This weekend we attended the Schuman's National Underclassmen Combine at Ransom Evergaldes School. One of the nations best combines, the NUC offers an opportunity to players who have not yet been out on the national spotlight, and unfortunately the opportunity for some to have the light turned off. It also showcases the top talent around the nation: like Todd Chandler, Gideon Ajagbe, Tacoi Sumler, Torrian Wilson, John Ragoo, DeAndre Johnson and more. As was the case this passed weekend. To be completely honest with you, I personally attended the upcoming sophomore combine. I was able to take out there with me a great player and eventual Combine MVP, AJ Leggett. AJ has recently transferred to Booker T. Washington after having a great year as a freshman at South Miami. I am so happy he left there, because they were headed no where fast. AJ plays safety. He measures in at 5'11, 160lbs., running a 4.6 40. AJ was impressive the whole camp in 1-on-1 drills as well as 4-on-4 skills competition. The only time someone was able to catch a pass on him was when they asked him to play a cover 3 and stand about 12 yards away from the receiver. The receiver caught a 3 yard slant and that was it. If they had pads on you could tell AJ wanted to lay someone out. He is a big time ballhawk and he wants to lay you out if you have the ball. He knows how to use his hands very well and plays the bump real well also. Look for big things from this kid. In winning the overall MVP award at the camp, he has been invited to the Ultimate100 camp later this year. He will also be attending future camps as well, including the Nike Sparq Combine in March.
Other players that looked very good also were Billy Rolle Jr., son of coach Billy Rolle (Northwestern and Killian). He was lined up as a safety and played pretty well. He is a big boy at about 5'10 180lbs. He will probably grow into that body and becomes a backer. Another kid was Julian Hamilton out of St. Thomas Aquinas. Measured in at about 6'4-6'5, not sure about the weight, but he looked solid for a freshman. He played DL/OL and dominated camp with speed and power. The best RB out of the group was a kid named Gary Holmes out of Seminole Ridge High School. 5'6 about 150 I would say. Ran a 4.45 40. I need to get the names of a couple other kids that were there, can't remember now. There was another good OL, a Byron Leftwich looking QB and a kid they were calling mini Antonio Gates playing of course TE. He looked real good as well. I will get back to you on those kids.
In the junior combine, the overall MVP was LB Gideon Ajagbe, best OL was John Ragoo, but a person who was there said that Torrian Wilson played lights out. Best DL was of course Todd Chandler.
I will have more info on the combine tonight or tomorrow. If any of you know of a kid who needs help getting his name out there and is a good ballplayer, email us. We can definitely help with the recruiting process and training. For more info email us, we can definitely help. thecaneswire@gmail.com
Thank you and GO CANES!!!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Weekend in Pictures
We split the time this weekend between the baseball game on Friday night and the National Underclassmen Combine on Saturday. We'll have a detailed write up of the combine tomorrow, but we'll drop a few pictures today.
We plan on addressing the baseball team. Opening night at Alex Rodriguez park. We have a few pictures that are included toward the bottom of this blog. The night began with former Cane Aubrey Huff being inducted into the Hall of Fame by Jim Morris and former Cane and World Series Champion Pat Burrell. Congrats to Aubrey on joining a prestigious group. Also, congrats are in order for Ryan Jackson joining the prestigious Iron Arrow Society. So far, here are our impressions of the baseball team.
Friday night Chris Hernandez took the mound. He seemed a bit rusty, hitting a batter and wlking a batter in back to back innings, but he only allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 7 strike outs. This team lost 70% of it's homerun production from last year and we had 3-4 attempted steals, considering that we are now having to come into our own as a small ball team. Our relief pitcher Wulf is a monster, and to quote myself "he pitches as if he's upset with the ball and wants it as far away from him as possible as quicly as possible". We won 6-1, the highlight being Grandal with a 2 run homer late in the game.
Saturday was a double header, with us w inning the first one 4-2 and dropping the second one 5-4. The second game we made 3 errors in 2 plays and deserved to lose.
Today's game is at 13-3 right now, in our favor, so yo ucan pretty much lock it up. Here are the pictures we'v promised.
National Underclassmen Combine:
Opening Night:
We plan on addressing the baseball team. Opening night at Alex Rodriguez park. We have a few pictures that are included toward the bottom of this blog. The night began with former Cane Aubrey Huff being inducted into the Hall of Fame by Jim Morris and former Cane and World Series Champion Pat Burrell. Congrats to Aubrey on joining a prestigious group. Also, congrats are in order for Ryan Jackson joining the prestigious Iron Arrow Society. So far, here are our impressions of the baseball team.
Friday night Chris Hernandez took the mound. He seemed a bit rusty, hitting a batter and wlking a batter in back to back innings, but he only allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 7 strike outs. This team lost 70% of it's homerun production from last year and we had 3-4 attempted steals, considering that we are now having to come into our own as a small ball team. Our relief pitcher Wulf is a monster, and to quote myself "he pitches as if he's upset with the ball and wants it as far away from him as possible as quicly as possible". We won 6-1, the highlight being Grandal with a 2 run homer late in the game.
Saturday was a double header, with us w inning the first one 4-2 and dropping the second one 5-4. The second game we made 3 errors in 2 plays and deserved to lose.
Today's game is at 13-3 right now, in our favor, so yo ucan pretty much lock it up. Here are the pictures we'v promised.
National Underclassmen Combine:
Opening Night:
Friday, February 20, 2009
Spring Practice Update
Two practices are open to the public. The first one is the scrimmage on March 12th at Traz Powell. The second is the Spring Game on March 28th, at Dolphin Stadium. Here is a list of the practices.
Tues., Feb. 24 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 25 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 27 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 28 10 a.m.
Tues., Mar. 3 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 4 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 6 3:30 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 7 10 a.m.
Tues., Mar. 10 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 11 3:30 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 12 6:30 p.m. (Traz Powell Stadium, open to public)
Tues., Mar. 24 3:30 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 25 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 27 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 28 BankUnited CanesFest (9 a.m.)
Tues., Feb. 24 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 25 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 27 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 28 10 a.m.
Tues., Mar. 3 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 4 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 6 3:30 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 7 10 a.m.
Tues., Mar. 10 3:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 11 3:30 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 12 6:30 p.m. (Traz Powell Stadium, open to public)
Tues., Mar. 24 3:30 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 25 3:30 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 27 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 28 BankUnited CanesFest (9 a.m.)
The Season Has Begun...
for baseball, that is. We'll be at the game Friday night, on campus at 7 p.m. versus Rutgers. We'll try to be on campus earlier and talk to a few friends about what's going on with the football program, but right now we can only pass along what we've read. That is about the offense in general.
