~ The following article was contributed by beloved Eye of the Hurricane blogger, Delray ~

When it comes to great streaks in sports everybody has an opinion of what the most historic streak is.  Some will say Cy Young’s 24 straight innings without giving up a hit.  Other will say the Boston Celtics’ 8 consecutive NBA Titles.  But if you are a Miami Hurricanes fan, you would disagree.  There is only one streak we all have been following that started back in mid December of 2002 when Clinton Portis had 4 touchdowns for the Denver Broncos.  Little did we know then that a Miami Hurricane would go on to score a touchdown for the next 149 weeks.  Let’s take a look back at the beginning of that monumental streak.

Week #15, 2002

Clinton Portis’ day did not start out too well with 2 early fumbles but he was able to make amends by scoring 4 touchdowns for the Denver Broncos to start this streak off, including a long of 51 yards.

Week #16, 2002

Portis got into the act again with a touchdown and was joined by Santana Moss of the NY Jets, Nick Luchey of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts.  Both Wayne and Luchey contributed with 2 touchdowns, with the highlight being Wayne’s 40 yard pass from Peyton Manning.

Week #17, 2002

In the last week of the 2002 season, two Hurricane Tight-Ends joined in as Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants and Bubba Franks of the Green Bay Packers each scored touchdowns.  Clinton Portis and Santa Moss also tallied scores for their respective teams.  Jeremy Shockey’s catch proved to be the most significant as it came in the 4th quarter and also propelled the Giants to a 10-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.  Clinton Portis’ 2 touchdowns where part of a 228 yd performance as the Broncos crushed the Arizona Cardinals 37-7.

Week #1, 2003

Clinton Portis kept the short streak alive at 5 consecutive games as he scored 2 touchdowns and rushed for 120 yards in a 30-10 win over the Bengals.

Week #2, 2003

Defense you say?  The Hurricanes account for 6 touchdowns in week 2 of the 2003 season;  2 coming on pick sixes.  One by our beloved Ed Reed who had 2 picks on the day taking one to the house from 53 yards out and the other from Phillip Buchanon of the Oakland Raiders taking it all the way back from 83 yards for a score.  Edgerrin James of the Colts and Vinny Testaverde of the Jets also joined the party with Shockey and Moss also up to their old tricks scoring 1 touchdown each.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me.  Join me every Friday for the next few months as we take a look at back at one of the more untouchable streaks in all of sports history.

~ The following article was contributed by beloved Eye of the Hurricane blogger and recruiting guru, bg1906 ~

When Al Golden announced he was coming to the University of Miami he was praised as being a charismatic hard worker that was a good football coach, a great developer of talent, and a tireless recruiter. In fact, recruiting pioneer Tom Lemmings called Golden a young Urban Meyer or Nick Saban and that Golden would be a FORCE recruiting with such a powerful brand as the University of Miami. Well fast forward a little over a year and I’d have to say I agree 100% with Lemmings’ assessment.

If you are a fan of the Miami Hurricanes it is very hard not to be excited about the current direction of the program. To this end, the Canes took a GIANT step forward yesterday as they officially signed 33 new student athletes to join The U Football Family. Coach Al Golden and staff did a wonderful job of assembling a consensus Top 10 class that is praised for having a wonderful balance of star power and depth, while also injecting a much needed shot of talent into the program. Not to mention this feat was accomplished after having a .500 season (6-6), and maybe to a larger extent, with potential NCAA sanctions hanging overhead.  What an amazing job and every bit worthy of the national praise this staff has received for what they’ve done in assembling the Class of 2012.

So how did the Canes pull of a Top 10 recruiting class???

To me there were five key elements that REALLY stood out when it came to the Canes recruiting efforts in assembling the 2012 class:

