On the way home from last Saturday's 24-17 loss to California in the Emerald Bowl, University of Miami coach Randy Shannon couldn't help but think of the future after his team finished 7-6 this season.
Over the two years he has been head coach of the Hurricanes, Shannon has posted a 12-13 mark. Not what fans like, but something that had to happen during one of the toughest times this program has experienced in recent years.
College football today is much different than it used to be. There are no automatic recruiting tools and certainly, as we have watched with schools such as Utah, Boise State, Wake Forest, Louisville, USF, Oregon State and Cincinnati, every school is open to getting quality athletes who could lineup anywhere, and yes, end up on a grand New Year's stage.
What Shannon and his staff did last year, by bringing in the No. 1 class, really went by without a lot of fanfare. Sure, many talked about it happening, but what some never really understood, and perhaps still cannot comprehend, is the manner in which this program locked down Miami-Dade County. In fact, the entire South Florida region -- from Pahokee to South Miami.
It's all about locking down South Florida. Sure, you will lose some gems along the way, and that is always expected to happen, but what Shannon and his team did was let other schools, who had been feasting on escaping stars in the past, know exactly what's happening in South Florida. While the overall swagger has not returned, there are enough athletes in the last class, as well as the upcoming two classes, to believe that Miami has a huge edge as far as talent is concerned.
A GOOD DIRECTION
Having been around the Miami program for much of the past 40 years -- as a fan and as someone who appreciates great football talent -- the direction that this team is currently taking is something worth hanging around for. While we see a drop-off this year in NFL talent in the senior class, I can assure you that the pipeline will be more than tapped over the next three, with potential first round talent in the freshmen and sophomore classes.
If you follow Miami, you understand that this year could have ended differently. Other than a few contests, this may have been a 9 or 10 win season. That's with freshman and sophomores calling a majority of the shots. But what Miami has really done by getting commitments from Plantation's Brandon McGee, St. Thomas Aquinas lineman Jermaine Johnson, Killian star running back Lamar Miller, Olivier Vernon (American) and Kayvon Webster from Monsignor Pace is seal the region with athletes coveted by dozens of schools. Score one for Miami -- again, getting the players they needed locally.
The Hurricanes already leaped into the 2010 class locally, with a commitment from Northwestern junior defensive nose tackle Todd Chandler, who helped lead his Bulls to the 6A state championship game after being injured most of the year.
The Hurricanes will not give up this territory, and with the assistance of local high school coaches, some relationships that were once bruised have been mended -- and the recruiting doors are beginning to open at more and more South Florida schools, which makes good assistant coaches more and more valuable.
While letting go of offensive coordinator Patrick Nix was a move that was needed in order to continue making progress, finding a replacement with a good coaching/player relationship is a must. The new coordinator also needs to be much like Bill Young, knowledgeable and able to help identify and patch the deficiencies. A Mike Martz-type of innovator who opens the offense and gets the most out of everyone
While some want to focus on the past two years (12-13), there are others who understand that this year was indeed a progression, but with Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, USF, North Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, FSU and a few other potential pitfalls, keeping the momentum going is what separates the good from the best.
BOWL BOUND LOCALS, FINALE
With the college bowl season continuing, here are some more locals who will be taking part in bowl games across the country during the holidays:
COTTON, Jan. 2
Ole Miss: Richie Contartesi, WR, 5-7, 163, So., Palm Beach Gardens; Andy Hartmann, FB, 5-10, 243, Jr., American Heritage-Plantation; Dan Hoffman, FB, 6-0, 220, Fr., LaSalle; Max Jean-Louis, OL, 6-2, 355, Jr., Palm Beach Gardens.
LIBERTY, Jan. 2
Kentucky: Eric Adeyemi, WR, 6-0, 170, Fr., Southridge.
East Carolina: J.J. Milbrook, DB, 5-9, 185, Sr., Monsignor Pace.
SUGAR, Jan. 2
Alabama: Star Jackson, QB, 6-3, 195, Fr., Lake Worth; P.J. Fitzgerald, P, 5-11, 194, Jr., Douglas.
INTERNATIONAL, Jan. 3
Buffalo: Brett Hamlin, WR, 6-1, 190, Jr., Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer; Mark Richardson, LB, 6-2, 220, Fr., Hialeah.
Connecticut: Matt Ashmead, LB, 6-0, 236, Jr., Norland; Cody Brown, DE, 6-3, 245, Sr., Coral Springs; Darius Butler, DB/WR, 5-11, 180, Sr., Coral Springs Charter; Tony Ciarvino, PK, 6-2, 225, Sr., Boca Raton; Jasper Howard, DB, 5-9, 168, So., Edison; Tywon Martin, DT, 6-2, 267, Fr., Douglas.
FIESTA, Jan. 5
Ohio St.: Travis Howard, DB, 6-1, 180, Fr., Dr. Krop; Etienne Sabino, LB, 6-3, 232, Fr., Dr. Krop.
GMAC, Jan. 6
Tulsa: Un'tavious Scott, DE, 6-4, 245, Jr., Pahokee
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Florida: Roderick Blackett, LB, 5-9, 230, Jr., Ely; Rick Burgess, FB, 6-1, 235. Jr., Dwyer; Javier Estopinan, DT, 6-2, 290, South Miami; Marcus Gilbert, OL, 6-6, 308, So., St. Thomas Aquinas; Frankie Hammond, WR, 6-0, 170, Hallandale; Marquis Hannah, DB, 5-9, 200, Fr., Carol City; Reginald Hopkins, DB, 5-6, 175, Fr., Carol City; Moses Jenkins, DB, 6-2, 190, So., Boyd Anderson; Bobby Kane, P, 6-0, 192, Sr., Coconut Creek; Dorian Munroe, S, 5-11, 205, Jr., Coral Reef; Chris Pintado, LB, 6-1, 230, So., Sunset; Michael Ross, LB, 5-11, 210, Fr., Boca Raton; Deonte Thompson, WR, 6-0, 195, Glades Central; Ronnie Wilson, OL, 6-3, 309, Jr., Ely; Cody Worton, S, 6-2, 205, So., South Dade; Major Wright, S, 6-0, 200, So., St. Thomas Aquinas.
