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2026 Derrek Cooper 5* RB/ATH from Chaminade Commits to Texas

STG said:
Nailed it. It's the fact Mario can't even recruit halfway decent in his own backyard. The optics are terrible and will continue to hurt with local kids because they see all their peers spurning the hometown school.

Below are the top 5 rated kids from Dade/Broward from 2023-2026 and where they ended up/currently committed.

Now I am sure the excuse makers will come out in full force and we'll hear, "we didn't want this kid" or "that kid sucked anyways." The fact remains, Mario is getting dog walked in his own hometown for the top recruits.

If 2026 holds up, he will have gone 6 of 20 (30%) on the top kids from Dade/Broward and 1 of 5 (20%) with the local 5 stars. You can be the biggest slurper and can't deny these results are bad. Wait, who am I kidding, they won't admit it.

1. Hykeem Williams (5 star/#30) - FSU
2. Brandon Innis (4 star/#38) - OSU
3. Reuben Bain (4 star/#62) - GOOD GUYS
4. Jalen Brown (4 star/#71) - LSU
5. King Mack (4 star/#91) - PSU

2024
1. Jeremiah Smith (5 star/#1) - OSU
2. Armando Blount (5 star/#28) - GOOD GUYS
3. JoJo Trader (4 star/#42) - GOOD GUYS
4. Zaquan Patterson (4 star/#93) - GOOD GUYS
5. Jamari Howard (4 star/#110) - FSU

2025
1. Ben Hanks (4 star/#59) - UF
2. Javari Flowers (4 star/#82) - UF
3. Cortez Mills (4 star/#113) - NEBRASKA
4. Josh Moore (4 star/#125) - GOOD GUYS
5. Bryce Fitzgerald (4 star/#138) - GOOD GUYS

2026 (TBD)
1. Dia Bell (5 star/#11) - UT
2. Derrek Cooper (5 star/#29) - UT
3. Justice Fitzpatrick (4 star/#47) - UGA
4 Calvin Russell (4 star/#49) - SYRACUSE
5. James Johnson (4 star/#70) - UT
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STG said:
Nailed it. It's the fact Mario can't even recruit halfway decent in his own backyard. The optics are terrible and will continue to hurt with local kids because they see all their peers spurning the hometown school.

Below are the top 5 rated kids from Dade/Broward from 2023-2026 and where they ended up/currently committed.

Now I am sure the excuse makers will come out in full force and we'll hear, "we didn't want this kid" or "that kid sucked anyways." The fact remains, Mario is getting dog walked in his own hometown for the top recruits.

If 2026 holds up, he will have gone 6 of 20 (30%) on the top kids from Dade/Broward and 1 of 5 (20%) with the local 5 stars. You can be the biggest slurper and can't deny these results are bad. Wait, who am I kidding, they won't admit it.

1. Hykeem Williams (5 star/#30) - FSU
2. Brandon Innis (4 star/#38) - OSU
3. Reuben Bain (4 star/#62) - GOOD GUYS
4. Jalen Brown (4 star/#71) - LSU
5. King Mack (4 star/#91) - PSU

2024
1. Jeremiah Smith (5 star/#1) - OSU
2. Armando Blount (5 star/#28) - GOOD GUYS
3. JoJo Trader (4 star/#42) - GOOD GUYS
4. Zaquan Patterson (4 star/#93) - GOOD GUYS
5. Jamari Howard (4 star/#110) - FSU

2025
1. Ben Hanks (4 star/#59) - UF
2. Javari Flowers (4 star/#82) - UF
3. Cortez Mills (4 star/#113) - NEBRASKA
4. Josh Moore (4 star/#125) - GOOD GUYS
5. Bryce Fitzgerald (4 star/#138) - GOOD GUYS

2026 (TBD)
1. Dia Bell (5 star/#11) - UT
2. Derrek Cooper (5 star/#29) - UT
3. Justice Fitzpatrick (4 star/#47) - UGA
4 Calvin Russell (4 star/#49) - SYRACUSE
5. James Johnson (4 star/#70) - UT
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I know every post you are a glass half empty perspective, but you know that 247 or composite rankings aren't the same as Miami's boards. You know we didnt pursue some of those kids that hard, and they werent "misses" more like "choices".

