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2008 Class Revisited

Canedog said:
Yeah, I know he was just sh*tying on a former player. Popular sport with some Miami fans. After Cannon left Miami he played QB and some safety at Memphis. Signed undrafted free agent contract with the Rams and was released after a knee injury. Yeah, terrible football player. Did better than most people who played high school football and better than many college players. How did college football go for you?
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I'm pretty sure what he was saying was on topic of discussion. Nothing you said was relevant to the thread. Have a good night sir.
 
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JHallCanes said:
He may have been where Green Tree All American originated

Every report we got was how he dominated practices
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the term greentree all-star used to be a complimentary term. that's where legends of guys like willis mcgahee and sean taylor were born. over time it definitely got used more derisively -- i seem to recall sam shields being the first guy who was hyped who didnt really dominate at the collegiate level. been downhill ever since.
 
ben said:
the term greentree all-star used to be a complimentary term. that's where legends of guys like willis mcgahee and sean taylor were born. over time it definitely got used more derisively -- i seem to recall sam shields being the first guy who was hyped who didnt really dominate at the collegiate level. been downhill ever since.
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Good memory! I feel like Kendall was one of the OGs where the term started to have a sarcastic tone to it
 
Ghandi said:
Since the spring is almost here, I wanted to look back at the last time Miami has a good amount of talent - on paper of course - coming on campus. I'll focus on two position groups (QB and WR) since they where extremely bloated relative to the spots they usually take on the roster.

I also started looking at LB, but got sad when I found out that Gavin Hardin died.

Looking at the film on the WR's we recruited in 2008, the signs where there that they may been overrated at the time. When you look at the OL class we brought in, the high-end kids are killing their contemporaries in all-star games. Now let's see them do it in college.

QB -
4* Jacory Harris - solid starter, gave me a memory for a lifetime when he threw that rainbow to Benjamin at Doak. Led Miami to a 9-4 season and threw for 3k yards. Also threw 17 INT's that single handedly gave away the Clemson and UNC games that year. When he took that hit at UVA, I thought I'd seen the first death in a modern CFB game. Now is a fire rescue.
3* Taylor Cook - how a guy this big had the softest arm I've ever seen is beyond me. Transferred to Rice and then has seemingly disappeared. I may be spelling the name wrong, but this dude doesn't even have a CFB reference tab.
3* Cannon Smith - never played a meaningful down in Miami, transferred to Memphis. It looks like he jumped on the green energy train in 2014, but not much out there on him.

WR -
4* Aldarius Johnson - Highest rated of the WR, but perhaps the worst one. Excellent hands, but no ability to separate (even in high school). Runs a training facility and his son is a class of 2026 kid.
4* Davon Johnson - Injuries derailed his time at Miami, but like Johnson, had a hard time getting open at the college level. Was coaching at FMC, but not sure what he's currently up to.
4* Tommy Streeter - Second best of the bunch, had a break out season as a Jr (posted 800yds and 8 TD's in Folden's constipated offense.Left early and had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Claims to have a super bowl ring, but I'm not sure what he was on the active roster for. I see a few tryouts, but only 2 games in the NFL w/ Jacksonville.
4* Travis Benjamin - Best of the bunch by far, and I thought he was @DMoney's lover with the way he used to post about him.. Kid could shake loose in a phone booth. 9yr NFL pro who was still running by people in 2021. Not sure if he hung it up, but it looks like he's going to give it another go in 2023.
3* LaRon Byrd - Played well as a Sophomore in spots, but progress slowed as a Jr and apparently got hit by the Al Golden Dim Mak in 2011. Played 2 seasons in the NFL and most recent was running a non-profit in Louisiana.
3* Thearon Collier - Played well as a Freshman, but then fell off of a cliff as a Sophomore. Transferred to USC, but not sure if he ever got in a season there. Probably smoking a bowl somewhere as I type this.
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ddann said:
I remember when he finally had his time to shine in the Kirbnobyl game vs NC State in 2007. Kept waiting for him to shift to that extra gear when he got to the edge…but it turned out there was no extra gear.
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For me, it’s Derron Thomas or Shawnbrey McNeal.

To McNeal’s credit, he did go to SMU of all places and have a 1k rushing season.

Left as a RS Junior and got 2yrs in the NFL.
 
Ghandi said:
Since the spring is almost here, I wanted to look back at the last time Miami has a good amount of talent - on paper of course - coming on campus. I'll focus on two position groups (QB and WR) since they where extremely bloated relative to the spots they usually take on the roster.

I also started looking at LB, but got sad when I found out that Gavin Hardin died.

