A Hurricanes Fan's Perspective on UM-UF

The big day is fast approaching. I've been circling this date on my life calendar since the Canes last met the Gators in the 2004 Peach Bowl. The rivalry resumes in Gainesville. Although I am a graduate of both schools, there's no real struggle here - I've been a Hurricanes fan all of my life. I love the Gators, have several Gator shirts and other assorted memorabilia, and am a proud member of the UF Alumni Association. But I'm studiously avoiding all of those items strewn around my apartment as the day approaches. I grew up on Gino Torretta, Lamar Thomas, Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, the Rock, Tremain Mack, Ryan Clement, Danyell Ferguson, Dan Morgan, Reggie Wayne, and Santana Moss.

Miami has the series lead at 28-25, including claiming victory the last 6 times the teams have faced. Yet I've never as a Canes fan felt more David to another team's Goliath. When was the last time the Canes were 3 TD underdogs? Nary a commentator has given Miami the slightest chance to prevail on Saturday in Gainesville. The deck, to be sure, is stacked against a UM victory - the abysmal 2007 season, a freshman QB that's never taken a college snap, playing 18 freshmen in last week's romp against Charleston Southern, going up against the reigning Heisman trophy winner, the #5 team in the country, and a team just 2 years removed from the most recent championship. Taking off the orange-and-green glasses, and applying strict rationality to the upcoming game, my head gives the Canes no chance at all.

But my heart says otherwise. Kirk Herbstreit likes to say that college football is a game of emotion, and that is one reason that the Canes do have a chance on Saturday. For all of their inexperience, the Canes may be too young and dumb to know that they are statistical longshots to win on Saturday. The freshmen who played last week were carefully picked by Coach Randy Shannon for their old-school, tough-as-nails approach to the game. In fact, one of the glaring things about the 2008 newcomers is that they've already taken leadership roles on this team. Guys like Jacory Harris, Marcus Forston, Sean Spence, Jordan Futch, Brandon Harris have been supplanting many of the upperclassmen as vocal leaders. They were winners in high school - the first three haven't tasted defeat in 3 years - and they will not accept a repeat of the Hurricanes' 2007 season on their watch.

Crazy things happen in college football. See Appalachian State over Michigan and Stanford over USC in 2007. See East Carolina over Virginia Tech and UCLA over Tennessee in 2008. The game increasingly does not go as scripted as parity takes over the college football landscape. Moreover, there is a very real chance that the Gators, knowing their strategic advantages, are not taking the Canes too seriously. Chris Rainey recently said that both FSU and UM suck. Louis Murphy actually went as far as to suggest that Florida is the real "U" (his comment was funny because it was based on how many championships the Gators have won; someone should advise him that the current count is Miami 5, Florida 2, thank you). With success comes pride, and excessive pride can lead to cockiness (the pride cometh before the fall, I hear). I'm not saying the Gators as a whole are cocky, or that that would even make a difference - just that some of their players' comments indicate as much. The Canes have been offered prime bulletin board material. We'll see if they can harness their rage into a colossal upset on Saturday.

So, the two in-state rivals resume their dance on Saturday. The Gators have all of the talent in the country on their side. The Canes will play the inspired underdog. U ready?

Canes Practice Update

On the 'Canes last scrimmage of the fall before actual gameday action on Tuesday night, the offense played lights out, especially sophomore WR Leonard Hankerson, who had up to this point been invisible. "Hank" had 3 long TD receptions. Here are some other practice tidbits since I last checked in:

* I've been talking a lot about future freshmen sensations LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin. As the practices have rolled on, Benjamin has actually been separating himself from the rest of the pack. His explosiveness and big play ability have been a constant since he arrived in Coral Gables earlier this month. Byrd, and fellow freshman Aldarius Johnson, are primed to have big rookie seasons, but Benjamin is the one who has earned consistent raves from the usually stoic Randy Shannon.

* A couple of interesting return game options. At punt returner, freshman Thearon Collier has shown flashes. He is lightning quick, a throwback to UM great Roscoe Parrish. Defensive tackle Joe Joseph has another comparison - "We have another Devin Hester out there." That's high (and premature) praise. We'll just have to see. At kick returner, I'm excited about the possibilities presented by sophomore RB Shawnbrey McNeal. He was an unexpected bright spot last season, and bursts through any sliver of a seam he can find with Bolt-ian speed (okay, maybe he's not THAT fast). He had a 50 yard gain at Tuesday's scrimmage.

* Speaking of running backs, Javarris James and Graig Cooper have seen limited action this fall as Shannon wants to keep his two top horses healthy for the upcoming season. In their absence, fifth year senior Derron Thomas has more than adequately filled in. He was a top back coming out of high school, and it has been sad to see him play third fiddle to a couple of underclassman, but he's never complained, boasts an almost 5-yards-per-carry career rushing average, and has been impressive in fall practices. With JJ, Coop, Shawnbrey, and Derron, running back depth is no issue whatsoever at Canes camp.

