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What do we really have with '21 class

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Forward: This post in no way intended to resemble Gaytor class ranking mentality. This is less beating chest about 247 rankings and more seeing what we have with 2021 class.***

For those who really know a lot of prospects around the nation (I'm looking at you @Liberty City El), how do you think we actually stacked up? I'm looking at some of these classes ahead of us and at first glance can't say I trade classes based on position at the least.

I trust some dudes on here more than the recruiting services a lot of times and curious to see where we stand with the elite.
 
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Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enameled with, but he’s workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as a explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the in-depth write up LCE

You've probably seen me echo your sentiments on Kinchens a time or ten. I think he's the smartest player in the class and it would not surprise me even a little if he ends up being the best player we signed in 2021, when it's all said and done.
 
Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enameled with, but he’s workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as a explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
This is why I come here. If LCE ever ghosts us you ****ers may as well just open Brazzers in another browser.
 
And I didn’t give a run down of every recruit in the class because I honestly don’t know how I feel about all of them.

The LB’s in particular I have a lot of questions about, if TWill is here for longer than a year then I’ll be more comfortable about where they stand in terms of their potential, but until then I just don’t know what to expect.

Thomas Davis is one I really like, if he sticks at DE he reminds me of a Yannick Ngakoue type, an undersized tweener speed rusher off the edge, that will play in the same role as Roche or Trevon Hill for us.

At LB the speed is definitely there but Idk how he would project as a LB in college. He could certainly play it though, but I’m interested in seeing how we use him. He’s not really a Jess Simpson style DE, but I think that’s where he's most effective.
 
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Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
Awesome job here impressive, there are some here whom take there Cane to a higher level , I know I can’t reach it here’s one of them right here.


GOCANES
 
Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
OUTSTANDING work LCE! Thank you for your always insightful and timely information. I greatly appreciate it.
 
Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
Thread ending post right there. Thanks as always, LCE.
 
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Thomas Davis is hands down my favorite prospect this class. Fast, violent, and a pure football player. NEEDS to stay at DE to fully take advantage of his skill set.

Next up for me is Leonard Taylor. These are the kind of guys we need to land if were going to compete. Awesome measurables for Simpson to mold.

Arroyo will contribute day 1 imo. Great hands, ability to catch in traffic, high point the ball, and great yac. Get him on the field ASAP!!!

Breshard Smith has huge upside imo. 1 of those tough, reliable WR’s thats going to give you YAC. I hope like **** after last years debacle, we dont go with seniority at wide out. Im playing these you g receivers early and often. Give Smith the opportunity, and hes going to capitalize!

I drool over Malik Curtises potential. Give me a guy that can stay stride for stride with a WR and turn around and make a play on the ball. Not enough highlights on the defensive side in highschool, but i want elite speed at CB. I want guys that can chase down Rb’s from the other side of the field. We need speed, and Curtis has plenty of it.
 
joseermonfils said:
@Liberty City El with the lbs I’m a fan of troutman..I think he can play early especially with how bad that room is right now...any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I think he’s a developmental prospect, he’s a tough Miami kid who had to relocate to Orlando because he apparently had some behavioral issues, which I don’t have a problem with because I actually like my LB’s to have a little bit of crazy in’em, but he’s a downhill thumper that can diagnose well, but I have questions about his speed, size & his lateral footwork. I also haven’t seen what he looks like in coverage to give a solid assessment of how he is as a complete backer. But he can stick which is a plus.

I don’t think he’ll play right away, the LB room is pretty crowded & while there may be some guys who haven’t proven they should start, that won’t keep them from playing lol, so idk if Troutman sees the field early on, but I think he has some talent, but it will take a few years before he’s fully developed into starter imo.
 
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Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
Man, most sites you'd have to pay for this level of analysis.
You the man LCE thanks for the writeup. Excited for this class. Let's see what the new D coaches can do.
 
