tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24784942040777075842024-02-19T10:26:30.011-05:00All Things Canes By @KylePumaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-45691137077405771042014-03-06T01:04:00.000-05:002014-03-06T01:04:15.445-05:00The ReturnGuess who's back? Back to my old ways of course. Coming back to the blog that launched me into a whole new world of sports. The blog that brought me intern and job opportunities from multiple media outlets and even more.<br />
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From this blog and the power of today's social media I was blessed with opportunities I never thought possible. The experience, memories and lessons learned from the day I left this blog to enter the media game is something I am proud to have. Taking advantage of today's technology gave me a head start I am grateful to have along with the multiple great people I have met over the past year. To those who have helped guide me I could never thank you enough. </div>
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But now I'm back to the beginning. No restrictions on my work, I don't have to answer to anyone or limit what I want to say on here. This is my blog. With all my insight and personal opinions I will bring you what I can. </div>
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All the work and experiences are great but they all strive off of one thing and that is my love for the University of Miami. I was born a Cane and I will ALWAYS be one. I represent The U with pride and I dream of being a student of their institution one day. A passion for the athletics at The U is what resulted in a year of improvement for myself.</div>
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For those who will read I hope you enjoy. For those who know me you know I'm always up for a good debate so any interaction on twitter is welcomed (@KylePuma). I don't only debate Canes I love all sports along with business, tv shows and music. On here expect to see reviews of canes scrimmages/games, recruiting news and team/player info. </div>
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It's Great To Be A Miami Hurricane!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-63914882959361409562013-04-14T19:10:00.001-04:002013-04-14T21:29:49.352-04:002013 MIAMI HURRICANES FOOTBALL SPRING GAME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Miami Hurricanes football team held their annual spring football game yesterday (4/13) at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Estimated attendance was around 7,000 a little less than last years 10,000 but still had an energetic crowd. It did rain for the majority of the morning leading up to the game but it did not stop hurricane fans from tailgating outside of Sun Life. Many Miami alumni attended the game including Gino Torretta, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis, Ken Dorsey and many more. Here's a review of the action.<br />
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<li>Unfortunately we could not see every player in action, players out due to injury or other reasons were: -Phillip Dorsett-Allen Hurns-Jelanie Hamilton-Dyron Dye-Robert Lockhart-Brandon Linder-Shane McDermott-David Perry-Clive Walford</li>
<li>Herb Waters had the first touchdown reception of the game and was very impressive early on with multiple receptions for 10+ yards. He seemed to suffer an injury late in the first quarter to his arm/shoulder. After the game Coach Coley commented on it saying that he is fine it is nothing serious.</li>
<li>Stephen Morris was impressive showing off his arm strength and accuracy. He spiraled a couple of back shoulder throws early on that couldn't be more on point. As for the 2nd quarterback spot it is still between Williams and Crow. Crow beats out Williams in arm strength but accuracy goes to Williams who had a couple of nice early touchdown passes. They will continue to battle it out, decision will be made in the fall.</li>
<li>I'm not saying this just because I'm a fan but Duke Johnson is truly an incredible talent, could not be happier to have him on this team he's an excellent leader, role model and player. In the first quarter he had a 70 yard run breaking 2 tackles, also had 2 more runs for 20+ yards. He can change direction so fast and is able to weave through the defensive line, past the linebackers and high step his way around the DBs with his speed. As I've been saying all along the 2 spot at RB will go to Dallas Crawford, he runs hard and the coaches love him and his effort. As for the backs past those 2 it seems like it will be a "community" effort to make an impact in games. Still waiting on Clements to get cleared from his injury & freshman RB Gus Edwards to come in. </li>
<li>It has to be understood that scrimmages contradict themselves, if wide receivers shine, it makes the defensive backs look bad, and if the defensive line stands out, it makes the offensive line look like they're not great. As that factor comes into play, the defense still did not look elite whether the offense showed them up or not. The D-line should not be a problem, Olsen Pierre is going to blow up this year and bring a lot of spotlight onto himself. Anthony Chickillo has gained some speed and used it to get 2 sacks on the QBs. </li>
<li>Linebackers need to be more consistent. Denzel Perrymen who was demoted to a green jersey during spring practices picked off 2 balls yesterday and a handful of tackles. I heard he was demoted to green because the coaches wanted him to be a more consistent vocal leader. Freshman phenom Alex Figueroa never really had a chance to show off, he went down in the middle of the game with a lower leg problem. Coach Golden commented on him saying that it was nothing serious. </li>
<li>I hope Artie Burns is ready to make plays as a freshman because it seems as if he is going to get a shot at a lot of playing time. The corners were not up to par and need some adjustments made before August. When opposing teams come out in a four receiver set, the four DBs should Tracy Howard, Antonio Crawford, Ladarious Gunter and Artie Burns. Also, freshman Jamal Carter should see the field a decent amount of time when Deon Bush and AJ Highsmith need to come out at safety occasionally. </li>
<li>A touching moment I was happy to see was Malcolm Lewis receiving a touchdown pass for 70 yards. The play was setup by head coach Al Golden and Malcolm was covered by long time friend Tracy Howard who let him go to the end zone uncontested. Both benches followed Malcolm into the end zone and gathered around him welcoming him back to the field, a great moment bringing the team closer than they already were. His family was in the stands and they were not aware that the play was going to take place, they cried tears of joy saying "God is good".</li>
<li>A couple of Hurricanes legend jumped on the field for a play. Gino Torretta threw a touchdown pass to Andre Johnson and once again benches cleared it to the end zone to celebrate with them. In an interview after the game Stephen Morris commented on it jokingly saying Gino Torretta "Tried to show me up". </li>
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The spring game will wrap up the spring camp for the Canes'. Players will now work out without coaches and strictly with their teammates, and focus on finishing school. The team returns June 28th to prepare for the upcoming season, first game is August 30th against FAU at Sun Life Stadium. Audio captured after the game from Brian "The Beast" London and myself can be heard here via Brian's SoundCloud:</div>
