Transfers Fit The Mold As “Miami Guys”

We’ve all seen The U 30 For 30’s too many times to count, and we know it word for word. As the offseason keeps chugging along and the Hurricanes are receiving transfer players, one scene from the The U part one keeps coming to mind.

There’s a point in the film where Don Bailey Jr. is talking about the swagger that Miami played with, and relates it back to recruiting. “There’s a saying when recruiting’s going on, is he a Miami guy? A Miami guy is a guy who plays the game, with a chip on his shoulder.”

We’ve seen this as the case for both recruits and transfer players in the past several years. One example is Gerald Willis III, who not only transferred over from UF, but also sat out the 2017 season. I don’t have to explain to you all how he performed this past year. Brock Berlin is another case in point. This UF transfer came to UM, beat his former team twice and also won an Orange Bowl with the Canes.

This saying right here, exemplifies those who have transferred over to the U in the past several weeks. They’re all coming to Coral Gables with a chip on their shoulder.

Take Tate Martell for instance. You think he doesn’t have a bone to pick? A 5-star recruit who was destined to take over the starting job at Ohio State in 2019, then a coaching change occurs as well as talks about bringing in another quarterback. Even going back to his recruitment in high school, with issues about being too short and not having the arm strength.

Or what about K.J. Osborn, the receiver from Buffalo? While Canes fans are more than excited to gain this wideout, many are chalking up his former success to small conference play or just a talented quarterback.

Another player fitting into the small school role, even smaller than Buffalo, offensive lineman Tommy Kennedy. “I’ve always been doubted in my life and have a lot to prove coming from a small school,” Kennedy told reporters back in December.

Chigozie Nnoruka, the defensive tackle from UCLA. The grad-transfer who was looked down upon in Pasadena because he couldn't fit a 3-4 defense.

Quite possibly the player who fits this the most is safety Bubba Bolden. Another highly coveted recruit, who had problems with the law, suspended for 28 months from USC. Now, he comes to Greentree with not just a fresh start, but motivation as well.

As if the entire 2019 Canes didn’t have a huge chip on their shoulder already coming off a 7-6 season, these players are coming in with added motivation and fire.