The Beast : Fall Ball Getting Underway

Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden addressed the media today in advanced of Saturday's first day of training camp. Here are some topics that were discussed:

>>> Seantrel Henderson will indeed have back surgery. Coach Golden would not speculate on when Henderson will be back - or if he will be back this year. This is tough news for the Canes as No. 77 has the ability to be one of the best offensive lineman in the country. Miami will find a fix, though. It looks like Brandon Washington will move outside to one tackle spot and r-freshman Malcolm Bunche will get a look at the other tackle spot. As far as the offensive line goes though, the biggest surprise of the day was when Coach Golden told us Shane McDermott was giving Tyler Horn a run for his money at center. (Maybe Horn moves to guard.) Jermaine Barton also got props from Coach.

I have a feeling that we'll be tracking the depth chart at offensive line the entire training camp. The best five will start; that's the only thing that is certain.

>>> We also learned that Eduardo Clements is moving back to running back (from safety) for now. At first I was perplexed by this move until coach Golden told us that athlete Kevin Grooms, who was expected to play running back, is dealing with NCAA Clearinghouse issues. Along those lines, defensive tackle Corey King and linebacker Antonio Kinard are also dealing with Clearinghouse issues and there's no timetable on their arrival at 'The U'.

>>> Coach Golden let us know that Memphis transfer, sophomore quarterback Ryan Williams, was petitioning the NCAA for a waiver that would allow him to play this year. I'm going to guess Golden wants more insurance than Spencer Whipple in case Jacory Harris and / or Stephen Morris get hurt.

>>> On the quarterback battle, Coach Golden again insisted that it was a head-to-head competition that would be decided in about two weeks. The key for Golden is turnovers - especially in the redzone. I still expect Harris to win the battle, as I laid out during this week's edition allCanes Radio. If it's at all close, it's easier to make a move if the senior is the starter.

If it's close and you start the sophomore, you may lose the senior and not get him back mentally should he need to replace Morris. Some would insist politics would never play in to it but I don't think that is reality.

>>> Obviously Golden is worried about the cornerback position. When you lose your top guys to the NFL, you're going to be worried. Coach Golden said even though the guys back there don't have a ton of experience, they have maturity. He likes Wake Forest transfer Mike Williams, Lee Chambers and JoJo Nicholas. I also expect Brandon McGee and Thomas Finnie to factor in.

>>> At linebacker the battle will be at middle between Jordan Futch and Jimmy Gaines. I think it's Futch's job to lose, but he has to go out and play consistent football. Golden loves the leadership that Sean Spence has displayed this off-season and mentioned No. 31 first when he was asked who the leaders on the team were.

>>> Another leader, defensive tackle Marcus Forston is coming off of the knee injury suffered in spring. Forston will be eased into practice over the first two weeks of camp but coach Golden said he'll be ready to go for the Labor Day match up in College Park.

>>> Fans will get jazzed up by Golden's mention of Tommy Streeter numerous times. Streeter has worked hard in the off-season and will have a chance to make an impact. Travis Benjamin and LaRon Byrd are the leaders of that group and I expect Allen Hurns to get a lot of reps, as well.

>>> Finally, Coach Golden said the kicking job belongs to Jake Wieclaw, however, Matt Goudis is coming in with high hopes. Wieclaw will battle Dalton Botts and Cameron Dean at punter.

>>> I found it interesting that Coach Golden said that he doesn't believe in gimmicks on returns. Obviously you want your normal return team to be able to get up field, but when you have speed like Miami does a few trick returns in the play book can give you a boost. Just my opinion.

>>> Make sure you're following @CBSSportsMiami on Twitter for my 'Rapid Reports' from practice on CBSSports.com - and keep your Q&As coming for us to answer at allCanesBlog between now and Labor Day.

>>> Also, all practices are closed to the public. The media is allowed to see the first fifteen minutes of practice, which mostly includes pre-stretching light drills. All interviews are conducted before practice, therefore all information regarding the news and notes from a particular practice will be coming from UM, for better or worse.

allCanesBlog.com : Q&A

Over the course of the summer, Canes305 and The Beast will be answering your questions regarding some of the hottest topics surrounding Hurricane Nation. The latest question comes from Ray in Los Angeles:


"Guys, after a few down years and a recent coaching change, what ONE thing are you most looking forward to this upcoming season when the Al Golden era gets underway?"


Canes305 : I'm ready to see a coaching staff that is a top its game. So tired of looking elsewhere and seeing good coaching, chemistry and teams that were doing their job. You think of the run that Urban Meyer had at Florida between 2006 and 2009, what Pete Carroll did at USC the better part of last decade, the stability and consistency Bob Stoops has had at Oklahoma and the immediate impact Nick Saban had out the gate at Alabama.

It feels like forever since Miami had quality coaching and when you talk about recruiting issues, the lack of player development, poor game planning, a lack of motivation and conditioning reaching a new low, it all comes back to the guy(s) in charge.

Randy Shannon never put together a quality staff in his four-year run, with tremendous turnover regarding assistants. Tim Walton. Bill Young. Patrick Nix. John Lovett. Mark Whipple.

The Larry Coker era wasn't much better. While Shannon was the long-time defensive coordinator, Coker never settled on someone to run the offense after Rob Chudzinski bolted for the NFL. Promoting from within and giving the job to Dan Werner, only to then bring on retread Rich Olson and sticking him with Todd Berry, who the Coker wanted when the administration pushed for Olson.

