The madness is here. With 9 days until National Signing Day, there are rumors flying everywhere both negative and positive for Miami. Try to enjoy the ride.

**As I posted on Friday, Miami fans should be ready for disappointment with Travonte Valentine. I would be nearly shocked if the defensive tackle prospect winds up at Miami. LSU people are confident and Miami people are not, which is usually not a good combination. Golden still has his in-home visit remaining so that is almost the last hope for the Canes. It remains to be seen if Valentine will even follow through on his visit to Miami on the 31st.

**There was a lot of talk about Demetrius Jackson taking what some are calling a “secret” visit to Arkansas over the weekend. I know many are skeptical about Jackson’s trustworthiness after he said he was shutting everything down last week, but I talked to him again today and he was adamant that he was still solid. He said “Tell Canes fans not to worry about me. I’m solid.” Again, I understand people will continue to wonder about his commitment, but I would personally be very surprised if he ended up elsewhere. Miami is not concerned.

**Yes, Bo Scarborough was on Miami’s campus this weekend. The Canes have been quietly recruiting him for months and have been hoping to stay alive for a late push, which they seem like they are lined up to make. There is a good chance Scarborough takes an official to Miami next weekend. I’ve never spoken to him, so I can’t say for certain that his interest is “real”, but it says a lot for him to unofficial this weekend and possibly follow that up with an official.

**I exchanged messages with Chad Thomas after his visit to FSU this weekend and it seemed like he had a good time on his trip. I don’t know if it was enough to get him seriously thinking about flipping, but there is no doubt that he enjoyed himself. At the end of the day, music could be the driving force to keeping him home. Although most people would think I am referring Miami’s music program (which is one of the top in the country), I believe it is the fact that the people Chad works with in the industry are all based in Miami. Thomas is making a lot of waves in the music scene down here and coming together with a number of other budding stars in the industry, and I don’t know if he is willing to give those relationships up at this point. He has real dreams in the music industry. He will visit ‘Bama next week, but Thomas made it seem like they are not a real threat.

**I understand that Canes fans continue to worry about Brad Kaaya’s commitment level. First off, Kaaya told me that Coach Coley advised him not to do any more interviews until after signing day. So if you are concerned about a “silence” from the Kaaya camp over the next week or so, you know why. Next, I texted Kaaya about his trip to Boise and he said, “I just find that the more places I see the more I like Miami.” That was only part of the conversation, but it sums up his feelings about Miami. The kid said last week that he was going to take the Boise visit basically as a reward to himself. I would not put my reputation on the line like this or lead people on if I knew something was going on behind the scenes. The relationship between Coley and the Kaayas is the strongest I’ve seen between a coach and recruit in my time covering this stuff. If they were seriously considering going elsewhere, Coley would know.

**There is buzz that Auburn has made a big move on Treon Harris. Those around him believe that it is the best fit for him schematically, which it probably is for his skillset. At this point, I would be mildly surprised if he winds up at Florida State. He will be at Miami next weekend and I’m told that he is still seriously considering the Canes.

**It appears that JC Jackson is down to Miami and UF. I have not heard anything from the Florida side on their confidence level, but as I’ve said for weeks (although I was skeptical) that Miami has remained confident and felt like they were very much alive. Jackson taking an unofficial for the Syracuse game on Saturday is a great sign that he is still seriously considering Miami. Golden still has the in-home visit available as well. Let the games begin.

**Now onto some junior day notes. Miami was absolutely thrilled with the turnout and nearly every big name they were hoping to show up was there. Here are some specifics:

--JaQuan Johnson is a heavy Miami lean at this moment and those around him are hoping he pulls the trigger in the near future. I personally believe he will be a spring commit and will lead this class in the same nature as Duke Johnson. That’s just how he’s built and it shows in the type of respect he has from his peers.

--Landing Johnson would almost guarantee Tim Irvin, a source close to Irvin tells me. The two of them went as far as joking around about being roommates. Both are early enrollees. Golden and Coley gave the two of them a lot of attention today.

--Coaches sat down with Jordan Cronkrite and his family and all confusion about the delay in his offer was cleared up. Cronkrite will go through the process in a mature manner because he has very solid guidance from his parents. Miami made a very good impression on the family and Jordan today. Cronkite is not necessarily a “package deal” with Irvin & Johnson, but if the Canes land those two then that certainly enhances Miami’s chances.

--I would be surprised to see Tyrek Cole’s commitment to FSU last much longer based on what I was told today. Miami made a big move with the Miramar cornerback today and they were already high on his list.

--The staff received a high upside commitment from Emonee Spence today. I will be posting an interview with him tonight.