1. Our staff started out very aggressively during the initial stages of the 2012 campaign. They hosted junior days, camps, and opened their practices up to recruits who quickly bought in and committed early to the Canes. This is a strategy you usually see from schools like Texas, where a vast majority of their class are in-state guys and commit very, very early in the process.
2. The staff did and trusted their own evaluations of the players they offered. This was refreshing because the staff knew exactly what kinds of players they wanted to target and were then able to go out and recruit/evaluate to that standard. In doing so they were able to land a symmetrical class with an excellent balance between star power and depth.
3. The staff got back to the roots of what makes the University of Miami special. Of the 33 players signed, 27 are from the state of Florida. With a nice balance of talent from across the state including a heavy dose of talented players from Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as several very talented players from the talent rich Tampa/St. Petersburg Area. The Canes also ventured into some new territories by locking up players from areas we don’t normally have success in including Lake City, Leesburg, Boca Raton, Vero Beach, and Venice. Then like successful regimes of the past, they sprinkled in some top talent from several other talent rich regions of the country that we have traditionally and successfully recruited in the past including Texas, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. They were even able to land a JUCO recruit who originally hails from the state of Alabama (Ladarius Gunter), so the staff proved it could and would go wherever necessary to recruit top talent. Impressive!
4. The staff was relentless in its recruiting efforts. They approached the recruiting process with an attitude of WE are the University of Miami, we have a lot to offer, and we will NOT be intimidated by ANYONE! Coach Golden reiterated that on yesterday during his press conference and he believes we should own our neck of the woods and defeat the Alabamas, the LSUs, the Floridas, and the Florida States of the world when they venture into the State of Miami. While on the recruiting trail, the staff also had to battle a heavy dose of negative recruiting, and yet their persistence paid off and they were still able to land top notch players like Deon Bush, Tyriq McCord, and Daniel Isidora, while also flipping kids like Rayshawn Jenkins (USF), Antonio Crawford (Georgia Tech), Robert Lockhart (Virginia Tech), and Jawand Blue (Virginia Tech). They also in a 2-3 week period were able to convince probably their most high profile and least likely acquisition, Tracy Howard, to stay home and play for The U.
5. The staff was strategic sound in their recruit planning. They targeted kids that truly LOVED and WANTED to be Miami Hurricanes. Evidenced by kids like Duke Johnson, a player who was actually a Randy Shannon commit, that never ever waivered from the commitment he made as a junior. Or a guy like Jawand Blue, who committed immediately after receiving his offer on signing day after having been a Virginia Tech commit for nearly 8 months. It was important that this happen because these are the kids that TRULY LOVE the Miami Hurricanes and want to be Canes no matter the circumstances. This is how teams like USC and Ohio State survive through tough sanctions. They recruit to the BRAND and they recruit kids that LOVE THE BRAND!  We are no different. In fact, we have perhaps the most powerful brand in all of college football and the staff targeted kids that REALLY LOVED THAT BRAND, THE U. These are the types of kids we have to have in this program and it was fantastic to see the staff actively pursing these types of players.

What is even more impressive is that a vast majority of these kids were committed very early on in the process and the staff was able to maintain those relationships and commitments with only 1 casualty and that being the loss of OLB Reggie Northrup to Florida State. However, even Northrup’s decommitment was expected by the staff and they had a contingency plan in place, which was enacted when they offered and flipped West Boca Raton’s Jawand Blue on the spot! Again, impressive!

So now that we know WHY we were successful, let’s take a quick look at the players that made it successful, my Top 10 players for the Class of 2012.

Miami Hurricanes Class of 2012: Top 10

1. CB Tracy Howard: A case could be made for both Duke Johnson and Tracy Howard being #1, but I went with Howard because he plays a position of extreme need. He’s a good athlete, with good coverage skills, and should contribute from Day 1.

Tracy Howard Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97uIELfhKu8

2. RB Randy “Duke” Johnson: Duke Johnson on the other hand is lightning in a bottle and can take it to the house at any moment. He’ll be a weapon from the day he sets foot on campus on both offense and special teams .

             Duke Johnson Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbxbK5MzmVw

3. WR Angelo Jean-Louis: Jean-Louis is one of the Top WR prospects in the country. He turned a lot heads during Under Armor All-American Game practices and should be able to provide immediate help to the Cane WR corps.

          Angelo Jean-Louis Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9nF7mZsXg

 4.  LB Raphael Kirby: Raphael Kirby is LB from Georgia that just makes plays. He possesses great instincts and is always around the ball. I suspect Kirby will find a way onto the 2 deep and contribute on special teams as well.

           Raphael Kirby Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbFDU8v1EpU

5.    CB/S Deon Bush: Deon Bush may be the best overall athlete in the entire class. He’s strong and can jump out the gym. Deon was recruited as a CB but can also double as a Safety, which is the position he played at Columbus HS. Bush has all the skills you want in a DB, but he hasn’t played much CB in his career up to this point. I do still expect him to play in 2012 be on both defense and special teams.

