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IT ALL STARTS WITH THE MIDDLE
That's the mantra that has been repeated over and over again since last season's defensive....whatever that was. Without push up front, the rest of the defense is left, well, defenseless. Today, the future of the Miami defensive line got just a bit brighter.
Consensus 4 star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine has pulled the proverbial trigger, picking Miami over rivals FSU and Florida, among plenty of others. Landing a in-state (Palm Bay) defensive talent is one thing, but landing him over you two long time rivals is another. Valentine is a fantastic talent, and is a MUCH needed sight in this recruiting class.
Valentine stands 6'4" and tips the scales at almost 300 pounds. He definitely has the massive size to clog up the middle of the defensive line. He's very strong, gets off the line very quickly, and is surprisingly athletic for a kid his size. He has a bit of fundamental work to do, but not many kids don't coming in to college. He is definitely a major pick up for Miami.
He is the third DT in Miami's current class. He joins former Nole Dalvon Stuckey and Courtel Jenkins. Hopefully they will be joined by a few more top flight run stoppers.
Welcome To The U, Travonte!