With that kind of coaching turnover, look at the trickle down effect when talking about a player like Kyle Wright. Compare Wright's Miami tenure to that of Ken Dorsey, Gino Torretta or some other past quarterback great.

Wright was recruited when Chudzinski was OC, redshirted and then played one year under Werner, dealt with the Olson/Berry combo as a junior and his senior year played under Shannon's guy, Nix. Four offense coordinators and two head coaches probably wasn't the way the four-star prospect out of California drew it up when heading south to follow in Dorsey's footsteps.

When you look at yet another new staff at Miami, the first thing you pray for is stability. You hope that head coach Al Golden has brought on some quality guys that will grow and flourish. Last thing you want over the next few years is more turnover. Let's see what happens when Jedd Fisch implements a new offense that has three or four years to grow. Same with Mark D'Onofrio and his defensive scheming.

For me, I'm most excited to see what this new staff can do to rejuvenate the careers of those guys who haven't yet reached their potentials. Players from that highly-touted class of 2008 who never went next-level and now have a year (or two, if they redshirted) to right the ship.

Can this staff resurrect the career of Jacory Harris with some good coaching? Can a guy like Travis Benjamin turn it around after a down 2010? What about guys like LaRon Byrd and Aldarius Johnson - two more who shone as freshmen but have since somewhat disappeared? Guys like Sean Spence and last year, Brandon Harris, were able to rise above sub par coaching, but other players needed more development and haven't yet received it. I want to see how this coaching staff motivates those guys, gets them in shape and turns them into the players they were destined to be.

We love a true feel-good, comeback story and that's what I'm anxious to see. Any coaching staff can get it done with "their" guys, but how does Golden's crew make something out of what they were left?

If Golden, Fisch and D'Onofrio (as well as the other assistants) can salvage the careers of yesterday's top recruits, I think it will go a long way in telling us if this staff can hit the ground running, or if things will take longer to gel.


The Beast : It would be to easy to say #WINNING. allCanes could find some of those left over Charlie Sheen-craze t-shirts and we'd all be going on three week benders.

The most important thing for me; seeing this team playing smart football. There's been too many turnovers and generally sloppy play over the last few years.

Last season, the Canes had thirty-six turnovers, ranking them second-to-last out of all FBS teams. Only Middle Tennessee had more turnovers than Miami with thirty-eight.

You can put some blame on Jacory, who has thirty-nine turnovers over his career, but the issue hasn't just been with the quarterback. How many times have we seen receivers running wrong routes, false starts or holds by the offensive line and other generally dumb penalties at crucial moments? Miami was fourth-to-last nationwide in penalties last season, averaging more than eight yellow flags per game.

I'm going to guess Coach Golden and staff have watched last year's film, coming to the simple conclusion that a cutdown in unacceptable turnovers and penalties would pay dividends.

If I could add a 1-B to my wish list, I'd like to see the overall program more fan friendly. The last few years were rough both on and off the field and when you just ended an era where your last head coach wouldn't show up to CanesFest, you had a real problem on your hands.

This year's CanesFest was just announced and it should be a great on-campus event. The lone negative; the fact that only season ticket holders will be able to get autographs and pictures with players.

While I can understand the idea behind that concept - wanting to get more fans to commit to the program through the purchasing of season tickets - that doesn't fly for a team with a .560 winning percentage the past four seasons. Save the exclusive access events for down the road when you're cranking out wins again.

Right now you're trying to bring a lot of fans back; people who are pissed off they've bought season tickets for years and finally threw in the towel, disgusted with the product on the field.

Open up practices to ALL fans. Open autograph sessions and photo opps to ALL fans. Make players and coaches accessible to EVERYONE. After the pat half decade, staffers at 'The U' should be ELATED that fans want to attend these events.

As a fan and alum, I might be the minority, ready to cheer my team on whether they're 11-1 or 1-11, but you can't expect most South Floridians and casual fans to have that same allegiance.

Golden leaves 'swagger' for marketing folk

First-year Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden addressed the orange and green elephant in the room days back at the ACC Football Kickoff, sharing his thoughts on the concept of 'swagger'.

“I mean, to me, swagger, as it was said to me [by] Alonzo Highsmith and so many other former players, swagger was the byproduct, it wasn’t the product. Just like throwing up the U is the byproduct. Somebody is making money off it. You know they sell t-shirts on it and stuff.

"For us the swagger was developed by demonstrated performance and from having a chip on your shoulder and from work ethic and from being the hardest-working team and from being a tough team and from playing with passion. And all of a sudden people said, ‘Miami plays with swagger.’ Well, then it only takes a couple years where you have kids that put on the uniform and think you automatically get the swagger because you wear the U. But they don’t want to do the things that made the U special.

"So we have to get back to that. We have to get back to doing all those little things. … We’ve got to get back to having the right people and the right mindset. … What I’m tired of is just everybody thinks that’s the answer. I’m saying that’s the product, not the process. We’ve got to get back to the process. I’m tired of everybody thinking that’s the only problem we have."

Amen, Coach.

Golden's take will ring true with anyone that has an ounce of common sense. We touched on it here a few weeks back ("Winning creates swagger, not the other way around") and love that this point is being driven home directly to the media - and indirectly to players, fans and anyone else within earshot.