Whipple's offense has impressed. Not just impressed as in "oh that's a nice car", but as in "oh look, there goes a Shelby Mustang". People are literally so impressed with the offense that they have their noses in the playbooks and can't wait to see our receivers and backs in action.
Cooper is expected to go back to punt and kickoff return, as long as Chambers and Baby J stay healthy. If not, look for one of our 2 (maybe 3) freshman backs to go to returns or help share the load so Cooper can stay there. Cooper is also expected to be used out of the backfield more often, ala Reggie Bush, wish should create mismatches. Of course, this is all contingent on Baby J and Chambers remaining healthy, but we really expect Chambers to have a breakout season this year, his junior year.
Will try to get you more info soon, but we are still watching film on games for last season. Next week we will have a list of expectations for our players and a possible analysis of any spring practice information we can get.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Whipple's offense has impressed. Not just impressed as in "oh that's a nice car", but as in "oh look, there goes a Shelby Mustang". People are literally so impressed with the offense that they have their noses in the playbooks and can't wait to see our receivers and backs in action.
Cooper is expected to go back to punt and kickoff return, as long as Chambers and Baby J stay healthy. If not, look for one of our 2 (maybe 3) freshman backs to go to returns or help share the load so Cooper can stay there. Cooper is also expected to be used out of the backfield more often, ala Reggie Bush, wish should create mismatches. Of course, this is all contingent on Baby J and Chambers remaining healthy, but we really expect Chambers to have a breakout season this year, his junior year.
Will try to get you more info soon, but we are still watching film on games for last season. Next week we will have a list of expectations for our players and a possible analysis of any spring practice information we can get.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Update on MLB
It seems as if Arthur Brown has made the move to MLB officially, as we expected him to and he did toward the end of last season. Also, Chris Barney has graduated and has chosen not to return to the team and provide us with depth on the O-line. I do know last year, before he was injured, he was pushing a few starters and would have given us solid depth and received plenty of playing time in the rotation. A shame, but hopefully Jermaine Johnson can provide depth at tackle and Brandon Washington can step in with Gunn and solidify our line. Our offense is going to live or die on our line, so we'll keep an eye on that.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Quick Injury Update.....
Rumors have come out that guard Joel Figueroa underwent surgery for an injury. Don't know what exactly he injured, but we do know it's upper body, either his arm or shoulder from what we've heard. Obviously it's never good to have a starter go down with an injury, but Harland Gunn and others will be able to step up and get some reps with the first team during Spring practices. Figs' play was up and down last year, so here's hoping that he recovers quickly and improves. He is still young and has plenty of room for improvement.
Also, Orlando Franklin will be getting a shot at the tackle spot. With Fox on the left hand side, it's a good thing for Franklin to get some reps at the right spot, maybe getting him familiar with the position making a possible transition to Left Tackle next year (after Fox leaves) easier.
We are still looking at film of last year's games and potential 2010 recruits. The reason we are taking so much time trying to look at film for next year's recruits so soon is because it seems as if Shannon is following the Texas method and locking down recruits early, so those who are on the fence know what class they have coming in and it pushes them to not only want to join them, but open up their eyes and see that scholarships are limited.
We hope to soon have a list of target players to fill our needs for next year, as well as a list of breakout players for 2009, surprise stars, impact freshman, and so forth.
As always, thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Also, Orlando Franklin will be getting a shot at the tackle spot. With Fox on the left hand side, it's a good thing for Franklin to get some reps at the right spot, maybe getting him familiar with the position making a possible transition to Left Tackle next year (after Fox leaves) easier.
We are still looking at film of last year's games and potential 2010 recruits. The reason we are taking so much time trying to look at film for next year's recruits so soon is because it seems as if Shannon is following the Texas method and locking down recruits early, so those who are on the fence know what class they have coming in and it pushes them to not only want to join them, but open up their eyes and see that scholarships are limited.
We hope to soon have a list of target players to fill our needs for next year, as well as a list of breakout players for 2009, surprise stars, impact freshman, and so forth.
As always, thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Shields makes the move to CB...2010 Recruiting tidbit!!!
After a subpar career so far at Miami playing wide receiver, Sam Shields has made the switch to cornerback. With the lack of depth at the position, it's a good thing they made this decision early. This will help Shields learn the position thoroughly throughout the spring and summer. Shields has never been redshirted, so if worse comes to worse he can be redshirted if he does not learn the position well enough. Shields shined this year as the flier on special teams, but did make some costly errors this past season. This could be a good move for Sam. With his 4.3 speed and apparent decent tackling technique, he could be a viable option and will add depth at the corner position. This could possibly give him a better opportunity at playing at the next level in the NFL. I think Sam is a great athlete. He has had disciplinary problems in the past, but I think he "gets" it now. He came on strong at the end of the season and showed vast improvement on special teams and he also came up with some big catches as well. I honestly thought they would give him a shot again to redeem himself sorta speak at WR, but if this is the best move for him then so be it. Any where he can help the team I'm all for it.
Spring football is coming soon my fellow Canes and we are working on putting together an event of sorts for the spring game on March 28th. I believe it will be at Dolphin Stadium. Not 100% sure, but regardless we will work on putting something exciting together. If anyone has suggestions, please let us know. Thank you...
Recruiting tidbit: You have to see the tape on this kid Jeff Luc, LB out of Treasure Coast High School. The nastiest hitter I have seen in a long time. The MLB we need here. He has showed a lot of interest in us already. He has listed an offer from us as well. Another kid is Ivan McCartney, WR. McCartney reminds a lot of people of Chad Johnson, who happens to be seconds with him. He is very high on the Hurricanes but has yet to receive an offer. I am very sure he will be receiveing one very soon. More 2010 recruiting info as the days and weeks come. We will be heading out to various Combines and workouts, checking out some of the top talent in the tri-county area. Here are videos of Luc and I will continure looking for video of McCartney:
Jeff Luc, LB, 6'1, 235lbs.
GO CANES!!!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Canes make Lovett DC Plus 2009 Schedule...
First, the 2009 schedule. Mark them down in your outlook/blackberry:
Sept. 7 at Florida State (ESPN)
Sept. 17 Georgia Tech (ESPN)
Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech
Oct. 3 Oklahoma
Oct. 10 Florida A&M
Oct. 17 at Central Florida
Oct. 24 Clemson
Oct. 31 at Wake Forest
Nov. 7 Virginia
Nov. 14 at North Carolina
Nov. 21 Duke
Nov. 28 at South Florida
Sept. 7 at Florida State (ESPN)
Sept. 17 Georgia Tech (ESPN)
Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech
Oct. 3 Oklahoma
Oct. 10 Florida A&M
Oct. 17 at Central Florida
Oct. 24 Clemson
Oct. 31 at Wake Forest
Nov. 7 Virginia
Nov. 14 at North Carolina
Nov. 21 Duke
Nov. 28 at South Florida
It is official. That is one ugly mug!!! Ok, ok, now the serious stuff. The Canes have finalized the deal with John Lovett to be the new Defensive Coordinator. Lovett has spend 18 years as a defensive coordinator at various institutions. Coach Shannon had stated previously that if he did not find a suitable candidate for the position he would do it himself. It seems as though he has found him in Lovett.