* Chavez Grant has emerged as the team's best performing cornerback. He has been a perennial ball hawk this fall, and is a lock to start against Charleston Southern next week.

* I'm a little worried about starting defensive ends Eric Moncur and Allen Bailey. They've been nursing injuries throughout the fall, and have been held out of seemingly every practice for 2 weeks. Their replacements - Adewale Ojomo, Steven Wesley, Andrew Smith, Marcus Robinson, and Gavin Hardin - have done well, but if Miami is to have any shot at uprooting the Gators on September 6, they're going to need their very best pass rushers healthy to make Tim Tebow's life as uncomfortable as practicable.

* As far as the QB competition between Robert Marve and Jacory Harris, we should have a starter named in the next couple of days. Up to this point, neither Marve nor Harris have separated themselves. But practice onlookers say it's because both have played with competence and poise (an instant upgrade over the departed Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman).

* 7 days!

Hurricane Freshmen WR's Continue to Impress, Defense Taking Shape

The practices are closed until the opener against Charleston Southern on Aug. 28, but the players and coaches say enough after them to piece together some adequate news and notes about how they've gone. Here's what I've gathered:

* In yesterday's 7-on-7 drills, freshman wide receiver LaRon Byrd caught two TD's, continuing his string of mightily impressive performances. Fellow true freshman Davon Johnson supposedly made two jaw-dropping catches and even hurdled over two defenders on his way to a TD. It looks like Johnson is working his way into the discussion of top freshman wide receiver of the summer, along with Byrd and Travis Benjamin.

* Senior Bruce Johnson is far and away the top performer at cornerback in August, and it's a foregone conclusion that he'll start the year. Based on the early results, it looks like junior Chavez Grant will start on the other side. Demarcus VanDyke and Brandon Harris look to back up Johnson and Grant.

* Meanwhile, on the defensive line, as ends Eric Moncur and Allen Bailey continue to be held out for precautionary reasons, redshirt freshman Adewale Ojomo is turning heads. He is fast, has gotten significantly stronger since last season, and has found himself in the backfield a lot more than Hurricane offensive line coaches would like. His emergence is good news for depth at the defensive end position (beyond Ojomo, Moncur, and Bailey, there really are only three players - Steven Wesley, Marcus Robinson, and Andrew Smith).

* As for the defensive tackles, freshman Micanor Regis is impressing. He and former Northwestern standout Marcus Forston are locks to play major minutes this season, barring injury.

* All in all, the defensive is said to have dominated the last few practices. They are adept at creating turnovers and havoc in the backfield with surprise blitzes. Defensive coordinator Bill Young, who burst on the scene last year leading the Big XII champ Kansas Jayhawks defense, is making his mark early and instilling a more aggressive style to the defense which was Charmin soft in 2007.

* 16 days.

Canes Find Rising Stars in Byrd & Benjamin

Looking at the list of Miami Hurricane wide receiver commitments for 2008 a month ago, two names would have stood out - Aldarius Johnson and Tommy Streeter, both from Miami Northwestern High and both among the top 15 at their position coming out of high school. But as fall practices have progressed, those aren't the two names that Coach Randy Shannon consistently singles out for accolades (and Shannon isn't one for doling out accolades anyway).

No, the two that Shannon cannot stop effusing over are LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin. They were the #60 and #42 ranked high school senior wide receivers in the country last year, according to rivals.com. Although they both garnered some notable offers from college football powerhouses, they received nowhere near the attention and focus as Johnson and Streeter. In yesterday's practice at Coral Gables, Benjamin nabbed 3 TD's, including one off of a reverse and another of 50 yards. Byrd has a big, physical frame, but also has unlikely speed for a man of his size (6-foot-4), clocked last year at a 4.46 forty yard dash. In case you're wondering, Benjamin was recently clocked at a 4.26. Many are comparing him to Santana Moss and Roscoe Parrish - the next great slot man at the U.

It will be interesting to track Byrd and Benjamin's improvement. They are already one of the surprising developing storylines at Hurricanes practice.

More Tidbits From Coral Gables

The Canes are 22 days away from the home opener against Charleston Southern, but I'm on top of the practice situation at Coral Gables as the Canes prepare for the Florida Gators (you can't honestly believe they'll spend 4 weeks preparing for Charleston Southern and 1 week preparing for UF). Here's the latest:

* It looks like Randy Shannon's son, Xavier, is locking down the starting center position. The 5th year senior who transferred this summer from FIU, where he was a multi-year starter, has gotten into offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland's good graces with his mental aptitude and advanced maturity (funny, they were saying things like that in the mid-80's about Shannon the Elder). He is physically unimpressive, but has picked up the offense better than anybody contending for the starting center gig (Tyler Horn, Matt Pipho, and A.J. Trump).

* Senior safety Anthony Reddick has been held out of practice the past couple of days. He's missed two seasons with ACL tears, so coaches are wary of bringing him back into the tough practice routines too fast.

