5-Star QB Teddy Bridgewater Decommits from Miami, Will Visit Louisville

Since the firing of head coach Randy Shannon at the end of the regular season, the Miami Hurricanes' already-small recruiting class has taken several big hits. 

Four-star safety Albert Louis-Jean, a top-five player at his position, abandoned the 'Canes last week, and now reports have surfaced that 5-star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, also a top-five player at his position, has decided to decommit as well. 

Both prospects have made it clear that they grew hesitant about their commitments to Miami now that Shannon is out of the picture. 

While Shannon hasn't accomplished what the school and fans had hoped for on the field, he has done a superb job of increasing graduation rates for his players and keeping them out of trouble. Shannon should be credited for cleaning up the "bad boy" image that has plagued Miami since the 1980s. 

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In his three years with the Hurricanes, Shannon had done well recruiting, bringing back much of the local talent that had gone elsewhere as recently as the early 2000s. Players and their families were comfortable with Shannon; they trusted him and now that trust is gone. 

Without Shannon, Bridgewater and Louis-Jean are looking elsewhere, and until the coaching situation is sorted out they won't be looking at the 'Canes. 

Bridgewater is the star quarterback at Miami Northwestern, the same high school at which current Miami quarterback Jacory Harris and several other Hurricanes played. 

Known to be an accurate passer with great pocket presence, Bridgewater will stand in the face of pressure until the last second to get the ball off. He's also extremely mobile and can make throws on the run that most quarterbacks cannot.

Bridgewater was also doing his part to bring more talent with him to the 'Canes, making his potential exit that much bigger for Miami. Without him, Shannon and Louis-Jean, all Miami has to show for itself is a 7-5 record and a team without leadership or direction. 

Bridgewater's first step will be an official visit to Louisville this upcoming weekend. Louis-Jean is heavily considering Penn State and Boston College, though both former Hurricanes commitments say that Miami is still in the mix pending the school's decision on a new head coach.