Miami hauls in top-10 signing day bonanza
Wednesday was the first day of the NCAA 2020 early signing period for the Miami Hurricanes’ 2021 recruiting class. UM coach Manny Diaz signed an elite class.
Pandemic and the recruiting dead period be damned.
Miami Hurricanes football coach Manny Diaz and his ample recruiting staff nailed 2020 early signing day Wednesday the way Jose Borregales drilled that 57-yard field goal at Louisville — with a booming, emphatic performance that left no doubt.
The Hurricanes signed all 20 of their committed players as the three-day early period opened, adding a very special 21st signing when the nation’s No. 5 quarterback Jake Garcia made it official at a 7 p.m. ceremony shown live on
Instagram. Thus the Canes welcomed an elite, top-10 class that not only includes Garcia, but also two 5-star gems on defense — safety James Williams and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor — who are both from South Florida.
“I feel like I’m walking in a dream right now and trying to wake up,” Williams said at his Plantation American Heritage signing day ceremony. “There’s so much pride in my heart right now.’’
The Canes leaped to a No 9 ranking in Rivals.com and ESPN after Garcia inked, and to No. 10 in the 247Sports rankings.
UM coach Manny Diaz tweeted an image of a hand gingerly placing a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae after Garcia announced his signing. No words could beat that, although Diaz, who is prohibited by the NCAA to name recruits before they sign, was asked earlier in the afternoon if it were nerve-racking for a coach to wait for a recruit whom he believes will pledge to his team.
“It is nerve-racking if a kid that tells you he’s coming every day of
his life and then on signing day for whatever reason you’re waiting for the fax,’’ the coach said. “Until it comes in, until they’re signed, you don’t ever feel like the game is won.
“… If you get [a signing day] to go the way you want it to go or get one without drama, like we had today so far, there’s a lot of merit in that. It’s pretty fun.”
UM’s signing class cleaned up on talent from South Florida, with 15 of the 21 prospects from Miami-Dade or Broward and 18 from the state. Diaz got 10 offensive players (including three linemen, three wideouts, two tight ends and top running back Thaddius Franklin), 10 defensive players and Andres Borregales, the younger brother of Jose and one of the finest kickers in the nation out of Champagnat Catholic — winner of a state championship Wednesday. How’s that for a happy day?
The prized signees include Williams of Plantation American Heritage and Taylor of Miami Palmetto, about whom Diaz understandably gushed. Williams is a 6-5, 218pound mauler who was badly wanted by Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Clemson and Ohio State, among many others. Taylor is a 6-4, 265-pound beast who had 51 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, six passes defended, an interception and blocked field goal in seven games.
“Growing up, I always
wanted to play at Miami,’’ Williams said. “A couple years later, I’m signing with Miami. It’s a dream come true. I’m going to show it out on the field.”
Said Taylor, who wore a retro-style Canes jacket with a white UM polo shirt underneath at his Palmetto ceremony at Evelyn Greer Park: “It’s official now. It feels good to put on my hometown’s uniform and not anyone else’s. And my mom gets to come see up close.”
Taylor was an integral part of Palmetto’s run to the Class 8A state semifinals this season — a first for its program.
“Guys like him don’t come around that often,” Palmetto coach Mike Manasco said. “I’d even say generational [talent]. He’s that special. He instantly made our locker room better and our culture
better.”
As for the 6-2, 195pound Garcia, he’s a California native who moved to Loganville, Georgia this season so he could play football despite the pandemic. He has completed 51 of 87 passes as a senior for 916 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, according to Max Preps, for the No. 4 team in the nation. He also ran for two touchdowns.
“When you go home tonight,’’ Diaz was asked, “what will get you most excited about this class?”
“They love Miami,’’ the coach replied. “I don’t know the exact amount, but I bet 85 percent of them were committed before we played a game — coming off 6-7 from a year ago. And add that to the ones who signed with us this day a year ago when we had just lost to FIU and Duke. They believe in what we’re doing. They believe in this place and what it means to be a Miami Hurricane and they’re really, really talented.”
This year’s team finished the regular season 8-2 and is awaiting a bowl bid. And fortunately for Diaz, most of Wednesday’s haul will be on campus in January as early enrollees, giving the coaching staff the advantage of getting them well conditioned and jump started with spring practice.
“We’re hoping for double digits,’’ Diaz said of his projected early enrollees. “Part of that is just going through the admissions process. Man, just hoping for a regular offseason, right? How cool would that be?”
Although the Canes did sign cornerback speedster Malik Curtis, a 3-star out of Fort Myers Bishop Verot, they need more cornerbacks in a hurry. And they added two linebackers, including current Miami Killian defensive end Tyler Johnson, the younger brother of former UM star Jaquan Johnson. Both positions are lacking in depth this season.
Diaz, however, will be limited, as he has less than a handful of new scholarships remaining to give out. National Signing Day is Feb. 3.
The NCAA instituted a recruiting “dead period” heading into March and has not yet lifted it, meaning all the recruiting, except for previous visits, has been virtual.
“Who knew that 2020 would be defined by a pandemic that completely altered the landscape of college recruiting?’’ said Diaz, who himself tested positive for the coronavirus last month. “No camps, no in-person evaluations at spring ball or fall games, no unoffical or official visits, no at-home contact. Nothing.
“So ultimately what did this class come down to? It came down to relationships.’’
UM SIGNEES
Elijah Arroyo, TE, 6-4, 210, Independence, Frisco, Texas
Andres Borregales, K, 5-11, 140, Champagnat Catholic
Kahlil Brantley, TE, 6-2, 205, Northwestern
Romello Brinson, WR, 6-2, 180, Northwestern
Malik Curtis, CB, 5-11, 160, Bishop Verot, Fort Myers
Thomas Davis, DE 60.5, 235, Lowndes, Valdosta, Ga.
Thad Franklin, RB, 6-0, 225, Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Jake Garcia, QB, 6-2, 195, Grayson, Loganville, Ga.
Jacolby George, WR, 5-11, 161, Plantation
Allan Haye, DT, 6-1, 296, Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Jabari Ishmael, DE, 6-5, 210, Columbus
Tyler Johnson, LB, 6-2, 200, Killian
Kamren Kinchens, S, 5-11, 201, Northwestern
Michael McLaughlin, OT, 6-7, 290, Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Ryan Rodriguez, OC, 6-3, 280, Columbus
Laurence Seymore, OG, 6-1.5, 293, Miami Central
Brashard Smith, WR, 5-8.5, 190, Miami Palmetto
Chase Smith, ATH, 6-3, 190, Melbourne Senior
Leonard Taylor, DT,
6-4, 265, Miami Palmetto
Deshawn Troutman, LB 6-1, 205, Edgewater
James Williams, S, 6-5, 218, American Heritage