It is believed that coach Lovett has a great knowledge of ACC football. He has spent a good amount of time in the conference, with stints at Clemson and most recently, North Carolina. Coaches that have worked with him in the past, have nothing but positive things to say. Of course I wouldn't expect them to say anything negative anyways. Some of the things they have said are that he is a great recruiter in the Southeast as well as the Northeast, and a proven talent evaluator. Also coaches have mentioned that he is aggressive as a DC and works particularly well with the secondary, something we desperately need to improve on. He has had stints with Mississippi under coach Tubberville for four years, then followed Tubberville to Auburn for three years as DC. Other stints as defensive coordinator include stops at Clemson and Maine.
He spent the last two years at UNC under coach Butch Davis as special teams coach and assisting the defense under corrdinators Chuch Pagano and Everett Withers. He helped with gameplanning extensively.
I know there is people who are a bit skeptical about the hire and don't know if this is the "homerun" hire we were all looking for but I don't think this is a significant dropoff from coach Young. I believe coach Lovett brings some different to the table and something we've all been wanting as well; someone with knowledge in the secondary. No one seems to be too happy with coach McGriff. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from Lovett. So I am definitely looking forward to seeing what will play out. I'm good with the hire. Not overly ecstatic, but good.
Once again here is his bio off the UNC athletic website:
Lovett was part of a defensive staff that improved more than 60 positions from the previous year in the NCAA's total defense statistical rankings. In addition, kick returner Brandon Tate established the ACC career mark for kickoff return yards and returned a punt for a touchdown. UNC kicker Connor Barth had his best season in 2007, connecting on 19 of 22 field goals and setting the school career mark for field goals.
Prior to coming to Carolina, Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green from 2005-06. In addition to coordinating the defense at Bowling Green, Lovett coached linebackers in 2005 and defensive backs in 2006. In his first year at BGSU, Lovett's defense ranked 20th in the country in turnover margin.
The defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2002-04, Lovett helped develop one of the ACC's top defenses and defensive backs Justin Miller and Brian Mance earned All-America honors. In 2004, Clemson was 11th in the nation in pass defense efficiency (103.4) and 26th in total defense (327.3). In 2003, his defense allowed just 19.2 points per game as Clemson finished the year with nine wins and a top 25 national ranking.
Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 1999-2001 and helped lead the Tigers to bowl games each of his last two years. In 2001, Auburn earned a berth in the Peach Bowl opposite North Carolina.
Lovett coached the secondary all four years he was at Ole Miss (1995-98), including the 1997 season when the Rebels had an 8-4 overall record, including a victory in the Motor City Bowl.
Prior to coming to Mississippi in 1995, Lovett worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two stints. He first went to Orono in 1985 and severed as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1985-88. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Black Bears in 1994. The 1987 team won the conference championship and qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs.
Lovett began his career in coaching at Saint Joseph's Region High School in Montvale, N.J., in 1976. He started his college career in 1978 at Union College in New York, where he worked until 1982. Lovett spent the 1983 season in the Ivy League at Brown, and then moved back to New York to work under Joe Walton as the New York Jets' defensive quality control coach in 1984. In 1989, he joined head coach Tim Murphy at the University of Cincinnati, where he remained until 1992. In 1993, he coached at UNLV as the secondary coach.
Lovett graduated from C.W. Post College in December of 1973. He came to the school as a walk-on, but quickly earned a scholarship and served as the team's co-captain as a senior in 1973. He played for Dom Amile, who is now the Director of Football Operations for the Indianapolis Colts. At the completion of his career, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Denver and he earned his Master's Degree in 1975. The next year he entered the coaching profession.
The Lovett FileDate and Place of Birth: Born December 1, 1950Family: Wife, CarolEducation: C.W. Post College, 1973; C.W. Post College, master's, 1975Playing Experience: 1970-73, C.W. Post CollegeCoaching Experience: 1976-77, St. Joseph's Regional High School, N.J.; 1978-82, Union College, N.Y. (assistant coach); 1983, Brown (assistant coach); 1984, New York Jets (defensive quality control coach), 1985-88, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1989-92, Cincinnati (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1993, UNLV (assistant coach/secondary); 1994, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1995-98, Mississippi (assistant coach/secondary); 1999-2001, Auburn (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2002-04, Clemson (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2005-06, Bowling Green, (assistant coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers/defensive backs); 2007-present, North Carolina (assistant coach/special teams coordinator/defensive assistant)
Prior to coming to Carolina, Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green from 2005-06. In addition to coordinating the defense at Bowling Green, Lovett coached linebackers in 2005 and defensive backs in 2006. In his first year at BGSU, Lovett's defense ranked 20th in the country in turnover margin.
The defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2002-04, Lovett helped develop one of the ACC's top defenses and defensive backs Justin Miller and Brian Mance earned All-America honors. In 2004, Clemson was 11th in the nation in pass defense efficiency (103.4) and 26th in total defense (327.3). In 2003, his defense allowed just 19.2 points per game as Clemson finished the year with nine wins and a top 25 national ranking.
Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 1999-2001 and helped lead the Tigers to bowl games each of his last two years. In 2001, Auburn earned a berth in the Peach Bowl opposite North Carolina.
Lovett coached the secondary all four years he was at Ole Miss (1995-98), including the 1997 season when the Rebels had an 8-4 overall record, including a victory in the Motor City Bowl.
Prior to coming to Mississippi in 1995, Lovett worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two stints. He first went to Orono in 1985 and severed as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1985-88. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Black Bears in 1994. The 1987 team won the conference championship and qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs.
Lovett began his career in coaching at Saint Joseph's Region High School in Montvale, N.J., in 1976. He started his college career in 1978 at Union College in New York, where he worked until 1982. Lovett spent the 1983 season in the Ivy League at Brown, and then moved back to New York to work under Joe Walton as the New York Jets' defensive quality control coach in 1984. In 1989, he joined head coach Tim Murphy at the University of Cincinnati, where he remained until 1992. In 1993, he coached at UNLV as the secondary coach.
Lovett graduated from C.W. Post College in December of 1973. He came to the school as a walk-on, but quickly earned a scholarship and served as the team's co-captain as a senior in 1973. He played for Dom Amile, who is now the Director of Football Operations for the Indianapolis Colts. At the completion of his career, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Denver and he earned his Master's Degree in 1975. The next year he entered the coaching profession.