As a fan, play the 'swagger' card all you want as your only job is to show up, cheer and run your mouth. It's on par with that common debate you see between folks on message boards talking about how a certain opponent shouldn't be overlooked or taken for granted.

Again, as fans, you have no responsibility to prepare and have every right to believe your team will roll the competition.

The reason guys like Golden make seven figures a year; by sending this message home, having their kids prepared, killing any sense of entitlement, breaking old habits and getting their players mentally dialed in for the task at hand.

'Swagger' should absolutely be abolished as far as players and coaches go. There is no reason the word needs to be uttered again at Hecht, on Greentree, via social networking sites or carved into the side of players' heads. Not until an ACC title game win or BCS bowl game, at least.

Get back to winning ways and let the swag follow.


IN OTHER GOLDEN NEWS: Check out this recent piece by Chip Patterson at CBSSports.com's "Eye On College Football". Patterson's "Miami 'buying in' to Al Golden's new culture" article gives a nice timeline regarding some of the recent culture changes that have happened on Golden's watch.

Butch Davis out at North Carolina

Butch Davis has been fired as head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The man who righted the ship at the University of Miami football and put the program back on the map at the turn of the century, is now the fall guy in Chapel Hill.

What a difference a decade makes.

Davis' arrival at UNC in 2006 versus his first head coaching gig at UM in 1995 couldn't have been more different. A former defensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson at 'The U', Davis followed his mentor to Dallas, won a few Super Bowls with the Cowboys and returned to Coral Gables after Dennis Erickson has let his Canes run amok.

Pell Grant fraud and lack of institutional control landed Miami on probation. Scholarship losses hit UM hard and the first three years of Davis' tenure at 'The U' resulted in a 22-12 run; impossible to fathom after the success Miami had seen the previous decade.

Davis led the Canes to an 11-1 season in 2000, should've earned a title game berth, smoked Florida in the Sugar Bowl, ended the season No. 2 and set the stage for a national championship the following season. The Canes won 34-straight games between 2000-2002 and it was Davis' players which made that turnaround a reality.

Upon arriving in Chapel Hill in November 2006, a completely different situation. North Carolina was squeaky clean, but atrocious on the field, in the midst of a 3-9 season, having gone 5-6 the year before.

The Tar Heels went 4-8 in 2007, but a solid recruiting haul proved that Davis could still recruit and would find a way to bring talent to North Carolina. From there, three straight 8-5 seasons -though his last could've been something special had suspensions not stripped UNC of a boatload of talent.

North Carolina had nine players selected in this year's NFL Draft and could've had more, had scandal not sent players' stock plummeting. Even those drafted should've gone higher.

Defensive tackle Marvin Austin looked like a sure first-round pick but went mid-second after a season of the off the field issues. Linebacker Quan Sturdivant slipped all the way to the sixth round while cornerback Kendric Burney and safety Denuta Williams went undrafted.

Defensive end Robert Quinn was the Heels lone first-rounder off a team loaded with first round talent. A team with a dozen players suspended for last year's season opener against LSU, falling one play short of a miraculous comeback, down 30-10 entering the fourth quarter and a team much better than the 8-5 record that resulted from all the lost talent ... but again, talent at what price?

A colleague emailed me early today, ripping Davis and insinuating that based on what just happened at North Carolina, how could Butch not run a dirty program at Miami in the mid- to late-90s. Simple answer; the NCAA was completely up UM's ass when Davis took over.

No way a team already on probation - a team the nation hated and a program Sports Illustrated called to shut its doors - could do anything but walk the straight and narrow at that time. Miami had received the harshest penalty since SMU's death penalty and Davis was hired to clean things up. Fans may have applied pressure to win, but the administration's goal was to right the ship.

Fast forward to half a decade ago in Chapel Hill and again, the complete opposite situation; a squeaky clean program hell bent on winning and an array of rich, entitled, wanting-to-be-a-part-of-the-team boosters ready to open their checkbooks to make this happen. Davis was a big-name hire for the program and based on his previous collegiate success (and Miami ties), Tar Heel nation expected results.

To get a football program like North Carolina off the ground and to the next level, it wound up taking a little bit of corner cutting. While Davis kept a lot of the best local talent home, his name and reputation allowed him to cherry-pick kids from all over the country. UNC doesn't have the tradition of UM and Chapel Hill doesn't have the abundance of high school talent South Florida does.

In other words, where hometown guys like Santana Moss wound up in Coral Gables on a track scholarship or Joaquin Gonzalez for grades, Davis wasn't going to get breaks like that when building up the Tar Heels like he rebuilt the Canes.

Are corners cut in the college game? Sure. Every program on some level has done something just like every citizen has. Question is are we talking about rolling a stop sign and going five miles per hour over the limit, or is the crime embezzlement and fraud?

They say that character is what we do when no one is watching. While Davis was at Miami, taking his first shot as a head coach, everybody was watching and he was forced to run a tight ship. While at North Carolina, nobody was watching the squeaky-clean program and with ten years head coaching experience under his belt (including four in the shady NFL), Davis definitely wasn't the man he was when entering the coaching game and somewhat forced to do right.

How much Davis directly had to do with the wrongdoing is up for debate, but he hired guys like John Blake and turned a blind eye on some level, so as a CEO of a program, that's where the buck stops.