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Al Golden- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/al-golden-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/al-golden-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-</a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/al-golden-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">game</a></div>
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Mark D'onofrio- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/coach-d-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/coach-d-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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James Coley- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/james-coley-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/james-coley-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Anthony Chickillo- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/anthony-chickillo-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/anthony-chickillo-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Denzel Perryman- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/denzel-perryman-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/denzel-perryman-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Duke Johnson- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/duke-johnson-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/duke-johnson-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Malcolm Lewis- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/malcolm-lewis-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/malcolm-lewis-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Rashawn Scott- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/rashawn-scott-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/rashawn-scott-after-the-2013-miami-hurricanes-spring-game</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-34316936414445198352013-04-06T21:37:00.001-04:002013-04-06T21:37:47.974-04:00SCRIMMAGE IN NAPLES 4-5-13 The Canes decided to take their talents to the west coast last night for their second spring scrimmage, before their spring game next Saturday at Sun Life stadium. Many people were concerned about the weather causing some issues for the scrimmage, but it wasn't a factor at all. The very nice Naples High School has a turf field so it wasn't muddy, and not one drop of rain fell during the night. I do think it affected the attendance though, the storms over Miami and south Florida might of scared some fans from making the drive to the west side. Last year an estimated 10,000 people attended the scrimmage in Fort Myers, this year an estimated 3,000 were in Naples. It was still a great atmosphere and overall a successful night, here are my thoughts on it.<br />
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<li>Senior quarterback Stephen Morris had a decent night, nothing incredible but did what he is expected to do. Battling for the 2 spot is Ryan Williams & Gary Crow, Crow had a better scrimmage then Williams. Williams had a few overthrown balls and just couldn't seem to get into a rhythm, Crow seemed to have a good connection with the WR's especially Rashawn Scott. </li>
<li>The offensive line continues to impress even without leaders Shane McDermott and Brandon Linder. Definitely didn't have the false start issues that they had in the first scrimmage at Traz, but the snaps were all over the place for the QBs. I'm sure that will get fixed when McDermott comes back.</li>
<li>The area that everyone wanted to see improve, in the off season, was the defensive line and we're finally able to see some impressive improvement. Anthony Chickillo had 3 sacks and 2 swatted down balls making people forget about his mediocre performance 2 weeks ago. My favorite lineman is Olsen Pierre, he is the man. He creates traffic at the line of scrimmage and can reach the QB with swiftness. Expecting a big year from him.</li>
<li>When the RB's were able to get past the D line the linebackers did a great job of backing them up rarely missing a tackle. One of the times a tackle was missed was when Duke Johnson shook Denzel Perryman out of his shoes but c'mon, it's Duke Johnson. The man that seems to be getting the most attention is Alex Figueroa and he keeps proving that he rightfully should be. He didn't miss a tackle, and big hits were delivered to RB's. </li>
<li>Speaking of big hits, Jordan Tolson demolished RB Danny Dillard making the fans and players go wild. Also Raphael Kirby gave freshman TE Standish Dobard a big "welcome to college" crack on a pass over the middle. Dobard was down for a few minutes, but was able to walk off the field under his own power.</li>
<li>Rashawn Scott was the best receiver out there bringing in a handful of receptions and a TD. Phillip Dorsett was not in attendance he was competing in a track meet. Herb Waters and Allen Hurns had a couple of dropped passes each, we can't have that.</li>
<li>Duke Johnson did his thing but the running back that is standing out besides him is Dallas Crawford, he will get the 2 spot I'm assuming and get some decent time during the season. Also playing RB was Brandon Yosha and Danny Dillard, Eduardo Clements is expected back soon he is recovering from an injury and the freshman RB Gus Edwards is coming in over the summer.</li>
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Be sure to follow me on twitter @KylePuma and also visit CaneInsider.com for more updates. Audio from after the scrimmage can be heard here via Brian Londons sound cloud:</div>
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Al Golden: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobea...n-after-naples" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobea...n-after-naples</a></div>
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Stephen Morris: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/stephen-morris-after-the" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/stephen-morris-after-the</a></div>
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Duke Johnson: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/duke-johnson-after-naples" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/duke-johnson-after-naples</a></div>
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Dallas Crawford: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/dallas-crawford-after-naples" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/dallas-crawford-after-naples</a></div>
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Rashawn Scott: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/rashawn-scott-after-the" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/rashawn-scott-after-the</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-45054205051457221902013-03-29T19:49:00.001-04:002013-03-29T19:49:59.319-04:00Hurricanes Update Week Of 3/25-Practice #8 for UM on Tuesday was "The best practice I have ever had with my years at Miami" according to head coach Al Golden. The tempo was great, the team has formed a good connection and when I spoke to Coach Golden and Coach D'onofrio they both agreed that this is a mature team that can accomplish a lot this year. On this day Dyron Dye was not seen on the practice field, when asked about it Coach Golden replied "What we are going to do is just reserve for now, it is a significant injury and I don't want to put anything out until I hear from the medical people. When we do find out what it is we're going to put it out through Chris Freet and Chris Yandle." I was able to get some audio from Tuesday's practice it can be heard here from Brian "The Beast's" Londons sound cloud profile:<br />
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Al Golden- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/al-golden-3-26-13" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/al-golden-3-26-13</a><br />