* There was an article in yesterday's Herald about fullback Patrick Hill's head-hunting instincts, but check this quote out from his backup, freshman John Calhoun (not the 19th century Senator): "I was brought in to lay people out and that's what I'm going to do...I love the position to be honest with you." You just have to love the type of people Randy Shannon is bringing in to the program - sounds like old Miami to be honest, and I couldn't be more excited.

* Junior cornerback Chavez Grant, who has been the Hurricanes nickel specialist, is priming for a larger role this season on the outside, and will most likely start the season there. Freshman Brandon Harris, who has exhibited great cover skills and an impressive early display of leadership, is Grant's backup (for now).

* Someone put me to sleep for the next 3 weeks. I don't want to have to wait.

At Long Last...A UM Football Practice Report!

I feel like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a long and deep slumber, peering outside the window of my cavernous abode, and seeing the very brightest of sunshines for the first time in months. The happiest five months of the year are upon us - college and pro teams are holding spirited practices and there was even an NFL exhibition game last night (okay, so maybe that's not so exciting). The Canes, meanwhile, have held two practices. Here is the latest buzz from the Greentree Practice Field in Coral Gables:

* Perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the fall was at wide receiver, where Miami is counting on an awful lot of true freshmen to lead them. The newcomers did not disappoint. The stud of the group was the 6-foot-4, 211 pound LaRon Byrd, from Louisiana. Sporting the #47 and snatching balls out of the sky with scary regularity, Canes fans had a vision of another "playmaker" who wore the same number - Michael Irvin. His size is considerable, his speed more than adequate, and his hands well advanced for his relative inexperience. Two more newcomers who shone were Travis Benjamin and Davon Johnson. Benjamin dazzled with his speed (he clocked in Saturday at 4.26 in the 40 yard dash) while Johnson drew raves with his elusiveness. Both have the makings of excellent slot receivers and/or kick returners.

* The most intriguing question was who was getting a leg up in the QB race between redshirt freshman Robert Marve and true freshman Jacory Harris (from two-time state champion Northwestern). By all indications, both were good, and already at this young stage in the careers outperforming last season's starters Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman. That is welcome news, but honestly not very high praise, considering that Wright and Freeman seemed to be among the worst one-two quarterback punches in the country last season. Marve seems to have the slight edge because he's had been around one more season, studying film and learning from Wright and Freeman's (abundant) mistakes. Harris is said to have one of the more beautiful and effortless passing motions you will ever see. Both are leaders and competitors, so it should be interesting. Third-stringer Cannon Smith, who can be seen in the new movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (this is no joke), has made big strides since the spring, improving his arm strength and poise considerably (though probably not enough to enter into the conversation of who will start on August 28 against Charleston Southern).

* Marcus Robinson, rated the #4 outside linebacker in the Class of 2008 by rivals.com, has been moved to defensive end because of depth concerns. He's one of the biggest incoming linebackers, and actually played some end in high school. Head coach Randy Shannon says that he should make an immediate impact as a third-down, pass rushing end. Wunderkind Allen Bailey sat out of the two practices, still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle.

* At defensive back, another thin position, Sophomore cornerback Demarcus VanDyke had a few pass breakups and looks to have bulked up a bit since last season. Brandon Harris looked fast and fierce. True freshman free safety Ramon Buchanon was getting plenty of reps this weekend, and VanDyke called him and fellow true freshman safety Vaughn Telemaque "ballers".

* I bought my tickets for the Charleston Southern game, and derived more joy from the experience than any man my age should.

Canes Suffer A Hit On The O-Line

Freshman offensive lineman Brandon Washington, one of the national champ Northwestern Bulls that was supposed to be an integral part in the Canes eventual revival, will have to wait a season to make any sort of impact on his new team. He, along with two others - linebacker Antonio Harper and safety C.J. Odoms - are headed to Milford Prep (NY) since they could not get academically qualified for the beginning of the fall semester.

Miami desperately needs offensive lineman help, with recruiting at the position precariously thin over the years. Washington's absence puts even more pressure on freshman Ben Jones, also from Northwestern, to help bolster the o-line, which outside of spring impressives Jason Fox, Orlando Franklin, and Joel Figueroa, has many more question marks than answers.

Perhaps the key to the season is how much protection the offensive line can give a freshman starting quarterback (the Canes have nothing but freshmen at the quarterback position) - you know teams will be gunning for the green QB. Newcomer fullback Patrick Hill - known to blow a few people up in his pre-Miami days - will be heavily counted on to be the last line of defense to protect either Robert Marve or Jacory Harris once the season starts.

In other news - I can't wait for football season (as you can surmise from the July college football posts).

Predictable Pre-Season Talk

As sure as the sun rises and the sun sets, every team in the college football landscape claims to have made some pivotal and earth-shattering changes that will lead inexorably to their holding up the crystal football trophy at the end of the season. The 2008 Miami Hurricanes are no exception. Today's article in the Herald highlights their "new attitude," which as you can effortlessly surmise - involves more discipline, more toughness, and more justifiable excitement over next season's prospects.