On some level Davis is the scapegoat, with the Tar Heels' top brass looking towards Columbus and seeing Ohio State disassociating itself with former head coach Jim Tressel, in effort to self-police and to get the NCAA to go easy with punishment. That said, many expect North Carolina to get crushed harder than Southern California, who lost thirty scholarships and earned a one-year bowl ban for recent wrongdoings.

In the end, winning cannot supersede doing the right thing and the Davis-led Heels have been hit with nine major violations, including providing players with "improper benefits" and "academic improprieties".

Another black eye for the college game and a sad ending for Davis, who looked like he'd found a good home in Chapel Hill. His success at Miami - and the credit he earned for rebuilding the right way - feel like a lifetime ago. A failed stint at Cleveland (24-35 overall) and now this black eye earned at North Carolina.

Davis will get another chance somewhere, but you have to believe it won't be as prestigious as his last three stops and regarding new Miami head coach Al Golden and staff in Coral Gables, another coaching casualty for them to take note of and yet one more reason to play by the rules while rebuilding 'The U'.

The Beast : Vilma Gives Back

It was another great day to be a Miami Hurricane. We got word around this afternoon that a former football player had given a “major gift” to 'The U'.

My brain started rolling. Who was the mystery player? There were rumors earlier in the day that it was indeed Jon Vilma, but I was unable to confirm until I walked by his car has he pulled up into the Hecht Center parking lot. I saw a very well dressed former No. 51 emerge from his car, family by his side and you couldn't tell who had the bigger smile, Jon, or his parents.

I made my way up through Hecht, back to the Edgerrin James Team Meeting Room and as soon as I walked through the door, Vilma's booming voice bellowed as NFL Network piece on him ran on the big screen. By this point there was no mystery who was in the house and who the gift was from.

Vilma's gift - a $450,000 donation - will be put towards the construction of the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence. The project will get underway just after Thanksgiving and in order to thank the former linebacker great for his donation, the football players' lounge will now be called the 'Jonathan Vilma Football Players Lounge'.

Where did the idea for Vilma to donate back to his alma mater come from? I bet you'll fall off your chair. "It actually started with Randy Shannon," Vilma told the undersized crowd. "He was the inspiration for me to do it."

Vilma went on to say, "this is about the future, it's about bringing the Hurricanes back to dominance."

Coach Shannon had his drawbacks, but he really worked to help secure donations for the school. Ed Reed has his name on some of the football offices. and the Schwartz family's donation of $5M was directly related to their relationship with Randy. Maybe on some levels Shannon's legacy at UM won't be as bad as it is perceived.

I'm not sure there is a better reflection of the totality of the University of Miami than the legendary national champion and Super Bowl winner.

We know all about Vilma's accomplishments on the field, both in college and in the NFL. We've also heard about his academic success at 'The U' and now we're just starting to learn about his charitable efforts -- not only with today's gift to his alma mater, but with his Jonathan Vilma Foundation, which in conjunction with The Giving Back Fund, is helping to build a charter school in Haiti. Vilma has already raised $200,000 for the cause.

While all of the above is amazing, I'm not sure there was a better indicator of Vilma's character than when he spent considerable time thanking his parents, who were in attendance. Also watching the proceedings were current Canes Jacory Harris and Sean Spence. Vilma is like an older brother to Spence. They've watched film together all summer, so let's hope the expert tutelage pays off come fall.

I'm not sure any former player will top the $2M donation Dwayne Johnson and his then-wife gave back in 2006, but anytime one of these guys gives back, it's a great day for UM. It all started back in 2000 when Edgerrin James donated $250,000. Combine that with what The Rock and Vilma have now given and that's almost $3M from three Canes.

Let's hope these generous gifts inspire other high profile Canes to give back and let's also hope the character, dedication, loyalty and benevolence of Vilma rubs off on our current players. This is a guy who is a prove winner in every aspect of life and these current Canes should strive for the same.

The Beast : Gino DiMare is back in the saddle

Last week we got word that Miami baseball head coach Jim Morris finally found his replacement for Joe Mercadante. After an extensive search, '3' found the right man for the job, around the corner and in plain sight.

Former Canes player and assistant coach Gino DiMare is back with UM, coaching hitting and helping fellow Cane and Westminster Christian alum J.D. Arteaga on the recruiting front. It's a move that any longtime Miami baseball enthusiast should love.

DiMare was on Morris' staff from 1997 to 2008, meaning he was in the dugout for both 1999 and 2001 championship runs and several trips to Omaha. DiMare recruited and coached up players like Yonder Alonzo, Gaby Sanchez and Ryan Braun.

It became obvious over the past few years that Miami needed more offensive instruction. Especially this year with the introduction of new bats that limited the number of long balls.

DiMare, while taking the last few years off to spend time with family, has been at the ball park a bunch. He's often been see up in the suites and it's a safe bet he's been pondering this return to coaching for a while now.

The rehiring of DiMare is huge on the recruiting front as both he and J.D. have served in the recruiting coordinator position. Between the two, their contact list for high school and summer league coaches is vast.

The coaching game is a grind and when you add recruiting into the mix, it's even harder - especially for a family man looking to make some family time. Gino has three young girls and made a good move walking away for a while to spend some quality time at home, but with the coaching itch having returned, here's hoping his batteries are recharged and that he's ready to help this team succeed again.

