dg151
Sophomore
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2011
- Messages
- 609
I posted something last year and got a solid response so I figured I'd post one this year too. I've done a write up the past few years for the Canes signing class, generally for a not as in depth group of Canes fans, so most reading will probably know most of the factoids already. Fair warning, this is mostly positive so sorry mopey guys. This is my opinion on the signees, some of which I don't feel too strongly about. There are probably those who saw a lot more of guys here, as I'm reliant on the internet for the most part. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this and hopefully it makes for some interesting discussions.
QB – A+
Brad Kaaya (6.1) – Fantastic size at 6-4 223 with a very good build. Quick, smooth over the top release. Very strong arm and can make throws to every part of the field. Very advanced mechanics with terrific feet. Moves very well in the pocket to avoid rushers. Incredible intelligence at the high school level, regularly getting to his 3rd progression on plays. Great field vision and can work across the field. Understands where to attack defenses. Has shown great ball placement on quick throws but can be inconsistent. Great accuracy on sideline throws and back shoulder fades. Fantastic deep ball accuracy. Extremely confident passer and lets his receivers make plays. Below average feet and isn’t much of a threat to run. Committed to Miami before his senior season when his only other offer was San Diego State. USC, UCLA and Boise State all offered later. Threw for over 3800 yards and 27 TDs his senior season. Semper Fi All American. State champion. California State Player of the Year. Mother is Felicia from Friday. Elite passer both mentally and physically that could potentially compete for a starting job as a freshmen.
Malik Rosier (5.7) – Short for the position at 6-1 but a good build. Fantastic arm strength and can easily make every throw. Great athlete for the position and has very good vision as a runner. Clean mechanically with very good feet. Accuracy is an issue. Threw for 1800 yards and 16 TDs and ran for another 1300 yards and 17 TDs. Played in a spread, read option based offense in high school. Two sport player who will also play baseball at Miami. Intriguing player due to very impressive physical tools in terms of arm strength and running ability and could develop a role at Miami.
RB – B+
Joseph Yearby (6.0) – Below average size with a small frame, listed at 5-9 180. Elite quickness, vision and balance, regularly making players miss in small spaces. Extremely intelligent runner who knows how to set up his blocks. Great burst and explodes through holes. Decisive runner with little wasted movement. Very good at breaking arm tackles, especially considering his size, but won’t shake off many bigger players. Good speed but not a guy who will run away from people. Showed proficiency catching the ball in camp settings. One of the most prolific running backs in Dade County history, totaling over 5500 yards and 68 TDs, including 1700 yards and 19 TDs his senior year. Won multiple state championships. Former FSU commit who flipped to Miami. UA AA who enrolled early but is rehabbing from an ankle injury. Should contribute a huge amount as a freshman.
WR – B+
Darrell Langham (5.8) – Great height at 6-4 but very thin and will need to add bulk. Glider with deep speed. Very good movement skills for a player of his size. Hand catcher with a huge catch radius. Good body control and high points the ball. Not very physical after the catch. Raw and needs to develop physical and in his technique. Had 450 yards receiving with 7 TDs as a senior. Committed to Miami early over Arkansas and had interest later from FSU. Huge target with good speed that projects as a red zone and deep threat down the road.
Trayone Gray (5.8) – Very good size at 6-2 200 with a solid build. Explosive with the ball in his hands. Very good speed and is a constant big play threat. Good agility and balance that makes him hard to take down in the open field. Good vision as a runner, especially in space. HS QB that can project to RB, WR or S. Ran for 1200 yards and 12 TDs from the QB position. Didn’t receive much interest in recruiting due to grade issues and there are serious issues regarding him qualifying. Has upside at multiple positions.
Braxton Berrios (5.8) – Short at 5-8 but not small with a good build. Freak athlete, posted a 3.81 short shuttle time and a 40 inch vertical at The Opening. Insane quickness and extremely shifty. Good long speed but won’t beat defenses over the top. Played mostly wildcat QB in HS but dominated camps as a WR. Catches the ball with his hands and displays good body control. Committed to Miami over Oregon, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee. UA All American. Early enrollee but recovering from a knee injury. Dynamic slot receiver and punt returner.