The Lovett FileDate and Place of Birth: Born December 1, 1950Family: Wife, CarolEducation: C.W. Post College, 1973; C.W. Post College, master's, 1975Playing Experience: 1970-73, C.W. Post CollegeCoaching Experience: 1976-77, St. Joseph's Regional High School, N.J.; 1978-82, Union College, N.Y. (assistant coach); 1983, Brown (assistant coach); 1984, New York Jets (defensive quality control coach), 1985-88, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1989-92, Cincinnati (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1993, UNLV (assistant coach/secondary); 1994, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1995-98, Mississippi (assistant coach/secondary); 1999-2001, Auburn (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2002-04, Clemson (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2005-06, Bowling Green, (assistant coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers/defensive backs); 2007-present, North Carolina (assistant coach/special teams coordinator/defensive assistant)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Bryce Brown Declaring March 12th.
He has said on his handler's, Brian Butler's, site that he will be declaring on March 12th. He will take one of his remaining two official visits left to Tenn. on one of the upcoming weekends.
We are still checking out film on last year's games and next years recruits. Next year is a STACKED year for UM. It's very important that UM not only cleans up and gets great talent, but builds depth. Right now I'd say we are 60% of were we need to be depth wise, and that's a direct reflection upon Coker.
Also, we are trying to get some information regarding the spring practices.
Lastly, the ACC is set to release the schedule for football on 2/12, so we'll have that for you the second it's released.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
We are still checking out film on last year's games and next years recruits. Next year is a STACKED year for UM. It's very important that UM not only cleans up and gets great talent, but builds depth. Right now I'd say we are 60% of were we need to be depth wise, and that's a direct reflection upon Coker.
Also, we are trying to get some information regarding the spring practices.
Lastly, the ACC is set to release the schedule for football on 2/12, so we'll have that for you the second it's released.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Monday, February 9, 2009
DC Hire Looking Like Lovett
Right now, all the rumors seem to be confirming Lovett as DC. We mentioned his name a possibility a few days ago, and it seems to be the hire Randy has made. Personally, we aren't overwhelmed with the decision, but we must look at it positively. First, he has both college and pro experience. Secondly, he has been a defensive coordinator before. Third, from what I've heard he has been the one who gameplanned for DC, not Everett Withers. Finally, he does have intimate knowledge of UNC and their gameplans. Here is his bio from the UNC site:
John Lovett Bio:
John Lovett Bio:
John Lovett enters his second season as North Carolina's special teams coordinator and defensive assistant. Lovett comes to Carolina with 18 years of experience as a defensive coordinator, including stops at Clemson, Auburn and Mississippi.
Lovett was part of a defensive staff that improved more than 60 positions from the previous year in the NCAA's total defense statistical rankings. In addition, kick returner Brandon Tate established the ACC career mark for kickoff return yards and returned a punt for a touchdown. UNC kicker Connor Barth had his best season in 2007, connecting on 19 of 22 field goals and setting the school career mark for field goals.
Prior to coming to Carolina, Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green from 2005-06. In addition to coordinating the defense at Bowling Green, Lovett coached linebackers in 2005 and defensive backs in 2006. In his first year at BGSU, Lovett's defense ranked 20th in the country in turnover margin.
The defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2002-04, Lovett helped develop one of the ACC's top defenses and defensive backs Justin Miller and Brian Mance earned All-America honors. In 2004, Clemson was 11th in the nation in pass defense efficiency (103.4) and 26th in total defense (327.3). In 2003, his defense allowed just 19.2 points per game as Clemson finished the year with nine wins and a top 25 national ranking.
Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 1999-2001 and helped lead the Tigers to bowl games each of his last two years. In 2001, Auburn earned a berth in the Peach Bowl opposite North Carolina.
Lovett coached the secondary all four years he was at Ole Miss (1995-98), including the 1997 season when the Rebels had an 8-4 overall record, including a victory in the Motor City Bowl.
Prior to coming to Mississippi in 1995, Lovett worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two stints. He first went to Orono in 1985 and severed as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1985-88. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Black Bears in 1994. The 1987 team won the conference championship and qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs.
Lovett began his career in coaching at Saint Joseph's Region High School in Montvale, N.J., in 1976. He started his college career in 1978 at Union College in New York, where he worked until 1982. Lovett spent the 1983 season in the Ivy League at Brown, and then moved back to New York to work under Joe Walton as the New York Jets' defensive quality control coach in 1984. In 1989, he joined head coach Tim Murphy at the University of Cincinnati, where he remained until 1992. In 1993, he coached at UNLV as the secondary coach.
Lovett graduated from C.W. Post College in December of 1973. He came to the school as a walk-on, but quickly earned a scholarship and served as the team's co-captain as a senior in 1973. He played for Dom Amile, who is now the Director of Football Operations for the Indianapolis Colts. At the completion of his career, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Denver and he earned his Master's Degree in 1975. The next year he entered the coaching profession.
The Lovett File
Date and Place of Birth: Born December 1, 1950
Family: Wife, Carol
Education: C.W. Post College, 1973; C.W. Post College, master's, 1975
Playing Experience: 1970-73, C.W. Post College
Coaching Experience: 1976-77, St. Joseph's Regional High School, N.J.; 1978-82, Union College, N.Y. (assistant coach); 1983, Brown (assistant coach); 1984, New York Jets (defensive quality control coach), 1985-88, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1989-92, Cincinnati (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1993, UNLV (assistant coach/secondary); 1994, Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 1995-98, Mississippi (assistant coach/secondary); 1999-2001, Auburn (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2002-04, Clemson (assistant coach/defensive coordinator); 2005-06, Bowling Green, (assistant coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers/defensive backs); 2007-present, North Carolina (assistant coach/special teams coordinator/defensive assistant)
Video of the 2009 Class...Enjoy!!!
Some guys are missing but we will try to get video on them as well...this is a compilation...
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4448621/11923627
GO CANES!!!
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4448621/11923627
GO CANES!!!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Not An Off Weekend For Us
We are doing our best to get to you any information regarding players, recruits still left on board (Bryce Brown and Daniel Campbell), and Defensive Coordinator. While we just have rumors to work off of right now, none of them are confirmed by anyone.
Some say that the defensive coordinator is expected to be hired within the next 72 hours or so, but as of right now I think it's best just to be patient and see exactly what Randy is doing. I do know he flew to NY over the weekend, but that's about it.
Regarding Bryce, we think he's still several weeks away from inking with anyone and will take some official visits.
Daniel Campbell still has his grades issues and we think if he gets his grades in order he signs with us, and adds another body to an already solid OL class.
We hope to bring you some more information tomorrow or Tuesday. Also, we are busy looking at film for all of our games last season, with notations, and will have a list of expectations and players leading up to spring practice, which begins later this month (I think Feb. 24th, but I'm not sure, I'm going off of the top of my head).
