National Signing Day Is Meaningless For Miami, Canes Add Plenty Of Talent Afterwards

There's nothing better than seeing talent added to your team after National Signing Day. While most teams watch NSD come and go, and are happy with their recruiting haul, other teams, like Miami, continue to stockpile as much talent as they can. 2013 has followed that mantra to a T, with the Canes seeing at least 6 additions to the roster since that February deadline.

In this post, we will break down each player the Canes have added since NSD, so you can know where they came from. There has been quite a bit of confusion on some of these kids, and since they are generally unheralded when they sign on, it's easy to understand why. Hopefully we will be able to clear a bit of that confusion up for y'all.

Andrew McClelland - Safety

First up, we take a look at Andrew McClelland, a safety out of Salesianum School in WIlmington, Delaware. He is a 6'0", 180 pound preferred walk-on who is already on campus. He, like most walk-ons, hopes to earn a scholarship through his play. With how Golden runs this team, he has just as much of a shot as anyone else, although it will obviously be an uphill battle. Regardless of what happens, he definitely has the perfect attitude:

I know hard work pays off and my goal is to outwork everybody else," McClelland said. "I understand I'm probably a little less athletic than some of the guys there but I think I can earn a scholarship. Obviously my goal is to start, maybe that could happen and maybe not. I just like being part of a team and I'm sure I'll have a role. I'll figure out where I fit in best and gladly take it. I'll do whatever it takes, starting, rotating, special teams, as long as it makes us better.

De'Andre Johnson - Running Back

Former Iowa running back De'Andre Johnson, after two years on scholarship at Iowa, decided to return home and attend Miami. He was dismissed from Iowa, and in an attempt to get back to the division 1 atmosphere, spent a year in JUCO. Coming out of high school, he was a consensus 3 star running back. He stands 5 foot 8, and checks in at around 210 pounds.

He is definitely a bowling ball when he runs, and if he has recovered well from a torn ACL he suffered while at JUCO, then he should expect to compete for playing time behind Duke Johnson. With the depth behind Duke a bit suspect, he stands as much of a chance as anyone.

Walter Tucker - RB/LB

One of the nice surprises recently was the announcement that Sony Michel's high school backup would be coming to Miami. Originally planning on going to Clemson for track, Tucker wanted to also play football, which Clemson had no interest in him doing. So, when Al Golden offered him the chance to do both, he jumped on the opportunity.

Tucker was a very good running back in high school, and there are those that thought he was one of the better ones out there. It appears that he will get his start for Miami at line backer, but he could move to RB if he is needed there. He's a great addition to the roster, regardless of what position he plays.

Corn Elder - RB

One of the signings shortly after NSD, Corn (short for Cornelius) is a running back out of the Nashville, TN area. He was rated as a 4 star athlete in 2013, and went un-signed on National Signing Day. Out of nowhere, Miami offered him, and he committed immediately. He grew up a Miami fan. and it was almost as if the stars had aligned for him.

Corn is a 5'10", 165 pound dual sport athlete that will play running back for the football team, and should also contribute on the basketball team as well. He is an all-around fantastic athlete, and it was perhaps his size that scared a lot of folks off.

Derrick Griffin - WR/TE

Griffin was originally looking to head to Texas A&M, but grades concerns muddled that picture a bit. When Miami offered, he jumped at the chance, and although the results are not in just yet, it appears he may have done what was needed to qualify.

Griffin is a huge kid, standing 6'7" and weighing in at over 200 pounds. He's a big body wide receiver that could also shift inside to play tight end if needed. While he likely won't play this year due to the depth at wide receiver, he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

The last post-NSD signing was Pat O'Donnell, a punter who transferred from Cincinnati to Miami. There isn't any tape on him, so you'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that it's a great pick up. O'Donnell will be very good for Miami's special teams unit this year.

Any questions? Leave em below!