This Canes fan is not buying it. Even under the horrific Larry Coker regime, it was the same ol' song and dance, and it is now the stuff of legend how disturbingly undisciplined and uninspired those teams were. There is a new seven-player council (full of veteran Coker recruits) enforcing a rigid new code of on and off-the-field behavior cultivating the habits and practices of champions. That is nice, but what ultimately matters - and I think the players in this group, including Eric Moncur, Jason Fox, Colin McCarthy, and Glenn Cook know this - is that this team gets back to championship contention by winning and winning often.

Of course, you don't turn a 5-7 team around overnight, and baby steps like this one may help. But it sounds too much like July 2006 and July 2007 to be taken seriously at this point. Let's start with a season of more "W's" than "L's" before we talk of reviving the slumbering giant.

ESPN Making UM Football Documentary

Slated for release in 2009, ESPN has decided to make a documentary about the University of Miami football program in the last 3 decades. Hurricane Nation is already abuzz about how exactly the Canes will be portrayed in the film. One thing about UM fans that you should know (in case you do not already know) is that they are hyper-sensitive to "media bias" against them. The documentary will most likely highlight this most distinctive feature of Canes fans' collective psyche - the "us against the world" mentality.

I think it should be fun. I've long thought that Bruce Feldman's book, "Cane Mutiny," spanning the same time period (but released about 4 years ago) and containing some amazing anecdotes (like before the 1986 game against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, Canes players Melvin Bratton and Jerome Brown calling up Oklahoma star Brian Bosworth in his hotel room and saying, "This is your mother-f*ing wake up call...We're gonna kick your ass," and then proceeding to just that on the field), should have been made into a movie of some sort.

The Hurricanes do in fact elicit a wide range of emotions - there are those who swell with pride for the UM story, and others who revile, loathe, and detest the orange-and-green clad. One thing is certain - it is a compelling story, and a LOT of people will watch when it finally does come out. The championships, the fatigues, the taunting, the bad-assness, the braggadocio, the Rock, Ray Lewis, Vinny Testaverde, Warren Sapp Ed Reed, Clinton Portis, Kellen Winslow, Wide Right the smoke, the memorable games - no matter which team you call your favorite, it should be a wild and rollicking ride through recent Hurricane history.

Getting Through July...

We are now entering the dullest of months in the sports world. NFL, NBA, and the NHL are all on hiatus. The Bigs are just getting to the halfway pole of its 162 game season. The Euro football tournament is done. Even the College World Series is wrapped up. So what better way to pass the time than to prognosticate. And if there's one thing I've found that gets the comment boards rolling, it's college football. So, without further delay, here's my take on the 3 Florida schools 2008 season.

First up, the Florida State Seminoles. Another disappointing finish in 2007, the 'Noles will be hoping on a relatively easy schedule to begin 2008 to get off to a quick start. FSU starts off with home games against Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Wake Forest, and than a "neutral site" game against Colorado in Jacksonville. Then comes the Miami game, and the Noles will travel south to face the 'Canes for what should be their first real test. Miami will already have played a couple tough ones, but we'll come to that later. The rest of the season actually shapes up pretty well for FSU. They get VA Tech, Clemson, BC, and Florida all at home. While wins in those games will be tough, this should be a step in the right direction for FSU.
Prediction: 8-4 (Miami, Clemson, BC, Florida losses)

Let's look at FSU's fellow ACC'ers, the Miami Hurricanes. Miami's 2007 season, much like FSU's, was one that should be forgotten. A 7-6 record that included an embarrassing end to the Orange Bowl is not what 'Canes fans are looking forward to in '08. A top recruiting class should also lend itself to a step forward after last year. If possible, Miami's schedule is even more favorable then Florida State's. The 'Canes avoid Clemson and Boston College, and get Virgina Tech at home. Miami does have 2 tough out-of-conference games on the road, first in the Swamp against the Gators. The following week, they head to College Station to play Texas A&M. A 3-1 start heading to the FSU game is not out of the question. A win against the 'Noles, and the Canes should be in contention in the ACC late into October.
Prediction: 9-3 (Florida, Virginia, VA Tech losses)

Now the Gators. Pre-season ranked #5 by ESPN's Mark Schlabach, the Gators will also be looking for an improvement on the 2007 season. A disappointing 5-3 SEC record, accompanied with a 41-35 shootout loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl should have the Gators more than focused heading into 2008. Many prognosticators, such as myself, believe this year's Gators to be a class above last years. Heisman winner Tim Tebow will actually have help in the backfield with newcomers Emmanuel Moody and Chris Rainey, along with returners Brandon Jacobs, Percy Harvin, and Louis Murphy. This could easily be the fastest offense college football has seen in decades. If the defense grows up even a little over last year, watch out. The Gators start the season with a couple of intriguing out-of-conference games, against Hawaii and Miami. Barring a major upset, the Gators then head to the annual 3rd week rivalry with the Tennessee Volunteers, which will be played in Knoxville. Since 1992, Florida or Tennessee has won the SEC East 13 times. The SEC schedule then gets a little easier, with games against Mississippi, Arkansas, and Kentucky making up 3 of the next 4. A weaker LSU comes to Gainesville in week 7. Then comes what should be the game of the year. Florida vs. Georgia. With the Bulldogs expected to make a serious run at the BCS title, this game will go miles to determine who's Orange Bowl dreams are kept alive. Georgia, also, only has Tennessee and LSU on the schedule to provide any sort of bumps on the road to Jacksonville. However, last year's Bulldog win will be in the heads of the Gators, similar to when Auburn came to the Swamp last year, and there will be no lack of power in red and black. But should the Gators get past the Dawgs, only Vanderbilt, South Carolina, the Citadel, and Florida State stand in the way of the Gators and possible title hopes.
Prediction: 11-1 (Georgia loss)