Mark D'onofrio- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/coach-d-3-26-13" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/coach-d-3-26-13</a><br />
RB Dallas Crawford- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/dallas-crawford-3-26-13" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/dallas-crawford-3-26-13</a><br />
S Deon Bush- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/deon-bush-3-26-13" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/deon-bush-3-26-13</a><br />
WR Phillip Dorsett- <a href="https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/phillip-dorsett-3-26-13" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/miamiradiobeast/phillip-dorsett-3-26-13</a><br />
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-Practice #9 for the Canes on Thursday was a big practice for recruiting. Over 150 coaches and players were in attendance to watch the practice and enjoy a nice barbecue hosted by the UM staff. One recruit that was there was 5 star offensive lineman KC McDermott, little brother to current UM offensive lineman junior Shane McDermott. CaneInsider.com can confirm through sources that he has committed to The U, but it is not official yet. He will make his announcement Tuesday at his school in Palm Beach. Also something that stands out is that 5 star running back from American Heritage-Plantation Sony Michel was spotted at practice hanging out with Canes running back Duke Johnson. This is a huge prospect that all schools want in their football program and he is rumored to make his decision this April. His current top 5 choices are: UM, UF, FSU, Georgia and Notre Dame.<br />
Other notable recruits there were:<br />
-Jordan Cronkite<br />
-Nigel Pattern<br />
-Alin Edouard (Commit)<br />
-Trevor Darling (Commit)<br />
-Terry McCray<br />
-Travonte Valentine<br />
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Thursdays practice included some fun for the players. The coaches had some of their biggest lineman lineup to catch punt returns, it was an amusing sight to see. That can be seen here along with film from the practice in this video put together by hurricanesports.com<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-52889519682718300782013-03-24T16:07:00.000-04:002013-03-24T16:07:23.144-04:002013 Miami Hurricane "Real Deal" List After watching the 2013 Miami Hurricanes football team for the first time yesterday at the first spring scrimmage, certain players made their name stand out. With big time pays and displaying their athletic ability, they made what I call the <u>Read Deal List</u>. These are young players, either freshman or sophomores.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsg9nSEAuWvT3IoBwsL6eefvh00G9NEH8sBGbSkKv4BZGaK-Knr19TtO_xvy5G9Sil9bwG21Je6swbIh-R2qkLk9Alv7AygRomoidFeKExiW8b7R1c-5apdfAWerQv2qBoysD2KMLyvEZ/s1600/Fig+vs+Duke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsg9nSEAuWvT3IoBwsL6eefvh00G9NEH8sBGbSkKv4BZGaK-Knr19TtO_xvy5G9Sil9bwG21Je6swbIh-R2qkLk9Alv7AygRomoidFeKExiW8b7R1c-5apdfAWerQv2qBoysD2KMLyvEZ/s400/Fig+vs+Duke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linebacker Alex Figueroa Hit On Duke Johnson</td></tr>
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<li><b>LB Alex Figueroa- </b>The class of 2013 linebacker from Virginia early enrolled at The U and was able to participate in spring camp unlike other class of 13 players who will be coming in during the summer. If you refer back to my breakdown of the recruiting class of 13 I mention the power this kid has and how he plays with a mean personality. This showed early in the scrimmage when he delivered a huge goal line hit on star running back Duke Johnson. He is the definition of <u>real</u> coming in and laying players out. People were upset when Booker T Washington LB Matthew Thomas committed to FSU instead of UM, but don't be. "Fig" is here to put in some serious work. </li>
<li><b>TE Standish Dobard-</b> Rocking #5 for the canes, Standish seems to be a fan favorite early on because of how much he displays his love for Miami. For a long time he has been saying he can't wait to make plays in Coral Gables as a freshman and from watching him yesterday it looks like he will. He made a handful of catches yesterday but that's not what impressed me, his size and power is what did. One of his best contributions is blocking, he can light up linebackers of any size because of his strength. This will be great for our RB Duke Johnson who can get to the backfield quickly. </li>
<li><b>WR Herb Waters-</b> Can you say fast? Quoted directly from head coach Al Golden "Herb Waters stepped up". Also quoted directly from Herb Waters "I feel like I had great day". Which he did, he had 4 receptions for 40 yards an 1 touchdown. With him perfecting his craft it adds to our strong wide receivers line up, expecting a lot of receptions this year.</li>
<li><b>DB Antonio Crawford-</b> Crawford had 1 of 2 interceptions for the defense yesterday, along with multiple broken up passes. Also got mentioned by head coach Al Golden as someone who stepped up, his energy was through the roof during the scrimmage. Looks like an every down defensive back who will make game changing plays in the future</li>
<li><b>CB Tracy Howard-</b> Former #1 rated DB in the country, a now sophomore at The U Tracy Howard has put on 20 pounds in this of season. His freshman year he didn't really have the size to keep up with the big boy receivers, but now he definitely does. Yesterday he put a BIG hit on RB Dallas Crawford that made people realize he is here to put some players on the floor and earn his spot as a every down corner. </li>
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Some others that stood out to me were RB Danny Dillard who was really fast cutting to the outside with the ball. Also JUCO TE Beau Sandland who had the first touchdown of the day yesterday grabbing it straight out of the sky from a tipped ball, he's got the goods. I look forward to seeing these guys make big plays for the canes this year! Follow me on twitter @kylepuma for more updates & GO CANES!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-63965522482235820672013-03-23T17:27:00.000-04:002013-03-24T13:12:08.496-04:00SCRIMMAGE AT TRAZ 3/23/13 The Miami Hurricanes had their first scrimmage of the 2013 football season today at Traz Powell Stadium. I was in attendance and was able to get onto the field after the game for some quick time with Head Coach Al Golden, QB Stephen Morris and RB Duke Johnson. Here's my recap of what I saw today from the Canes.<br />
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<li>LB Jermaine Grace was there to watch his future team today, saw him before the game with a big smile throwing the U. Also there was recruit DB Alex Jasmine from Melbourne, he was invited to come to the scrimmage by coaches.</li>
<li>Per CANEINSIDER.com a website I work for, DL Dyron Dye suffered an achilles injury today, he is scheduled to have an MRI tonight. </li>
<li>Malcolm Lewis did participate in pregame drills but did not play in the scrimmage. He was still in a yellow jersey (injury reserve) doing sprints behind the field goal post while the game was going on. Also in a yellow jersey was OL Shane McDermott.</li>
<li>Phillip Dorsett had his "bell rung" today after getting hit pretty hard while going for a pass. I'm guessing possible concussion but I have no word on what the official diagnosis is. </li>
<li>As earlier reported, Brandon Linder was on crutches today. Word is that it's not serious, but he hasn't participated in any practices this week, including today's scrimmage.</li>
