The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Signing day brings more hard times for Canes, Richt
CORAL GABLES, FLA. — OK, let’s face facts. The first day of the early signing period did not end at the University of Miami with balloons falling from the ceiling or an inflated victory speech in the manner this annual parade of names often does.
It ended with Miami coach Mark Richt saying he wasn’t saying if had lost a four-star recruit. Another one, that is. Freshman quarterback Jarren Williams — a former four-star recruit out of Central Gwinnett High — was transferring, according to a report.
Williams was at Wednesday’s practice. He left the field with quarterback coach Jon Richt. Yet no one cleared up the story.
“I’m not ready to make a comment on that right now,” Mark Richt said after the recruiting site 247Sports. com reported Williams was transferring.
And so a disappointing Wednesday in Coral Gables slipped into confusion over just how disappointing it might become. And what it might mean for a program — if anything at all — when the scoreboard starts.
A year ago, Miami seemed on its way with a top-five recruiting class and momen- tum from a good season that slipped a gear at the end. A year later, the gear continues slipping.
The 7-5 season didn’t match plans. The mind of a great defense, Manny Diaz, is leaving for Temple. Wednesday’s recruiting class of 14 felt overshadowed by the 15 once-committed recruits who didn’t follow through.
Now, maybe, possibly, a valued quarterback was leav- ing. A lot gets overvalued and overinflated on a sign- ing day. This story isn’t. This would hurt.
This was a season in which Malik Rosier began as the starting quarterback and N’Kosi Perry ended as the starter, but it still looks wide open moving into the winter.
Williams was expected to challenge for the job. Beyond him, there’s no one at all. Nor wasanyone recruited in this class. It was just a year ago Williams was being hailed as perhaps the most important recruit of his class. Now he might be gone?
Was the sky falling on this program, piece by ordered piece?
Running back DeeJay Dallas looked up Wednesday and saw the blue sky and white clouds in proper order.
“Miami football is not going to beg,” he said. “If you want to be here, you want to be here.”
Someone has to br ing some perspec tive to the day. Still, Williams matters. You hear of schools flipping recruits all the time. You just don’t expect them to publicly have to flip their own players.
That would be fittingly disappointing considering how many others coming to UM at one point didn’t come. The difference is the story isn’t over with this class. There remain players yet to make decisions who could shift their thinking in the weeks ahead.
So all precincts aren’t reporting yet. But the early returns aren’t good. The two prime recruiting services — 247Sports.com and Rivals. com — ranked Miami’s class 37th and 45th, respectively. By comparison, Florida State ranked 13th and Florida 17th by Rivals.com. What happened to keeping state talent in the state?
Miami got some top players. It always does. St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Avery Huff and defensive lineman Jason Munoz. Chaminade-Madonna defensive backs Te’Cory Couch and Keontra Smith.
The issue became if it got enough top talent. Players who were once going to come to Miami suddenly stopped coming as the season turned mediocre, as Diaz left, as other schools swayed them — take your pick. There’s something to all of it.
“The hardest part is if a guy’s committed to you, publicly or silently, and then at the end he does something different,” Richt said.
Asked if that’s what happened to them this signing date, Richt said, “It happens to everyone. We had our fair share.”
Miami fans, of course, are in a panic. That seems to be the State of the U right now. Just a year ago, Richt won the first Coastal Division title in Miami history. Now his program is sinking?
Things are never quite as good as they look, nor as bad as Wednesday offered.
“There’s more work to do,” Richt said of this class. “We know there are a lot of great players out there still. We’re pursuing them very, very diligently and finishing off the class in style.”
Oddly enough, it’ll start with re-recruiting his own quarterback.