So maybe my orange and blue blood is showing. But the amount of talent and pure speed Florida will be able to put on the field is scary good. Mix that with a more experienced, talented defense, and they shouldn't have to rely on 49-35 wins this year. Florida State and Miami, both, should have improved seasons as well. I don't think its a stretch to see these to fighting for the ACC for much of the season. Game 1 is only 61 days away...

As Promising As Future Is, Deck Still Stacked Against UM Football

The Miami Hurricanes suffered a huge blow to their (premature) plans to begin their re-ascent in the college football world in 2008. Senior defensive end Courtney Harris suffered a torn Achilles, and will likely miss the 2008 season. This is particularly noteworthy considering the shocking lack of depth at the position, even penciling Harris in for this year. Here's what the Canes have - Returning starter Senior Eric Moncur, Sophomore phenom Allen Bailey (his strength and freakish athleticism are legend, although he may miss the first game of the season with a torn pectoral muscle), Sophomore Adewale Ojomo, Sophomore Steven Wesley, and not-yet-qualified (and two-star) true Freshman Andrew Smith. That's it.

When you're coming off a 5-7 season, and you are talking rebirth to people, you can't have many weak links in your chain, and defensive end, especially with another injury, is a weak link, at least on paper. The Canes will definitely have to consider shoring up the position by having players at other positions switch over. Some candidates include true freshmen linebackers Marcus Robinson and Gavin Hardin (Hardin's the more likely to make the move), and junior Richard Gordon (who's already changed positions at least twice in his career).

Hurricane Football Freshmen Honored

The 2007-2008 All-Dade Breakfast took place yesterday, and a slew of Hurricane true freshmen took home honors. The biggest honor of the night went to 2008 starting cornerback (yeah, I said it) Brandon Harris. Harris starred at Miami Booker T. Washington High School and led his team to the 4A state championship, and on Tuesday won Miami-Dade's Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. Interestingly, Brandon's father Tim, or "Ice" (how bad a man do you have to be to be nicknamed "Ice"?), was named Dade Coach of the Year. "Ice" is now at the U holding a vague and unclassified position. Last I heard it was officially a non-football job, yet Ice has been seen hitting the recruiting trail with the rest of the football coaches.

The two-time state champ and 2008 national champ Northwestern Bulls were also well represented yesterday, as quarterback Jacory Harris was named 6A-4A Offensive Player of the Year and linebacker Sean Spence was named Defensive Player of the Year. While Jacory faces a formidable challenge in taking the starting job from favorite Robert Marve, he did break dozens of county records and showed remarkable leadership over the past couple of years as the Bulls steamrolled virtually everybody they faced in that span. Spence sees a thin linebacking corps in front of him, and word on the street is that his football IQ and tackling ability make him as good a candidate as any to be the next Jonathan Vilma. I predict he'll see some starting action this season.

God it feels great to have a good excuse to write about college football again...

UM Who to Watch 2008: QB Robert Marve

As you see below, UM football, even at this time of year, is a story that South Florida sports fans want to hear more of. As a "man of the people" and ardent democrat (small "d"), I must oblige Average South Florida Joe and commence a series chronicling the most exciting potential lights of the 2008 season, and I begin the installment with quarterback Robert Marve.

No, Robert Marve has not locked down the starting job, but heading into fall practices he will doubtless be one of the hottest stories in Coral Gables as he competes with fellow freshmen Jacory Harris, Taylor Cook, and Cannon Smith for the starting quarterback position in Miami. He comes in with an enormous amount of hype, having won the designation of Florida's high school Mr. Football in 2006, setting state single-season records for passing yards (4,380), touchdowns (48), and completions (280) and leading Tampa's Plant High School to the 4-A championship, completing 30 of 46 passes for 305 yards and 3 TD's in the title game.

I watched that 2006 state championship game, and what I saw struck me. He possessed more "cool" than any high school quarterback I had ever seen. In fact, he was almost recklessly confident, nearly goading defensive linemen and linebackers to get as close to him as possible before launching one 40 yards and hitting his receiver between the numbers, then talking to the defenders about it. He was a scintillating passer on the run, and his mobility was impressive. UM receivers that have been working with him during the past year have noted that the footballs he throws hurt their hands. He is also an unparalleled student of the game, staying up nights watching film and pestering offensive coordinator Patrick Nix all the time, trying to get things right.