Liberty City El said:
I think he’s a developmental prospect, he’s a tough Miami kid who had to relocate to Orlando because he apparently had some behavioral issues, which I don’t have a problem with because I actually like my LB’s to have a little bit of crazy in’em, but he’s a downhill thumper that can diagnose well, but I have questions about his speed, size & his lateral footwork. I also haven’t seen what he looks like in coverage to give a solid assessment of how he is as a complete backer. But he can stick which is a plus.

I don’t think he’ll play right away, the LB room is pretty crowded & while there may be some guys who haven’t proven they should start, that won’t keep them from playing lol, so idk if Troutman sees the field early on, but I think he has some talent, but it will take a few years before he’s fully developed into starter imo.
Click to expand...
If he can diagnose well, that's an improvement over what we put out there last year. There's no more important skill for a LB. And generally it's not something you develop at 19 years old.
 
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For the first time in a long time I feel we took a class of 100% Miami caliber kids. Now it’s on the coaches
 
Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
Click to expand...
Lets not forget the importance of the kicker its nice to get a solid kicker for several years these guys can decide alot of games
 
Simpson Williams and Robinson are proven developers. I feel good there. Likens is a developer but he’s on my **** list with the upperclassmen bias. Maybe that’s not his fault who knows. Running backs we good. Tight ends we good. Justice needs to earn his keep. Big baby and Rodriguez are two good ones but we need help on the field results wise. Quarterback we got a good one.
 
Liberty City El said:
Firstly, there’s no way to know, only time will tell how the kids turn out.

Secondly, there are always unforeseen factors, mainly injury, that can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

On paper, we have a very good class, but development is key, some kids will thrive & excel, some may take a long time to reach their potential & some may bust, that’s the reality.

As far as the players are concerned, obviously Leonard Taylor has the most NFL potential, my comparison for him is Javon Kinlaw, does that mean he will be as good or will be 1st rounder? No it doesn’t, that’s just the player type that I see him as based on his upside, but like with every single recruit ever, it will all depend on how he’s developed.

James Williams fits the mold of the new era huge athletic Safeties like Isaiah Simmons, Derwin James, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jayron Kearse etc, that are multi-purpose players that can moved all over the Defense & play snaps at multiple positions. Will he be as good as those guys? Maybe, maybe not, like I said earlier it all depends on how he’s developed. The talent is there but it remains to be seen how he will be coached up during his time at Miami, we shall see.

Elijah Arroyo on offense is the most polished offensive prospect we’ve recruited here in a long time, IMO he will be better than Brevin Jordan & has 1st round upside. His combination of size, speed, hands, & advanced level sophisticated route running is what separates him, especially if he plays in a conducive offensive system for the majority of his career he should be highly productive player at Miami & be the next TEU star. My comparison for him since last year is Noah Fant.

The WR’s Brinson, George & Smith are good pickups, I don’t think any of them will play much as TF’s, so we’ll see how they develop over the years, but they’re all pretty good IMO. I think Brinson & George have the best upside, but Smith can be a productive Slot-back type in the future. Brinson reminds me Ahmmon Richards, but I don’t think he’ll have the True Freshman impact that Ahmmon had. I’m still skeptical the staff will actually play any of the younger WR’s over the upperclassmen, but we’ll see.

Thad Franklin I’m probably higher on than most on the board, maybe me & D$ are the only ones who really like him. I think most people can’t see past his speed or lack thereof, but being a good RB requires a lot more than just pure track speed, he’s a shifty down hill runner with very good physicality, strong contact balance & has athletic Basketball player footwork, no he’ll never kill you with his 40 time, but he’s the kind of back you can give him the rock 25-30 times a game & he’ll end up with 140yds+. My comparison for him is Kareem Hunt, strong power runner who’s laterally quicker than pure straight line fast. He’ll be a good short yardage change of pace back that can hammer the defense late in games when you have a lead & are taking the air out of the ball. He’s a tough runner that will get extra yards just off effort alone. He’s not the flashy back people are usually enamored with, but he’s a workhorse.

I like Ryan Rodriguez a lot, he reminds me of Chris Myers, I see him as the future starter at Center in a few years, he’s a naturally strong kid with very good hands technique & has a nasty streak to’em. Smart & consistent is what you need at C, he fits that to a T.