Tyre Brady (5.7) – Very good size at 6-3 200 with a frame to put on more good weight. Impressive agility for this size. Very good long speed. Good acceleration and gets to top speed quickly. Dangerous after the catch. Tracks deep balls well. Willing blocker. State champion. Chose Miami over Kentucky. Had 600 yards receiving and 10 TDs his senior season. Bounced around schools and didn’t play as a junior. Impressive physical skill set with a high ceiling and should contribute after a few seasons.
TE – B+
David Njoku (5.9) – Fantastic size and length at 6-4, 218. Extremely impressive body control and makes contested catches. Very good athlete. Hand catcher with an enormous catch radius. Physical after the catch. Fluid runner. Quick feet. Very good speed for his size but not really a burner. Productive senior season with nearly 1000 yards receiving and 11 TDs (24+ ypc), along with 300 and 6 on the ground. Former Rutgers commit who committed to Miami over OSU and Penn State. Very impressive athlete that is still learning the game, projects as a big receiver or a move tight end.
Christopher Herndon (5.7) – Great size at 6-4, 238. Good overall athlete with solid build up speed. Good blocker in space. Consistently catches with his hands. Also has potential at DE. Committed to Miami over Mississippi State. Played at one of the top programs in Georgia, winning two state titles. Over 500 yards receiving and 6 TDs as a senior playing WR. Move TE that could be a contributor down the line.
OL – A-
Kc McDermott (6.0) – Great size at 6-6 300 with an average build. Great leverage in the run game. Extremely physical player with a nasty demeanor. Gets to the 2nd level quickly and blocks well in space. Uses his hands well in the run game. Mirrors well with quick feet. Good punch in pass protection but needs to keep his hands inside. Needs to stay on his feet. Has issues with bending at the waist and lunging at defenders. Better run blocker than pass blocker at this point, but has the tools to succeed in both areas. Committed to Miami over Notre Dame and offers from everywhere. UA All American. Brother of current Cane Shane McDermott. Early enrollee who could potential start at RT as a freshman.
Trevor Darling (6.0) – Dominating size at 6-5 325 with long arms and a huge lower half. Extremely powerful in both the run and pass game and can overwhelm defenders physically. Light feet. Devastating punch in pass pro. Can overextend at times and stops moving his feet. Needs to play with better leverage. Will struggle with quicker players. Teammate of Joseph Yearby. Long time commit and never wavered. UA All American. EE. Can play guard or tackle but projects best at OG and should play early.
Nick Linder (5.7) – Solid height at 6-3 but undersized at 280. Solid athlete with good initial quickness. Great technique in zone blocking with hand placement and feet. Gets to the 2nd level well and locks onto players in space. Plays with a good base in pass pro. Can get overpowered if he doesn’t get good positioning. Will struggle with tougher blocks. UA All American. Brother of Brandon Linder, teammate of Anthony Moten. Center prospect who needs to develop physically before he’s ready to contribute.
Edge Players – A
Chad Thomas (6.1) – Great size at 6-5 240 with a frame to easily get to 260+ easily. Tremendous length. Great functional strength. Fires out low and plays with great leverage. Converts speed to power very well and can overwhelm players with a bull rush. Strong at the POA and a better run defender than pass rusher at this point. Great lateral agility. Solid speed rush but needs to develop more moves to be a top flight pass rusher. Needs to use his hands better when rushing the passer. Good quickness off the line but average snap anticipation. Lined up mostly at DT as a senior. Chose Miami over FSU and Alabama. UA All American. Won multiple state championships, including a national championship as a senior. Insane potential as a pass rusher and depending how he develops physically can end up as a rush backer or a 5 tech.
Trent Harris (5.9) – Average height at 6-2 but a well-built 230. Great first step and snap anticipation. Advanced pass rusher who uses a rip, swim and bull rush well. Uses his hands extremely well. Extremely fluid with great movement skills. Keeps contain and stacks very well for a player his size. Great motor. Good form as a tackler. 14 sacks as a senior and 11 as a junior. Grew up a Gators fan but after they passed on him he committed to Miami. EE. Projects as an edge rusher who could contribute immediately in pass situations.
Mike Smith (5.8) – Undersized at 6-2, 218. Insane motor. Fantastic speed off the edge with a great first step. Plays with leverage and converts speed to power well. Uses hands well to keep blockers off of him. Great closing speed. Can get overpowered at the POA. Needs to develop counter moves and struggles going inside. Plays best in big games. Committed to Miami over interest from Louisville, Arkansas and WVU. Undersized pass rusher who projects as a SLB in base sets.
