Lamar Miller's mother grew up not far from Gainesville, and even now, she's still a huge Florida Gators fan.
It's time for her to get some Miami gear.
Widely considered South Florida's best running back, Miller signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play for Randy Shannon and the Hurricanes, part of another highly regarded recruiting class of 19 at Miami. The Parade All-American from Miami Killian High rushed for 1,719 yards and 22 touchdowns this fall, and even as Florida kept calling, he never changed his mind.
"I've been waiting for this day,"
said Miller, who also drew interest from programs like West Virginia, South Florida and Tennessee. "I've always wanted to play at the University of Miami. I've wanted this for a long time."
And his mom is just fine with that, too.
"I'm so proud of him,"
said Cecelia Miller, who was raised about a half-hour's drive from Florida's Gainesville campus. "I'm happy. I'm excited. And I'm glad to see him home. He made a good decision. In the beginning, yes, I wanted him to be a Gator. But I'm happy he chose Miami."
Of the 19 players signed Wednesday, six already are enrolled at Miami, giving them a leg up in the chase for playing time this fall. The Hurricanes sputtered to a 7-6 finish last season after losing to Cal in the Emerald Bowl. Once-dominant Miami hasn't had a 10-win season since 2003 and hasn't finished better than 7-6 in any of the past three years.
The Hurricanes signed five offensive linemen (including massive 354-pounder Brandon Washington from Milford Prep and 305-pounder Jared Wheeler of Plantation American Heritage High), four defensive backs, four defensive linemen, two running backs, two tight ends, one linebacker and one quarterback. Miami didn't pursue other quarterbacks, even after 2008 starter Robert Marve transferred.
"We went out and filled a couple of needs that we had on this football class,"
Shannon said. "I'm very excited for this class, and also for the parents, giving us another opportunity to venture into their sons' lives."
Tight end Stephen Plein of Fort Myers was the first soon-to-be Hurricane to fax his letter of intent to the school Wednesday, the first day players could formally accept scholarships from major college teams. Plenty more quickly followed.
By day's end, one recruiting service listed Miami — which had the nation's No. 1 class last year — as having the seventh-best class this year. Another ranked the Hurricanes No. 11.
"Things are looking good for us right now,"
said Miami defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, the Hurricanes' recruiting coordinator.
High school teammates Ray Ray Armstrong and Dyron Dye of state Class 6A champion Sanford Seminole were also early faxers, not even waiting for the 9 a.m. signing event at their school to send the paperwork down to Miami.
"To win a state title and then sign with Miami, you can't get any better than that,"
Armstrong said.
Armstrong is a safety, Dye a defensive end, and both hope to immediately contend for playing time with the Hurricanes.
"Ray Ray and I have been playing together since Pop Warner, making an impact at every level,"
Dye said. "I don't think that's going to stop. I'll be rushing the passer, making sacks, and he'll be picking off passes or making hits in the secondary. We'll be rooming together, and just keeping this thing going, helping Miami get back to where it once was."
Running back Bryce Brown — considered the nation's No. 1 recruit by many services — did not sign his letter of intent Wednesday, and isn't expected to for some time, either.
Brown, of Wichita East (Kan.) High, committed to Miami months ago, but his manager-adviser, Brian Butler, said no scholarship offer will be accepted for several more weeks, adding to what's become quite a saga.
Butler handles all of Brown's phone calls from coaches, and is now selling access to Brown's thoughts on the recruiting process on his own Web site for $9.99 a month. Brown — the brother of Miami linebacker Arthur Brown — rushed for 1,873 yards and 29 touchdowns in nine games this year, averaging 9.2 yards per carry for a team that finished 6-3.
For his part, Miller said he isn't concerned if Brown, who graduated high school last semester and is currently "on vacation"
from the recruiting process, comes to Miami.
"All I'm doing is getting myself ready to come in and compete right away,"
Miller said.
Notes: Shannon is still considering himself for the defensive coordinator job, vacated by Bill Young's departure last month, though still is seeking an outside hire. ... DE Eric Moncur got a sixth year of NCAA eligibility and may practice this spring, and DB Randy Phillips got a fifth-year from the NCAA, Shannon said. ... No determination has been made whether TE Dedrick Epps (torn knee ligament) could play this fall.
