A note on the Portal

[JeffreyG]

I love the fact we can balance the portal and high school recruits. We can sell Freshmen that come into the program if you're good enough you can get significant playing time in key games.
We can also tell Portal kids you can be the difference that gets us back to the Playoffs. I feel like we have great balance between the two where many schools lack 1 if not both.

 

[Confidence1000]

The Portal is king now and we are a destination now because of proof of concept, money and desired location. How you recruit and develop has completely changed.

With the portal every year could be your year if you land it right. We should be going for the jugular. If you have the money and can improve with an impact player even if you are solid at the position, DO IT!

THIS!!!!!

 

[JHallCanes]

The Portal is king now and we are a destination now because of proof of concept, money and desired location. How you recruit and develop has completely changed.

With the portal every year could be your year if you land it right. We should be going for the jugular. If you have the money and can improve with an impact player even if you are solid at the position, DO IT!

Yup

Also retention is what people aren’t really talking about. Just keeping your own players if you recruit well is a nightmare

We did a good job this year on both and it’s paying off

Bell will be a big decision in this for me as well

 

[TexasCane90]

QB is obvious

But LB needs love big time I think Wiley is gonna be a good one but we need someone to bridge that gap…

After that id just bankroll the money on getting someone like Dylan Stewart to come and be a plug and play pass rush demon to help Lightfoot, Pickett, and Lowe get up to speed

 

[bobbydigius]

Yup

Also retention is what people aren’t really talking about. Just keeping your own players if you recruit well is a nightmare

We did a good job this year on both and it’s paying off

Bell will be a big decision in this for me as well

Retention is not only huge but it also goes both ways. Again now that we have done what we have done the past two years, as a program we have regained leverage. The suck tax doesn’t apply anymore. Now obviously a player like Toney, you retain no matter what but we are in a position mot only to not be held hostage by players but should have a list of great players ready to replace them.

The portal is a cheat code. What used to take time to rebuild is no longer the case. Miami can have the best roster in the nation next year if we play this right but you gotta go get it. I expect them to but I would say no to a game breaker at say WR or RB just because we feel we are good there. We have a great DL but if we think someone even better is available, go for it. Look at what a **** show FSU was and then they got Verse and Fiske and went 13-1.

 

[BeastMode]

QB is obvious

But LB needs love big time I think Wiley is gonna be a good one but we need someone to bridge that gap…

After that id just bankroll the money on getting someone like Dylan Stewart to come and be a plug and play pass rush demon to help Lightfoot, Pickett, and Lowe get up to speed

Stewart wants too much and not worth it. They need a DE and I’m sure they will find one.

Miami should be favored by a lot of these portal guys after they see what’s on the field

 

[Canesfan1899]

The way this staff has upgraded the team in the portal I’m not worried, they’ll make the right choices. We have proof of concept with two QB’s, should be able to grab another.

 

[Canesq]

Definite Need
1. QB1
2. OLB1
3. TE1
4. LB rotational

Conditional Need
1. LT if Bell goes pro
2. RB1/2 if Fletcher goes Pro
3. Nickel if Brown won’t move there and one of the young guys isn’t ready to step in
4. 4i DE if Lowe is still gimpy
5. 1-2 more OL depending on Kinsler, Mahoney, SJ etc. development. Too hard to determine given their limited snaps but I trust Mirabalio to figure it out
6. RB3 if Lyle and Charmar transfer out

After that be opportunistic if the right elite player or value player hits the portal and it’s a good fit. I’d take a WR1 in a heartbeat under the right conditions for example. But we’ve recruited well lately so I would caution not to get too greedy or it could backfire.

Pete said Lowe is 100% and has been practicing fully. Unlikely he’ll play though but this is still good for him.

 

[creamofthecrop13]

Tony Rojas would be a perfect fit and upgrade of speed at LB position miami really doesnt have on roster.

 

[rascon]

Tony Rojas would be a perfect fit and upgrade of speed at LB position miami really doesnt have on roster.

I was excited for Wiley - is he still in the plans for next year, major minutes?

