Miami Hurricane Football 2011: Don't Expect Greatness...Yet

I have been a Hurricanes fan now for about 25 years and have seen perfection, mediocre and horrible teams.

This team will be mediocre, again.

You see, they have holes at many spots, mainly at quarterback, cornerback, wide receiver and special teams.

They certainly have the talent to do a lot, but no team wins without leadership and that is something they just don't have.

Not to mention the new coaches, the lack of recruitment success and, suddenly, here is the upcoming mediocre team. 

Does this mean they never will be back in the elite?  Not at all.  With the right coaching staff intact, Miami can definitely get back to the glory days.

Just don't expect it so soon.

Next year, I honestly believe they can start to turn the corner, maybe with an 8-5 record, as long as someone steps up to lead, mainly at quarterback.

Whether it be Stephen Morris or Jacory Harris, someone needs to step up and lead this team.

During the glory days, there were two constants, great coaching and great quarterbacks.

Miami has yet to prove they have either.

Harris had a great start, but has gotten worse as the season progressed.

Morris is the young gun and has the athleticism to be great, but only time wil tell if he has the true leadership to take Miami to the next level.

Cornerback is another issue in Coral Gables.

Already short on talent after the losses of seniors Ryan Hill and DeMarcus Van Dyke, the loss of their best cornerback, junior Brandon Harris, will completely diminish the defensive back field.

Also gone is one of the best wide receivers,at least statistically, in Miami history, Leonard Hankerson.

Though he is the only receiver they are losing, he was the only receiver that was consistent the entire year.  Now, they will need Travis Benjamin and LaRon Byrd to really step up their game.

Lastly, the loss of the special teams master, Matt Bosher, will be a hard position to fill.

Bosher was not only the kicker and punter, but was also one of Miami's best special teams tacklers. 

Yes, tackler.

He simply would not give up on any play and always looked to put the big hit on the return man.

That brings me to something that has me excited about the future, head coach, Al Golden.

Gone are the days of boring Randy Shannon moping around the sidelines. Instead, we welcome Al Golden, who definitely will get into the faces of his players and demand better.

Already, he has demanded much more from his team athletically. He's forcing them to get into better shape and start being smarter on and off the field.

Golden has the attitude that many fans have been waiting to see, very aggressive and positive.

So while many of you fans can think big and be positive, its perfectly O.K., it's your opinion.

I have mine and it's not what we all want...yet.