<li>Tracy Howard definitely looks bigger compared to last year, he had a HUGE hit on RB Dallas Crawford today that got the crowd pumped. </li>
<li>Herb Waters is a guy who made his name stand out today. Great catches with lightning speed. He is the real deal. </li>
<li>Probably one of the most important announcements today (sarcasm) is the new starting kicker will be Matt Goudis from California.</li>
<li>DB Antonio Crawford had a interception today on QB Stephen Morris, I was happy to see that, it was a big play.</li>
<li>As for the offensive line they look BIG and ready to dominate. I got to see Sonny Odogwu in action for the first time, he's not an immediate stand out but he is getting there. From the stands I can here Coach Kehoe yelling "Sonny get in there and block somebody!". The offensive line is going to be a strong area for the 2013 Canes because of their veteran leadership, majority are seniors. </li>
<li>The defensive line is where the improvements need to be made. They need to be able to put pressure on the quarterback and create some havoc. In my opinion the best player at doing that today was Olsen Pierre, the man is a stud. He is big but also quick with his feet so he can get around the offensive guard and to the QB. Before Dyron Dye got injured he was making plays at defensive end, I really hope he is alright this could be a great year for him. </li>
<li>One thing I can say I am really excited about for the first time in a while is our tight ends! I had high expectations for freshman Standish Dobard and he met them, add him to the "real deal" list. Also JUCO TE Beau Sandland impressed me, he had the first touchdown of the day off of a tipped pass in the end zone. Great body frame, expecting him to make plays early in the season along with Clive Walford who was stepping up his game at the end of last year. </li>
<li>DE Anthony Chickillo is still in that limbo area. Not really the fastest DE out there but not really big enough to be a defensive tackle. He did have a tip ball for an interception today, I really like him personally and I hope he can have a breakout year given these challenges. </li>
<li>My freshman MVP award goes to LB Alex Figueroa, possibly the realist on the "real deal" list. Even though he is a freshman, I think he could be our 2nd best linebacker behind Perryman, making plays & giving big hits on players including Duke Johnson. Not so upset about losing Eddie Johnson anymore. </li>
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The next scrimmage will be April 5th in Naples, FL. I will be there to keep supporting the Canes and will have another blog entry after that game. Next spring practice is Tuesday which I will also be attending as media and I'm really excited about that. My video's can be seen below, follow me on twitter @kyepuma for more updates and most importantly GO CANES! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-79127209761688081992013-03-07T21:39:00.001-05:002013-03-07T22:03:03.147-05:00American Heritage Basketball- The Massey Twins<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesA3nd6itxfMVPrckqqpu7EcvXXtRwtIZtV0nRTYQZ50TaRUwBpBBGlrGMsJPezgmrfA7U6JlvcKEpjA6SmTvgI37oeR31mFYwl4qTf0FGdT4jXBY4xEL1JeRZ3i0IH1AVVRuqpTYc6jU/s1600/Masseys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesA3nd6itxfMVPrckqqpu7EcvXXtRwtIZtV0nRTYQZ50TaRUwBpBBGlrGMsJPezgmrfA7U6JlvcKEpjA6SmTvgI37oeR31mFYwl4qTf0FGdT4jXBY4xEL1JeRZ3i0IH1AVVRuqpTYc6jU/s400/Masseys.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin (With Ball) & Jason Massey (Behind)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Although the American Heritage basketball teams' season did not end the way they wanted it to, they had a tremendous year. Finishing at 21-8 the young team made it all the way to the 5A State Championship against Tampa Jesuit. TP (Tampa Jesuit) had an unbelievable game of shooting, making 53 percent (30-56) from the field and a ridiculous 60 percent (12-20) from beyond the arc. Heritage might not of walked away with the ring but they have plenty to look forward to in the future. The return of their starting </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">point guard, sophomore Keyshawn Evans who had a season ending injury in the middle of the season, and the fact that all 5 of their starters are returning makes them my favorite to win the 5A state championship next year. From what I've seen, an obvious bond has been made between a talented group players including Jason Massey, Justin Massey, Drake Lamont, Kobe Eubanks & Josh Borders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Among those players are twin brothers Justin & Jason Massey who happen to be childhood friends of mine. From a young age I could see their athletic ability at recess playing football and basketball. I remember playing with them and just knowing they were gonna be real successful one day. Although they went to a different school to pursue their career in basketball, we have kept in touch and I was able to speak with them about where they are now and what their plans are for the future. Both of them are being recruited by the University of Miami.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Me: </b>You guys decided to transfer to American Heritage after your sophomore year at North Broward Preparatory School, why the school change & was it hard to make a connection with your new teammates?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Twins</u></b>: "We felt we had a great opportunity to come to Heritage and have a strong team. We've known and played with some of the kids at Heritage prior to going there, so the connection was pretty smooth."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Me:</b> You guys obviously had a great season with a tough schedule, what was it like to make it all the way to the state championship? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Twins</u>: </b>"It really showed us what teamwork could do. That everything we had done all season came together to push us through our run in the playoffs. Then to play at the Lakeland Center was just the top of it all."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Me:</b> Is the expectation next year to win state? And what will you guys do to make sure you make it back there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Twins</u>: </b>"Yes we have a mindset that next year we want to bring back a state championship. Most teams want to think that way but we understand the effort that goes into it that will lead us back."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Me: </b>You have told me before that you guys have been contacted by multiple colleges, what colleges are reaching out the most to you two?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Twins</u>: </b>"We receive the most calls/texts from UCF, FGCU, UM, Stetson & Jacksonville. We have also been contacted by Cornell, Yale & The University of San Francisco."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Me:</b> I've known you guys for a long time and I know that you've played basketball together your entire lives, are you going to try and stay together in college or do you expect to go your separate ways?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Twins</u>: </b>"As of now it would be great to be able to play together in college but it comes down to what is the best option. We would not hold each other back from being able to go to somewhere that is better, even if it means splitting up."