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Last weekend, Miami hosted 6 official visitors. After that, we've moved into NSD coverage mode, so there were multiple updates and stories. You can find them all in our National Signing Day 2015 storystream.
This week, Miami will host another 6, wait...I mean 5, uh...I really mean 4 (you'll see what I mean soon), no, no, I REALLY mean 5 players over the weekend, and an additional 2 players visited Coral Gables yesterday. Let's meet the visitors.
Thursday Visitors
WR Brandon Martin (6'5" 210lbs) - A native of Dallas, the 6'5" 210lb Martin attends Prime Prep Academy, better known as Deion Sanders' embattled school. Currently committed to Missouri, Martin is yet another player who has seen late interest from Miami.
He came to campus yesterday ahead of his scheduled OV to LSU. It's unknown how realistic an option Martin is for this class at the current moment.
What is known are Martin's physical skills. See for yourself in the HUDL highlight video below.
QB Lamar Jackson (6'3" 185lbs) - Mentioned in today's recruiting update, Jackson is the latest QB prospect to receive the full court press from Miami coaches. Jackson, who is committed to Louisville, has seen a steady increase in his recruiting profile after a very good senior season.
With no QBs currently committed in this class, Jackson could well be the top target at this position. Jackson received a visit from Canes coaches on Wednesday and took his Official Visit to Coral Gables on Thursday, just ahead of his scheduled trip to Florida.
Jackson is an intriguing prospect with plenty of skills. See for yourself in the HUDL highlight video below.
Weekend Visitors: Targets
QB/ATH Torrance Gibson (6'4" 204lbs) - EASILY the headliner of the weekend, U.S. Army All-American Torrance Gibson, an Ohio State commit, will take a trip to Coral Gables for an Official Visit. But, before that happens, Miami coaches stopped by his HS to get a little face time.
Al Golden and James Coley stop by today!
— Torrance Gibson (@quick_tg6) January 29, 2015
Golden and Coley were not the only coaches to go see Gibson in advance of his Miami OV, however.
The B1G man is on campus! @OSUCoachMeyer
— Torrance Gibson (@quick_tg6) January 30, 2015
Les Miles & Cam Cameron are on campus!
— Torrance Gibson (@quick_tg6) January 30, 2015
Gibson is a freakish athlete at a svelte 6'4" 204lbs. Even playing with and against top talent in South Florida, he was always the best athlete on the field in HS. While many (myself included) think his best and future position is Wide Receiver, Gibson is dead-set on playing QB. Or, at least having a genuine opportunity to play there. So, for now, we'll discuss him solely as a QB.
As a QB, Gibson's strengths are his arm strength, mobility, and play making ability. If a play breaks down or his read isn't there, he can run for many yards. Gibson's weaknesses are his ability to read defenses and passing accuracy.
Even if he doesn't end up at QB, Gibson is a talented player that I definitely would want on my team. Tired of reading words? Watch the video below.
7:26PM UPDATE
CB Sheldrick Redwine (6'1" 183lbs) - So, I was chillin' on my Friday night (about to go watch some Game of Thrones in IMAX) when this tweet came down the TL
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>UofL CB commit Sheldrick Redwine <a href="https://twitter.com/_23NeverLeft">@_23NeverLeft</a> sent message that he's on an official visit to hometown Miami this weekend</p>— Steve Jones (@SteveJones_CJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveJones_CJ/status/561316390775586816">January 31, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Like the aforementioned Martin, Jackson, and Gibson, Redwine is a player that Miami has tried to flip right at the end of the recruiting cycle. Redwine attends Killian HS in Miami, and was HS teammates with superstar DB and early enrollee Jaquan Johnson.
Also like Martin, Jackson, and Gibson, Redwine is committed to a school. He, like Jackson, is committed to Louisville.
I can't say this enough: Official Visits matter. The coaches have done a good job with these players of turning up the recruiting at the end of the cycle (whether you agree with that strategy or not), and getting all these guys on campus for visits means that, at a minimum, they're considering the Canes. They may not end up picking Miami, but to call these trips "free visits" would be wrong, in my opinion.