Marve will face stiff competition in the fall by none other than 2007 Mr. Football in Florida Jacory Harris, who led his Northwestern Bulls to two state championships and one national championship playing 6-A ball against some of the toughest competition any South Florida team has had to face (see Harris' cool dismantling of #1 Texas Southlake Carroll last year). But Marve's arm strength, accuracy, work ethic, pocket cool, and moxy make him as good a candidate as any to be the next starting quarterback at the U.

South Florida Fan Optimism Revisited

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald revisited a topic we had discussed previously on this blog: Which South Florida sports team is in the best shape for the future?

If Cote can revisit it, so can we. We've offered a few opinions between this post advocating the Heat, this post advocating the Panthers, and all the comments in between. Cote takes things a bit further, throwing UM football into the mix. In what is certainly not the most important vote of the day (all respect given to the political races in IN and NC), here are the current poll results:

Dolphins - 34.0%
Hurricanes Football - 26.6%
Marlins - 22.3%
Heat - 10.6%
Panthers - 1.1%

Things have changed since our earlier analyses. The Marlins have continued to play well, while the Dolphins had a pretty solid draft. Do we all still agree with our earlier sentiments?

More significantly, are the Herald poll's responses accurate, or is it just that people tend to favor football? I know Imber and FloridaPanthers4Ever will take some issue here. Share your thoughts and vote!

First Look at 'Canes 2009 Recruiting Class

From talk of Hurricanes drafted in last weekend's draft, to talk of those whose names will be called in 2012. It is never too early to begin acquainting yourself with your school's future. And in that spirit we take a first glance at the Miami Hurricanes' verbal commitments for the 2009 recruiting class.

The undisputed stud of the class so far is Wichita, Kansas five-star RB Bryce Brown. Brown is the #1 overall prospect according to scout.com and brother of Canes 2008 #1 linebacker signee Arthur Brown. Brown had offers from UF, FSU, USC, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among dozens of others. Besides having excellent vision, and explosive breakaway speed, he is a small (6 feet if you're generous) but powerful back in the mold of WVU's Noel Devine. He is also by all accounts a fantastically quirky and eccentric character (at this year's UM spring game, Bryce showed up in a tuxedo T-shirt revealing his freakish strength for a 16 year old; additionally, he is an outspoken advocate of yoga).

Besides Brown, the Hurricanes have received an early oral commitment from Miami American High's Olivier Vernon, a 6-2, 225 lb. four-star defensive end. Vernon dominated the Miami Nike Camp, and boasted offers from Alabama, Auburn, and USF before ending all speculation and picking the Canes. He runs a 4.53 forty, according to scout.com.

The Hurricanes also fortified their interior defensive line by picking up tackle Luther Robinson today. Robinson, from Ft. Pierce Westwood High, is 6-2 and 270 lbs. He visited just this weekend and was sufficiently blown away that he decided to end all suspense about his recruitment. The Canes also have picked up TE Billy Sanders of Phoenix, Arizona. He has great size, hands, and blocking ability, and received offers from Washington, Washington State, 2008 Orange Bowl champion Kansas, and Arizona. Finally, the Canes received a legacy pickup - Ft. Bend, Texas' A.J. Highsmith, the son of Hurricane legend Alonzo Highsmith and cousin of recent LSU standout LB Ali Highsmith. A.J. is considered a dual threat quarterback, but he is tiny for his position (6-0, 186) and will most likely find himself playing defensive back at the next level.

It is heartening to see that Randy Shannon has not rested on his 2008 stellar recruiting class laurels. There is much work to be done. They still need cornerbacks and offensive linemen badly. They will need such help if the 2009 recruiting class will be considered in time as another integral stop in the official Hurricanes Comeback Tour.

Canes Extend 1st Round Streak, Make Barely a Whimper Rest of Draft

The wait was longer than any Hurricane fan wanted, but the relief when Kenny Phillips was named as the 31st overall pick of the Super Bowl champ New York Giants resonated throughout Hurricane nation. That makes it 14 years in a row that the Hurricanes have had a player chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. Many draft analysts saw this pick coming. The Giants needed safety help, and Phillips was at the top of the board for safeties, so it was a no-brainer for the Patriot-slayers. The pick made Giants fans ecstatic - they were chanting Phillips' name moments before the pick, and let out a thunderous roar when he finally was picked. Phillips is a ball hawk, and a punishing hitter, and teams making evaluations this draft season were wowed by Phillips' football acumen. He will be an impact player from the starting line.

Calais Campbell was the 50th selection in the draft, going to the Arizona Cardinals. Campbell dropped to the middle of the second round because his productivity suffered his junior season (after a stellar sophomore season) and because of poor combine numbers. Many say in Campbell's defense that he was getting double-teamed quite a bit during his junior season.

