Kirby Hocutt has often talked about scheduling non-conference games in places, like Texas, where Miami would like to make recruiting in-roads. So it makes sense that we have agreed to play... Toledo! In Toledo, during the 2015 season. I've been to a few Bar Mitzvahs in Toledo in my day, and while I'm not sure if this will do much for recruiting, I'm pretty positive it will make sure that no current players feel the need to transfer to any MAC schools. This sort of reminds me of when we opened that one season at Louisiana Tech and Kellen Winslow caught a garbage time touchdown and did the Heisman pose. Believe it all went downhill from there, in fact.
MEDIA DAY! One thing that's great about media days are that they are called "media days" because literally nobody cares about these things except the media. "What? You're telling me I can interview an offensive tackle from Boston College and a cornerback from Duke IN THE SAME DAY??? Get me on a flight, editor!" Anyway, yesterday was the coaches' day at ACC Media Day 2, which means that Randy Shannon was out giving curt answers to reporters from all over the country. I'm sure Manny Navarro was in the back chuckling. Rivals has the choice quotes:
"The thing we have is a lot of depth. We have a lot of depth on this football team. We had some growth over the last couple of years playing together. And the chemistry is really big - being with coach (John) Lovett and (Mark) Whipple coming back, and knowing the players, and players knowing them and what to expect out of the coaches is really, really tremendous with the things we're trying to accomplish with this football team."
Miami hopes to have Graig Cooper back for the first game coming off a torn ACL. Shannon said of Cooper's progress that "Graig' been doing everything, the box jumps, squat, cutting drills, everything possible to get himself right. The unknown factor is when he puts on the extra 40 pounds, the helmet, pads, how the knee responds. We have to make sure we take it slow with him in the process of getting back. "
etc.
Randy also said that Joel Figueroa has been moved to right tackle, but we'll see what Seantrel Henderson has to say about that WON'T WE?
In other media day news, we were picked to finish second in the Coastal Division (we're in the Coastal Division?), behind only Virginia Tech. It's hard to quibble with this considering recent history, but we do get VT at home this year.
On the recruiting front, Chris Barnett is an ex-Oklahoma commit that supposedly decommitted after talking to impending permanent hero Teddy Bridgewater at a 7-on-7 tournament. Rivals reports that he threw up the U. Yay! Despite Randy's great recruiting since taking over, one thing he hasn't been able to do is lure a top flight tight end prospect, despite our sterling recent history at that position. And yes, I'm talking solely about James Graham.
The great Caneshooter recently uploaded portrait photos he took of Jacory, Brandon Harris, ALLEN BAILEY, etc. They are cute.