         Deon Bush Video: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/522679/deon-bush

 6.    DE Jelani Hamilton: Jelani Hamilton is a big time prospect who saw his senior season cut short due to injury. He comes from a tradition-rich,  powerhouse program in St. Thomas Aquinas and was easily one of the program’s top players over the last 2 years. He has a good size/speed profile and also plays with good effort and intensity. He is also very technically sound as you would suspect from any prospect coming from such a highly regarded program as STA. As with the case of most incoming freshman on the offensive and defensive lineman, Hamilton will need time to add additional bulk and strength to his long frame. However, due to the lack of depth at the defensive end position, he could find himself in the rotation early.

        Jelani Hamilton Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYZ5ZGXcYV8

7.    DE/OLB Tyriq McCord: Tyriq McCord is a dynamic pass rusher. He projects as a hybrid DE/OLB and should help the Canes generate more pass rush. He has great speed of the edge and is a powerful and relentless pass rusher in his pursuit of opposing QBs. I can see McCord being used this year as a pass rushing specialist, much in the vein of a Javon Nanton. He’ll also be able to contribute on special teams.

         Tyriq McCord Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38WvtrbBzxE

8.    OT Ereck Flowers: Ereck Flowers could potentially be the best player in the entire class when it is all said and done. He’s big, he’s mean, and he can move. Big Red could very well find himself in the 2 Deep and he’ll only get better with time. His ceiling is limitless.

         Ereck Flowers Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3jWa3quwNk

9.    WR Robert Lockhart: Robert Lockhart was a nice find. He originally committed to Virginia Tech out of HS but after not qualifying, he prepped at Fork Union Miliary Academy. At Fork Union he became teammates with another Cane signee, Taylor Gadbois, and it was Gadbois, along with current Cane and former West Boca teammate Corey King, that helped convince Lockhart to flip from Virginia Tech to Miami. Lockhart is a playmaker. He has a nice size/speed profile and displays good hands and excellent playmaking ability. He should be another player who will get into the mix from Day 1.

        Robert Lockhart Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UATMofusXnM

10. WR Malcolm Lewis/ATH Herb Waters: I couldn’t make up mind on #10 so I have a 10a and a 10b.

10a is Malcolm Lewis. Lewis is a teammate of Tracy Howard and a key cog in the Miramar Patriot passing attack. Lewis is a playmaker that has good size and speed and is deceptively strong. He has excellent hands and though he’s not an elite long speed guy, he possesses excellent short area quickness and change of direction.

        Malcolm Lewis Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWto8C0frwM

10b is Herbert Waters. Waters may be one of the most underrated players in the class. He’s also a playmaker that has played a variety of positions in HS including QB, WR, and DB. Many feel his future is in the defensive backfield, though he was recruited as a WR. However, no matter what position, Waters makes plays. He injured himself last season, but if he’s healthy when he arrives he could find himself competing early for playing time.

          Herb Waters Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7vTxtT6pEo

Well there you have it Canes fans, the Class of 2012. They, along with the 2011 Class, are the foundation of our future, a future that appears to be bright indeed!

Until next time…

Go Canes!

-bg1906
C.C.M.J.T.K.O.

While some of us like bg1906 are recruiting experts, others don’t care and say “show me” before they get excited about a player, and those like me pretend we don’t like recruiting until we nearly cause a wreck on I-95 celebrating Tracy Howard’s commitment, we can all agree that Al Golden and his staff did one heck of a job locking down “The State of Miami” and bringing in a top-flight recruiting class despite all of the negative recruiting efforts by the toothless criminoles and the dirty crocs.  Eye of the Hurricane extends its warmest welcome to the next generation of ‘Canes who joined us today, starting with my favorite favorite:

• Randy “Duke” Johnson, RB, Miami Norland High
• Tracy Howard, CB, Miramar High School
• Malcolm Lewis, WR, Miramar High School
• Angelo Jean-Louis, WR, Palm Beach Central
• Tyriq McCord, DE, Jefferson Senior High School (Tampa)
• Deon Bush, S, Christopher Columbus High School
• Jawand Blue, ILB, West Boca Raton High School
• Daniel Isidora, OG, Cypress Bay High School
• Jelani Hamilton, DE, St. Thomas Aquinas
• Jontavious Carter, WR, Crisp County High School (GA)
• D’Mauri Jones, WR, Leesburg High School
• Gabriel Terry, OLB, Palm Beach Central High school
• Jacoby Brisco, DT, Carencro High School (LA)
• Herb Waters, WR, Homestead Senior High School
• Nathan Dortch, CB, South Fort Myers High School
• Jake O’Donnell, DE Central Bucks East High School (PA)
• Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Admiral Farragut Academy
• Vernon Davis, CB, Coral Reef High School
• Dequan Ivery, DT, Columbia High School
• Earl Moore, DT, Hillsborough High School
• David Thompson, QB, Westminster Christian School
• Danny Dillard, RB, Venice High School
• Antonio Crawford, DB, Plant Senior High School
• Robert Lockhart, WR, Fork Union Military Academy