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Final Note</u>: </b>The Massey twins are not only great on the court but also great people. I know they are extremely smart and just by the schools that are contacting you can tell they are bright kids. From a young age they always showed respect and presented themselves with class, always humble. I personally hope to see them in orange and green one day, but whatever school they decide to go to, they will be lucky to have them. I wish them the best of luck in their futures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-90944796760711879812013-02-24T16:02:00.002-05:002013-02-24T18:55:58.664-05:00Derrick Griffin- Late Add On To C/O '13 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;">A late addition to the Miami Hurricanes football recruiting class of 2013 is 6'6" 220 lb WR/TE Derrick Griffin. Coach Golden seems to be building an army of receivers for quarterback Stephen Morris's senior year. ESPN's Jeremy Crabtree said "After adding Derrick Griffin, UM now has one of the most memorable tight end classes in 15 years". The 4* signee is the #3 ranked WR on rivals and the #33 prospect in ESPN's 150, bringing Miami's class of 2013 ranking to 11, which is amazing considering the heat taken from the NCAA and the negative recruiting from other schools. Griffin was committed to Texas A&M for over a year, but didn't sign to them on NSD because he never received a letter of intent from them. New running backs coach Hurlie Brown led the recruitment of Griffin, and after hearing of Griffin not signing on NSD he turned up the heat on him. After about a week of thinking it over, Griffins Uncle Scooter McGowan called the coaches at UM about him playing there, the coaches couldn't of been more excited to have him come to The U. </span></div>
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Not only is Griffin here to play football for Al Golden, but he will also play on the basketball team as well. That is one thing that Derrick really liked about Miami, an opportunity to play football and play basketball for a team that has entered the national spotlight. He is a 3* prospect in basketball recruiting, and the 26 ranked small forward in the country. He arrived in Coral Gables this weekend for his visit, he never had an official visit before NSD. It seems he is happy to be here, tweeting yesterday that "Miami is to live!!!". All hurricane fans should follow him @DRABB23 and give him a big #WelcomeToTheU !!</div>
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One thing people don't really know about him is his background in Texas. He was raised by his great grandmother since he was 9 years old, who was practically a stranger at the time of her adopting him. Griffins mother was arrested on drug charges 10 years ago, leaving Griffin and his 3 younger siblings (2 little brothers 1 little sister) by themselves. Living with his great grandmother and struggling in school, it was the basketball court and football field where Derrick shined, he played with passion making him one of the best players his city has seen. Once his coaches and great grandmother saw the potential he had, they supported him the best they could in his academics. A great story that built a great athlete, I am very happy to have him here at The U and I can't wait to see him play. Welcome to the #CanesFam Derrick Griffin!!</div>
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His highlights and news story can be seen here:</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-48539141148865900892013-02-20T20:45:00.002-05:002013-02-20T20:54:00.651-05:00 Overview of NOA & Miami's Response <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Tuesday February 19th, 2013 The University of Miami received its long waited and anticipated Notice of Allegations from Mark Emmert and the NCAA. That same day, coincidentally during the Miami basketball game, President of UM Donna Shalala and the University released a statement regarding the NOA. The statement is what some people would call "going on the offense" since it was going against the statements made by the NCAA. I personally thought it was a outstanding worded letter, that was spot on with what was needed to be said and I'm sure it was exactly what Hurricane fans wanted to hear.<br />
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I quote from the statement directly from the official University of Miami website<br />
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<li><span style="background-color: #e9ebc6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">"Many of the charges brought forth are based on the word of a man who made a fortune by lying. The NCAA enforcement staff acknowledged to the University that if Nevin Shapiro, a convicted con man, said something more than once, it considered the allegation “corroborated”—an argument which is both ludicrous and counter to legal practice."</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">The NCAA is basically saying, if Nevin Shapiro a convicted felon who ran a $930 million dollar ponzi scheme by lying to a very large amount of people tells us something more than one time, we are going to believe him. That is absolutely ridiculous and even embarrassing on the NCAA's part, I think they are lacking some common sense. A man who lied his way to prison only has to tell you something twice and you will believe him. *Shakes Head*</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: #e9ebc6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"> The fabricated story played well—the facts did not. "</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">This is in reference to the NCAA investigators not being able to find any evidence of prostitution, expensive care for players, player bounty payments or the alleged thousands of dollars in cash an</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">d gifts given to student athletes as reported in the media. Not saying that any of this did or did not happen, but in order to punish somebody you need hard evidence and not just a media report.</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="background-color: #e9ebc6;">"The NCAA enforcement staff failed, even after repeated requests, to interview many essential witnesses of great integrity who could have provided first-hand testimony"</span></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">During the time that Nevin Shapiro was a booster at the University of Miami, the Athletic Director was Paul Dee. During the investigation, there was multiple requests to interview the former AD about the accusations being made about the illegal activity during his time at UM. But the NCAA investigators failed to honor that request, and did not interview Paul Dee who has since passed away on May 12th, 2012. How could you not interview the man who was in charge of all athletics of the University you're investigating? </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"> "</span><span style="background-color: #e9ebc6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">for any rule violation—substantiated and proven with facts—that the University, its employees, or student-athletes committed, we have been and should be held accountable. We have worked hard to improve our compliance oversight, and we have already self-imposed harsh sanctions."</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">This is spot on. The president states that she has taken responsibility in the mistakes her program has made, and has self imposed punishments necessary to satisfy those ruling over the athletics program. Which it should fully satisfy, 2 year bowl ban, taking ourselves out of the ACC championship game and withheld student athletes from competition. