are all national champions—Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Les Miles.

Golden, in terms of on-field results, is an obvious outlier.

He enters his fifth season as the Hurricanes' leader with a 16-16 record against ACC opponents. His best season at Miami—a nine-win campaign in 2013—ended with a 27-point loss to Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

It hasn't been a fruitful chapter in the program's rich history, but things began to sputter long before Golden arrived from Temple and found himself shackled by scholarship sanctions and bowl bans.

Golden's predecessor, former Hurricanes linebacker Randy Shannon, averaged just seven victories per season at his alma mater. Before him, 2002 national champion Larry Coker failed to sustain lofty levels of success following a transition to the ACC.

It may seem hard to fathom, but Miami hasn't posted a double-digit win total since it departed the Big East in 2004. This drought follows a period when the program won at least 11 games for four straight seasons.

MARK J. TERRILL/Associated Press

Golden could certainly be shuffled off campus like Shannon and Coker if the Hurricanes don't make significant strides this season. Sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya provides reason for immediate optimism, but Miami's recruiting success serves up long-term hope.

Hope is a strong sell at this point for Golden, who hasn't offered Miami's administration much proof it's found the next Jimmy Johnson.

He can showcase a 2016 recruiting class that rose to No. 1 overall in national rankings earlier this year and now sits third on that list. With 20 pledges, the Hurricanes have college football's biggest haul of high school juniors.

Headliners include impressive 4-star quarterback Jack Allison and a trio of Florida's premier wide receiver prospects (Sam Bruce, Ahmmon Richards and Dionte Mullins). The group also features top in-state linebacker Shaquille Quarterman and 4-star defensive end Joseph Jackson.

It remains to be seen how balanced this class ends up in terms of quantity versus quality, as the majority of committed players currently command a composite rating of 2 or 3 stars. And Golden hasn't yet reached out of the Sunshine State for a single commitment in this recruiting cycle.

Credit: 247Sports

Regardless, any perception of a "hot streak" in recruiting is great news for Golden. It shifts the focus from a sub-.500 season and generates a perception that the program is on track to improve.

That outlook is further enhanced when you examine how Miami has fared with high school underclassmen. The Hurricanes hold 10 commitments from athletes finishing their freshman or sophomore year, and Golden managed to land some of the state's top sophomores in running back Robert Burns and linebacker Tyler Dunning this February.

Reigning national champion Ohio State is the only other FBS squad with six 2017 pledges. 

Miami tops everyone with four committed 2018 recruits following Patterson's declaration. The 5'10", 170-pound prospect already held multiple Power Five scholarship offers after one high school season.

"He's an unbelievable athlete," Stephen Field, his high school coach, told Bartow. "He can play all over the field. He's just a playmaker." 

That's an accurate description for many Hurricanes stars who helped turn the team into a national powerhouse during past decades. The next generation of playmakers could help move momentum forward at Miami and make Golden's shaky start fade into the rearview mirror.

But many are still a long recruiting journey away from formally signing with the program. And those who do will require time to develop.

Time seems to be against Golden these days, but hope may give him a few more pebbles in the hourglass.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.