~ The following article was contributed by beloved Eye of the Hurricane blogger, Delray ~

T’was the night before Christmas . . .  I remember Christmas Eve as a child like it was yesterday.  The Feast of the Seven Fish,  relatives coming and going, but most of all I remember anticipating the arrival of St. Nick.  My sisters and I would try to stay awake as long as possible in hopes to catch a glimpse of the mystical hero.  This memory was crushed a few years ago when someone blogged on Eye of the Hurricane that there was no Santa Claus.  However, I still believe and wait with anticipation every year on the most holy night. 

There is only one other time of the year that has the buildup and  anticipation of Christmas Eve:  National Signing Day.  The day when teenage boys hold the sporting community hostage as they make their decisions on where they will continue to not only play football, but to carve their legacy.  Just like for Christmas, National Signing Day followers have a “Wish List.” Let’s take a look at some of the “Wish List” players I would like to see Miami snag come Wednesday.

Josh Harvey-Clemons (Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes)  OLB – 6’4” 210

Josh is considered to be the best outside linebacker in this year’s class.  He is often described as a monster with freakish athletic ability.  Josh has made his official visit to Coral Gables this past weekend.  Miami may be a dark horse as the other Florida schools are hot on his trail along with the home town Bulldogs.  He would be an outstanding get for Miami.  Although we have a few other players verbally commit at this position,  he is too good to pass on and would no doubt push others for playing time.

Tracy Howard (Miramar HS) CB -6’0” 175

Tracy,  like Josh, is considered to be the upper crust at his position.  He was not interested in Miami at the start of the recruiting process but has shown some interest as of late.  With the coercion of his Patriot teammate Malcolm Lewis (UM verbal) he decided to give the local school an official visit.  Tracy’s desire for early playing time and being close to home may swing the pendulum our way.

Darius Hamilton (Don Bosco Prep School) DE – 6’4” 245

Darius found himself in a very interesting situation a few days ago.  While waiting for his soon-to-be coach to show up for a visit,  the coach never showed up.  That coach was Greg Schiano, who decided to leave Rutgers and take a job in the NFL.  Darius contacted the Miami coaching staff about taking a visit and they were happy to accommodate him.  This is a great position of need for the Canes with more players than expected declaring themselves for the NFL draft.  Again,  the appeal for early playing time and south Florida are what we are hoping will draw Darius to Coral Gables.

Avery Young (Palm Beach Gardens HS)  T – 6’5” 295

Avery is a hot commodity right now.  He is actively being sought by numerous schools but our coaching staff was able to meet with him late this past week at Sailfish Marina.  Avery is a top 5 in the country at his tackle position.  This is not as desperate  a position of need as the Canes have on the other side of the ball.  However, with his size,  athletic ability and upside,  Miami would be foolish to not pursue Avery given his proximity to UM.   

Eddie Goldman (Edison-Friendship Public Charter School) DT – 6’4”  315

Eddie is intriguing to me, though I am not completely sold on him being  the next great DT.  Granted, he is a five star prospect and of all the positions on the field, defensive tackle maybe the spot at which we need the most help.  However, quite a few people question the kid’s heart when watching him on film.  Does he go all out every play?  Is he playing 100%?  Is he hurt?  When someone is a five star caliber player,  these are not questions that should be asked.  Yes,  I’d love for Eddie to come become a ‘Cane,  but after the last graduation class, I really don’t want to hear about potential or a player’s ceiling.

So this is my wish list.  Everybody has their own.  A lot can – and will – happen between now and Wednesday morning.  We will feel happy,  sad,  angry and no doubt utter a few WTFs after hearing we receive a commit no one had on their radar.  But in the end, they will be Miami Hurricanes.

Happy National Signing Day to you and yours from Eye of the Hurricane!