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"> The "war" is on. Shalala has clearly stated that we have suffered enough and anything more than a slap on the wrist from the NCAA will not be accepted. I do expect The University of Miami to take the NCAA to court, anymore punishment would just be unfair, especially with the lack of control on the NCAA's part. They put $4,000 dollars in Shapiro's bank account, they used a burner phone to communicate with him in prison and illegally obtained information in the investigation. It's time to go against "the man", the gloves are off, it is time to fight against the NCAA who has been holding us hostage for years. No matter what I will always #StandWithTheU. It's important for the fan base to support the program in the uprising, after all of this I know the #CanesFam will stand stronger then ever. Most importantly, Go Canes!!! #BeatNCAA </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Full statement from Donna Shalala can be seen here: <a href="http://www.miami.edu/index.php/news/releases/statement_from_president_donna_e_shalala-2/">http://www.miami.edu/index.php/news/releases/statement_from_president_donna_e_shalala-2/</a></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-45590411321898258312013-02-18T21:03:00.000-05:002013-02-18T21:30:31.675-05:00Mario Cristobal's One Month Vacation In Miami<div style="text-align: left;">
Mario Cristobal is a Miami born man who played offensive line at the University of Miami from 1989-1992. He was a part of two national championship winning teams (89 & 91) and served as an assistant coach from 2004-2006 at Miami before leaving to become head coach of FIU's football program. At FIU he did a great job building a team and a even better job of recruiting south Florida, winning FIU's first ever conference championship in the Sun Belt Conference. Also he took his team to 2 bowl games, winning in the Little Ceasers Pizza bowl in 2010, but losing in 2011 in the Beef O Brady's bowl. On December 5th, 2012 Cristobal was relieved of his position as head coach at FIU. On January 10th, 2013 Mario was hired at The University Of Miami as a tight ends coach, assistant head coach & recruiting coordinator. </div>
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As of today February 18th reports are telling us that Mario Cristobal will accept job that the University of Alabama has offered him as an offensive line coach under Nick Saban. Alabama will be paying him 3x the salary he was going to make at Miami. I've been reading peoples opinions on the situation all day and I feel the need to state mine and why I think Cristobal leaving to Alabama is a cowardly move on his part.</div>
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<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Money</u>- From my understanding this is the number one reason why Cristobal is leaving for Tuscaloosa, reports say he is going to make 3x as much as he was going to make a Miami. One thing that most people are not aware of is that he still has a contract with FIU through 2017 and is still getting paid from that contract about $525,000 a year. That paycheck + the paycheck Miami is giving him as an assistant head coach is a lot of money, a seven figure income. Mario is giving up his hometown and a job at his alma mater, for a few more grand a year. There's one thing I know for sure and it's that Cristobal can't live on the water with a yacht in his backyard in the middle of Alabama. I'm just saying, if it's me I stay loyal to a place where I have spent my entire life at rather than turning my back to it. </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Nick Saban</u>- Another reason people are saying why he left is to gain experience under head coach Nick Saban. I'm sorry but wasn't he already a head coach? He literally took a program that was broken and led them to two bowl games and a conference championship. If the reason he want to go to Alabama is to coach UNDER Saban then he is literally backing down. If he is there to build his resume like other people are implying, that leads me to my next point. </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">Alabama Brand</u>- Lets Understand something, Alabama does not NEED Mario Cristobal. The main reason he is there is for Alabama to have a presence in south Florida recruiting, and in my opinion they don't need him for that either all you have to tell the kid is that you've won 3 of the last 4 college football championships. What sounds more impressive to you on a coaching resume, winning a championship at a school that has won 3 out of the last 4 championships....without you, or winning a championship at UM who hasn't won a title in over a decade with kids that you have recruited onto the team? What I'm saying is winning at a school that is on the rise but not yet at the level of Alabama currently is going to look better on your resume in the long run. </li>
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Cristobal leaving will not hurt in house, it's pretty much just a slap in the face to us fans. We still have tremendous recruiters at UM and the hiring of Coley makes this a little more comforting. Coaches come & go but the #CanesFam is here forever. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-38834706293725951892013-02-16T13:01:00.001-05:002013-02-16T14:56:55.566-05:00Get To Know New Canes Commit- Alin Edouard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The University of Miami football program has a long line of outstanding players in the quarterback position who have achieved great accomplishments. Five national title winning quarterbacks in Bernie Kosar, Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson, Gino Toretta and Ken Dorsey. Also two Heisman trophy winning quarterbacks in Vinny Testaverde and once again Gino Toretta. One thing all these players have in common, is their style. None of them were dual threat quarterbacks that could take off on their feet and run for a 30 yard gain, they were for the most part pro-style pocket passing quarterbacks. But, this is not the case for the new Canes commit coming out of Hialeah High School, Alin Edouard.<br />
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The dual threat QB received a scholarship offer from Miami on Wednesday (2/13) morning and on the same day committed to Al Golden and the football program. He is part of the graduating class of 14' and as a Junior already has offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State, Boston College and even more D1 colleges. This is credited to a big junior year he had as starting quarterback at Hialeah High, ending with 16 touchdowns and 1485 all purpose yards. Checking in at 6'2" 180 lbs Alin has size to compliment his strong throwing arm, but one thing that can't be talked about enough is his speed. He runs a 4.57 for the 40 yard dash and a 4.54 on the shuttle. He has long legs and takes big strides when he runs, people have compared him to Teddy Bridgewater who plays for Louisville (out of Miami Northwestern) and I would have to agree. From watching his highlight tape multiple times, you can see he has the ability to scramble out of the pocket to make plays by buying time to throw it or taking off for big gains. Bottom line he is a "playmaker" and an all around athlete, in all honesty I would not be surprised if Miami used him as a WR or in special teams rather than the QB position. Assuming he stays true to his commitment, he would have a lot of competition for the the quarterback job. Williams, Dewey, Olsen, Thompson and Crow are also on the Hurricanes roster. Whether he redshirts or not, I think it would be a good idea to give offensive coordinator Coley a year to see what direction he wants to take the offense in, so I say redshirt. With Edouard at the QB spot it opens a whole new playbook than you would have with Olsen or Williams. We could possibly see a Johnny Football type premier of Alin Edouard in Miami in my opinion.<br />