If you want to argue we have missed on our top local target every year ok yes. Well I think Bain and Innis were co-number 1's in 2023.

DMoney and the recruiting insiders tell you who they value and recruit the hardest. 2026 has been a complete local disaster 100%. Those other years you know that wasn't Miami's top local kids for their rankings.

This is much more accurate list:

1.) Rueben Bain
2.) Brandon Innis
3.) Demari Brown
4.) Mark Fletcher
5.) Hykeem Williams
6.) Ray Ray Joseph

2024:

1.) Jeremiah Smith
2.) Armondo Blount
3.) Jordan Lyle
4.) Zequan Patterson
5.) JoJo Trader
6.) Xavier Lucas

2025:

1.) Ben Hanks
2.) Josh Moore
3.) Bryce Fitzgerald
4.) Malachi Toney

2026:
1.) Derrick Cooper
2.) James Johnson
3.) Calvin Russell
4.) Jordan Campbell
5.) Dia Bell
 
gogeta4 said:
The state of miami thibg is a myth since mario has been here.
Mario has recruited nationally since he has been here.

Mario is busy chasing around kids from Mississippi and passing on
S. Fla kids every class lol

We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
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Yeah but the 5 star type locals is what I'm referring to. And the example you gave of most of our wr commits being OOS only shows we do better going that route. And for safeties, which local safety prospect really looks all that great this cycle ?
 
Calinative said:
So 2-3 of the top 5 per year... Out of the list this yr I'd choose Fitzpatrick and Johnson. Honestly if I could probably choose any 2 recruits to add to our class it might be Fitzpatrick and Lamar Brown...

Also what if the top Florida kids that play hella games in their recruitment is actually just self selecting lol. We will see about Hanks and Flowers, but other than Jeremiah Smith, the ones we actually got turned out to be best options. And obviously Hanks was legacy at UF, and Flower reclassified hella late after we just signed like 10 DBs in HS+Portal...Maybe the Florida recruits should look at who is actually being developed when they choose us vs choosing another program.
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2-3 of the top 5 is what we are getting? Your math is just a tad bit off.

The one's we got turned out to be the best options? What exactly are you basing that on? The only guy we have gotten who has done anything thus far is Bain.
 
STG said:
All I can tell you is their is a disconnect down here overall. But you are right, many schools who were "feeder" schools locally are no longer that.

Listen, Mario overall is a good dude, with good intentions. However, he is his own worst enemy.

He has a rep as a bad HC, who is not a good developer, does less with more, very, very tough and has bumped heads with a ton of his former assistants. All of that is easy to use against him. Only way out of this mess for him is to win BIG. Getting to the ACCCG is not enough in this conference and developing kids into day 1 picks.

And no, Damari was not anywhere near a top 5 player down here that year.
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Just filled with falsehoods. That may be what other rival teams say, but just complete bullcrap.

He is not a bad Head Coach that would be coaches that sucked and never accomplished anything. He is tough to work for because he demands alot. He works as hard as any HC so yes he expects a lot.

When has he done less with more? At FIU did he do less with more? Oregon where over his 4 years he was 7th in winning % in power 5 HC's, winning Pac 12's and a Rose Bowl? Or last year when he won 10, while Miami's O/U was 9?

Maybe he did less with more in 2023, but I mean he made a blunder and should have won 8.

The development statement is just utter crap. Dude has signed, developed numerous NFL draft picks and many high round picks. You sound like some Nole or Gator with that nonsense.
 
STG said:
2-3 of the top 5 is what we are getting? Your math is just a tad bit off. Lol

The one's we got turned out to be the best options? What exactly are you basing that on? The only guy we have gotten who has done anything thus far is Bain.
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In the 3 classes that signed that you named, we signed 6 of them. And the first yr we only got 1. So yes id say 2-3.