Coach Morris got plenty of resumes from across the country as many assistants wanted to join this Miami staff. He spoke with other college coaches and even major league personnel, but in the end chose someone who knows the program, someone with proven success and someone he can absolutely trust.

Like they say, once a Cane, always a Cane. Welcome back Gino!

allCanesBlog.com : Q&A

Over the course of the summer, Canes305 and The Beast will be answering your questions regarding some of the hottest topics surrounding Hurricane Nation. The latest question comes from Jack in West Palm Beach:


"Miami had the top-ranked class in 2008. What are your thoughts on some of those seniors who seemed to underachieve these past few years? What didn't they pan out and at the end of the day who is to blame? Also, was it wrong to take so many guys from one program? Was there a sense of entitlement with some of those Northwestern Bulls having just won the MNC?"


The Beast : In retrospect maybe taking so many guys from one school was a bad idea, but you have to remember that in 2008, Northwestern was the all-everything, consensus number one high school in the nation. Randy Shannon wanted kids from winning programs - kids who came from a culture of winning and understood what it took to be successful. It's easy to look back and say it was a bad idea now, but I don't recall too many folks at the time who were upset about the move. Now, looking at the playing career of those guys, that's a different story.

The clear success stories are Brandon Washington and Sean Spence. These two guys have received more than their fair share of preseason accolades and I think they will both be leaders and impact players on this year's team.

You have a few guys that have shown flashes, but need to do it consistently. I'd put Jacory Harris and Marcus Forston in that category.

J12 showed promise as a freshman, backing starter Robert Marve, and when the job was his as a sophomore it seemed like he was destined for great things. From the halfway point of his sophomore year through his junior season, interceptions plagued Harris - right up through December's bowl game.

Forston looked like he was on his way to a really solid career as a freshman, was sidelined by injury year two and played pretty good year three, but is still looking for his breakout season. I expect big things from No. 99 this year.

Aldarius Johnson carries the nickname 'glue hands' and was expected to be an impact player, but hasn't been the guy we've expected. As a freshman there were 31 catches and three touchdowns. Over the past two years, 31 more grabs and only one score.

In the category of "just hasn't done much here" are guys like Tommy Streeter, Ben Jones and Kendall Thompkins. Streeter and Thompkins have ten catches between them and neither have consistently found their way on the field, while Jones has played a mere seven games in his career.

I don't think the reasons for some of these Northwestern guys failures are any different than why the rest of the team has struggled the past few seasons. Whatever methods Coach Shannon and his staff were using the past four years simply didn't work.

There have been a few standouts - guys like Leonard Hankerson or Brandon Harris - but the success stories have been dwarfed by tales of guys who haven't lived up to expectations.

I still think the recruitment of the Northwestern Eight was a sound decision. I just don't think those guys were give the tools - or coaching - to prosper. Let's hope Al Golden and staff can get the most out of these guys this season.


Canes305 : I don't have issues with Shannon taking eight guys from one class. What I do question is the reasoning, though. I'd have loved to been a fly on the wall in that 'war room' for that first full recruiting haul.

What was the motivation behind reeling in eight kids from the same program? Was it just a simple mindset that these kids all played for a championship program, so they all would be good, had tremendous work ethic, knew how to play like a team, etc.

Was it laziness? There was already a relationship with Northwestern head coach Billy Rolle, so just haul in about a third of your recruiting class without having to break a sweat - and succeed or fail, it could be justified due to the program's success.

It's very easy to play the hindsight game now, but I do recall having a conversation when this class was inked and seeing two then off-the-record negatives with this Northwestern haul. First was the notion of attitude, ego and creating an instant clique with kids who played together and won together. Would they feel they were better than the rest and would they form their own little them-against-the-rest team? (No, they didn't, thankfully.)

Second, was a simple 'law of averages' argument. If you take eight kids from one program, odds are that a good bunch of them won't pan out. You're lucky if you get a few studs (Washington, Spence), a few late bloomers (Harris, Forston) and a few that don't live up to the hype (Johnson, Streeter, Thompkins and Jones).

Unfortunately this did turn out the be the case.

Beast touched on the obvious coaching and lack-of-development issue we saw over the past few years and that's something that always bums me out as it's nothing more than a timing thing.

Some kids graduate high school and get on board with 'The U' when the program is on a roll and others show up when things are rocky. That's the difference between a Gino Torretta and a Ryan Clement or a Ken Dorsey and a Kyle Wright. Would Torretta and Dorsey have thrived in the mid-90s or mid-00s? Would highly-touted guys like Clement and Wright found greater success had they shown up earlier or later, with a better supporting cast and coaching staff?

When you look back at that 2008 class, it really wasn't as good as advertised, which is often the case in college football. You're rolling the dice on high school kids, their ability to learn and their desire to work hard, living up to mythical star rankings on the Intrawebs.

Shannon and staff signed thirty-three kids year one and outside of the Northwestern kids, some standouts still involved and contributing - Travis Benjamin, Ramon Buchanan, LaRon Byrd, Jordan Futch, Jeremy Lewis, Micanor Regis, Marcus Robinson, Andrew Smith and Vaughn Telemaque - all of which you can say are yet to reach their full potential.

But what about those who didn't pan out? Guys who either haven't stepped up or those who flat out bailed on the program? For a head coach who was supposedly recruiting character guys, there have been a fair share of guys who simply weren't Miami material - Arthur Brown, Thearon Collier, Taylor Cook, Antonio Harper, Zach Kane, Brandon Marti, C.J. Odom, Cannon Smith and Joe Wylie - all at one point part of the '08 class, come to mind.