~ The following article was contributed by beloved Eye of the Hurricane blogger and recruiting guru, bg1906 ~

LB Prospects

This has been a need position for the Canes for quite some time and though the Canes have brought in several good prospects at LB in the last 2 classes, 2013 has some very good looking prospects as well.

Michael Deeb of American Heritage HS has been turning heads for a while now. He’s a prototype MLB and reminds me a lot of Dan Morgan. I don’t say that because he’s white, but because when you watch him play, he plays the run and pass equally effective, which is something that Morgan did as well. He’s also physical, plays with a nasty streak, and has a real nose for the football just like Dan Morgan did. UM has offered and it would be a very good get if we can land Deeb.  We should have a good shot too as he’s on record as stating he’s very fond of the Canes as his dad is a UM alum, while mom is an alumna of the University of Florida.

Matthew Thomas is a 6-4, 210 lbs OLB prospect from Miami’s Booker T. Washington HS. He’s the leader of a young Tornados Defense and is garnering a lot of attention from some major colleges like Miami, Florida, West Virginia, Florida State, Alabama, and Auburn. He finished his junior season with 102 tackles and 13 sacks and uses his speed and length off of the edge. Thomas plays a lot with his hand down now, but is an OLB type at the next level who has the frame to carry additional weight while maintaining his athleticism and could be lethal in a 3-4 defense. He currently favors Miami early but could potentially want to leave Miami for the SEC. His recruitment will be interesting as his teammate OL Denver Kirkland is also being recruited by UM and Kirkland favors Miami as well. We also can’t forget that Ice Harris (Brandon Harris’ father) is the Coach at Booker T. Washington and Ice was recently on the football staff at Miami under Randy Shannon.

For anyone that watched the Manatee vs First Coast State Championship game, it was hard not to notice #13 from First Coast, Daniel McMillan. McMillian plays with current Canes commit Reggie Northrup (who is wavering and is looking more like a FSU lean at this point) and they along with North Carolina commit, Joseph Jackson, form what is perhaps arguably the most lethal linebacking corps in the state of Florida. McMillian is the lone underclassmen of the 3 but is perhaps the most impressive. He has offers from all over the country including Miami, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Auburn, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. He hasn’t tipped his hand as to any favorites and Jacksonville has never been good for the Canes so I’d consider him a long shot at the moment. Nevertheless, McMillian is an elite talent and the Canes have at least offered. Also if Northrup stays on board, McMillian could be open to looking more closely at UM, though you’d have to think FSU has the inside track considering their track record with First Coast HS.

The last 2 prospects to keep an eye on are OLB Jermaine Grace, who hails from Miramar HS and George “Deebo” Williams of Hialeah. Grace is the typical S. Fla OLB that has good speed, is side line to side line, but is a bit undersized in the 185-190 lbs range. Williams on the other hand is thickly built, IS VIOLENT, and is a hitting machine when you watch him on tape. Grace has a Miami offer but claims early on that he will follow teammate Tracy Howard to college wherever that may be. I doubt that happens but at any rate, as of now, that is what he is saying. Williams also has gotten a Canes offer and early on though he claims no favorites publically, is thought to be a Cane lean and I believe the Canes will have every opportunity to lock him up in short order.

1. Michael Deeb (Plantation, FL): http://www.hudl.com/athlete/642605/michael-deeb
2. Matthew Thomas (Miami, FL): http://elitescoutingservices.com/2011/08/03/matthew-thomas-delb-booker-t-washington-highlight/
3. Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
4. Jermaine Grace (Hollywood, FL)
5. George Williams (Hialeah, FL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgmwHSBM4j8

DB Prospects

The Canes are still chasing DBs in the Class of 2012 and have secured the final visit for Miramar’s Tracy Howard. However, whether they land Howard or not, they have offered several top flight DBs in a deep DB class for 2013.

CB Prospects

Vernon Hargreaves III is the headliner here. He is a national recruit and generally thought of as the #1 DB in the entire state of Florida. Son of current USF Assistant (Former Canes LB Coach) Vernon Hargreaves, Hargreaves III possess excellent cover skills that have made him a highly sought after recruit with offers from Florida, Ohio State, Miami, Notre Dame, USF, and Florida State. His recruitment will be one to watch.