Also, don't forget the Spring Game is March 28th. It looks to be at either Lockhart Stadium or Dolphin Stadium and will begin at 10 a.m. We will be tailgating there bright and early, about 8ish, and will try to speak to some of the players and recruits after the game and of course, we'll have plenty of pictures.
Thanks for reading and as always Go Canes.
Some say that the defensive coordinator is expected to be hired within the next 72 hours or so, but as of right now I think it's best just to be patient and see exactly what Randy is doing. I do know he flew to NY over the weekend, but that's about it.
Regarding Bryce, we think he's still several weeks away from inking with anyone and will take some official visits.
Daniel Campbell still has his grades issues and we think if he gets his grades in order he signs with us, and adds another body to an already solid OL class.
We hope to bring you some more information tomorrow or Tuesday. Also, we are busy looking at film for all of our games last season, with notations, and will have a list of expectations and players leading up to spring practice, which begins later this month (I think Feb. 24th, but I'm not sure, I'm going off of the top of my head).
Also, don't forget the Spring Game is March 28th. It looks to be at either Lockhart Stadium or Dolphin Stadium and will begin at 10 a.m. We will be tailgating there bright and early, about 8ish, and will try to speak to some of the players and recruits after the game and of course, we'll have plenty of pictures.
Thanks for reading and as always Go Canes.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Pictures From National Signing Day
Randy addressing the crowd.
Don Bailey Jr...... being Don Bailey Jr.
Randy mingling with fans.
Jacory and Jermaine Johnson. Both are bigger than expected right now.
Mike James and Brandon Washington.
From Left to Right: Sean Spence, Olivier Vernon, Brandon Mcgee, Curtis Porter.
The podium where the press was addressed.
Clint Hurtt talking with those present.
From Left to Right: Olivier Vernon, Brandon Mcgee, Curtis Porter.
Mcgee and Porter being addressed by the support staff.
Quick DC Update
Rumors are floating around that the next DC will be hired by mid Wed. or Thursday of next week. Right now, we are trying to see what information we can release as to who it is, but there are at least 4 names on that list.
First name is john Lovett. He is the UNC dbs coach and has experience as a coordinator while he was at Auburn during Miami's championship run.
Second is Georgia's Willie Martinez, which we've mentioned before as a possibility.
Third is TCU's DC Dick Bumpas
And last is Cincinnati's DC Joe Tresey.
Tomorrow we'll breakdown each of these candidates, right now we are going to see what other information we can find about the DC, the remaining two signees (Bryce Brown and Daniel Campbell), and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
*** Just found out that a solid candidate might be Chuck Pagano, but it still seems as rumor right now. I'll get back to you guys later once I am able to confirm some of these rumors.***
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
First name is john Lovett. He is the UNC dbs coach and has experience as a coordinator while he was at Auburn during Miami's championship run.
Second is Georgia's Willie Martinez, which we've mentioned before as a possibility.
Third is TCU's DC Dick Bumpas
And last is Cincinnati's DC Joe Tresey.
Tomorrow we'll breakdown each of these candidates, right now we are going to see what other information we can find about the DC, the remaining two signees (Bryce Brown and Daniel Campbell), and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
*** Just found out that a solid candidate might be Chuck Pagano, but it still seems as rumor right now. I'll get back to you guys later once I am able to confirm some of these rumors.***
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Recruiting Class Grades by Position...
Now that it is all but over, with the exception of Bryce Brown, we have come up with a report card of sorts. Here are the grades position by position for this years recruiting class:
Quarterback
After coach Shannon let Marve loose after the end of the year, I figured we would go after a couple guys. Apparently coach Shannon was content with what he has now, as am I. Not only did I consider Jacory the better fit for our program, but I am also very comfortable with Taylor Cook as our backup. There is just something about the kid I like. We did end up landing one quarterback. A.J. Highsmith committed early on in the process and was never consider anything less than a Cane lock. The downside is that A.J., who is the son of former UM great Alonzo Highsmith, is not considered to remain a quarterback for long. Everyone has predicted him to make the switch to cornerback. Although I fully expect him to compete at the beginning at the quarterback position, I do think he will eventually make the move over to cornerback. I like him at QB. I say give the kid a fair shot. The upside I see in his switch besides the lack of depth would be that he could run the scout offense when we do face schools like Georgia Tech.
GRADE: B
Runningback
Did we clean house or what? Even with Bryce not signing yet, we have two legit playmakers at the position. Mike James and Lamar Miller are two excellent runningback prospects, each having their own style of running. James being the more powerful back and Miller being the more breakaway type back. I saw James yesterday a the signing day festivies on campus and wow, the kid is a man physically already. Considerably bigger than all the backs we have now. He looks like he could be plugged into the lineup right now and be more physically imposing than anyone else. I look for both to get considerable time this year. James has been enrolled since January and will seem to have an advantage on any other back coming in June. With Javarris always being nicked up and Coop not looking like that everyday back, I see these guys along with Lee Chambers to step up and make some noise. Plus I do believe we sign Bryce Brown soon, Rivals #1 player in America. That could possibly make this RB one of the best ever.
GRADE: A (A+ with Bryce)
Wide Receivers
As I expected, Miami did not receive one wide receiver recruit in this class. The two guys they were going after hard, Reuben Randle and Andre DeBose were interested at one time, but dropped Miami as time got closer to NSD. I am not too surprised but I figure they might pull something out of their magic hat on this one. The one receiver I do believe we wiffed on was Jheranie Boyd, #4 WR by rivals. He was rumored to be dying to get an offer from us but never received one. Keep an eye out on this kid, his film looks impressive. Bad thing was he ended up signing with UNC. Here's his film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3u0y0nzJkE Good thing is next year the cupboard is full of good receivers again down here in Dade and Broward.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
Tight Ends
I actually though we did well at this position. We lost out at the end with Sheldon Richardson when he chose to stick with Missouri yesterday, but we did get a bit of a surprise when Billy Sanders, who was committed to us, then decommitted to UCLA, chose to come back and stick with us at the end. Stephen Plein was our other recruit who signed the LOI yesterday as well. Plein being the better blocker of the two , could possibly end up playing offensive line. He is up to 250lbs already, but he does have decent hands. Sanders fits into the mold of a Jeremy Shockey. Very good pass catcher with good feet and decent speed. I think what helped with Sanders was the opportunity to play early with the injury to senior starting TE Dedrick Epps. Look for him to make his presence known in the pass catching game. Cory White is another so-called TE signing. Coaches consider him an OL prospect, as do we. Cory has already said he would like to play OL and at 6'6, 250lbs, he is on the right track. We will save him for the OL assessment.