When you put it all under a microscope, the issue really wasn't eight kids from Northwestern as much as it was a coaching staff that truly didn't have what it took to recruit and develop kids properly. All the aforementioned kids had potential and many were highly-touted when they chose Miami over a slew of schools. Problem is once they got on campus they weren't brought along as they should've been and only those with a good head on their shoulders, a strong work ethic and superior physical talent were able to overcome the roadblocks laid down by the previous staff.

As excited as I personally for the the Golden era to kick off and for this new regime at 'The U', my favorite subplot this year will be watching the Northwestern guys, as well as others from that 2008 class who are now seniors (or juniors, if they redshirted). What can Golden, Jedd Fisch, Mark D'Onofrio and other position coaches do year one? Can old habits be broken and kids be properly motivated?

As discussed in a recent Q&A, there are a lot of guys in the same boat as J12. Talented kids with one last shot to right the ship if they want to play on Sundays. Guys who have underachieved and failed to reach their potential - but guys that have one last shot to get it right - which can make for a happy ending and some feel-good stories.

allCanes on Groupon : $15 gets U fans $30!

allCanes.com has jumped on the Groupon train today and is offering $30 worth of Miami Hurricanes gear for $15. Click here to take advantage of this offer, which will end at midnight ET tonight.

(The fine print ... Groupon expires 1.12.12 ... limit one per person; may buy two additional as gifts ... limit one per visit ... Groupon not valid for use until 7.23.11 ... Groupon not valid for sale items ... not valid towards autograph memorabilia ... not valid for cash back (unless required by law) ... must use in one visit ... doesn't cover tax or gratuity ... can't be combined with other offers ... extra fee for shipping ... to use online, just enter Groupon code in 'Comments' section during checkout process ... all orders processed in store, not online ... so Groupon discount will be applied and show on final invoice sent with items.)

The Latest at The U...

Mid-summer and football season is a month and a half out. Head coach Al Golden remains hot on the recruiting trail, a familiar face has rejoined the baseball program and the questions keep rolling in at allCanesBlog.com. Let's discuss the latest at 'The U' ... slow as things may be.


Former UM running back Alonzo Highsmith was on 560 WQAM with Joe Rose earlier today talking shop. Highsmith is a scout for the World Champion Green Bay Packers, as well as father of Miami defensive back Alonzo Highsmith Jr.

The elder Highsmith small-talked Rose with some praise of Packers cornerback and recent Cane Sam Shields and listed Ted Hendricks as the greatest UM player in history (over Ken Dorsey), but the conversation soon turned towards Miami's new head coach.

Regarding Golden and the current state of the UM program, Highsmith said, "I'm ecstatic about Al Golden. I think he's brought the right state of mind back to the program. The thing I like about Al Golden ... I call him a cross between Jimmy [Johnson] and Howard [Schnellenberger]. He's all about accountability. You're going to have to earn your keep on this football team. There's nothing given to anybody."

Highsmith is also in the process of writing a book called "Entitled", which he said, "it's just about today's athletes and how everybody feels like they're owed something. ... It's amazing to listen to young guys talk."


Hurricanes running back Lamar Miller was named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, given to the to nation's top running back at season's end. Upwards of fifty backs nationwide earned the honor.

Miller played sparingly for the Canes last season, but when he saw action, he shone - especially later in the year. Miller carried 22 times for 125 yards and a touchdown against Maryland, his longest carry of the day going for 27 yards. Two weeks later, in a losing effort against Virginia Tech, Miller carried 15 times for 163 yards, his longest run at 47 yards and finding the end zone once.

The first time the world got familiar with Miller was his 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Ohio State in week two.

With Damien Berry NFL-bound and Storm Johnson transferring, it's a two-man show between Miller and back up Mike James this season, so No. 6 will definitely be the go-to back and the workhorse.

With UM breaking in a new offense, the ground game will be heavily relied upon and while it's too early to decide if Miller is a legit Doak Walker candidate, he looks like he has the tools to become Miami's next speedy back.


Head baseball coach Jim Morris welcomed a much-needed alum back to the program last week when former player and assistant Gino DiMare rejoined the Canes. DiMare was an assistant from 1997 to 2008, but stepped down to play the role of 'Dad' as he had two young kids at the time.

DiMare legitimately stepped away to be with family, but with three daughters who are now 6, 4 an 2, it seemed as good a time as any to return to a program which has sorely missed him.

As noted by Manny Navarro at The Herald: "Miami’s offense ranked among the top 10 in school history in eight of DiMare's nine seasons as the club's hitting instructor. The 2008 team that advanced to the College World Series and spent much of the season atop the national collegiate baseball polls finished the year hitting at a school eighth-best .320 average, while also ranking tied for second in home runs (106), fourth in slugging percentage (.541), eighth in total bases (1,202) and RBI (517), tied for ninth in doubles (135) and 10th in hits (711)."

DiMare has Omaha on the brain and feels that Miami can turn things around quickly. "I certainly wouldn't be coming back if I didn't feel the program could get back to Omaha," said DiMare. "I wouldn't put myself in that situation. I think we can get it turned around. I don't think they're that far off."

