Dealing with college coaches around the clock -- 12 months a year, I am fortunate to find out a lot of information, and while some will admit that they need an answer and tell a recruit to make a decision, there are others, many who end up holding onto their jobs a lot longer, that still live by the fact that a well informed athlete is one who will be better for a program.

As we head toward the final weekend for athletes to make that last decision, schools across the country are putting their best foot forward. The athletes who have already verbally committed are not the young men that concern schools. What has coaches running for the Maalox bottles are those who are on the fence, often times listening to others who are not looking out for the football player's best interest.

The Bryce Brown situation is not uncommon, and while many fans have bought into the fact that there was something worked out between Brown, his mentor Brian Butler, and the University of Miami, it doesn't look good for the school -- at all. What appears to those across the country, who might consider this school in the future, is that an 18-year-old is playing the school, and that might not be a great thing to showcase -- not when you are 12-13 over the past two years and have been through four coordinators.

SOME RESERVATIONS

Brown was so sure that UM was where he wanted to be for the next four years, to play alongside of his brother, Arthur, he committed nearly a year ago, and suddenly, he has reservations.

If I'm Miami, which is trying to get back into the national picture, you need to take a step back and see what this is doing for the image. It cannot be a good thing, especially when you landed one of the nation's elite backs in Lamar Miller, impressive Mike James from Ridge Community School near Lakeland, and have a legitimate chance to bring in nationally-rated local running backs Jakhari Gore (Columbus), Eduardo Clements (Booker T. Washington) and Central's Brandon Gainer in the Class of 2010.

While the process has become quite entertaining, and of course is something that helps keep me in print 52 weeks a year, there are parts of it that keep me up at night, wondering why adults should have any say in what the future of an athlete holds, especially when a decision has already been made. It certainly does not set a solid example -- at all!

LET US KNOW

Don't forget that we are always looking to help our area recruits for the current Class of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. All you have to do is send a DVD and information about the athlete to: Larry Blustein, P.O. Box 3181, Hallandale Beach, Fl. 33009.

Larry Blustein is co-host of the Miami Dolphins Gridiron Show every Thursday evening from 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM).

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