Demetrius Jackson (5.7) – Good length at 6-4 but fairly thin. Extremely athletic. Does a great job of getting his hands up at the right time to deflect passes. Relentless motor. Loses leverage fairly easily and gets completely overwhelmed. Raw and still struggles with simple parts of the game. Only one year of football experience. Had 14 sacks as a senior. Former basketball player. Teammate of Chad Thomas. Chose Miami over Arkansas and Louisville. Extremely athletic pass rusher who needs to develop a ton before he’ll be able to contribute.
Interior DL – B+
Anthony Moten (5.9) – Very good size at 6-4, 300 with long arms. Solid quickness off the snap. Strong at the POA and handles double teams well. Great stack and shed player. Moves well laterally. Reads plays well. Generally plays with a good pad level but can get high at times. Not going to overpower linemen. Experience at DE and DT. Semper Fi AA. Former UF commit. Can play anywhere along the DL but projects as a starter as a 5 tech and should play early.
Courtel Jenkins (5.8) – Solid size at 6-2 300+ with a good build. Good initial quickness. Fires out low and generates power on contact. Naturally uses his hands to stack and shed. Good lateral agility. Great motor. Solid wrap up tackler. Not much upside as a pass rusher but generates a push. Huge leap between his junior and senior seasons. HS teammate of Kiy Hester where they won a state championship last year. Committed to Miami early and stuck with that commitment even with late interest from Ohio State and Penn State. True 2-gap NT prospect with starting potential.
Calvin Heurtelou (5.8) – Great size at 6-3, 324 with a thick lower half. Strong at the POA and extends arms well after contact. Fires out low and consistently plays with good leverage. Solid athlete and chases down plays well. Solid quickness but won’t win many battles with it. Great weight room strength with a bench of 445 and squat of 575. Chose Miami over Missouri, Rutgers and Tennessee. JUCO transfer on campus for spring ball, will contribute immediately at NT.
Michael Wyche (5.7) – Huge player at 6-4 330+. Good initial quickness. Incredible strength and can overwhelm offensive linemen. Inconsistent technique and loses leverage. Has a 500 max on bench and 700 on squat. Great physical tools but still very raw. Flipped from USC to Miami. JUCO transfer who will compete for the starting NT job.
LB – A-
Juwon Young (5.9) – Great size at 6-2 240. Sound tackler, especially in space. Takes very good angles to outside runs. Gets though traffic well and fights off blockers. Diagnoses plays well and doesn’t take false steps. Light feet. Inside thumper but can make plays outside. Good but not great speed. Adequate in coverage but shouldn’t be depended on to play man in space. Has experience as an edge player as well as at MLB. Also played some RB in HS. Committed early over offers from UNC and Ole Miss. Early enrollee who should compete at MLB immediately.
Darrion Owens (5.9) – Fantastic size at 6-3 225 with a frame to get to 250. Explosive downhill player. Devastating hitter who wraps up ball carriers. Very fluid and moves well in space. Changes directions well. Good long speed. Takes some false steps and bad angles. Struggles with blockers in space. Good blitzer but raw as a pass rusher. Former safety that only has one year at linebacker. Semper Fi All American. Committed to Miami early over Auburn and Georgia. Enrolled early. Physical specimen who projects very well as a SLB and should bring depth to the position right away.
Terry McCray (5.7) – Very good size at 6-3, 228. Fantastic first step and gets a great jump off the snap. Good athlete. Keeps contain well and understands how to use his hands in the run game. Has experience rushing from a 2 and 3 point stance. Had 19 sacks as a senior and 13 as a junior, and put up 100+ tackles in both of those seasons. Committed to Miami early but had late interest from LSU and Alabama. Great pass rusher but could potentially project to any of the LB spots.
DB – C+
Kiy Hester (5.9) – 6’ with a good build. Big hitter that wraps up and goes through ball carriers. Good ball skills and catches the ball naturally with his hands. Very good range in deep coverage. Runs the alley well and takes good angles. Not an amazing athlete but good enough where it shouldn’t be an issue. 5 INTs this past season. Also played WR in HS. State champion as a senior. First team All-State in NJ. Former Rutgers commit who chose Miami over Michigan State.