Hitting is obviously the first issue to address and on the recruiting front, it's all about finding players who can help right away.

This is a huge shot in the arm for Miami Baseball. Welcome back Coach.


Some good "father an son" ink in the Miami Herald this weekend in regards to the recent verbal commitment of James Burgess Jr., son of former Canes linebacker and Homestead product James Burgess. The elder Burgess credits the hiring of Golden in getting JBJ back in the loop.

“We kind of argued a year ago when my son told me he wasn’t interested in going to [UM]. I guess he kind of got out of the loop when Randy Shannon was there. But when Al [Golden] came in, a lot of his feelings started to shift," said Burgess Sr. "I took him to the spring game and he liked what he saw. When he came home from the Nike Camp in Oregon he said ‘Dad, I think I’m going to UM.’ That put a big smile on my face.”

Burgess Sr. remembers his UM days fondly, his then three-year old son running around Greentree with dad's helmet on and fifteen years later, James Jr. is following in his father's footsteps, just like this year's signing of highly-touted defensive end Anthony Chickillo, who became the first third generation Cane, following in the footsteps of father Tony Chickillo and grandfather Nick Chickillo.

Burgess. Chickillo. Highsmith. It really is a Canes thing and "U Family" has taken on a whole new meaning entering fall.


Keep the questions coming in regarding our summer series, "allCanesBlog.com Q&A". Email them to us or post on our Facebook or Twitter pages. This summer's best questions will receive some allCanes gift cards and we'll answer your question here in the blog. Tune in tomorrow for another.


Lastly, any way you try to spin it, college football and summertime don't go hand in hand so enjoy the beach as kickoff is in forty-eight days. See you in College Park, MD for the beginning of the three most exciting months of the year. Go Canes.

allCanesBlog.com : Q&A

Over the course of the summer, Canes305 and The Beast will be answering your questions regarding some of the hottest topics surrounding Hurricane Nation. The latest question comes from Jim in Gainesville:


"Do you guys think Jacory Harris, under new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, can return to what we saw in his late freshman / early sophomore years?"


The Beast : Here's the real deal. It's only up to one person and it's not Jedd Fisch; it's Jacory Harris.

I believe Jacory has the physical and mental tools to be a good college quarterback. We've seen flashes of it, but the question remains - does he have the determination to work hard enough to turn those glimpses of greatness into solid and consistent play? I don't know.

I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy when it comes to a talented playing finding his way to success and I'm going to guess that with Harris, a fire will be lit under him by this new coaching staff and that will bring him closer to reaching his potential.

The offense will be different this year, meaning Mark Whipple won't be on the sidelines encouraging Jacory to chuck it downfield every other play. There will be safe passing in this new offense and short throws to playmakers who are expected to get yards after the catch.

In no way will this be an air-it-out offense. The scheme that is being implemented is being utilized, in part, to limit mistakes from the quarterback position. If Harris can play with the system and trust his receivers and running backs, it should make for a much more error-free year.


Canes305 : The difference between can and will is an ocean apart and it's the difference between success and failure.

I believe that Harris has the ability and skills to be the guy fans saw lighting up the Noles as a sophomore, but the biggest question is the now-senior's mental state. Does he truly understand that this ride is coming to an end? Twelve more games will determine his collective fate and future career path.

Beast feels the onus is on Harris and I understand that take, but I believe there's more pressure on the coaching staff to get his head right. At his best, Harris has proven he's a gamer. He showed moxie as a true freshman, leading a 95-yard game-tying drive at Virginia and throwing a game-winning touchdown in overtime and early in his sophomore season, a 3-1 record win solid wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma.

Last year, a disastrous 5-5 record in games started and 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. Harris never looked worse than the Sun Bowl where a 37-yard, 4-0f-7 passing day ended with no touchdowns and three interceptions. (The good news? No incompletions.)

Harris is a twenty-one year old playing for a coaching staff of highly paid thirty- and forty-somethings. Men who earned degrees, are professionals and have climbed the ladder en route to jobs at the University of Miami, rewards for previous success.

Any coach worth his or her weight knows that you have to get inside a player's mind to figure out what makes them tick and anyone who watched the Canes over the past two seasons saw that Coach Whipple was in Harris' face more than he was in his head.

How will Harris and Fisch mesh? How will new head coach Al Golden and his new offensive coordinator get the best not only out of their up and down quarterback, but all players on this team who have been inconsistent or haven't reached their potential?

As fans, we are quick to put it on the players. They need to 'step up'. They need to 'show heart'. They need to 'take care of business'. While all that is true, there's no mystery that the best teams don't necessarily have the most five-star athletes; they have the best coaches who create a group that finds it's voice and plays like a cohesive unit, each kid going beyond his ability, not settling and play beneath his talent level.

Look at the Randy Shannon era. Highly-touted kids rolled on to campus, part of the top recruiting class in 2008 and many have since underachived. That became the way under Larry Coker as well, with the wrong kids coming to UM for the wrong reason -- wanting to ride the wave of recent success instead of getting on board, ready to put in the work it takes to climb that hill.

I'm from the school of thought where I believe it's on the coaches to get the most out of kids. I remember being twenty-one and I needed guidance. As much as I acted like I had all the answers, deep down I knew I didn't. I wanted a someone older - a mentor - to help guide my path. To hold me accountable. To hold me accountable, to make sure I watched out for pitfalls, but even more than that, to pat me on the back when for a job well done. There's tremendous satisfaction in knowing that you did something good and made someone proud of your efforts.

