Donell Harris Decommits

[Brooklyndee]

Would you say it’s harder to keep a diamond in the rough so to speak, under wraps these days with all the recruiting services, social media, camp circuits, etc?

Not disagreeing that coaches like Golden or Richt have mismanaged talent. I think part of the problem is Miami started to go down when the internet, camps, and scouting services started to become more and more popular.

It’s difficult to keep a Rousseau, Garvin, or Harvey on the down low where the poachers, street agents, and bagmen don’t catch a whiff of talent.

I fully believe schools like Bama, UGA, Clemson, etc are letting the Big 3 do their talent evaluations for them in a lot of cases. All 3 schools are fighting the same battles. Fifteen years ago all 3 got their share. Sure elite guys would leave once in a while. If you look at the Top 10 in state players almost none of them sign in state anymore.

C'mon now. A spade is a spade. Yes internet and social media is part of that problem. But with us it's a small part. You guys arent complaining about the underrated studs leaving to go somewhere else due to bags. The kids that are leaving due to bags and internet are the kids who get discovered early and keep their names relevant. You still need to do that leg work. You gotta do your own evals and keep your ear to the pavement. We either haven't bothered with our evals or we've waited far too long to make them. Support staff is pivotal and were finally starting to catch up on that aspect a lil. Remember kids like donell it's always been simple to know who they are. Its kids like Greg who the staff needs to get far more credit for... hes also the proof of how little the internet matters if you do your leg work. Do you think Greg goes to one of the powers as a under rated kid? Not likely because for them it's all about the stars and justifying their recruiting budget to their boosters. Those are the kids we've been built on forever. The kids who deserve that pub.

 

[TexasCane90]

I like that we seem to have a big board with multiple options this year compared to staffs before that way you dont get left with your **** in your hand come signing day.

We need to win some games 10/11 this year and beat UF on national TV to show the nation we are back and Manny is going to get this thing humming again. When we do that we can continue this national approach (more successfully) while still looking near home. I like us digging into Texas(Houston area/DFW area), Louisiana, Georgia, the Carolinas with a little jersey/new york sprinkled in.

 

[Ziggy]

C'mon now. A spade is a spade. Yes internet and social media is part of that problem. But with us it's a small part. You guys arent complaining about the underrated studs leaving to go somewhere else due to bags. The kids that are leaving due to bags and internet are the kids who get discovered early and keep their names relevant. You still need to do that leg work. You gotta do your own evals and keep your ear to the pavement. We either haven't bothered with our evals or we've waited far too long to make them. Support staff is pivotal and were finally starting to catch up on that aspect a lil. Remember kids like donell it's always been simple to know who they are. Its kids like Greg who the staff needs to get far more credit for... hes also the proof of how little the internet matters if you do your leg work. Do you think Greg goes to one of the powers as a under rated kid? Not likely because for them it's all about the stars and justifying their recruiting budget to their boosters. Those are the kids we've been built on forever. The kids who deserve that pub.

Agreed but it's very hard to keep the under the radar studs under the radar in today's world. There's more access to these kids now then ever before via social media and recruiting services. I get your point but if we offer the kids early say sophomore or junior year, that brings the attention to them. But if we try to keep their recruitment on the down low or offer late, we get screwed. The best solution is a winning product.

 

[DemCanesByke]

C'mon now. A spade is a spade. Yes internet and social media is part of that problem. But with us it's a small part. You guys arent complaining about the underrated studs leaving to go somewhere else due to bags. The kids that are leaving due to bags and internet are the kids who get discovered early and keep their names relevant. You still need to do that leg work. You gotta do your own evals and keep your ear to the pavement. We either haven't bothered with our evals or we've waited far too long to make them. Support staff is pivotal and were finally starting to catch up on that aspect a lil. Remember kids like donell it's always been simple to know who they are. Its kids like Greg who the staff needs to get far more credit for... hes also the proof of how little the internet matters if you do your leg work. Do you think Greg goes to one of the powers as a under rated kid? Not likely because for them it's all about the stars and justifying their recruiting budget to their boosters. Those are the kids we've been built on forever. The kids who deserve that pub.

Great point abt evals. Look at Mike Pinkney, I would say to this point he has outperformed his recruiting ranking.

 

[Fzac75]

I'm calling bullsh@t on this. We never recruited and got a strangle hold on the "elite" talent in So Fla. The truly elite from So Fla were known nationally going back to the 60's. You can field a HOF all star team of Dade country kids that didn't go to UM. The first "national recruit" I remember getting was Lester Williams. The "State of Miami" was more of a goal for Howard than a destination that we've ever achieved.

The star whores forget how we made our mark. We're fortunately in an area with a large pool of three star and low four star talent. We became by knowing our home recruiting area better than anyone else, having superior evaluations, and developing them. That was Howard's, JJ's and Butch's MO. Once they got on top, they were then able to sell UM to 5*'s but they still couldn't get all of them. The last 15 years has proven until we return to our "proven formula", we're only spinning our wheels.

just bumping this for all the "experts" and for @DMoney who clearly do not have historical perspective and somehow are of the belief that winning or anything else will lock it up.