William Likely out of Glades Central is a play-making CB who isn’t very big or fast, but just makes plays. A HS version of the Honey Badger if you will, he also plays offense and returns kicks. He has a knack for just being around the ball, and despite his size (5’7) and lack of top-end speed, Likely has gotten the attention of some major programs as he currently holds offers from Miami, Alabama, Florida, Louisville, LSU, and Purdue. A testament to his ability, Likely is also this year’s ESPN HS Player of the Year for the State of Florida and should continue to reel in offers as a highly coveted national prospect for 2013.

Kendall Fuller out of Olney, MD plays for the same HS team as Wes Brown and Stefan Diggs, Our Lady of Good Counsel. He’s already used to playing against top notch competition having to practice daily against Diggs and Brown, and it definitely shows when he’s on the big stage. The latest in a line of national recruit for Good Counsel, Fuller has good size (6’0, 180 lbs) to go along with good speed and great instincts. He is on record as saying he grew up a fan of the Canes but I anticipate he will be a tough pull for UM.

Artie Burns is the next in a long line of great players from Miami Northwestern. He’s already committed to Alabama, but you can never count out the home team in recruiting. Burns has highly coveted size for the CB position at 6’1 and is a track star as well. Sad to see Bama in on our kids so early and hopefully our staff can get us back into this one at some point.

Tshumbi Johnson is an athlete that plays QB, DB, and also punts for the LOADED Immokalee Indians Football team. He can play a variety of potions at the next level and when you see him footage you can easily see why. He’s a teammate of Mackensie Alexander who is one heck of a CB prospect himself and one who recently committed to Tennessee. It is anticipated that Vols Coach Derek Dooley will be SQUARELY on the hot seat this year at Tennessee, so landing Johnson could go a long way in reopening the door with Alexander and many other of his Immokalee teammates including: Xavier Richardson (WR) and Alexander’s twin brother Mackenro (S). While Alexander isn’t a sure thing to Miami, Johnson if offered would appear to be a lock to Miami and would be a fantastic pick-up for the Canes as he’s an incredible athlete.

1. Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, FL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0iPG390NYc
2. William Likely (Belle Glade, FL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=274VLhb6_aQ
3. Kendall Fuller (Olney, MD): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHuWiuTDhd0
4. Artie Burns (Miami, FL) – Committed to Alabama
5. Mackensie Alexander (Immokalee, FL) – Committed to Tennessee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmDh311LlCQ
6. Tshumbi Johnson (Immokalee, FL): http://www.hudl.com/athlete/315908/tshumbi-johnson

Safety Prospects

With only one safety prospect committed for 2012 (Rayshawn Jenkins) the Canes will make Safety a high priority position in 2013 as they prepare to lose both Vaughn Telemaque and Ray Ray Armstrong to graduation.

Leon McQuay Jr from state champion Seffner Armwood HS in Tampa is highly thought of nationally and is one of the best in the state of Florida. McQuay is a quiet kid off the field, but he plays with a reckless abandon and vengeance on the field. McQuay is a sure tackler and a big hitter in the secondary and currently holds offers from the likes of Miami, Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Florida, and Florida State. MAJOR PROSPECT and if the Canes can land him, it could open a pipeline into one of Florida’s most successful HS programs at Seffner Armwood. He’s another kid that is close to Anthony Chickillo and so far as a recruiter Chick has done a great job! Go get ‘em 71!

Locally, there are two top safety prospects that UM has shown an interest in: Jamal Carter (Southridge) and Ahmad Thomas (Miami Central).  Both favor UM at this time, but only Carter has an offer at this point. Thomas is thought to be one that if offered would commit in short time and perhaps even immediately, while Carter may want to play the recruiting game a bit.

Lastly is Immokalee’s Mackenro Alexander, the twin brother of Mackensie Alexander. Mackenro plays SLB in HS but projects as a potential SS at the collegiate level. Mackenro’s twin brother Mackensie is committed to Tennessee and Mackenro says that he was caught by surprise by his brother’s commitment as both brothers have been long time UM fans. He’s hoping to land a UM offer and says he’d commit on the spot if offered. If that happens, you’d have to think that would increase our chances with twin brother Mackensie who is actually the better prospect of the 2.

1. Leon McQuay Jr (Tampa, FL): http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Leon-McQuay-Highlights-2-1099755
2. Jamal Carter (Miami, FL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMuuh6XKw-k
3. Ahmad Thomas (Miami, FL)
4. Mackenro Alexander (Immokalee, FL): http://www.hudl.com/athlete/315926/mackenro-alexander

Until next time…Go Canes!

-bg1906
C.C.M.J.T.K.O.