A Hurricane whose numbers did not suffer in 2007 was MLB Tavares Gooden. He was the team's defensive MVP, making a career-high 119 tackles. Gooden was selected No. 71 overall by the Baltimore Ravens, where he joins fellow Cane alumni and current Ravens defensive stalwarts Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. Gooden possesses impressive strength, and his 4.5 speed is extraterrestrially fast for a linebacker. He could be looked upon as the steal of the 3rd round, I predict. His career was slowed by injuries, and when he finally started to recover, he showed that he can be a force on the defensive side of the ball.

And that was it as far as Canes being drafted. Rounds 4-7 came and went, and no more Hurricanes' names were called. Some, however, have already signed free agent contracts. WR Darnell Jenkins, nicknamed "nuke" because of his nuclear speed, was signed by the Houston Texans. Cornerback Glenn Sharpe, of phantom 2003 Fiesta Bowl pass interference call fame, was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. DT Teraz McCray was signed by the Buffalo Bills. And OL Andrew Bain joins teammate Phillips in the Big Apple.

IN baseball news, my thesis last week was correct - the Hurricanes are the best team in the land, and they are their own worst enemy. After falling to lowly FIU last week, the Hurricanes swept 16th-ranked Virginia in ACC play at Mark Light Field. The Hurricanes pitching was scintillating - they held the Cavaliers to a .144 average during the series. The Canes are 36-5, and 20-2 in the ACC, with only ten regular season games remaining.

Undrafted Free Agent Signings

Just a quick post of some UDFA signings for each Florida team here. Picks in Italics are my "players to watch" from this list, or players who I at least feel were good signings to at least try.

Miami

WR Davone Bess (Hawaii) - I really love this signing, Bess can be a great WR for us.
LB Kelly Poppinga (BYU)
T Mike Byrne (Delaware)
T Dan Gore (Boise State)
QB Jayson Foster (Georgia Southern)

Jacksonville

QB Paul Smith (Tulsa)
WR Adam Bishop (Nevada)
DE Alex Boston (Florida State)
TE Chris Brown (Tennessee)
WR Rudy Burgess (Arizona State)
FB Anthony Catrone (Maine)
WR Clyde Edwards (Grambling)
CB Isaiah Gardner (Maryland)
CB Michael Grant (Arkansas)
WR Jeron Harvey (Houston)
DT Theo Horrocks (Vanderbilt)
OL Drew Miller (Florida)
LB Lamar Myles (Louisville)
CB Brian Witherspoon (Stillman)

Tampa Bay

DB Jonathan Hefney (Tennessee)
DT Tywain Myles (Tarleton St.)
DT Chris Bradwell (Troy)
CB Elbert Mack (Troy)
K Chris Gould (Virginia)
WR Amarri Jackson (USF) tryout
T Jared Carnes (USF) tryout
T Walt Walker (USF) tryout

Other Florida College Notables:

Redskins T Shannon Boatman (Florida State)

Titans S Tony Joiner (Florida)
Cardinals G Carlton Medder (Florida)

Vikings DT Leger Douzable (Central Florida)

Texans WR Darnell Jenkins (Miami)
Giants OL Andrew Bain (Miami)
Bills DT Teraz McCray (Miami)
Vikings QB Kyle Wright (Miami)
Browns WR Lance Leggett (Miami)

90% of all of these guys will probably either be cut, buried in the depth charts, put on the developmental list or used with the practice squad, but it's still interesting to see who goes where. Besides, to be a Super Bowl contender, you have to have a complete roster top to bottom. Even the quality of a team's practice squad is important.

Can Canes Keep First Round Streak Alive?

The Miami Hurricanes have had at least one first round selection in the NFL Draft in the last 13 seasons. This year that streak, a source of uncontained pride for most Canes fans, is in jeopardy. None of their seniors or early-departing juniors (Kenny Phillips and Calais Campbell) stood out last year.

Their best hope at perpetuating the streak lies in the 6-2, 212 lb. free safety Phillips, of Miami Carol City High School. Most draft gurus have him as the best available position at his position, but that position has rarely seen such scant pickings. In other words, he is a light, not necessarily shining, at a notoriously weak (for this year) position. But Canes fans will take it anyway they can get it. Phillips said he had three goals for his Hurricane career - to lead his team in INT's, to be an All-American, and to win a national title. He accomplished the first two, but never came close to achieving the last. Everyone knew that he possessed impressive speed, great coverage skills, and a penchant for hard hitting. But what NFL GM's have been most pleasantly surprised by is his intelligence. Kenny says he studies film for 3-4 hours a day. He is highly coachable and has all the innate ability in the world. He will likely go in the late 1st round.

Calais Campbell is a hulking physical specimen at defensive end. He is 6"8 and 283 lbs, and whichever team lands him will get an A-grade "character guy" who puts his all into each snap. After the 2006 season, most draft experts were projecting him as a top-10 pick. He had 10 1/2 sacks and 20 1/2 tackles that year. His sack total was down to 6 in 2007, and honestly he was a non-factor in most games. Additionally, he has tested poorly in the combines this spring, posting a 5.03 forty yard dash and only completing 16 bench press reps at 225 lbs. Mel Kiper projects Campbell as a late 1st round, early 2nd round pick.