Ryan Mayes (5.7) – Great size at 6-2 195 with great length. Quick feet. Good speed and shows the ability to recover. Smooth hips and transitions well. Seems comfortable in man and zone coverages. Willing tackler but lacks technique. Experience at CB and S in HS. Teammate of Mike Smith. Committed to Miami early after receiving an offer at a camp. EE who will start at CB but also has upside at safety.
Marques Gayot (5.7) – Solid size at 6-1 200 with a muscular build. Devastating hitter. Great ball skills. Smart player who diagnoses plays quickly. Takes good angles. Average speed that might force a move to LB. Solid route recognition. Flipped his commitment from Louisville to Miami. Box safety prospect who could project to LB down the road.
Overall Grade – A
Golden’s 4th class as HC was easily his best from top to bottom. The staff took advantage of having a full class added 12 players on offense and 14 on defense. There was a much bigger focus on Florida this year, with 16 of the 26 signees being from Florida. The focus of the class was the front 7, as well as a top QB, and depth at RB, WR and OL. The staff continued to focus on bringing in more size and length, which they did at almost every position.
For the 2nd straight year, Miami brought in one of the top QBs in the country, and Brad Kaaya could compete for the starting job in 2014 but will more likely be involved in the 2015 battle. Joseph Yearby should contribute to the RB group and immediately becomes the 2nd most talented back on the team. A 2nd RB wasn’t added but Trayone Gray could end up there. A ton of height was added to the receiving group, with players of 6-5, 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3 added, all of which bring a different skill set to the group. None of them will likely compete this year, but there is a lot of upside there. The OL group didn’t have the number the staff wanted but they did bring in two great players in McDermott and Darling.
On the defensive side of the ball, a ton of talent was added to the front 7. Chad Thomas is the star of the class, and should add to the pass rush as a freshman. The pass rush group is deep, with 4 signees who could end up at either of the outside LB spots in a 3-4. The JUCO DTs brought in will likely take most of the NT snaps in 2014 with Jenkins being a prospect there to watch in the future. Moten could potentially play right away as a 3/5 tech. Young and Owens provide immediate size and athleticism to the LB group and both could play early as they are already on campus. The DB group isn’t overly talented, but does add depth to the safeties and Mayes is a long athlete with upside down the road.
Miami has brought in some top talent the past few seasons, but the depth has been major lacking. This class has the top talent like previous years, but the total depth of it is what separates it from others. The class has elite players at QB, RB, OT and DE, and having elite talent at those positions can go a long way to building Miami back to ACC and National Championship contender. While there was definitely some talent from South Florida that went other schools, the talent that was brought in can’t be understated.
QB – A+
Brad Kaaya (6.1) – Fantastic size at 6-4 223 with a very good build. Quick, smooth over the top release. Very strong arm and can make throws to every part of the field. Very advanced mechanics with terrific feet. Moves very well in the pocket to avoid rushers. Incredible intelligence at the high school level, regularly getting to his 3rd progression on plays. Great field vision and can work across the field. Understands where to attack defenses. Has shown great ball placement on quick throws but can be inconsistent. Great accuracy on sideline throws and back shoulder fades. Fantastic deep ball accuracy. Extremely confident passer and lets his receivers make plays. Below average feet and isn’t much of a threat to run. Committed to Miami before his senior season when his only other offer was San Diego State. USC, UCLA and Boise State all offered later. Threw for over 3800 yards and 27 TDs his senior season. Semper Fi All American. State champion. California State Player of the Year. Mother is Felicia from Friday. Elite passer both mentally and physically that could potentially compete for a starting job as a freshmen.
Malik Rosier (5.7) – Short for the position at 6-1 but a good build. Fantastic arm strength and can easily make every throw. Great athlete for the position and has very good vision as a runner. Clean mechanically with very good feet. Accuracy is an issue. Threw for 1800 yards and 16 TDs and ran for another 1300 yards and 17 TDs. Played in a spread, read option based offense in high school. Two sport player who will also play baseball at Miami. Intriguing player due to very impressive physical tools in terms of arm strength and running ability and could develop a role at Miami.
RB – B+
Joseph Yearby (6.0) – Below average size with a small frame, listed at 5-9 180. Elite quickness, vision and balance, regularly making players miss in small spaces. Extremely intelligent runner who knows how to set up his blocks. Great burst and explodes through holes. Decisive runner with little wasted movement. Very good at breaking arm tackles, especially considering his size, but won’t shake off many bigger players. Good speed but not a guy who will run away from people. Showed proficiency catching the ball in camp settings. One of the most prolific running backs in Dade County history, totaling over 5500 yards and 68 TDs, including 1700 yards and 19 TDs his senior year. Won multiple state championships. Former FSU commit who flipped to Miami. UA AA who enrolled early but is rehabbing from an ankle injury. Should contribute a huge amount as a freshman.
