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18 January 2011
By: Peter Ariz
As National Signing Day nears closer, the recruiting news has begun to heat up. Usually at this time of year, us ‘Canes fans are hyping up our so-called “top 25 class.” Only this year, it is quite different. The ‘Canes currently have 11 commitments for the 2011 class, which is far less than many other top programs around the country. We were expected to sign a small class anyways though, so it should not come as a surprise to many.
I do not want to beat a dead horse, but Randy Shannon left us in a tough spot for this recruiting season. Fret not though, because Al Golden is salvaging the class. We have heard so much over the past month about coach Golden’s recruiting abilities, and we are seeing these talents of his and his staff coming through in the late stages of the recruiting process.
8 out of the 11 current commits have been under Golden. The three commits that have carried over from Shannon are Anthony Chickillo, Phillip Dorsett, and Nick Menocal. When Randy Shannon was employed, he had 6 commitments over the course of an entire season. In a span of about a month, coach Golden has already netted 8 commitments. In my opinion, this speaks volumes about his abilities. Are we going to end up with a top 25 class? Nope. But I will tell you this, the class will turn out a whole lot better than what it would have under Randy Shannon.
Miami is in great shape to land the top-rated JUCO defensive back Byron Moore and 3-star cornerback Dallas Crawford, while we have outside shots at other blue chippers such as Ray Drew, Marqise Lee, and Johnathan Jenkins.
Golden’s goal for this year wasn’t to land the number 1 class in the nation, it was to finish this year’s class by bringing in solid, hard-working individuals that truly wanted to be ‘Canes. Golden’s goal for next year though, may be quite different. Buckle your seat belts fellow ‘Canes, were in for a fun ride.
