Anthony Sanchez
The Miami Hurricanes did not have the sexiest recruiting class and there are quite a few reasons for that, one can be all the negativity surrounding the program, the uncertainty regarding head coach Al Golden and the obvious factor the team is not winning. Al Golden and his staff did pull out a couple of surprises late in the day; defensive lineman Kendrick Norton passed on Auburn and chose the Hurricanes, cornerback Sheldrick Redwine decommitted from Louisville and chose the Hurricanes both prospects were highly touted and very late in the process former five star defensive tackle recruit from the Florida Gators decided to transfer to the Miami Hurricanes. All in all it is a class full of depth and need, the obvious focus was up front on the offensive and defensive line where six offensive linemen and five defensive linemen were signed. The list below is a quick recap of the players who signed & sent in their letter of intent;
Lawrence Cager (WR) 6-5 / 200 Towson,MD. / He is a long athletic receiver, who happens to be a four sport star with size and athleticism.
Mark Walton (RB) 5-10 / 190 Miami,Fl. / was touted as the third best running back in florida and eleventh in the country. Has the skills to put a team on his back and has a desire to win and more important to win as a Miami Hurricane.
Ryan Fines (DL) 6-3 / 310 Bradenton,Fl. / smart kid who makes plays, always around the ball, high motor.
Tyler Gauthier (OL) 6-5 / 310 Venice,Fl. / Very strong kid holds records for lifting at his high school, versatile played every position on the line throughout his career and a very good student which is a plus.
Jerome Washington (TE) 6-5 / 255 Princeton Junction,NJ. / has plenty of raw talent, brings speed, size, talent and maturity.
Tyree St. Louis (OL) 6-5 / 315 Bradenton,Fl. / Very smart player and extremely physical that will allow him to compete right away. Honored as MVP of the offensive line group at Rivals camp in Orlando.
Jaime Gordinier (LB) 6-4 / 235 Red Bank,NJ. / Good Size and Athleticism, good feet, excellent in pass coverage and pass rushing and was ranked the number one defensive end in New Jersey according to scout.com
Michael Jackson (DB) 6-2 / 192 Birmingham,AL. / Rated the number one cornerback in the state of Alabama, big athletic corner who can run and a very good tackler is not afraid to mix it up.
Jaquan Johnson (DB) 5-10 / 172 Miami,Fl. / has been talked about one of those rare talents that come around once in a lifetime, was selected as a four time all dade first team, and competed in the 2015 Army all american bowl.
Jahair Jones (OL) 6-4 / 315 Brooklyn,NY / Coaches have watched him and have stated he is a bit of a late bloomer with untapped potential, he is a very big and physical guy with hurricane coaches anxiously awaiting to see his development.
Sheldrick Redwine (DB) 6-1 / 183 Miami,Fl. / has above average size for a cornerback, great athletic ability, makes plays on the ball totaled seven interceptions his senior season in high school.
Charles Perry (LB) 6-1 / 206 West Palm Beach,Fl. / Instinctive player with really good speed and athleticism, has high football IQ, played both sides of the ball in high school and was rated in the top 300 college prospect by espn.com
James King (LB) 6-1 / 200 Miami,Fl. / brings speed, physicality and passion to the position, ranked in the top 150 outside linebackers nationally by espn.
Robert Knowles (DB) 6-0 / 180 Miami,Fl. / very instinctive & physical player, had earned a four star rating by espn.com and not afraid to come up and tackle.
Brendan Loftus (OL) 6-6 / 300 Tallahassee,Fl. / very long and has great feet, each year improved in high school, very tough kid played the final three games of his season with a broken foot.
Hayden Mahoney (OL) 6-5 / 290 Malvern,PA. / Tall lengthy kid, ranked number two offensive tackle in the state of Pennsylvania, went to a good high school program and is known to be very tough.
Richard Mcintosh Jr. (DL) 6-4 / 270 Fort Lauderdale,Fl. / Extremely Athletic, is a two sport athlete (basketball), has the size and ability to compete right away and was rated the seventh best defensive end in the state of Florida.
Bar Milo (OL) 6-6 / 285 West Hills,CA. / recognized as top 300 college prospect by espn.com, played on both sides of the ball, considered tough as nails, was ranked the fifth best offensive linemen in all California and does not hurt was a teammate in high school of current Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya.
Kendrick Norton (DL) 6-3 / 310 Jacksonville,Fl. / ranked four star defensive tackle college prospect by espn.com, 2015 Under Armour All American Bowl selection, extremely athletic, very powerful and is someone with a very high motor.
Scott Patchan (DE) 6-6 / 238 Bradenton,Fl. / Earned a four star rating by espn.com and rivals.com, he is competitive, a finisher and comes from a football family father Matt played for the hurricanes won national championships in 1983 an 1987 and older brother Matt played for the Gators and Boston College.
A surprise came late in the day for the Miami Hurricanes when former five star defensive tackle Gerald Willis announced he would be transferring from the Florida Gators to join the "U" Willis plays the game with a high intensity level of violence that helps disrupt the opposing offenses and that will sure be welcomed at the University of Miami.
All in all the class is not that bad, I think coach Al Golden focused on depth especially in the trenches, also added some quality depth at the cornerback position along with a highly touted running back in Mark Walton. The end of today does not mean it is over there are some recruits who could not make up their mind and in the following days will be making a decision, an example of that is Terrell Chatman who was all but ready to sign and when the moment came to choose he says "need to wait and spend some time with the family", this all coming after TCU and Arizona State jumped in the mix to sign the recruit.
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