WR – B+
Darrell Langham (5.8) – Great height at 6-4 but very thin and will need to add bulk. Glider with deep speed. Very good movement skills for a player of his size. Hand catcher with a huge catch radius. Good body control and high points the ball. Not very physical after the catch. Raw and needs to develop physical and in his technique. Had 450 yards receiving with 7 TDs as a senior. Committed to Miami early over Arkansas and had interest later from FSU. Huge target with good speed that projects as a red zone and deep threat down the road.
Trayone Gray (5.8) – Very good size at 6-2 200 with a solid build. Explosive with the ball in his hands. Very good speed and is a constant big play threat. Good agility and balance that makes him hard to take down in the open field. Good vision as a runner, especially in space. HS QB that can project to RB, WR or S. Ran for 1200 yards and 12 TDs from the QB position. Didn’t receive much interest in recruiting due to grade issues and there are serious issues regarding him qualifying. Has upside at multiple positions.
Braxton Berrios (5.8) – Short at 5-8 but not small with a good build. Freak athlete, posted a 3.81 short shuttle time and a 40 inch vertical at The Opening. Insane quickness and extremely shifty. Good long speed but won’t beat defenses over the top. Played mostly wildcat QB in HS but dominated camps as a WR. Catches the ball with his hands and displays good body control. Committed to Miami over Oregon, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee. UA All American. Early enrollee but recovering from a knee injury. Dynamic slot receiver and punt returner.
Tyre Brady (5.7) – Very good size at 6-3 200 with a frame to put on more good weight. Impressive agility for this size. Very good long speed. Good acceleration and gets to top speed quickly. Dangerous after the catch. Tracks deep balls well. Willing blocker. State champion. Chose Miami over Kentucky. Had 600 yards receiving and 10 TDs his senior season. Bounced around schools and didn’t play as a junior. Impressive physical skill set with a high ceiling and should contribute after a few seasons.
TE – B+
David Njoku (5.9) – Fantastic size and length at 6-4, 218. Extremely impressive body control and makes contested catches. Very good athlete. Hand catcher with an enormous catch radius. Physical after the catch. Fluid runner. Quick feet. Very good speed for his size but not really a burner. Productive senior season with nearly 1000 yards receiving and 11 TDs (24+ ypc), along with 300 and 6 on the ground. Former Rutgers commit who committed to Miami over OSU and Penn State. Very impressive athlete that is still learning the game, projects as a big receiver or a move tight end.
Christopher Herndon (5.7) – Great size at 6-4, 238. Good overall athlete with solid build up speed. Good blocker in space. Consistently catches with his hands. Also has potential at DE. Committed to Miami over Mississippi State. Played at one of the top programs in Georgia, winning two state titles. Over 500 yards receiving and 6 TDs as a senior playing WR. Move TE that could be a contributor down the line.
OL – A-
Kc McDermott (6.0) – Great size at 6-6 300 with an average build. Great leverage in the run game. Extremely physical player with a nasty demeanor. Gets to the 2nd level quickly and blocks well in space. Uses his hands well in the run game. Mirrors well with quick feet. Good punch in pass protection but needs to keep his hands inside. Needs to stay on his feet. Has issues with bending at the waist and lunging at defenders. Better run blocker than pass blocker at this point, but has the tools to succeed in both areas. Committed to Miami over Notre Dame and offers from everywhere. UA All American. Brother of current Cane Shane McDermott. Early enrollee who could potential start at RT as a freshman.
Trevor Darling (6.0) – Dominating size at 6-5 325 with long arms and a huge lower half. Extremely powerful in both the run and pass game and can overwhelm defenders physically. Light feet. Devastating punch in pass pro. Can overextend at times and stops moving his feet. Needs to play with better leverage. Will struggle with quicker players. Teammate of Joseph Yearby. Long time commit and never wavered. UA All American. EE. Can play guard or tackle but projects best at OG and should play early.
