And you thought things were getting boring....
Golden and company made two huge splashes in the recruiting world today. One came up quickly but was more or less expected, and the second dropped out of the sky into our laps, and may be a very, very big deal. We all have seen glimpses of just how good Al Golden and his underlings are at the game of recruiting. Golden turned Temple around with his skills on the trail, and we all couldn't wait to see what he did in the fertile grounds of Florida and the south. Well, between this years class and what he already has going for the next few years, all the hype is starting to make sense.
To start off with, let's talk about the recruit that was expected, but for whatever reason not really talked about until yesterday. Class of 2014 OL Trevor Darling has long been on the Canes' radar, and the Canes have long been on his. He grew up a Hurricanes fan, and his little brother is big into them as well, so when the coaches extended an offer very early on, he was all but locked up. Darling started as a true freshman in high school at age 14, standing 6'5" and weighing just over 300 pounds. He's a junior this year, but he says that his commitment is solid, and that his recruitment is over with. As of now he is un-ranked due to being so young, but he is expected to be no less than a 4 star recruit by the time 2014 rolls around. The offensive line is always in need of big bodies, and this kid fits that mold. His HS coaches rave about his athleticism and speed at his size as well.
Al Golden had a bit of luck pulling kids from the state of Louisiana this year, landing Jacoby Briscoe but missing out on his friend Davante Bourque. Well, his LA luck got a bit better yesterday, with the surprise commitment of 2013 4 star TE Standish Dobard. Dobard's offer list reads like a who's who of college choices, with LSU wanting him badly, along with UGA, Florida, Florida St, Auburn and Alabama. Many thought he would end up at LSU or Auburn since those were the schools he was most heavily involved in. However, while on an unofficial visit to Coral Gables yesterday, he shocked everyone by declaring his commitment to the Hurricanes. While signing day is 10 months away, and anything can potentially happen, this kid's quotes go a long way in proving this isnt a snap decision.
"I wanted to surprise everybody. I knew what I was going to do, just played games. Once I got to Miami (for an unofficial visit today) and I saw what I needed to see, boom, I made it happen." Asked how solid the commitment is, Dobard said, "It's very solid. I'm closing recruiting and looking forward to my season. There will be no other visits."
Again, this is college recruiting, anything is possible. But if he truly takes no other visits in the next 10 months, it seems like we have locked up an extremely hard working kid. His coaches rave about his work ethic in the weight room as well as with the play book. He has lined up in the backfield, at WR, and at TE, and causes havoc in the defensive backfield with his size and speed. At 6' 5" and 235, he runs a 4.6 40 which is pretty impressive. Welcome to the U!
Dobard is Miami's 3rd 4 star recruit for the 2013 class, joining RB Alex Collins and ATH Jayron Kearse. Look for this years class to be significantly smaller than last years, but also look for it to be much, much heavier skill wise. Last year's class was full of very good players, but also was aimed towards filling empty spots. This years will be filling needs as well, but will be much more geared towards landing the higher profile kids. It should shape up to be a good looking off season!
GO CANES!