GRADE: B+
Offensive Line
If you look at the list, you first think to yourself, hey, we didn't do too bad. We could've done way better. I am not saying we did bad, but the fact is that we fell short with a couple of kids that
"should've" chosen Miami. Guys we fell short with: Peter White, went to Maryland, thought we had a real good chance with him. Andrew Tiller, signed with Syracuse. Syracuse? I know his JUCO coach is now a coach at Syracuse, but you can't compare. Another one that slipped our fingers... Quinton Washington. Now I do believe we got on him a little too late, but he was another one that was rumored to be favoring us. Committed to Michigan. This one guy, we had no business of being a finalist for, would've been a great get. Marcus Hall out of Glenville, a breeding ground and pipeline for Ohio State football. Who would have thought. With a coach like Ted Ginn Sr., how does the thought of playing at Miami even cross his mind? Who cares. It was close, but no cigar. He chose OSU. But forget about the kids we missed on, lets talk the big boys we did get. Jermaine Johnson, a prep school kid and South Florida native, was committed to Auburn coming out of high school, but did not qualify. After a few years at Hargrave Academy, only playing one of the years, he chose the Canes. He looks huge at 6'6, 309lbs. I saw him yesterday as well, and looks a lot bigger and more developed than I pictured. Another kid I am excited about is Delaware native Malcolm Bunche. Great footwork and knows how to finish off blocks. Jared Wheeler out of American Heritage was another good kid. From what I got out of press conference announcing coach Whipple as our OC, coach Whipple likes to pull with his offensive line. Wheeler from the tapes is a helluva puller and looks to be the man for that role. Brandon Washington committed to us last yr out of Miami Northwestern, but did not qualify. He played one year up in New York at Milford prep, got his grades up and was an early enrollee this year at Miami. We have high expectations for B-Wash and think he could compete for a starting spot on the line this year. Now I can mention Cory White. White has expressed interest in playing tight end as well as offensive line. He played on the line all year at his high school. He said that in this past year, he grew from 6'4, 225lbs., to 6'6, 250lbs. At that rate, he could be a force to be reckoned with at the tackle position. Do I hear Eric Winston? only time will tell. The future could be bright on the line.
GRADE: B+ (Almost A-...almost)
Defensive Line
I think we did an excellent job solidifying the defensive end position with the addition of Olivier Vernon (already enrolled) and Dyron Dye, out of Sanford Seminole, gator country baby!!! I am not sure how much playing time thses kids will get, but I am sure they will get every opportunity to showcase their skills and beat someone out. Look for Vernon to get the upper edge because he is already enrolled and will perform in Spring drills. The guys that might see more time are the tackles. Luther Robinson, who was wavering a bit and was receiving a hard late push by UF, made the right choice and chose the Canes. Curtis Porter (already enrolled) was the other DT signed by Miami. Both look to challenge for a spot on the depth chart, due to the loss of a few guys from the interior of that line. I think our strong point was our line and this class just added some depth and talent to the position.
GRADE: A-
Linebackers
I don't think we are as deep as we want to be at the linebacker position. Shayon Green out of Tifton, GA, is rated as defensive end, but I do believe he stays at linebacker for the time being for added depth. Big strong kid already at 6'2, 225lbs., Green could see some time on special teams. Next year we definitely need to address the position again. Green was the only linebacker taken in this class. Linebackers we were finalists for, but fell short were; Tana Patrick (Alabama), Greg King (Tennessee) and Sam Barrington (South Florida).
GRADE: C
Defensive Backs
Along with runningback, I would say, defensive back was a strong suit in this recruiting class. With the exception of losing Kayvon Webster in a switcharoo yesterday and maybe a couple other kids who had us in their top 3, we did a decent job. Our prize recruit came out of the DB spot, with 5 star STUD Ray Ray Armstrong. Ray Ray was rated the #1 athlete by rivals and will play safety at the U. Armstong will come in and right away be in the mix for a starting spot at the position, even with the stockpile of safeties we have now. Jamal Reid is another signee. Reid came in rated #17 athlete and could possibly end playing both ways a bit. He is a great receiver as well. Prince Kent is a big kid at 6'3, 195lbs. Kent could fill in and mature into a great safety and possibly an outside linebacker. I think, for now, he redshirts though. The player no one talks about and is possibly one of the best pure corners in the nation is Brandon McGee. He could end up being the best player in this class once it's said and done. The most important thing a cornerback needs are hips. By that we mean he has to be able to turn his hips at a very quick rate in order to properly cover a receiver. We think he has this. Also, because of his speed and quickness, look for him to be a factor in the kicking game as well.
GRADE: A
That rounds up this years recruiting class. We are obviously still awaiting the decision of Bryce Brown. Although the waiting game is tiresome, no one can deny they want him here.
Look for our next installment as we will get into the DC discussion. Some formidable names are surfacing now and we have the scoop on them. Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading and GO CANES!!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Live Update From Campus
We are here covering the third annual recruiting day festivities.
First impressions thus far is awe. Brandon washington and Mike James are very, very big and look physically ready to step in and contribute next year.
Coach Shannon spoke about the importance of building depthand getting our players prepared physically and mentally.
Additionally, we were privy to some extra film on the players. After the film the players were all asked player specific questions about why they chose Miami etc. All these players seem to have a genuine love for our Canes.
Coach Hurtt was asked about Bryce Brown, but due to NCAA rules he can't comment on current, unsigned recruits.
Aldarius Johnson, DVD, and Baby J were walking around greeting the 200 people or so while we were eating and meeting the recruits who were available.
The recruits sat in two tables, separated by offense and defense. The offense had Jacory with them and the table included Brandon Washington, Mike James, and Jermaine Johnson.
The defense had Sean Spence with them and included Olivier Vernon, Brandon Mcgee, and Curtis Porter.
We have pictures with them all, as well as some of the other coaches.
A long day, too long for us to go to the encore and watch our men's basketball take on Wake in half an hour. We are happy with the class we signed, although we do wish we would have offered Hosely (signed with V-tech), it would have helped, especially with Webster decommitting, but we can't look at this class and be dissapointed.
Sorry, forgot to mention this previously, but Mccaskil doesn't have an offer from UM. Forgot to ask the coaches about him earlier in the evening but I will jump online when I get home and see what information I can find on him.
Thanks for reading and as always Go Canes!!!!
First impressions thus far is awe. Brandon washington and Mike James are very, very big and look physically ready to step in and contribute next year.
Coach Shannon spoke about the importance of building depthand getting our players prepared physically and mentally.
Additionally, we were privy to some extra film on the players. After the film the players were all asked player specific questions about why they chose Miami etc. All these players seem to have a genuine love for our Canes.