I didn't say we were getting that this year. If we do though those are the 2 I'd want given our actual needs and not just recruiting perception. Personally I'd try to pay Fitzpatrick, but I'd pay for Lamar Brown over James Johnson too. #1 because I think a bidding war with Texas is unlikely to end with us winning. I mean maybe we win it but then I don't think we'd be looking hot with any other guys

I'm basing the other statement on our team needs as well. Bain and Blount are like top 3-4 in total on that list you gave. Jeremiah Smith would be #1/2 depending if Bain plays to his potential this season. Also I'd bet from this list Josh Moore ends as 2nd best WR.
 
gogeta4 said:
The state of miami thibg is a myth since mario has been here.
Mario has recruited nationally since he has been here.

Mario is busy chasing around kids from Mississippi and passing on
S. Fla kids every class lol

We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
Click to expand...
Just curious, can you name one or two so Fla safeties we might pursue? Because we need to expand the board.
I feel like we don't really want Tedarius Hughes.
 
DC3 said:
Its not a good thing if the clearly compromised coach had a better record here his 3 years than someone who’s still in his prime is it?
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Whatever dude, you wanna hate, keep hating. But in reality, Mario has won at some of the highest levels. And in case you forgot, we have the number one recruit in the country in our class right now, which is something that Richt never did here. So whatever.
 
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I’d like to see a comparison of the 26-21 classes in south Florida and compare them to the 20-15 classes. So we can really see the dropoff. Maybe @DMoney has done this before. Idk. Take the most recent five year sample size and compare with the preceding five year sample size.
 
gogeta4 said:
The state of miami thibg is a myth since mario has been here.
Mario has recruited nationally since he has been here.

Mario is busy chasing around kids from Mississippi and passing on
S. Fla kids every class lol

We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
Click to expand...

Lotta people here wanted this, FWIW.
 
MedleyCane said:
Thanks for the clarification.
I bounce between central Florida and DMV area these days and I note alot of different type of gyms are springing up in both areas.
There are many options.
I found one in Altamonte Springs (Orlando) area which is small but has the right equipment and caters to free weight folks. Fellow members are cool and are generally good about gym etiquette, especially re-racking plates and dumbbells and not sitting on equipment while texting.
Click to expand...
the nicest luxury gyms in orlando area are lake nona performance center and the new lifetime opening up in Winter Park.

the influencer body building gym is Iron Religion i think on I drive.

the rest are basically your standard LAFs, Anytime Fitnesses, PLanet, Fitness CF, etc.
 
gogeta4 said:
The state of miami thibg is a myth since mario has been here.
Mario has recruited nationally since he has been here.

Mario is busy chasing around kids from Mississippi and passing on
S. Fla kids every class lol

We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
Click to expand...
they must have cut a ton of trees down in S Fla....
 
JamesQuall said:
Not a fan of criticism?

I don’t understand wanting to protect failures. Are you worried whatever contacts you have that give you inside info will shun you if they see you calling out the staff’s BS?

I’m genuinely asking and not just trying to rile you up.
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I don’t mind criticism at all (I hold myself accountable more than anyone) but miss me with your original point. I will never reveal anything that would hurt any of my relationships. That’s just stupid. If that hurts your perception of me then so be it.
 
gogeta4 said:
The state of miami thibg is a myth since mario has been here.
Mario has recruited nationally since he has been here.

Mario is busy chasing around kids from Mississippi and passing on
S. Fla kids every class lol

We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, the politics in south Florida is different and Miami is held to a different standard. Miami has to do a better job with its top tier players and relationships on South Florida. If the SEC and OSU’s of the world can handle it then we need to play the game, as well.
 
gogeta4 said:
We have a huge need at safety...dbs grown on trees in s. Fla and ee were full on go on like 3 safeties from atlanta area...we havent recruited one locally lol

Wrs grow on trees in s fla.

Our current wr commits are fron: Mission viejo, ca , Charlotte,nc, and St Augustine fl.

Yall obviously arent paying attention...Mario isnt stuck in s fla
Click to expand...
1753119255261.gif
 
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