2027 Sean Tatum 4* OL from Fort Pierce, FL (John Carroll HS)

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I must say, life was simpler pre-Mario. We had a small # of recruits to monitor and no backup options when they decommitted after finding better landing spots.

Now following Miami recruiting is like drinking from a fire hose.

Just going through the top 50 in Florida list, we missed out on three top 20 prospects in our backyard to Texas — including a rarity: the 5 star south Florida quarterback (+ DT/RB).

247’s true top player in the state, Calvin Russell, went to an in conference basketball school in Syracuse. Another standout receiver in Jansen Lopez chose FSU despite their consistent Crash-outs.

A Norland defensive back commit reclassified up and flipped to UNC. A St. Thomas Aquinas defensive back whose family Mario has known for a decade chose Georgia over Miami.

0 for 7 on these targets — 1QB1RB2WR1DT2DB — and it had no bearing on our ability to secure the 7th best class while reloading the roster. No one feels like we’re missing out & doomed as we would have felt under Diaz and Golden.

Losing out on Matthew Thomas, Denver Kirkland and Alex Collins felt like our will was broken. Having to watch Fabian Moreau, Skai Moore, Elijah Moore, Isaiah McKenzie, Carlton Davis, Eddie Jackson scenarios where we didn’t prioritize or recruit them then they ball out elsewhere was agonizing.

Our 3 and 4 stars are exceeding expectations rather than failing to live up to their billing like previously. The surprises are there earlier in their careers; leveling up late in their careers feels more impactful than it would before i.e. Anthony Moten vs Ahmad Moten.

We’ve got three players from Armwood on our roster right now; that alone is just incredible to me.

 

[No_Fly_Zone]

Just going through the top 50 in Florida list, we missed out on three top 20 prospects in our backyard to Texas — including a rarity: the 5 star south Florida quarterback (+ DT/RB).

247’s true top player in the state, Calvin Russell, went to an in conference basketball school in Syracuse. Another standout receiver in Jansen Lopez chose FSU despite their consistent Crash-outs.

A Norland defensive back commit reclassified up and flipped to UNC. A St. Thomas Aquinas defensive back whose family Mario has known for a decade chose Georgia over Miami.

0 for 7 on these targets — 1QB1RB2WR1DT2DB — and it had no bearing on our ability to secure the 7th best class while reloading the roster. No one feels like we’re missing out & doomed as we would have felt under Diaz and Golden.

Losing out on Matthew Thomas, Denver Kirkland and Alex Collins felt like our will was broken. Having to watch Fabian Moreau, Skai Moore, Elijah Moore, Isaiah McKenzie, Carlton Davis, Eddie Jackson scenarios where we didn’t prioritize or recruit them then they ball out elsewhere was agonizing.

Our 3 and 4 stars are exceeding expectations rather than failing to live up to their billing like previously. The surprises are there earlier in their careers; leveling up late in their careers feels more impactful than it would before i.e. Anthony Moten vs Ahmad Moten.

We’ve got three players from Armwood on our roster right now; that alone is just incredible to me.

Another major difference is we're also doing a much better job of expanding the footprint and recruiting blue-chip recruits outside the state of Florida. In those dark days, we'd often lose the blue-chip South Florida kid and our back-up would be a "diamond-in-the-rough" South Florida kid or possibly a kid from the northeast (Golden days).

 

[cookies]

Another major difference is we're also doing a much better job of expanding the footprint and recruiting blue-chip recruits outside the state of Florida. In those dark days, we'd often lose the blue-chip South Florida kid and our back-up would be a "diamond-in-the-rough" South Florida kid or possibly a kid from the northeast (Golden days).

Absolutely. Even within Florida: St Augustine, Tampa, Orlando and much lesser known areas like Newberry, Sanford we are doing well in.

Back to your main point, we have done really well in Georgia. Not all the bluechippers (Ny Carr) from there have panned out; however, in addition to prep players, we have done well with transfers who played their HS football in the Peach State: CJ Daniels, Keelan Marion, Popo, Cam Vaughn then guys like Herbert Scroggins, Luke Nickel, Wyman and Redding, etc.

No more Guidry so less Louisiana based than before, but got Anez Cooper, Upshaw, & Bacon outta Alabama.

We’ve been doing very well outta California and North Carolina lately. I expect both states to remain focal points for Miami.

So much easier to put together an elite class when it’s two kids from Ohio, one each from Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas, then add in an elite northeast guy and an elite Illinois guy.