Malik Curtis is one of my favorite recruits we signed this class, I was the first person to ever post on him & way back in January of 2020 I called him Travis Benjamin 2.0, I still feel that. Obviously, he’s starting out at CB & maybe he’s a naturally gifted athlete a lot like Phillip Buchanon who can smoothly transition from HS WR to CB, we’ll see how it goes. Regardless of whether he sticks at CB or eventually becomes a WR his natural speed & quick twitch ability standout, he should be a day 1 impact player on Special Teams as a Punt Returner. And the fact he’s an EE is a huge plus for him. Patke’s #1 job this Spring/Summer/Fall should be to keep this kid healthy & get him developed to be our primary Return man. We need a PR’er bad & he’s perfect for it as an explosive dynamic game changer with ball in his hands. Really excited to see him develop.

Chase Smith is another naturally gifted athlete that could be a future all-American at either WR or LB, he’s cut from good athletic stock & plays with explosiveness on both sides of the ball. He’ll be another one that it will be interesting to see how he’s developed, as he’s starting out at Striker, but is physically more so built like a Strong Side backer (which is essentially what the STR position replaced in the 4-2-5), but he’s not really a Hybrid Safety like most of the other Strikers we have, IMO he’s more in the mold of a natural LB. But his athletic ability will make him another Swiss Army knife to have on Defense, the Coaches have to do their fckin job & turn these kids into valuable assets.

Kamren Kinchens is my dawg & I know what he’s made of competitively. His upside is probably the most slept on in the class, he’s purebred, whenever he gets his opportunity he will excel. Elite Ballhawk with high Football IQ & good speed, the only thing is he’s walking into a crowded Safety room with a staff that doesn’t really play young guys at Safety, so he’ll be someone that maybe it will take a while for him to get on the field, IDK, I guess it will depend on how open the competitions are & whether or not Manny actually allows for players like him an opportunity.

Allan Haye is another I posted on a whole year before he even got his offer. Really nice upside, is still a raw prospect as he’s only played football for about 3 years now, was a Basketball player, but is naturally strong & has violent active hands. Built in the same mold as a Corey Liguet type, will be a developmental player that will shine down the line after some years in the S&C.

Jabari Ishmael is a kid with very good physical upside as well, with his dad being a long time strength coach at Miami I think he’ll be a kid that thrives in the S&C program. He fits the prototype of the style of Miami DE’s we’ve been recruiting since 2016, the long lean athletic types who grow into their body & have Basketball player wingspans. He won’t be called upon to play too early so he’ll have time to develop, we’ll see if he has the extra internal drive to be great, but the ability is there.

Kahlil Brantley will be a locker room leader in the future, he’s a juice guy in the locker room, meaning he gets his guys fired up & will take on that leadership role as showing guys how to do things the right way. Smart, hungry, tenacious & driven, he’s the kind of kid that gets counted out but will make you pay for it. Hard nosed competitor who gives maximum effort every rep, can be a H-Back type that you can move around, not a big prototype TE but will be more than serviceable. Won’t have to play day 1 due to depth, but will thrive in the weight room. Has some Delanie Walker to his game.

Overall, as far as how they stack up nationally, again there’s no way of knowing that, everything is based on development & exactly how driven all these players are & how well they are coached & how healthy they are & what system they play in during their time at Miami. Only time will tell, but on paper, pretty good class with some good prospects.

Now the next step is for the coaches to translate their talent to on field productivity.
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Couldn’t agree with your last statement more @Liberty City El I think This class has the makings of the perfect nucleus that will serve as the foundation as the group that can begin the turnaround - back to respectability and the tops of CFB. It is imperative they maintain their focus and drive to bring it back to the crib, and I think there are many within the class that have the hunger to succeed, and will. Now in conjunction with that this new defensive staff will need to ultimately realize what critical pieces they have at their disposal and properly motivate and train these kids. Same goes for Lashlee and the offensive side of the ball. they do that, the product and production on the field will increase as such that we will regain our place in the national discussion as a top program again.
 
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