Nick Linder (5.7) – Solid height at 6-3 but undersized at 280. Solid athlete with good initial quickness. Great technique in zone blocking with hand placement and feet. Gets to the 2nd level well and locks onto players in space. Plays with a good base in pass pro. Can get overpowered if he doesn’t get good positioning. Will struggle with tougher blocks. UA All American. Brother of Brandon Linder, teammate of Anthony Moten. Center prospect who needs to develop physically before he’s ready to contribute.
Edge Players – A
Chad Thomas (6.1) – Great size at 6-5 240 with a frame to easily get to 260+ easily. Tremendous length. Great functional strength. Fires out low and plays with great leverage. Converts speed to power very well and can overwhelm players with a bull rush. Strong at the POA and a better run defender than pass rusher at this point. Great lateral agility. Solid speed rush but needs to develop more moves to be a top flight pass rusher. Needs to use his hands better when rushing the passer. Good quickness off the line but average snap anticipation. Lined up mostly at DT as a senior. Chose Miami over FSU and Alabama. UA All American. Won multiple state championships, including a national championship as a senior. Insane potential as a pass rusher and depending how he develops physically can end up as a rush backer or a 5 tech.
Trent Harris (5.9) – Average height at 6-2 but a well-built 230. Great first step and snap anticipation. Advanced pass rusher who uses a rip, swim and bull rush well. Uses his hands extremely well. Extremely fluid with great movement skills. Keeps contain and stacks very well for a player his size. Great motor. Good form as a tackler. 14 sacks as a senior and 11 as a junior. Grew up a Gators fan but after they passed on him he committed to Miami. EE. Projects as an edge rusher who could contribute immediately in pass situations.
Mike Smith (5.8) – Undersized at 6-2, 218. Insane motor. Fantastic speed off the edge with a great first step. Plays with leverage and converts speed to power well. Uses hands well to keep blockers off of him. Great closing speed. Can get overpowered at the POA. Needs to develop counter moves and struggles going inside. Plays best in big games. Committed to Miami over interest from Louisville, Arkansas and WVU. Undersized pass rusher who projects as a SLB in base sets.
Demetrius Jackson (5.7) – Good length at 6-4 but fairly thin. Extremely athletic. Does a great job of getting his hands up at the right time to deflect passes. Relentless motor. Loses leverage fairly easily and gets completely overwhelmed. Raw and still struggles with simple parts of the game. Only one year of football experience. Had 14 sacks as a senior. Former basketball player. Teammate of Chad Thomas. Chose Miami over Arkansas and Louisville. Extremely athletic pass rusher who needs to develop a ton before he’ll be able to contribute.
Interior DL – B+
Anthony Moten (5.9) – Very good size at 6-4, 300 with long arms. Solid quickness off the snap. Strong at the POA and handles double teams well. Great stack and shed player. Moves well laterally. Reads plays well. Generally plays with a good pad level but can get high at times. Not going to overpower linemen. Experience at DE and DT. Semper Fi AA. Former UF commit. Can play anywhere along the DL but projects as a starter as a 5 tech and should play early.
Courtel Jenkins (5.8) – Solid size at 6-2 300+ with a good build. Good initial quickness. Fires out low and generates power on contact. Naturally uses his hands to stack and shed. Good lateral agility. Great motor. Solid wrap up tackler. Not much upside as a pass rusher but generates a push. Huge leap between his junior and senior seasons. HS teammate of Kiy Hester where they won a state championship last year. Committed to Miami early and stuck with that commitment even with late interest from Ohio State and Penn State. True 2-gap NT prospect with starting potential.
Calvin Heurtelou (5.8) – Great size at 6-3, 324 with a thick lower half. Strong at the POA and extends arms well after contact. Fires out low and consistently plays with good leverage. Solid athlete and chases down plays well. Solid quickness but won’t win many battles with it. Great weight room strength with a bench of 445 and squat of 575. Chose Miami over Missouri, Rutgers and Tennessee. JUCO transfer on campus for spring ball, will contribute immediately at NT.
Michael Wyche (5.7) – Huge player at 6-4 330+. Good initial quickness. Incredible strength and can overwhelm offensive linemen. Inconsistent technique and loses leverage. Has a 500 max on bench and 700 on squat. Great physical tools but still very raw. Flipped from USC to Miami. JUCO transfer who will compete for the starting NT job.