We have never or ever kept the top South Florida recruit, even in our prime. They have always been bought, no amount of winning will ever change that. Very rarely did it occur.

And no times haven't changed, this has always been the case.

Will winning help in getting some more "top end" talent? Of course, but our blueprint has never been this and doesn't need to be.

The simple fact is that recruiting, just like drafting is an inexact science. The key to our greatness has always been in the evaluations, and then the coaching.

Now will come replies of times are different now in 3....2....1....

 

[Hoyacane1620]

It is WAY harder to keep the under rated guys quiet. Every kid posts every offer on social media. And not just twitter. they use Instagram, snap chat and anything else they can. Every recruiting staff follows these kids. They all know when our coaches offer a kid and I am sure that kid gets looked at by other P5 staffs. Our staff does the same, I am sure. We just have to find more of them and go harder for some of them while the other guys go after the 5* guys.

 

[TexasCane90]

It is WAY harder to keep the under rated guys quiet. Every kid posts every offer on social media. And not just twitter. they use Instagram, snap chat and anything else they can. Every recruiting staff follows these kids. They all know when our coaches offer a kid and I am sure that kid gets looked at by other P5 staffs. Our staff does the same, I am sure. We just have to find more of them and go harder for some of them while the other guys go after the 5* guys.

Cmon man I dont think teams or scouting services take those offers serious usually...

Its been said but some 2023/2024 kids are reporting SEC offers from Bama and UGA...

 

[DMoney]

just bumping this for all the "experts" and for @DMoney who clearly do not have historical perspective and somehow are of the belief that winning or anything else will lock it up.

We have never or ever kept the top South Florida recruit, even in our prime. They have always been bought, no amount of winning will ever change that. Very rarely did it occur.

And no times haven't changed, this has always been the case.

Will winning help in getting some more "top end" talent? Of course, but our blueprint has never been this and doesn't need to be.

The simple fact is that recruiting, just like drafting is an inexact science. The key to our greatness has always been in the evaluations, and then the coaching.

Now will come replies of times are different now in 3....2....1....

We will never get all the top local guys. There will always be guys like Marvin Jones and Lamont Green. But we will get most if we win.

 

[Brooklyndee]

Agreed but it's very hard to keep the under the radar studs under the radar in today's world. There's more access to these kids now then ever before via social media and recruiting services. I get your point but if we offer the kids early say sophomore or junior year, that brings the attention to them. But if we try to keep their recruitment on the down low or offer late, we get screwed. The best solution is a winning product.

Greg is the answer to all that himself. In plenty of instances ur right. But camps are not for everybody. Whether its money,time, physical traits not standing out, late bloomer etc. Most under the radars that doesnt apply for. Those are kids you see something in that your staff knows how to bring out. They require work. Powers want plug and play. Not development. Those are the kids that were getting grey shirted. If we lose these kids to pee wee schools cant blame no one but ourselves for that. We gotta do everything were supposed to do first. That does begin with winning. Make the only viable negative us not kicking out. That goes a long way.

 

[Brooklyndee]

Great point abt evals. Look at Mike Pinkney, I would say to this point he has outperformed his recruiting ranking.

I was gonna put Mike as the perfect example. He really is.

 

[mirvin88]

Also another thing that helps contribute to this is this is the only high school culture I’ve ever heard of where kids are treated like mercenaries. It’s sad that they don’t have any examples of loyalty from Pop Warner - Through whenever their playing career ends. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a two way street, but kids before the age of high school shouldn’t already feel like a product or commodity.

In general I think that’s a big problem in professional sports. For the most part athletes don’t have any loyalty to their franchise. You’ll never see another Stockton & Malone staying together somewhere like Utah, or a Reggie Miller turning down a chance to go ring chasing in the last couple years of his career to stay in Indiana. So the most visible athletes that these kids idolize are also mercenaries.

Underrated factor

 

[CrooKs]

just bumping this for all the "experts" and for @DMoney who clearly do not have historical perspective and somehow are of the belief that winning or anything else will lock it up.

We have never or ever kept the top South Florida recruit, even in our prime. They have always been bought, no amount of winning will ever change that. Very rarely did it occur.

And no times haven't changed, this has always been the case.

Will winning help in getting some more "top end" talent? Of course, but our blueprint has never been this and doesn't need to be.

The simple fact is that recruiting, just like drafting is an inexact science. The key to our greatness has always been in the evaluations, and then the coaching.

Now will come replies of times are different now in 3....2....1....

It's not about keeping all of them, we need to get our share though. We haven't been doing that lately at all. As far as the 5 star talent goes, I think we have only landed around 26 of them since around 2000. The good majority of those did little to nothing while here. This narrative that we need these five star kids to make is false. We have never needed them and never will. If we start to win consistently we will start to land the 4 star kids in sofla that this program was built on. Right now they're the ones going elsewhere that is hurting us, not the Donnell Harris' of the world

 

[CrooKs]

Underrated factor

Prime example is LeBron. "I put on for the LAND". Yet he has left the "LAND" twice

 

[gacaneaddict]

The Georgia Poodles...all bark and no bite.