At twenty-one you cannot fathom the end of the line. You can't picture being in your thirties, looking back at a dream unrealized and wishing you had a 'do over'.

Harris' collegiate career is 75% in the rearview and if there isn't a drastic turnaround between September and December, he'll most likely have thrown his last pass as a football player. The game he's played his entire life hangs in the balance and if he wants to do this for a living, it will take a tremendous 2011 season to make up for 2010 - and that's not being said as a scare tactic, it's the simple truth.

Even bigger than a professional career, a collegiate legacy for a hometown hero. Harris found success at Miami Northwestern, but hasn't made his mark in Coral Gables. Hopefully Coach Golden and Coach Fisch can push the right buttons, motivating Harris - while putting him in the best situation to succeed.

The Canes have a tremendous offensive line and the best left tackle since Bryant McKinnie was blocking for Ken Dorsey. No. 11 wasn't chucking it downfield every other play; he was making heady plays and getting the ball to his playmakers.

When remembering that epic comeback against Florida State in 2002, the game's standout play - a swing pass from Dorsey to running back Willis McGahee that went for 58 yards, setting up the 11-yard go-ahead touchdown run by Jason Geathers.

The touchdown before, a quick pass to Andre Johnson went for 42 yards, McGahee picked up twelve on two runs and Dorsey threw a three-yard pass to Kevin Beard to bring it within six.

Rarely was Dorsey asked to work miracles in his 38-2 career. Strong ground game, solid line play, yards after the catch by wideouts and a defense that created turnovers, leaving the offense with a short field.

Get back to that style of ball this year and either Harris or sophomore Stephen Morris will have a successful, sneak-up-on-you type season.

Golden's Canes nab two more recruits

It's the type of story that brings you back to yesteryear, when the Miami Hurricanes were reeling in the best local talent and current recruits were selling soon-to-be commits.

There have been mixed opinions about the recent Nike-sponsored event, "The Opening", in Beavertown, Oregon this past weeks. For five days some of the nation's top recruits descended on the Pacific Northwest getting down in this new training competition.

Miami tied Texas for the most verbal commits at "The Opening" with six and two of those Canes were working overtime, getting in the ears of potential future teammates and giving their best sales pitches.

Miami Norland running back Duke Johnson and linebacker Keith Brown were talking up "The U" with Homestead linebacker James Burgess Jr. and receiver Herb Waters and by the end of the weekend, both called UM coaches and pledged their allegiance to Al Golden.

The four Miami products bonded in Oregon and according to Johnson and Brown, there may be more commits coming. Johnson said that he and Brown were also in the ears of highly-touted recruits Sean Price, Deon Bush, Ricardo Lewis, Tracy Howard and Nelson Agholor.

The Canes now have twenty-two verbal commitments for the 2012 recruiting class and many expect anywhere from a half dozen to a dozen more names added to that list. Not bad for early July.

Homestead head coach Bobby McCray praised both kids for their work on and off the field, as well as the new coaching staff.

McCray told the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro, "That's how Butch Davis built the program. He took care of Dade County, then added to it from elsewhere. It seems like that's what Coach Golden is doing. His building a champion."

Sounds like a dig on the last guy and some kudos for the new leader at "The U".

The Beast : Canes Get Kinged

Our good friends Steve Gorten and Shandel Richardson from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel bring us the news that the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team will be dawning LeBron James Nike gear next season.

As much as South Floridians may be down on The King for his disappearing act in The Finals, this is great news for the University of Miami. Both Ohio State and Kentucky will also get to wear James' Nike gear next season - the Buckeyes from his home state and the Wildcats, as James has history with UK head coach John Calapari.

Miami basketball needed a push anywhere it can get one. The hiring of former George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga was a coup for 'The U' and adding more excitement to the off-season, some big time branding from Nike and arguably the biggest name in the game.

UM has always been one of Nike's showcase schools, but to have the opportunity to wear gear endorsed by LeBron is monumental.

To some this is just new gear, but it goes beyond jerseys, shorts and shoes. This is about the promotion of a program that has been very close to falling off the radar the past few years. The addition of a quality coach and new unis will help give the Canes in the fight to regain relevance.

After a few months on the job, it's obvious that Coach L has a ton of connection that are paying dividends both on and off the course. The James endorsement helps solidify that. Fans are all about flash and entertainment. We want a show and we like the spotlight on us.

I can only imagine that with the NBA in a lockout, that LBJ will make a few appearances at the Bank United Center next season. He visited the practice facility last year and now not only will UM basketball get some pointers from The King, but some fashion tips, as well. We'll take it.

This may also give some incentive for casual fans who aren't diehard Canes to buy some orange and green basketball gear, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a school that needs as many revenue sources as exist.

Congrats to Coach L, his staff and new athletic director Shawn Eichorst for locking down this deal with Nike and LeBron. In some ways, Hurricane basketball just got its first victory and it's only July.

Lastly, don't forget that Canes305 and I are taking your questions throughout the summer. We have another three weeks or so until camp opens and we're ready and waiting to answer all your U-related questions.

Ask us anything about the program, anything about allCanes or anything about Hurricane athletics in general and we'll post the best questions here. Tweet us, drop a line on Facebook or email us your questions. Go Canes.