My 2008 draft sleeper is linebacker Tavares Gooden. He will not be picked in the 1st round, but there's a chance he'll slip into the 2nd. He is most likely a 3rd or 4th rounder. Gooden has insane speed (he clocked last year at 4.47 in the 40 yard dash) and improved drastically in 2007, after missing 2006 due to injury. Look for him to start in the NFL one day.

As for the Hurricane Baseball team, they fell (quite embarrassingly) to FIU last night 6-3 at Mark Light Field. Losses happen. But FIU was 13-29 entering the game, and that was against relatively woeful competition. The Canes, who are now 33-5 on the season, have played with fire many a time this season, seeming to take pride in getting down early and needing heroics to eke out victories. They have all of the pieces in place for a national title run, but their worst enemy is themselves, as they exhibited last night. After taking 2 of 3 from FSU in Tallahassee, they had no business losing to the Golden Panthers on their own home field. Miami...you've gotten your wake up call.

Desmond Howard on the 'Canes

Desmond Howard spent some time this Spring with the Miami Hurricanes football team as a part of ESPN's redoubled spring football coverage. I actually saw him at the UM-Duke basketball game in the midst of it, schmoozing with fellow UMich alum and Heat legend Glen Rice. His reports from Coral Gables are nothing if not glowing. Yesterday, he was on ESPN's College Football Live, and expressed excitement over the direction that coach Randy Shannon is taking the program.

Howard loves redshirt freshman Robert Marve (to give Gator fans an indication of what Cane Nation thinks of this kid - think of the savior status you bestowed on Tim Tebow as early as 2006, a year before his well-deserved Heisman glory) and the parade of Miami Northwestern recruits the Canes nabbed - Jacory Harris, Aldarious Johnson, Marcus Forston, and Sean Spence, in particular. Howard said that Shannon is the 2nd year coach most poised to make serious noise in the 2008 season, and it's hard not to agree with him.

My take? Yes, the promise of this team is mostly incredibly young. But I cannot say enough how revolutionary the 2008 recruiting class was for Miami. It reminds Hurricanes fans of the 1997 freshman class which included Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, Andre King, Damione Lewis, Joaquin Gonzalez and Dan Morgan, which of course will forever be remembered as the class that resurrected the giant. The giant was emasculated with Captain Clappy, I mean Larry Coker, and it'll take another 1997-like class to match what the aforementioned legends of a decade ago did. I see old Hurricane flash in safety Vaughn Telemaque, old Hurricane brash in DT Marcus Forston, old Hurricane linebacking smarts and fire in Sean Spence, old Hurricane glue hands in Aldarious Johnson, old Hurricane sick defensive speed in Arthur Brown, old quarterback acumen in Jacory Harris, and I'm going to stop simply because I feel for the readers. This group has amazing talent, but it certainly does not lack attitude, as the Hurricane teams of the very recent past did, which is the thing which provides me the most inspiration for the future of the program.

Canes Football Position Changes

So there are 3 confirmed position changes heading into 2008: Luqman Abdullah moves from defensive tackle to offensive line; Ryan Hill moves from wide receiver to cornerback; and Damian Berry moves into the logjam at running back. Berry was a safety last year and this spring.

Abdullah's move is a virtual non-story. The junior has been buried in the depth chart at defensive tackle, where the depth chart was gossamer thin last year, so my hunch is that he will stay buried in the depth chart at offensive line, though he does have impressive size for the position, at 6"3 and 307 lbs. He was always considered a project with tantalizing upside, which has heretofore gone unmaterialized.

Ryan Hill's move is the least surprising, in my opinion. He was recruited by UM as a cornerback, and his past two years at receiver have been uninspiring. Although he has blazing speed, he lacks the glue hands coaches have been looking for at the receiver position for several years. Besides, cornerback is probably the thinnest position on the roster currently, and has been aching for increased numbers. Even after this Hill switch, fans and coaches cannot wait for Booker T. Washington's Brandon Harris to arrive in the fall to shore up the secondary.

As for Damian Berry, his move is the most intriguing. The Hurricanes are STACKED at running back, and the depth chart looks like this - Graig Cooper, Javarris James, Shawnbrey McNeal, Derron Thomas, and Lee Chambers. The likely 2009 #1 high school running back prospect, Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kansas, arrives next year ready to compete for immediate playing time. Although Berry played running back as well as safety at Glades Central in 2006, people were expecting him to shine at safety, where many compared his instincts to Ed Reed and his hard-hits to Sean Taylor. I suppose his production failed to match his hype in the coaches' eyes, and they like what they currently have at safety (and they get true freshmen in the fall that were among the top 10 at their position in Ramon Buchanon and Vaughan Telemaque). Berry's best chance at running back is as a second "power back" option to Javarris James. We'll see how all of these experiments fare in the fall.