Coach Hurtt was asked about Bryce Brown, but due to NCAA rules he can't comment on current, unsigned recruits.
Aldarius Johnson, DVD, and Baby J were walking around greeting the 200 people or so while we were eating and meeting the recruits who were available.
The recruits sat in two tables, separated by offense and defense. The offense had Jacory with them and the table included Brandon Washington, Mike James, and Jermaine Johnson.
The defense had Sean Spence with them and included Olivier Vernon, Brandon Mcgee, and Curtis Porter.
We have pictures with them all, as well as some of the other coaches.
A long day, too long for us to go to the encore and watch our men's basketball take on Wake in half an hour. We are happy with the class we signed, although we do wish we would have offered Hosely (signed with V-tech), it would have helped, especially with Webster decommitting, but we can't look at this class and be dissapointed.
Sorry, forgot to mention this previously, but Mccaskil doesn't have an offer from UM. Forgot to ask the coaches about him earlier in the evening but I will jump online when I get home and see what information I can find on him.
Thanks for reading and as always Go Canes!!!!
Recruiting Update #1
Around town right now, and en route to the first of many parties, but here is a list of the confirmed signatures.
Stephen Plein
Prince Kent
Jamal Reid
AJ Highsmith
Mike James
Brandon Washington
Jermaine Johnson
Curtis Porter
Oliver Vernon
Brandon McGee
Ray Ray Armonstrong
Dyron Dye
Malcolm Bunche
Luther Robinson
Cory White
Shayon Green
Jared Wheeler
Lamar Miller
Quick bit of extra info.... Lamar Miller signed at 10, he was wearing a vest and UM tie. This kid will be the stud of the class, we said it here first.
Rumor is Tiller followed his HS coach to syracuse. We really could have used another body on the line.
Thanks to our reader for mentioning Sanders.
As far as other non-UM recruiting news...Gulliver LB Frankie Telfort to USC, #2 LB Jelani Jenkins to UF.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
Stephen Plein
Prince Kent
Jamal Reid
AJ Highsmith
Mike James
Brandon Washington
Jermaine Johnson
Curtis Porter
Oliver Vernon
Brandon McGee
Ray Ray Armonstrong
Dyron Dye
Malcolm Bunche
Luther Robinson
Cory White
Shayon Green
Jared Wheeler
Lamar Miller
Quick bit of extra info.... Lamar Miller signed at 10, he was wearing a vest and UM tie. This kid will be the stud of the class, we said it here first.
Rumor is Tiller followed his HS coach to syracuse. We really could have used another body on the line.
Thanks to our reader for mentioning Sanders.
As far as other non-UM recruiting news...Gulliver LB Frankie Telfort to USC, #2 LB Jelani Jenkins to UF.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
12 Hours Before Mayhem
Quick, to the point info for now with an update for a schedule we are trying to stick to tomorrow.
First, Peter White has committed to Maryland. It's a shame, but rumors are he called Coach Fridge and he's sealed and delivered to them.
Also, Quinton Washington threw us a curve ball and picked Michigan over us and South Carolina. We sure didn't see that coming.
Quick break from recruiting.... it looks like Robert Marve is going to try and walk on with UF this year, so that should be interesting to see. I wonder how many classes he'll miss and drinking parties he won't.
Now onto Sam Barrington, this kid looked like he was going to sign with us, but we wish him luck in his endeavors at USF.
Tomorrow's day starts early, we should have our first big news at 9 am and will be updating it every hour or so via our blackberry while we are traveling from watch party to watch party until we end up at the official one on campus at 6pm. Please keep refreshing the blog, information should be flowing freely (as will the beer where we will be).
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
First, Peter White has committed to Maryland. It's a shame, but rumors are he called Coach Fridge and he's sealed and delivered to them.
Also, Quinton Washington threw us a curve ball and picked Michigan over us and South Carolina. We sure didn't see that coming.
Quick break from recruiting.... it looks like Robert Marve is going to try and walk on with UF this year, so that should be interesting to see. I wonder how many classes he'll miss and drinking parties he won't.
Now onto Sam Barrington, this kid looked like he was going to sign with us, but we wish him luck in his endeavors at USF.
Tomorrow's day starts early, we should have our first big news at 9 am and will be updating it every hour or so via our blackberry while we are traveling from watch party to watch party until we end up at the official one on campus at 6pm. Please keep refreshing the blog, information should be flowing freely (as will the beer where we will be).
Thanks for reading and Go Canes.
Is it U or I? LB-Barrington chooses tonight...
As we all await the decision from Sam Barrington tonight at 8:30pm, just want to give a quick rundown on him. Barrington, a Jacksonville native, will be choosing between USF, Illinois and Miami. He has said that he thinks they are all good programs, but I will point out that he did emphasize that Miami was the best program out of the three. It is rumored that he reserved a spot at the Eclipse Night Club in Jacksonville. If this kid wants to announce at a night club, seems to me like Miami might be the place for him. But he won't do the usual hat picking thing. He said it will do something different, unique.
At 6'3, 220lbs., Barrington has the makings of becoming a big physically imposing linebacker, a position we are still lacking depth at. At that size he could be ready to see action immediately. His last official visit was down here in Miami the two weekends ago, but he did receive an in-home visit from coach Ron Zook later that week. In my opinion, it will come down to Illinois and Miami, with Miami having the edge. Stay tuned as we will bring you more coverage on his commitment tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-jFGd-Mi4Q
Thanks for reading...
GO CANES!!!!
Sam Barrington Update
Just a reminder that Sam Barrington, LB from Jacksonville is going to announce his decision tonight at 8:30. We will have an update for you at that time.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Quinton Washington Update
He has a signing ceremony set up for 3 pm Wed., so keep your firefox, explorer, etc. on here at that time and we'll let you know where he decides. There's a chance he signs with UM, but again, you never know. Of the top ones we have left, not including him,we think the best ones we have that can ink with us are Daniel Campbell, Sam Barrington, and Peter White. Sheldon Richardson has a strong chance of committing, but I do know he has some grades issues and it's hard to get him away from home and his commitment to Mizzou. If you have any questions, just post them in the comments section and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Recruiting Update on Marcus Hall
Hall picked OSU. No way to set up an into to that, so might as well not even bother. It seems like my trepidation regarding his love for UM was on key. This goes to show you that you should never go against your gut feelings guys, especially in recruiting. All the signs leading into this weekend pointed to him signing, especially when after Tressel's visit last week led to him announcing that he was going to make his commitment public on Monday. Sometimes a kid can love a school all he wants, but if momma wants him to stay home, chances are he's going to stay home. Either way, we wish the kid the best of luck.
Keep checking our blog out for informatino, we have our hands full with NSD happening this week, but rest assured that Wed. we will have a monsoon of NSD information and shockers for all of college ball.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Keep checking our blog out for informatino, we have our hands full with NSD happening this week, but rest assured that Wed. we will have a monsoon of NSD information and shockers for all of college ball.
