Miami is still playing football deep into the calendar, and that is reshaping how the Canes recruit, develop, and see themselves. On the December 27th episode of the CanesInSight Podcast, host DMoney and 50 from Category 6 Sports made it clear that this postseason run has unlocked a different tier of program operations — one that Miami simply could not access during its lost years.
“It’s now been reported — Jackson Cantwell, JJ Sparks, Somourian Wingo, JJ Dunnigan, Camdin Portis, Javion Mallory — all these incoming freshmen are already here practicing because Miami is still playing football deep into the calendar,” DMoney said. For years, Miami fans had watched the bluebloods enjoy that luxury. “We always saw Alabama and Georgia do this, and you’d be jealous like, 'Man, that seems nice.'”
Now Miami is finally living in that world. And for 50, the emotional shift is just as big as the competitive one. “It just feels good to be a real program again,” he said. “We wasn’t ready for that before. Now we all in on it and it’s not gonna stop.” He then elaborated on how the Canes were moving on up, “We're not eating syrup sandwiches and sugar water no more. We're in a deluxe apartment in the sky now.”
One early beneficiary might be five-star tackle Jackson Cantwell. DMoney said the buzz started almost immediately. “I heard he looks good just walking around. Size-wise, he's standing next to Markel Bell and doesn't look out of place.” What stands out most, he explained, is the violence in Canwell’s hands as a national champion shot-putter. “He's got dynamite in his hands. He’s not even rolling through guys — he just pushing them.”
DMoney connected him to a familiar developmental story. “Markel Bell had the body and the mind. People said he was stiff. With coaching and discipline, now you see a dominant player. Cantwell, I think, got that same combination of mind and size.”
50 sees it the same way. “He got that walk-on mindset,” he said. “He's coming in ready to work. That’s why I feel good about him.”
Miami’s recent history of freshmen becoming national-level players has changed expectations, too. DMoney drew the line clearly. “We not talking about a freshman making plays against Boston College. We're talking about guys who Ohio State has to gameplan for in a playoff game.”
When it came to who could be next, 50 didn’t hesitate. “I love Wingo's game. Dunnigan could be that. You just never know who gonna blow up,” he said, before landing on the obvious answer. “But the safest bet has got to be Cantwell.”
What makes this all sustainable, though, is the environment those freshmen are walking into. DMoney explained how elite programs operate. “A freshman comes in, he sees Bain. He sees Mesidor. He sees Malachi. He knows how to work. The players teach the players.” That cycle, he said, is what keeps programs like Georgia and Alabama at the top.
50 sees that belief spreading inside Miami’s locker room. “These kids believe now,” he said. “Once a coach delivers on something he told you, it just goes up from there. That development stuff? It adds up. The great character guys add up.”
That culture is already paying dividends on the recruiting trail. DMoney pointed to the targets. “DJ Jacobs, number one player in the country for the Class of 2027. Mark Matthews, number one offensive player, both could be Canes” he said. The pitch has changed, too. “You're telling them, ‘You're gonna go against the best every day.’”
And now Miami can prove it. “We have the best defensive ends and tackles right now. Jackson Cantwell is already on campus practicing. You're not selling them a dream,” DMoney said. 50 summed it up simply: “That’s big-boy football now.”
The infrastructure behind the program has shifted just as dramatically. DMoney noted that “the university president is right behind Cristobal on Kyle Field, the trustees are out there, the big money guys are out there. They're all seeing what their investment is producing."
“When you give and you get this, there’s no going back. You can’t get cheap now.”
The mentality inside the locker room is matching the investment. DMoney told a story about a Kia-sponsored segment involving young defensive linemen Hayden Lowe and Armondo Blount. “Lowe asked Blount, ‘Who is the greatest athlete of all time?’ Blount said, ‘Me.’ And Hayden said, ‘Then I’m the greatest athlete of all time, because I can't let you have that.’”
That competitive swagger, DMoney said, is exactly what Miami is paying for. “You're not just paying five-stars. You're paying guys with the mindset.” 50 agreed. “We're not acting tough. We really on that. We are the alphas.”