 

[twes.305]

QB is obvious

But LB needs love big time I think Wiley is gonna be a good one but we need someone to bridge that gap…

After that id just bankroll the money on getting someone like Dylan Stewart to come and be a plug and play pass rush demon to help Lightfoot, Pickett, and Lowe get up to speed

Unless Lightfoot and Pickett don’t continue to develop, gain weight, they won’t need to get up to speed, every defender isn’t gonna come in and start like Bain, some will have to sit until their time. Canes need another SDE in front of Lowe and keep McConathy.

This is if they are able to retain everybody, most likely not so we’ll see.

 

[creamofthecrop13]

I was excited for Wiley - is he still in the plans for next year, major minutes?

I would think so!

 

[P-Tizzle]

Definite Need
1. QB1
2. OLB1
3. TE1
4. LB rotational

Conditional Need
1. LT if Bell goes pro
2. RB1/2 if Fletcher goes Pro
3. Nickel if Brown won’t move there and one of the young guys isn’t ready to step in
4. 4i DE if Lowe is still gimpy
5. 1-2 more OL depending on Kinsler, Mahoney, SJ etc. development. Too hard to determine given their limited snaps but I trust Mirabalio to figure it out
6. RB3 if Lyle and Charmar transfer out

After that be opportunistic if the right elite player or value player hits the portal and it’s a good fit. I’d take a WR1 in a heartbeat under the right conditions for example. But we’ve recruited well lately so I would caution not to get too greedy or it could backfire.

Who is Mahoney?

 

[TexasCane90]

Stewart wants too much and not worth it. They need a DE and I’m sure they will find one.

Miami should be favored by a lot of these portal guys after they see what’s on the field

Throw me some names… because I’m sure Bain and Messidor coming off the books weren’t exactly cheap

 

[TheShredder]

Unless Lightfoot and Pickett don’t continue to develop, gain weight, they won’t need to get up to speed, every defender isn’t gonna come in and start like Bain, some will have to sit until their time. Canes need another SDE in front of Lowe and keep McConathy.

This is if they are able to retain everybody, most likely not so we’ll see.

Freeney and Mathis worked fine. Lightfoot and Stewart will be fine next year.

 

[twes.305]

Freeney and Mathis worked fine. Lightfoot and Stewart will be fine next year.

Both were like 240-250lb in college. So Pickett and Lightfoot will have to continue to develop and gain weight. They don’t need to be 250. But 235+ is what they should be aiming for.

 

[90scane]

Both were like 240-250lb in college. So Pickett and Lightfoot will have to continue to develop and gain weight. They don’t need to be 250. But 235+ is what they should be aiming for.

They are both 230 now. They should get to 240-245 by August if they continue to lift, rest, and eat.

Maybe I am in the minority here, but an elite gamebreaker on the outside at WR is right behind quarterback for me.

In my opinion, Texas A&M exposed the fact that nobody is scared out our outside wide receivers and I ain't banking on Jojo or Josh Moore to suddenly become elite.

I get those guys generally don't exactly shake loose in the portal and maybe he isn't elite, but I sure would love to have Isaiah Horton right about now.

Wingo, Moore, Parris, and Trader are all near 5* kids. One should pop IMO. I'm more concerned with the Z (trader, maybe Wingo) than XY. For me, it is more important to have 3-4 real targets for the QB. XYZ+TE+RB all factor into this. We continue to raise the floor of all positions which help. If we want to spend $3-4M, I'd rather that we spend on QB, C, DE, maybe iOL, LB.

 

[BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati]

Who is Mahoney?

 

[grover]

Pete said Lowe is 100% and has been practicing fully. Unlikely he’ll play though but this is still good for him.

I'd not go for a DE then. We are stacked there. Sure, if an elite guy want to flip to us for reasonable NIL. But that's not happening.

 

[grover]

Who is Mahoney?

LOL, senior moment. I was thinking Max Buchanan and typing (Hayden) Mahoney at the same time. They're both white, OL and roughly the same height and weight, give or take an inch and 5-10 ponds. Hopefully the resemblance performance-wise is very different.