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I cant let myself get to far ahead though, Alin still has his senior year of high school to play. Assuming he stays healthy, stays out of trouble and performs just as well if not better in his senior year, we should have no worries. He does play on the Florida Fire 7 on 7 team and I look forward to watching him play in tournaments this off-season. Its well known the football class of 14' is one of the best ever, and Miami's class has started off strong with this commitment out of the State of Miami. I am very happy to have him a part of the #CanesFam and most importantly Go Canes!!! #TBred!!<br />
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His highlight video can be viewed here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB07t5O542U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB07t5O542U</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-47337795820850110992013-02-09T18:46:00.003-05:002013-02-10T15:13:22.226-05:00Rise To The Top- Hurricanes Basketball<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miami vs #1 Duke, Rushed The Court</td></tr>
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When you think University of Miami sports, the first thing you think of typically is not the basketball program. With 0 national championships, only 7 tournament appearances & making it to the sweet sixteen once in its history, basketball has been known as the step sibling to Hurricanes football/ baseball. That has all changed with this season, the spotlight is on Canes' basketball & it is shining BRIGHT.<br />
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Today I attended the Miami vs North Carolina game and most of you know by now that we dominated, it was the 6th game we have won by 20+ points. How many coaches can say they beat Roy Williams twice, and in one season? Not many, but coach Larranaga can. He is the boss who is leading this team to greatness and doing it in an exciting fashion. Undefeated at our home court the BUC, undefeated in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball the ACC, and currently tied highest rank ever at #8 (1960 team was #8 for 1 week). After this weeks 2 victories, Miami will move up to its highest ranking EVER in college basketball.<br />
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My personal prediction, Miami will be ranked #3. This past week 4 teams that were ranked ahead of Miami lost, my personal favorite loss was when #2 Florida lost to Arkansas. Anyways, #1 Indiana also lost to Illinois, #5 Kansas lost to TCU, and #3 Michigan lost to Wisconsin. While this top 3 ranking is much to be excited and happy about, this basketball season has proven that no teams no matter how high the rank is safe. Six teams this year have lost while being ranked #1, rankings are exciting to see, but truthfully doesn't mean you're not going to lose. I am confident Miami can win out when I look into the remainder of their schedule. Notable games include at Florida State 2/13 and at Duke 3/2.<br />
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A lot of credit is due to Coach Larranaga, he is an excellent coach and evidence shows he knows what he is doing. But a little credit needs to go to a former Miami Hurricanes star Jack McClinton who brought national attention to the program with his talent. From that point on, the Swag that the University of Miami has invented became a part of the basketball team. Miami is currently at the top and I don't see it leaving anytime soon, I love what the program is accomplishing & I will always #StandWithTheU. Most importantly Go Canes!! #CanesFam<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2478494204077707584.post-17027030634425190032013-02-06T00:14:00.001-05:002013-02-07T22:12:57.944-05:00CLASS OF 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
MY BREAKDOWN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI'S CLASS OF 2013<br />
<i><u>SIGNED</u></i><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Kevin Olsen- </b>Arguably one of the best pro style quarterbacks in the class of 13'. Unfortunately since he has been a solid commit since last summer people aren't to excited about him putting pen to paper as compared too some other players today, but they should be ecstatic. Brother of former Cane Greg Olsen, the 4* from New Jersey QB has a gun of an arm that will compliment the loaded depth of receivers in Stacy Coley, Herb Waters, Malcolm Lewis etc. Most likely red shirts.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Beau Sandland</b>- A 6'6" 255 pound JUCO, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind: Jeremy Shockey. Hopefully he can have the same impact and success as him, our TE game is obviously not one of our strongest fields per last year but Sandland will be an immediate factor in the Miami offense. Already a junior, he has to step up immediately no excuses. Hopefully Beau can be a new weapon we can use, especially in the red zone. </li>
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<li><b>Sonny Odogwu</b>- Odogwu was recruited by the most decorated coach at The U Art 5 rings Kehoe and if there is anyone I trust it is him. A lot of talk went on about Sonny saying who is this lineman from prep school and what not, but Kehoe targeted him for years. I'm confident Sonny will have a equal if not better career here at The U as compared to Denver Kirkland who was a 5*. While stars help us ranking players, they really have no telling of how the player is going to perform in college. So the 3* 6'8" 311 pound who is looking forward to playing here and being coached by Kehoe will have a good shot at holding down the O-line for the Canes.</li>
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<li><b>Al-Quadin Muhammad-</b> AQM the #1 weak side defensive end in New Jersey impressed me at the Under Armour all star game a few weeks back. A nice sized DE with tremendous speed is what we are receiving with AQM who is going to play a huge factor in our pass rushing which is in desperate need of improvement. With him coming in with his speed, we might be able to move Chickillo to tackle and AQM at D end who is undeniably faster.</li>
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<li><b>Ray Lewis III</b>- Small 5'9" 190 pound ATH son of Miami LEGEND linebacker Ray Lewis can play a few different positions (RB, WR, LB) but I highly doubt we see him on the defensive side of the ball. Not sure of the immediate impact he will have here at The U, he will have to develop a lot to stand out at the college level. For now, a special teams player IMO then we'll see in the coming years if he has that dog in him like his father does. Extremely happy to have him at Miami and following in his fathers footsteps, true CanesFam.</li>
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<li><b>Hunter Knighton</b>- If Knighton wants to play offensive line he is going to need to put some more weight on. Due to the fact he has early enrolled into UM he will be able to train in spring ball and go through UTOUGH. No doubt he has athletic talents, watching his film he is quick on his feet and with his hand being able to get his opponent off him or keep them infront of him. Interested on how he develops through the spring and summer, I'll be watching him closely. </li>