Hey, my name is James Coley, and I called a halfback pass in a blizzard with a RB from south Florida who has never played in snow , and my reasoning after the game was that it had worked all season in practices! (Wow in sunny 90 degree South florida weather).

What a dolt.


“Hey my name is Kirby Smar......I called a fake punt at midfield with my backup QB in the game! It was the dumbest play all in history of football Barely edging out my OC James Coley call in the Sun errrr Snow bowl.”

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

But we will get most if we win.

No we won’t.

 

[Brains]

Also another thing that helps contribute to this is this is the only high school culture I’ve ever heard of where kids are treated like mercenaries. It’s sad that they don’t have any examples of loyalty from Pop Warner - Through whenever their playing career ends. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a two way street, but kids before the age of high school shouldn’t already feel like a product or commodity.

In general I think that’s a big problem in professional sports. For the most part athletes don’t have any loyalty to their franchise. You’ll never see another Stockton & Malone staying together somewhere like Utah, or a Reggie Miller turning down a chance to go ring chasing in the last couple years of his career to stay in Indiana. So the most visible athletes that these kids idolize are also mercenaries.

Very few people are going to work for the same organization their entire career, in any field. Why should you turn down a better offer?

 

[Fzac75]

We will never get all the top local guys. There will always be guys like Marvin Jones and Lamont Green. But we will get most if we win.

This is not true either, but again it depends on what you mean by "top local guys"

If by top local guys you mean the 5 stars? Then the answer is no, we didn't do that in our prime, winning now isn't going to change that. The only thing that changes that is $$$$. And though we are a player (Because everybody in big time football is) we are playing with coca cola money while the others are playing champagne money.

Now if you mean by top local guys the kids under the 5 star list? The kids that these supposed sites have as a mid to maybe high 4's of the world. Then yes we will that will definitely improve.

This powerhouse that was built here in the 80's and 90's and that great 2000-2003 run, was not built on 5 stars, and with the amount of unearthed talent around. It can be done.

And sorry guys, but there is just too many wayyyyyyy too many kids out there for all the coaches and staff to eval, regardless of social media and other technological avenues that we have access to now as opposed to then.

Think about this for a second, the NFL wipes its *** with college football when it comes to investment on the draft. They have access to information and spend God knows how much more on video and information and testing and poking and prodding a much much much much smaller pool of players, to determine who they want to get for their roster. And they fail a whole lot more than succeed in picking good players. So how the **** do you actually logically state that with today's technological age it is easier for schools to find under the radar guys?

 

[johnnytsunami01]

Greg is the answer to all that himself. In plenty of instances ur right. But camps are not for everybody. Whether its money,time, physical traits not standing out, late bloomer etc. Most under the radars that doesnt apply for. Those are kids you see something in that your staff knows how to bring out. They require work. Powers want plug and play. Not development. Those are the kids that were getting grey shirted. If we lose these kids to pee wee schools cant blame no one but ourselves for that. We gotta do everything were supposed to do first. That does begin with winning. Make the only viable negative us not kicking out. That goes a long way.

The problem with most under the radar players is that they are not like Greg. Sure there are a ton of 3 star football players that are long and skinny, that don't really stand out because they didn't go to camps and don't look physically like a college football player yet. But then they go to college and while they get to a good size and finally learn how to truly play their position, they are not stars and most are just JAGs. You can take 10 each class and more than likely only 1 or 2 will work out and be an impact player. To win championships you can't take those odds.

Just look at the last 10 years of Miami football, we have been living off of these 3 star players that just need a bit of development and will become stars. There have been so many reports by coaches and even Miami reporters saying that we got a steal in a 3 star recruit, that once he gets on campus and adds weight he will be a start. Recently, Robert Knowles and Mike Smith were suppose to be just that. Practically all our DTs from the Al Golden era were that, as well as, the OL since then. The fact of the matter is that you will more than likely get an Larry Hope and Robert Knowles type player than you are to get a Greg or RJ McIntosh.

You could of course blame the evaluations, but lets be honest it is near impossible to accurately judge who will become stars based on potential. It will be near impossible for any coach to be even near 50% accurate on their predictions.

Now some of you will state, "But look at the draft and all these players that go to small schools and were lowly rated," while that is true most of those schools have 84 other players that looked just like him as a recruit, that didn't turn up to do anything.

 

[Mark_RichtOC]

Manny needs to make a big time donation to his campaign. Watch what happens.

 

[Hurracanes]

A couple of posters absolutely nailed it on this thread. I am in no way saying this kid isn’t needed; however, Miami has NEVER won any championships with recruiting class full of 5 stars. NEVER.

However, the question becomes, does Diaz have the eye for talent? Can he properly evaluate players? Can he run an effective Offensive system that is innovative much like his Defense? Is that enough in today’s College Football with all these bag schools? I’m not so sure anymore.