LB – A-
Juwon Young (5.9) – Great size at 6-2 240. Sound tackler, especially in space. Takes very good angles to outside runs. Gets though traffic well and fights off blockers. Diagnoses plays well and doesn’t take false steps. Light feet. Inside thumper but can make plays outside. Good but not great speed. Adequate in coverage but shouldn’t be depended on to play man in space. Has experience as an edge player as well as at MLB. Also played some RB in HS. Committed early over offers from UNC and Ole Miss. Early enrollee who should compete at MLB immediately.
Darrion Owens (5.9) – Fantastic size at 6-3 225 with a frame to get to 250. Explosive downhill player. Devastating hitter who wraps up ball carriers. Very fluid and moves well in space. Changes directions well. Good long speed. Takes some false steps and bad angles. Struggles with blockers in space. Good blitzer but raw as a pass rusher. Former safety that only has one year at linebacker. Semper Fi All American. Committed to Miami early over Auburn and Georgia. Enrolled early. Physical specimen who projects very well as a SLB and should bring depth to the position right away.
Terry McCray (5.7) – Very good size at 6-3, 228. Fantastic first step and gets a great jump off the snap. Good athlete. Keeps contain well and understands how to use his hands in the run game. Has experience rushing from a 2 and 3 point stance. Had 19 sacks as a senior and 13 as a junior, and put up 100+ tackles in both of those seasons. Committed to Miami early but had late interest from LSU and Alabama. Great pass rusher but could potentially project to any of the LB spots.
DB – C+
Kiy Hester (5.9) – 6’ with a good build. Big hitter that wraps up and goes through ball carriers. Good ball skills and catches the ball naturally with his hands. Very good range in deep coverage. Runs the alley well and takes good angles. Not an amazing athlete but good enough where it shouldn’t be an issue. 5 INTs this past season. Also played WR in HS. State champion as a senior. First team All-State in NJ. Former Rutgers commit who chose Miami over Michigan State.
Ryan Mayes (5.7) – Great size at 6-2 195 with great length. Quick feet. Good speed and shows the ability to recover. Smooth hips and transitions well. Seems comfortable in man and zone coverages. Willing tackler but lacks technique. Experience at CB and S in HS. Teammate of Mike Smith. Committed to Miami early after receiving an offer at a camp. EE who will start at CB but also has upside at safety.
Marques Gayot (5.7) – Solid size at 6-1 200 with a muscular build. Devastating hitter. Great ball skills. Smart player who diagnoses plays quickly. Takes good angles. Average speed that might force a move to LB. Solid route recognition. Flipped his commitment from Louisville to Miami. Box safety prospect who could project to LB down the road.
Overall Grade – A
Golden’s 4th class as HC was easily his best from top to bottom. The staff took advantage of having a full class added 12 players on offense and 14 on defense. There was a much bigger focus on Florida this year, with 16 of the 26 signees being from Florida. The focus of the class was the front 7, as well as a top QB, and depth at RB, WR and OL. The staff continued to focus on bringing in more size and length, which they did at almost every position.
For the 2nd straight year, Miami brought in one of the top QBs in the country, and Brad Kaaya could compete for the starting job in 2014 but will more likely be involved in the 2015 battle. Joseph Yearby should contribute to the RB group and immediately becomes the 2nd most talented back on the team. A 2nd RB wasn’t added but Trayone Gray could end up there. A ton of height was added to the receiving group, with players of 6-5, 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3 added, all of which bring a different skill set to the group. None of them will likely compete this year, but there is a lot of upside there. The OL group didn’t have the number the staff wanted but they did bring in two great players in McDermott and Darling.
On the defensive side of the ball, a ton of talent was added to the front 7. Chad Thomas is the star of the class, and should add to the pass rush as a freshman. The pass rush group is deep, with 4 signees who could end up at either of the outside LB spots in a 3-4. The JUCO DTs brought in will likely take most of the NT snaps in 2014 with Jenkins being a prospect there to watch in the future. Moten could potentially play right away as a 3/5 tech. Young and Owens provide immediate size and athleticism to the LB group and both could play early as they are already on campus. The DB group isn’t overly talented, but does add depth to the safeties and Mayes is a long athlete with upside down the road.
Miami has brought in some top talent the past few seasons, but the depth has been major lacking. This class has the top talent like previous years, but the total depth of it is what separates it from others. The class has elite players at QB, RB, OT and DE, and having elite talent at those positions can go a long way to building Miami back to ACC and National Championship contender. While there was definitely some talent from South Florida that went other schools, the talent that was brought in can’t be understated.