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<li><b>Ufomba Kamalu-</b> Once again a lineman that not a lot of people know about. I can't stress enough that just because he is a 2* does not mean he is lacking an potential compared to players with more stars. Coming out of a Junior College in Kansas he has 2 years out of high school experience competing with other Junior College players. Coming into The U as a junior he is expected to get a good amount of playing time this year. Another quick D end that could take the spot of Chickillo so he can move to tackle, I see our pass rush improving tremendously this year.</li>
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<li><b>Jermaine Grace- </b>BIG COUNTRY! The Miramar LB that Miami fans have had their eye on for a couple of years now has made it official he is going to be another star from Miramar High School that's gonna play for the Canes. The 6'1" 210 pound is the 17th ranked outside linebacker in the nation (per Rivals.com) and brings a lot to the table. I personally saw him play a few months ago against South Plantation and he is involved in every play. The one play to stand out to me is when he hit the newest Arkansas RB Alex Collins, he got in his face and had a few words to share with him after the play. Grace has the Swag that the University of Miami breeds, I cannot wait to see him in orange and green.</li>
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<li><b>Alex Gall-</b> I. Love. This. Player. I have watched his highlight tape start to finish about 6 times and couldn't be more excited about him joining the Miami offensive line and being coached by Kehoe. Most likely won't be seeing the field to much as a freshman like Eric Flowers did due to the experience we have there now with Henderson, Linder and McDermott, but after he is able to develop under our staff he is going to be a brick wall impossible to get by. Coming from Ohio all the way down to Coral Gables to play for Golden over other top D1 schools, he came to compete and he came to win. Looking forward to seeing him play and also meeting him, seems like a down to earth guy.</li>
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<li><b>Alex Figueroa- </b>I feel like people underestimate the power this kid has. Just by watching his highlight tape you can tell he is a mean player. The strength he possesses shows on the field, especially when he literally throws a blocker 5 years during a kick return. The outside linebacker coming in at 6'3" 215 pounds is going to be a bulldog on the field who won't take crap from anybody. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him taking some time from E Johnson during the season, especially if he improves in the summer. I believe he's already playing high school football at a college level player.</li>
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<li><b>Augustus Edwards- </b>The first player to sign on NSD it great news to wake up too. We recieved the #1 ranked fullback in the nation. Another player coming from the Northeast (Staten Island) came in as a late edition to the class, possibly because we knew there was a good chance Collins wasn't coming. With him and Duke in the backfield I see him getting those tough yards between the tackles like on 3rd & 2's. He's more of an athlete FB not a strict leading blocker, could use him in many play types, great pickup.</li>
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<li><b>Standish Dobard- </b>This is what my father (@WILLDATHRILL) calls a "Certified Cane" because of his loyalty to the program. Ever since his commitment months and months ago, he has expressed how excited he is to join The U. He has early enrolled so he will be able to train in the spring and go through UTOUGH which is important for many reasons, one being able to form an early bond with the team. Standish is from the swamps of Louisiana, just like Ed Reed, and comes in at 6'5" 255. I've been following him on Twitter for a while now and has often expressed how eager he is to make a difference on the team, he's the type of player we all want because he really bleeds orange and green. He's going to have plenty of competition with Sandland coming in and not sure if he will get much playing time this coming year, but it will make him better in the long run.</li>
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<li><b>Stacy Coley- </b>So excited to see Coley play! Was really unsure about him coming to Miami, about 75% sure he was going to FSU but as soon as he put that SWAG hat on I knew he was coming to The U and obviously made the correct choice. Joining our elite line of WR's (Herns, Scott, Dorsett, Lewis) I see this freshman getting the most playing time out of all the new players. I spoke to him briefly on signing day and you can tell he's a well put together person, said he loved the staff at The U and couldn't wait to play. I spoke to people who knew him personally and watched him play his senior year and they said "On the field he is crazy, something clicks in head during the game and he can do anything". It shows in his highlight tape, confident he will be a star during his time at UM.</li>
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<li><b>Jamal Carter-</b> Definitely a "Certified Cane" from Southridge High School in Miami. The 6'1" 175 pound safety had 73 tackles and 1 interception his senior year, he is the 21st ranked safety in the nation. I'm sure most of you have heard his interview on NBC where he is quoted saying "I'm going to Miami to put my city back on the map". This made me extremely happy, we are filling the backfield with players who are passionate about the program and want it to thrive greatness again. Jamal is fast and by watching him play you can tell he is a natural football player with instinct. Will join the line of great safety's to play at The U.</li>
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<li><b>Artie Burns- </b>Adding the speedy corner from Miami Northwestern is making our defensive backfield a "No fly zone". Artie, Tracy, and Deon?! Now that's an impressive group. They are still young and need to develop but I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to be on our squad. Artie was ranked the 15th corner in the nation and coming from Northwestern one of the high school football powerhouses in Florida he knows what it takes to win. Also a track star at the school, he has all the weapons he needs to be great. I expect him to get a decent amount of playing time this year.</li>
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<li><b>Devante Bond- </b>Adding more depth at our LB position, 007 (Bond, double O seven) is coming in as a junior from Sierra Community College in California. Just like the rest of the JUCO's he is expected to play and make a difference right from the start. He is extremely explosive on the blitz and can get past the offensive line quick and tackle the quarterback, his last season he had 17 sacks, 77 tackles and 27 forced fumbles.</li>
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<b><u>OVERVIEW</u></b></div>
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Overall I am satisfied with the class of 2013, not an elite #1 class but all of our pick ups have great potential. Did it hurt not getting Matthew Thomas? Yes, there is no doubting that. But we have great depth at out LB position who will all compete to play and will bring out the best in him. Best of luck to Kirkland at Arkansas but losing him honestly did not hurt. He's just a big boy, watched him play multiple times and nothing that impressive. Bringing in Coley & Cristobal is going to make a hell of a difference in recruiting....next year. They came in too late this year to have the full effect of their power in South Florida. I can't wait for the 2013 season and most importantly GO CANES!! #CanesFam</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1