Miami Hurricanes Football: Miami Loses Out on Several Premium Recruits

Miami’s 2018 football commitment list is complete. Most of the action occurred during the early signing period. Additions like five-stars Lorenzo Lingard and Mark Pope will have Miami playing for ACC glory perennially. Miami finished off with Nigel Bethel, Jordan Miller, and Marquez Ezzard and closed well on Nesta Silvera.

Despite earning the 6th best recruiting class according to Rivals, even coming in one spot ahead of Alabama, the way Miami ended its recruiting season mirrors how it ended 2017 amid 3 straight losses.

They signed two defensive tackles in Silvera and Miller despite losing 3 DT’s to the NFL draft. Everyone says DT is loaded in South Florida next year. But we needed quality depth this year. Meanwhile, teams like Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia cleaned house. Losing players like Jamarcus Chatman and Keondre Coburn (Coburn was a long time Texas lean). That loss is markedly different than losing Tyson Campbell and Patrick Surtain (lack of a winning culture compared to elite programs).

I live 20 minutes from the Michigan border, so there are a lot of Michigan fans in Toledo. Today’s Toledo Blade headline read, “Signing Day Blues for Michigan: Wolverines Lose Out on Big Targets, Don’t Sign a Single Top 100 Recruit.” Not entirely true. Michigan signed 7 four star players, though in the early period.

Feedback has been brutal for Michigan’s recruiting class.

The point is that Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State, its arch rival, since 2011. Meaning Jim Harbaugh, who returned to his alma mater in 2015, never once tasted Buckeye glory. Harbaugh coached Michigan to two straight ten win seasons and an eight win season most recently. Decent success, and in no way comparable to Ohio State, losers of 5 total games since Harbaugh became coach.

Coach Meyer’s reaction to landing a really good five star recruit.

Zero conference championships. Zero division titles. Zero wins against Ohio State. So when prospects look up Michigan or Ohio State, most of the great recruits will choose Ohio State. That’s why OSU has the consensus second highest recruiting class, and why five star recruits regularly dream of playing for Urban Meyer. Michigan needs to win and to win a lot. They need to erase these zeroes. Then their recruiting classes will be on par with Ohio State’s.

Harbaugh could still return to the NFL. Life as a college coach can be rough.

Now to Miami. CMR did an amazing job rebuilding Miami into a respectable franchise. Recruits see, however, an 8 and 10 win season. Zero championships of any kind. There isn’t reason to believe, in analyzing Miami’s credibility since 2004, that the Canes can regularly compete for championships.

The early signing day haul is testament that CMR and company can recruit extremely well. I’m not bothered by losing Chatman to FSU or Coburn to Texas. I’m not really bothered by even Tyson Campbell choosing Georgia or Patrick Surtain picking Alabama. Surtain said post announcement that he wanted to play for championships. Campbell probably thought the same thing.

If Miami is to recruit these type of players, who desire proof of a winning atmosphere, Miami cannot lose a game like against Pitt in 2017. Miami has to be competitive against Clemson. Miami must keep winning against Florida State. Though back to back 10 win seasons would seem great, remember that Jim Harbaugh did the same thing. Look who committed to play for him. Team recruiting rank 24.