Enough of that. I know what you're here for: Redwine's HUDL highlights. Delight your eyes with the video below.
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WR Daylon Charlot - Charlot, a HEAVY Alabama lean and probable Crimson Tide signee, decided the weather wasn't nice enough for his free trip to South Beach. So, he canceled his visit.
Four-star wide receiver Daylon Charlot cancels #Miami official visit. http://t.co/NjDsdMsP7A @TimWatts_BOL @InsideTheU @DavidLake3 @Geaux247
— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) January 30, 2015
(Okay, I don't know what the reason for the cancellation was, but you believed the weather thing, right?)
DT TD Moton - the 3-star/4-star/5-star (depending who you ask) DT recently decommitted from Alabama. He said that he was going to visit Miami. But then, he recommitted to Mississippi State (where he was originally committed early in his junior year) and shut down his recruitment. So, he's not coming.
Sorry.
DE Simi Moala (6'7" 250lbs) - Another late rising player from California, Moala is a tall athlete at the DE position. He's got good burst off the edge, and could be a good player in time.
Right now, however, Moala can only be classified as a project. And, quite honestly, I'm not sure he's a take for Miami right now. The Hurricanes are after other players at this position and others who rank higher on both talent and need.
Could Miami end up taking a flier on Moala in the end? It's possible. Check out his HUDL highlights and see what you think.
Weekend Visitors: Commits
WR Terrell Chatman (6'3" 180lbs) - My personal favorite offensive commit who isn't named Scarlett or Walton, Terrell Chatman is an incredibly talented player who is still underrated in the recruiting world. Yes, I'm biased. No, I don't care.
Chatman has visited Arizona State and TCU in the weeks preceding this visit, so making sure this trip is the best it can possibly be is essential. There have been rumors that he may be thinking of flipping his commitment (which would hurt my heart), but hopefully that's nothing more than internet chatter.
Wanna see why I love Chatman's game so much? Watch the first play of the HUDL highlights and you'll be up to speed. Watch the rest for more awesomeness, too.
OT Brendan Loftus (6'7" 270lbs) - Once a much bigger man (Loftus has lost something like 40-50lbs from what I've heard), Brendan Loftus is a longtime commit who will go a long way to helping provide depth along the offensive line.
Committed with 5 other players along the OL in this class, Loftus has the size and strength to develop into a very nice player at that position. He might not contribute right away a la Kc McDermott or Trevor Darling, but after a RS year and some Coach Kehoe coaching magic, don't be surprised if Loftus is among the best players Miami has at OT.
As usual, HUDL highlights are below.
Other Visits to Watch
Miami isn't the only place that Canes commits and targets will be visiting this week. Here are the other visits scheduled for players that Miami is connected to:
- RB commit Jordan Scarlett - Florida State. FSU has been widely known to covet 2 RBs in this class. After having 4-star Johnny Frasier, they now have an open spot. FSU has been after Scarlett for a while, but only to a point, since they were full. Now, it's a full court press. I've followed Scarlett's visits elsewhere closely throughout the process, and this week is no different.
- DT target Kendrick Norton - North Carolina. Miami is in a good spot with Norton. This visit shouldn't really change much in his recruitment, but stranger things have happened.
- OT Fredrick Johnson - Florida. Johnson, like Norton, is thought to be leaning toward Miami. The negative for him, though, are the 6 other OL the Canes have committed in this class. As such, this visit is worth watching. I'd negative recruit HARD if I was UF ("You'll be in a logjam", "PT might not come for 3 years", etc).
- DT Kevin Scott - USC and Ole Miss. Scott, the talented 3-star whose recruitment has skyrocketed since an outstanding senior season, had a mid-week visit to USC, followed by a weekend trip to Ole Miss. Everybody who is in on this kid is doing their best to get the steal of the year. For Miami's sake, hopefully his visit 2 weeks ago, plus any connection Scott feels to Brad Kaaya, is enough to secure the NLI from this desperately needed player come next Wednesday.