Miami is no longer hoping to join the elite. It is operating like one. As 50 said, “it just feel good to be a real program again” — and for the first time in a long time, the Hurricanes look like they belong exactly where they are.
“It’s now been reported — Jackson Cantwell, JJ Sparks, Somourian Wingo, JJ Dunnigan, Camdin Portis, Javion Mallory — all these incoming freshmen are already here practicing because Miami is still playing football deep into the calendar,” DMoney said. For years, Miami fans had watched the bluebloods enjoy that luxury. “We always saw Alabama and Georgia do this, and you’d be jealous like, 'Man, that seems nice.'”
Now Miami is finally living in that world. And for 50, the emotional shift is just as big as the competitive one. “It just feels good to be a real program again,” he said. “We wasn’t ready for that before. Now we all in on it and it’s not gonna stop.” He then elaborated on how the Canes were moving on up, “We're not eating syrup sandwiches and sugar water no more. We're in a deluxe apartment in the sky now.”
One early beneficiary might be five-star tackle Jackson Cantwell. DMoney said the buzz started almost immediately. “I heard he looks good just walking around. Size-wise, he's standing next to Markel Bell and doesn't look out of place.” What stands out most, he explained, is the violence in Canwell’s hands as a national champion shot-putter. “He's got dynamite in his hands. He’s not even rolling through guys — he just pushing them.”
DMoney connected him to a familiar developmental story. “Markel Bell had the body and the mind. People said he was stiff. With coaching and discipline, now you see a dominant player. Cantwell, I think, got that same combination of mind and size.”
50 sees it the same way. “He got that walk-on mindset,” he said. “He's coming in ready to work. That’s why I feel good about him.”
Miami’s recent history of freshmen becoming national-level players has changed expectations, too. DMoney drew the line clearly. “We not talking about a freshman making plays against Boston College. We're talking about guys who Ohio State has to gameplan for in a playoff game.”
When it came to who could be next, 50 didn’t hesitate. “I love Wingo's game. Dunnigan could be that. You just never know who gonna blow up,” he said, before landing on the obvious answer. “But the safest bet has got to be Cantwell.”
What makes this all sustainable, though, is the environment those freshmen are walking into. DMoney explained how elite programs operate. “A freshman comes in, he sees Bain. He sees Mesidor. He sees Malachi. He knows how to work. The players teach the players.” That cycle, he said, is what keeps programs like Georgia and Alabama at the top.
50 sees that belief spreading inside Miami’s locker room. “These kids believe now,” he said. “Once a coach delivers on something he told you, it just goes up from there. That development stuff? It adds up. The great character guys add up.”
That culture is already paying dividends on the recruiting trail. DMoney pointed to the targets. “DJ Jacobs, number one player in the country for the Class of 2027. Mark Matthews, number one offensive player, both could be Canes” he said. The pitch has changed, too. “You're telling them, ‘You're gonna go against the best every day.’”
And now Miami can prove it. “We have the best defensive ends and tackles right now. Jackson Cantwell is already on campus practicing. You're not selling them a dream,” DMoney said. 50 summed it up simply: “That’s big-boy football now.”
The infrastructure behind the program has shifted just as dramatically. DMoney noted that “the university president is right behind Cristobal on Kyle Field, the trustees are out there, the big money guys are out there. They're all seeing what their investment is producing."
“When you give and you get this, there’s no going back. You can’t get cheap now.”
The mentality inside the locker room is matching the investment. DMoney told a story about a Kia-sponsored segment involving young defensive linemen Hayden Lowe and Armondo Blount. “Lowe asked Blount, ‘Who is the greatest athlete of all time?’ Blount said, ‘Me.’ And Hayden said, ‘Then I’m the greatest athlete of all time, because I can't let you have that.’”
That competitive swagger, DMoney said, is exactly what Miami is paying for. “You're not just paying five-stars. You're paying guys with the mindset.” 50 agreed. “We're not acting tough. We really on that. We are the alphas.”
Miami is no longer hoping to join the elite. It is operating like one. As 50 said, “it just feel good to be a real program again” — and for the first time in a long time, the Hurricanes look like they belong exactly where they are.
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