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Recruiting Radar: Hey (recruit), Mark Richt is talking to YOU!

The Miami Hurricanes coaching staff is taking the motto "Always Be Crootin'" to a new and different level.

By Cameron J. Underwood
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

As National Signing Day 2016 approached, there was talk of the Miami Hurricanes staff taking an approach of "Radical Transparency" to recruiting. The Cliffs' Notes version: by putting out maps of every place they were recruiting a player, the staff was taking a bold approach of not hiding the recruiting movement, but instead highlighting it.

As we've moved into Spring Practice and the beginning of the 2017 recruiting cycle, this staff has taken a different approach to recruiting.In addition to normal recruiting practices such as hosting players on practice days, and electronic communication, the staff has added a new component to the recruiting game:

Media statements.

We're only 10 practices into the Richt Era, but the staff is using the media in a way that the previous staff never did. Our own David Perez wrote this piece about how the staff isn't making excuses, and this new addition to the recruiting game only further supports that.

"We've got to get guys that can run. Because I don't see guys that are just blistering down the field..."
"We've got to keep recruiting receivers, guys that have explosive speed..."

Those statements, both made by Mark Richt in his post-practice media availability on March 28th, are 1. the truth and 2. statements directed at recruiting. The implication is simple: if you're a WR prospect with elite speed, Miami needs you on the roster, and has a place for you to play. And, hopefully, for some 17 and 18 year old recruits, that's music to their ears.

Now, obviously coaches can't call out players by name, but if you look at some of the players Miami is recruiting at WR right now (more on this tomorrow), it's easy to see how that statement is specifically targeted. Moreover, that's the absolute truth; outside of Stacy Coley, Miami doesn't have much speed at WR that can stretch defenses.

However, Wide Receiver isn't the only position at which the staff is making targeted media statements which will hopefully have an impact on recruiting. Another example:

I mean, I can't make it more clear than that.

Of Miami's 15 offensive linemen on scholarship, there are but 2 who profile best as tackles: Sunny Odogwu and Tyree St. Louis; the 3rd, Tre Johnson, is a 2016 signee who is a developmental player at OT. If you didn't know, that's a dearth of talent at an important position. And, as evidenced by the above-embedded tweet, Miami's coaches want you and recruits to KNOW that there's a dearth of talent. All in the name of recruiting.

I like this new approach. I like the fact that there are no excuses about the construction of the roster or performance of players. It gives an air of accountability to the current team, and also gives the staff public statements they can use when recruiting the players that they would like to bring on the roster in future years to help the team compete and win games.

So, the next time you hear Mark Richt, or Manny Diaz, or Ron Dugans, or Thomas Brown, or (insert coach here) make a public statement to the media about what the Miami Hurricanes currently lack, just know that there's a recruit out there thinking:

"Hey, I do that thing. I can play. And, if I go to Miami, I can play right away!"

And that's the part that matters.