Feeling Miami: Is UM Quietly On Their Way to a Top 5 Recruiting Class?
If you've been following the 2011 recruiting scene then you're probably aware that Miami isn't really a team garnering much national attention at the moment.
And they shouldn't be either. They rank outside of the top 30 recruiting classes and haven't secured a notable commitment since 5-star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater announced his intentions to join up at the U on June 4.
So why are we discussing Miami now? Because the Hurricanes are quietly aligning themselves for a monster haul of additions in the coming weeks and could potentially crash the party at the top of the rankings.
But no one seems to be discussing it.
The potential for UM's recruiting class to blow up is real and very well may happen. So what's causing this, who's interested and what could happen here?
Check out the situation in Coral Gables.
The Randy Shannon Effect
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When it comes to recruiting, it's very difficult to convince talent to sign up when you can't assure them the coach they're agreeing to play for will be around for the ride.
That's exactly the situation Miami was in earlier this year with head coach Randy Shannon. Although he'd played a major role in increasing the Hurricanes win total per season from five to seven to nine in his three years at the helm, there was no security beyond this season.
Until May 12 when the school finally rewarded Shannon's services on and off the field with a four-year extension.
The reasoning behind the decision might have had to do with the fact that Shannon signed on for less than the ACC average salary for a head coach than faith in his abilities.
But regardless, as far as potential recruits were concerned it gave them the peace of mind that Shannon would actually be around to coach them. It's no coincidence that Bridgewater committed two weeks after Shannon's extention.
The Seantrel Henderson Addition
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The second piece to the puzzle was an unexpected late addition to Miami's 2010 recruiting class. In a year the Hurricanes had failed to secure a single 5-star recruit and ranked as a fringe candidate for the top 15 classes, the No. 1 overall prospect in the country was released from his letter of intent at USC and shortly after signed with Miami.
Getting a player of Seantrel Henderson's caliber is huge, not just for the 2010 class, but for the program heading forward and by proxy, the 2011 class.
Luckily for Miami, this news broke right in the middle of the summer when most blue-chip prospects take preliminary tours of the country and either commit or come very close to.
So not only does Miami offer a history of winning, a reputation for developing NFL stars, and one of the best recruiters in the country in Randy Shannon, they can now tell all potential prospects that they'll play alongside the best player from last year's class.
Miami's 2011 Recruiting Class: Teddy Bridewater and Who?
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Current 2011 Commitments: Six
5-Star Recruits: Teddy Bridgewater (QB)
4-Star Recruits: Albert Louis-Jean (S)
3-Star Recruits: Eli Rogers (WR), Marcus Jackson (OG), Nick Menocal (OLB)
It's a little unfair to loop Louis-Jean in with the other four prospects as the headline would suggest considering he's ranked as the No. 3 safety on Scout and the No. 10 cornerback on Rivals.
Louis-Jean should be a great addition for the Hurricanes, but beyond him and Bridgewater there's a huge drop off in talent and if it wasn't for those two this class wouldn't even be ranked in the top 50.
But in the case of Bridgewater specifically, he isn't just a name on paper bolstering the rankings, he's an active recruiter for Miami and is doing his part to get more players of his caliber to join in.
And based on the buzz that's out there, he's doing a good job.
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The Five Star Possibilities
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So who are the names out there that can supposedly elevate Miami from the trenches to the castle in the 2011 recruiting race?
Well it seems best to stick to the 5-star talent because that's really what separates an elite class from a good one.
Miami might be out of the running for James Wilder, the top prospect from the state of Florida, but they're seriously in the mix for some other high profile players that would be huge additions.
5-star receiver Sammy Watkins lists Miami and Clemson as his top two choices, 5-star tight end Nick O'Leary is deciding between Miami and FSU and 5-star linebacker Anthony Wallace fell in love with Miami on a recent visit.
Those three can't be considered locks quite yet, but it's close.
The list doesn't end there though. 5-star linebacker Travis Hughes says he'd love to get an offer from the Hurricanes, and two of the top overall prospects in the country, cornerback Doran Grant and linebacker Curtis Grant are both seriously considering joining up as well.
And last but not least, 5-star defensive end Ray Drew can't claim to be recruited harder by any school than Miami; the Canes are very, very high on him.
The End Game: What UM Needs to Crack the Top Five
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Obviously it would be ideal for the program to land all of these 5-star prospects, but the reality is that's a longshot.
Getting O'Leary, Watkins and Wallace is the most plausible and it seems Hughes would sign up in a heartbeat if an offer was extended, which should come after his official visit.
But with Hughes and Wallace on the books the chances of getting a third linebacker in Grant would be pretty much dead in the water. Grant has too many offers to pick a situation where the playing time will be very scarce for at least of them.
Doran Grant is getting a ton of of attention from all over the country and the Ohio native would be quite a get if Miami was actually able to pull it off; the same goes for Drew.
The magic number is three. If Miami can land three of these players, any three, the ball will start rolling and other recruits will follow.
What's equally important is how good the Hurricanes do in the 2010 season; that will go a long way toward deciding their 2011 recruiting fate.
It could be boom or bust in Miami.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
