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Recruiting Radar: Mailbag 2/23

Your questions. My answers. Check it out.

By Cameron J. Underwood
Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2017 recruiting cycle just kicking off, and Miami having a new coaching staff, I thought to myself "Self, you should do a mailbag!!!" And, I did. So, here it is guys: your questions, my answers.

Let's start the show.

First of all, let's look at the number of 5-stars. There's really 5 of them, not 7. 2 of the 5-star players on 247Sports' composite list, LB Dylan Moses and DE Joshua Kaindoh, aren't from Florida. They're from Louisiana and Maryland, respectively, and are on this list because they've transferred to the football factory known as IMG academy, which is located in Bradenton. So, for this discussion, they don't really fit, because they're not Florida natives. So, we're down to 5 5-stars.

Now, that list is still impressive. OT Calvin Ashley, WR Trevon Grimes, CB Shaun Wade, OT Tedarrel Slaton and DE Jarez Parks are all elite level prospects. Of this group, Ashley is committed to Auburn and Wade is committed to Ohio State, so pulling them would be tough. Which leaves us with 3.

Miami is actively recruiting the trio of Grimes, Slaton, and Parks, and has a reasonable connection with all 3. Grimes is said to be listening to Miami's pitch to keep him home, though Ohio State is still thought to be the favorites with him.

Slaton plays for American Heritage, where CB coach Mike Rumph used to be Head Coach. Couple that with the fact that he's the #1 target on the OL, and that's an enticing package.

Parks is the kind of dynamic defender Miami could use to wreak havoc on the edge. He's cousins with 2016 Early Enrollee Patrick Bethel, so there's a family connection apart from the normal recruiting pitch that Miami is offering.

Of these 3 players, there's a chance Miami could end up with one or more. If I had to rank it as of now, I'd go Slaton, Parks, Grimes in terms of likelihood. And, yes, there's a chance we could make a move for one of the other 5-stars from FL as well.

But, the MAIN THING that will help any recruiting pitch for these players: WINNING GAMES.

That cannot be over stated.

Piggybacking off the previous question, let's talk about Moses. Quickly, though.

Moses, a former LSU commit, is likely to be an SEC recruit. He's got 33 offers, and that's only because teams outside the P5 conferences decided not to give Moses an offer, because he's not going to a mid-major or low-tier school. He's just too good for that.

Bringing the conversation back to Miami, I don't think that Miami has a realistic shot here. Yes, the Canes have offered, and yes, Moses now plays HSFB in-state, but I think that's as far as that connection goes.

This is interesting, and a major factor in this class because, following Cam's Crootin' Rule #1: you have to have a QB in every class.

I profiled several top target options last week, and that's a good place to start. But, when talking about the #1 target at that position for this class, one name stands out:

N'Kosi Perry.

Peter Ariz from CanesInSight.com reported that Perry is far and away the #1 target on the QB board at the moment. That is high praise from the Miami staff then, since Perry's skillset and the system Miami would like to run on offense (that we haven't seen in action yet since the staff has yet to coach a game HERE) aren't a perfect match. But, for Mark Richt and company to have Perry at the top of the board speaks volumes.

While I think any of the QBs listed in the piece linked above could be a good get for this class, CMR wants N'Kosi Perry. With Tennessee having surged to the front of Perry's recruitment as of last week (and ostensibly still there at this point), expect a fight here that could last for a while, regardless of any commitment Perry may make in the near future.

Oooo yay. A chance to get on my soapbox!!! *cracks knuckles*

I think the idea of "can't miss" or "must have" recruits is idiotic. Would (insert team) like to get their top targets? OF COURSE THEY WOULD. Does (insert team) get all of them? OF COURSE THEY DON'T!!! No, not even Alabama.

I'll give you a Miami-specific example: in 2015, I wanted WR Terrell Chatman to come to Miami. He did not. Was it a perfect situation for Miami? No. But, Rashawn Scott, Stacy Coley had great years, Lawrence Cager came on as the season progressed, and flex TE David Njoku looked the part of a soon-to-be star. And, in the 2016 recruiting class, Miami got the best WR prospects from Palm Beach County (Ahmmon Richards), Broward County (Sam Bruce), and Dade County (Dionte Mullins), and recently added a top notch JUCO WR (Dayall Harris). Does that mitigate the loss of Chatman from 2015? Absolutely it does. Yes. Yes. Yes.

So, I say that to say: no matter who a team gets or doesn't get, there's always another player, and there's always another year. There is NO recruiting miss that would have Miami disband football. None. Not one. And that includes any of our committed players (of which, there are some really, REALLY good players) were to end up on another team's roster.

/hops off soapbox

The longer this goes on, the less I think that JC Jackson joining Miami will happen. Several journalists have intimated as much, and that's enough for me.

So, while JC Jackson is a POSSIBILITY, I don't see it as a likely or probable one.

Ahem.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better scheme, better coordinator, the BEST position coach in America, and playing time by the bushel.

That's gotta add up to an increase in DT recruiting, right?

(full disclosure: I almost put DL, but that's not really accurate. Miami has some GREAT talent at DE, but lacking at DT. So, I changed my answer. Just so you know)

A good follow up to the previous question.

When I did the Defensive Targets piece, I talked about several DTs. Here's a Cliff's Note version:

  • 4-star Jon Ford is already committed
  • Unranked Rashad Colson is a target who will see his profile rise soon and is a Canes lean
  • 4-star Fred Hansard is a top national target at DT
  • Coach Kool has recruited Texas and Louisiana for years, so don't be surprised if a target or three from that area pops up'

There are several guys who will play snaps here from day 1.

  • All 3 LBs could see snaps
  • All 4 WRs WILL see snaps
  • At least 2 of the DBs will see snaps
  • Selected others (Joseph Jackson immediately comes to mind) might find their way onto the field as well

Overall, I think that a little over half of this class will play right away.

IDK if it's "coolest", but Yo'Heinz Tyler is a good one.

Yo'Heinz. Not Johan. Not "YO! Hines Ward"

Yo'Heinz.

I think MLB is going to be a battle between Juwon Young and Shaq Quarterman. Owens could factor there too, but I think he's best suited on the outside at SAM, with Young/Quarterman at MIKE, and Grace at WILL.

That's it for today's mailbag. Continue the conversation in the comments below.

Go Canes