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
DC Hot Stove!!!
Rumors are starting to heat up for the Defensive Coordinator position. Rumor has it that Notre Dame linebacker coach John Tenuta is the leader in the clubhouse. Rumors are that he is not happy at ND and is possibly interested in becoming a DC again. Before becoming LB coach at ND, Tenuta served as the DC for Georgia Tech from 2002-2007. We will keep you updated on this story plus more candidates for the position. Here is one of his bio's.
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tenuta_jon00.html
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tenuta_jon00.html
Thanks for reading and Go Canes!
Can we get to Wednesday already!?!? Visitors news...
This weekend was a big one. With the arrival of Sheldon Richardson and many more on campus for their official visits, now was the chance to charm them and possibly reel them in. So how close did we get? A lot closer than some might think. Then again we also had the guys we needed to solidify as well. So how did that go?
Let's start with the "already" committed. Luther Robinson, as we stated in a previous post, was waivering a bit and still seems to be. Not much is coming out, but rumor has it that a member of the Robinson camp has stated that they are weighing their options and still figuring out where he was going. I guess we're gonna have to weight till Wednesday at 9:30am. That is when Robinson will be announcing his decision.
Ok, ok, we're in the clear it seems with Mr. Jamal Reid. Reid said he enjoyed his visit a whole lot and is fully committed to signing with Miami on Feb. 4th. Reid seems he has built a strong relationship with position coach Weslet McGriff. He was hosted by fellow DB Jo Jo Nicholas, but he also spent a lot of time with Lamar Miller, Ray Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye and Prince Kent. All who are solid commits to Miami. We look foward to him coming in and adding some much needed depth at the cornerback position and maybe getting some plays in on offense as well.
Andrew Tiller. I do not think our expectations were too high on landing Tiller, but after his visit it seems like our chances have increased. He came on the visit with his mother. She wasn't too sure about Miami, but after the visit and knowing what Miami is about, she feels very comfortable with Tiller coming down here. If he picks Miami, it's his decision but she would be fine with it. Tiller is also considering his home town team Syracuse. What Syracuse has going for them is that his coach at Nassau Community College is now part of the staff at Syracuse. I feel this would be a huge get for us as it will continue to solidify our OL class this yr. For those of you who are worried, it could only help Bryce Brown's decision as well.
He had a blast!!! How good does that sound? I really think Sheldon Richardson is the prized possession of this class. Well for some people that is. He came out blown away with the visit, saying it was much better than he though it would be. Although he did not decommit, he has been rumored to say that things have opened up after this visit and he has a lot to think about. Tons of rumors from Sheldob, from him actually saying I might be coming but to wait until wed, he thoroughly enjoyed his visit. The depth chart at TE was something he was very interested in. Dedrick Epps will likely be out for the first part of the season due to his knee surgery from the injury he sustained before the bowl game. That only leaves one TE (Richard Gordon, who happened to host Richardson) with any experience at the position. That definitely should be a factor in the deciding process. Both Epps and Gordon are seniors. Rumors are that he has said that "it's an opportunity you can't pass up." So then what are you waiting for, come on down!!!
Another tidbit...This is the second week in a row we hear that no coaches were present in a meeting among players and parents. I think this is a brilliant move on the part of the coaching staff to basically let the players and parents speak to each other and interact with other kids, committed or not. I am sure they had current players in the meetings as well. This is an obvious move to hear on the coaches to make the visitors hear it straight out of the horses mouth. Who better than the players to sell the program.
Feb. 4th should be an interesting and hopefully exciting day for the University of Miami and it's fans. We will be present at the school that day, trying to bring you up to date on the most recent signings and news coming straight out of the U.
DC rumors heating up. Coming up in our next installment.
Thanks for reading and GO CANES!!!
Let's start with the "already" committed. Luther Robinson, as we stated in a previous post, was waivering a bit and still seems to be. Not much is coming out, but rumor has it that a member of the Robinson camp has stated that they are weighing their options and still figuring out where he was going. I guess we're gonna have to weight till Wednesday at 9:30am. That is when Robinson will be announcing his decision.
Ok, ok, we're in the clear it seems with Mr. Jamal Reid. Reid said he enjoyed his visit a whole lot and is fully committed to signing with Miami on Feb. 4th. Reid seems he has built a strong relationship with position coach Weslet McGriff. He was hosted by fellow DB Jo Jo Nicholas, but he also spent a lot of time with Lamar Miller, Ray Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye and Prince Kent. All who are solid commits to Miami. We look foward to him coming in and adding some much needed depth at the cornerback position and maybe getting some plays in on offense as well.
Andrew Tiller. I do not think our expectations were too high on landing Tiller, but after his visit it seems like our chances have increased. He came on the visit with his mother. She wasn't too sure about Miami, but after the visit and knowing what Miami is about, she feels very comfortable with Tiller coming down here. If he picks Miami, it's his decision but she would be fine with it. Tiller is also considering his home town team Syracuse. What Syracuse has going for them is that his coach at Nassau Community College is now part of the staff at Syracuse. I feel this would be a huge get for us as it will continue to solidify our OL class this yr. For those of you who are worried, it could only help Bryce Brown's decision as well.
He had a blast!!! How good does that sound? I really think Sheldon Richardson is the prized possession of this class. Well for some people that is. He came out blown away with the visit, saying it was much better than he though it would be. Although he did not decommit, he has been rumored to say that things have opened up after this visit and he has a lot to think about. Tons of rumors from Sheldob, from him actually saying I might be coming but to wait until wed, he thoroughly enjoyed his visit. The depth chart at TE was something he was very interested in. Dedrick Epps will likely be out for the first part of the season due to his knee surgery from the injury he sustained before the bowl game. That only leaves one TE (Richard Gordon, who happened to host Richardson) with any experience at the position. That definitely should be a factor in the deciding process. Both Epps and Gordon are seniors. Rumors are that he has said that "it's an opportunity you can't pass up." So then what are you waiting for, come on down!!!
Another tidbit...This is the second week in a row we hear that no coaches were present in a meeting among players and parents. I think this is a brilliant move on the part of the coaching staff to basically let the players and parents speak to each other and interact with other kids, committed or not. I am sure they had current players in the meetings as well. This is an obvious move to hear on the coaches to make the visitors hear it straight out of the horses mouth. Who better than the players to sell the program.
Feb. 4th should be an interesting and hopefully exciting day for the University of Miami and it's fans. We will be present at the school that day, trying to bring you up to date on the most recent signings and news coming straight out of the U.
DC rumors heating up. Coming up in our next installment.
Thanks for reading and GO CANES!!!
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