Looking at the film on the WR's we recruited in 2008, the signs where there that they may been overrated at the time. When you look at the OL class we brought in, the high-end kids are killing their contemporaries in all-star games. Now let's see them do it in college.

QB -
4* Jacory Harris - solid starter, gave me a memory for a lifetime when he threw that rainbow to Benjamin at Doak. Led Miami to a 9-4 season and threw for 3k yards. Also threw 17 INT's that single handedly gave away the Clemson and UNC games that year. When he took that hit at UVA, I thought I'd seen the first death in a modern CFB game. Now is a fire rescue.
3* Taylor Cook - how a guy this big had the softest arm I've ever seen is beyond me. Transferred to Rice and then has seemingly disappeared. I may be spelling the name wrong, but this dude doesn't even have a CFB reference tab.
3* Cannon Smith - never played a meaningful down in Miami, transferred to Memphis. It looks like he jumped on the green energy train in 2014, but not much out there on him.

WR -
4* Aldarius Johnson - Highest rated of the WR, but perhaps the worst one. Excellent hands, but no ability to separate (even in high school). Runs a training facility and his son is a class of 2026 kid.
4* Davon Johnson - Injuries derailed his time at Miami, but like Johnson, had a hard time getting open at the college level. Was coaching at FMC, but not sure what he's currently up to.
4* Tommy Streeter - Second best of the bunch, had a break out season as a Jr (posted 800yds and 8 TD's in Folden's constipated offense.Left early and had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Claims to have a super bowl ring, but I'm not sure what he was on the active roster for. I see a few tryouts, but only 2 games in the NFL w/ Jacksonville.
4* Travis Benjamin - Best of the bunch by far, and I thought he was @DMoney's lover with the way he used to post about him.. Kid could shake loose in a phone booth. 9yr NFL pro who was still running by people in 2021. Not sure if he hung it up, but it looks like he's going to give it another go in 2023.
3* LaRon Byrd - Played well as a Sophomore in spots, but progress slowed as a Jr and apparently got hit by the Al Golden Dim Mak in 2011. Played 2 seasons in the NFL and most recent was running a non-profit in Louisiana.
3* Thearon Collier - Played well as a Freshman, but then fell off of a cliff as a Sophomore. Transferred to USC, but not sure if he ever got in a season there. Probably smoking a bowl somewhere as I type this.
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This class had a lot of supposed star power, but absolutely was way too heavy in positions like receiver, while not addressing other needs.

Randy Shannon also didn't have the temperament and leadership to bring in all those kids from a Northwestern championship team, which saw a lot of kids not reaching their potential and slipping through the cracks.

Such a grossly-overrated, underdeveloped class all around.

Pretty wild how Travis Benjamin rolled in from Belle Glade and outplayed Johnson, Johnson and Streeter.

I also remember Streeter "going pro" when he 100% should've come back for another year, only to go undrafted.

Shows you the football IQ and maturity of that bunch. Another one of those, "I know what the reports say and that I should come back, but I believe in myself and I've wanted this since I was a kid, so I'm gonna ignore logic and conventional wisdom and take my talents to the NFL a year early, regardless."
 
Ghandi said:
Correct.

Spence was the second best athlete, but by far had the best FBI of the entire group.
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'Sixth Sense' Spence had rare instincts. Its really too bad he had a bad knee injury, I think it really hampered what could've been a good NFL run

I believe Spence is running LB camps and thinking about getting into coaching. I think he'd do well there, very personable individual. I met him last year after a spring practice, was very friendly to everyone.
 
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k9cane said:
'Sixth Sense' Spence had rare instincts. Its really too bad he had a bad knee injury, I think it really hampered what could've been a good NFL run

I believe Spence is running LB camps and thinking about getting into coaching. I think he'd do well there, very personable individual. I met him last year after a spring practice, was very friendly to everyone.
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all what you posted is true...and i think he may get into coaching soon.

I had the chance the last 2 years in spring to sit with Spence and Brandon Harris almost daily during the week and Harris is already in the coaching game. They are both pretty true to our statement generally cool personable guys.
 
k9cane said:
'Sixth Sense' Spence had rare instincts. Its really too bad he had a bad knee injury, I think it really hampered what could've been a good NFL run

I believe Spence is running LB camps and thinking about getting into coaching. I think he'd do well there, very personable individual. I met him last year after a spring practice, was very friendly to everyone.
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he was one of the most instinctual LBs to ever come through the U. as a Steelers fan (@Tad Footeball ) i was delighted that the Steelers drafted him. unfortunately, the blown knee severed or badly damaged a nerve in the knee that controlled his lower extremity and he couldn't make it back onto the field once he recovered. great kid, great player.
 
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