Submitted by CANEIAC from Washington, DC

Q: Manny, Welcome back! We have missed you. Can you talk a bit about recruiting? What are our positions of need? What 5 uncommitted players are must gets? How many kids will we sign this year (and are we going to get in trouble for over-signing)?

Answered 07/12/11 16:38:43 by Manny Navarro

A: I don't think UM will get in trouble for oversigning. They've got a lot of needs and players to replace. As for what the top positions of need are, that's pretty simple: quarterback, cornerback, linebacker and defensive line. UM has already gone out and addressed most of those. As far as the must-gets, I'm not sure there really are must-gets anymore. I think there are players I would consider good-gets or quality-gets. First on the list is Columbus safety Deon Bush. UM is going to need to replace Ray Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque soon. Bush is a quality talent who can replace one of them in a year or two. After that, it doesn't really matter as long as they sign talented kids who have grades to get in and won't be problems off the field.

Submitted by Quavo from orlando

Q: Manny, whats up with aldarius johnson??

Answered 07/12/11 16:32:30 by Manny Navarro

A: Don't know Quavo. We haven't had any access to players since the spring game. Here's what I know about Aldarius -- he needs to have a big senior season for his NFL future. AJ had 31 catches for 322 yards, 3 TDs as freshman. He has 31 catches for 466 yards since.

Submitted by George from West Palm Beach

Q: When does 2011 fall football practice begin at the University of Maimi?

Answered 07/12/11 16:30:36 by Manny Navarro

A: UM will start practicing Aug. 6.

Submitted by Bob Brenner from Solon,Ohio

Q: Manny, can you tell me which former Miami Hurricanes are playing in the major leagues this season? Thanks.

Answered 07/12/11 16:29:38 by Manny Navarro

A: I answered this one about a week ago when three former Canes were first named to the All-Star Game. The Hurricanes currently have 10 former players up in the major leagues. Aside from the three All-Stars, outfielders Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff are playing for the Giants, infielder Alex Cora is with the Nationals, outfielder Jason Michaels is with the Astros, outfielder John Jay is with the Cardinals, third baseman Danny Valencia is with the Twins, and former second baseman Jemile Weeks was recently called up by the Oakland A's. I might have missed another one or two since guys move up and down from the minors all the time. But that's what I had at last count. Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2011/07/former-canes-gaby-sanchez-chris-perez-and-ryan-braun-selected-to-mlb-all-star-game.html#comments#ixzz1RvO0LkRh

Submitted by George from Miami, FL

Q: Manny, great to have you back. Unlike most Canes fans, I'm sour about the University firing Randy Shannon. But, what's done is done. I think Al Golden is doing a lot of great things in the areas Shannon was limited - raising money, cozying up to boosters, etc. But, we all know, it's the results on the field that matter. I maintain that Golden needs to coach a team that finishes better than Randy's team to justify the coaching change. The cupboard is certainly not bare. Randy's team finished 2nd in the ACC Coastal last year, which means Golden has to finish 1st in the subdivision and make it to the ACC Championship. Am I fair or not -- to ALL parties involved: Golden, the players, the fans, AND Randy Shannon?

Answered 07/12/11 16:26:41 by Manny Navarro

A: George, I think Randy's biggest problem was he didn't have the money or the ability to go out and hire a good staff around him. Look how many different assistants he had in four years. When Miami was at its best, there was stability. Kehoe, Soldinger, etc. In the end, I just don't think Randy was really head coach material. It was his first crack at it anyway. And he made mistakes, especially being hard headed on a few fronts. But re: expectations on Golden. You are right. He has to win. I think that goes for any UM coach. This team has been mediocre by Canes standards over the last eight seasons. The ACC has been very, very mediocre. The opportunity is there to win. Will he do it this season? I don't think so. I don't like the situation at quarterback and the fact there's a new coordinator yet again trying to fix things. It takes time to get guys on the same page. Defensively, I think D'Onofrio is going to do some big things. He has talent at spots, but holes at others. I think this team should go 8-4 or 9-3 with the talent it has and contend for the ACC division crown. But FSU is leaps and bounds better at this point. I would expect the Seminoles or Virginia Tech to win this conference again.

Submitted by Shawn from Coral Gables

Q: Glad to have you back answering questions Manny. What is the one thing you can tell us about Golden and his new staff that most of us don't know and would find interesting, and do you think Al has done enough to mend fences with certain local programs (cough Central, cough Miramar, cough Dwyer)?

Answered 07/12/11 16:20:15 by Manny Navarro

A: Great question Shawn. I'm not sure. He doesn't let us in his inner circle that's for sure. I think the most interesting thing about Golden is that he's been able to mend and build solid relationships with local coaches in a matter of months after Randy Shannon seemed to ruin them in a matter of years. I've had a lot of coaches tell me how impressed they've been by Golden and his staff and their up front honesty and dedication. They like the fact their kids are getting a solid look over.

Submitted by TWStone from South Beach

Q: Hi MN: it was a real hoot to watch the comment counter on ESPN go down on the Ohio State Univ. vacation of all 2010 wins story! NOW what?, Does that loss that the CANES had in the "shoe" turn into a null? Logic would ask that if tOSU gives away the win, do the CANES still hold the loss? Just a brain teaser for the summer doldrums. Yours, TW. in South Beach where the air temp is 86 and the surf temp is too~!

Answered 07/12/11 16:12:59 by Manny Navarro

A: I don't know if UM necessarily gets credit for the win. I think according to the NCAA Ohio State simply vacates the victory. I know it sounds dumb. But it's the way the NCAA has handled this in the past.

Submitted by Aaron from Missoula,MT

Q: Hey I hope you are having a great summer. I am actually studying journalism right now and I am hurricanes fan. So I enjoy reading you blog week to week. Some day I hope to have your or Heather Dinrich's job of covering college football. So I have two questions for you I guess (1 personal, 1 about the Hurricanes) Since you have started covering the Hurricanes have you ever gotten burnt out on it? What is your opinion on Jedd Fischer and offense after seeing it this spring? Pretty meat and potatoes? I know there where a couple of times where Whipple used no huddles. Will Fischer implement this style also? Seems like the popular thing to do in college football these days is no huddle offense, even OU (Oklahoma) has a no huddle pro-style. For the most part you see no huddles in spread. Thank you for you time. I can't wait for the for the regular season to start so you have something of substance to write about.

Answered 07/12/11 16:11:38 by Manny Navarro

A: Hi Aaron. Being a sports writer for a living is a great job. Dan Le Batard calls it "stealing money." Do we get burnt out? I think everyone has their moments -- regardless of what field they work in -- where they need to take a deep breathe and a couple days off. But no, I've never felt burnt out or tired of covering this team yet. Hope it never happens. As for the Canes' offense, I missed most of this spring because my wife gave birth to our first child and I had three weeks off to be home with her and the baby. I did, however, make it out to the spring game. There was nothing overly exciting about the offense on that day, especially because so many guys were out with injuries. But I think a big factor was Coach Golden and his staff didn't exactly want to show too much either to a public audience. So, the offense was pretty simple. I expect the Canes to look and run like an NFL team. That's what Fisch was brought into do. I think what we'll see is a lot more underneath passing to running backs and tight ends and fewer shots downfield. That could be a good thing considering how many INTs this team has thrown (44, most in the NCAA) over the past two seasons combined.

Submitted by Keith from Miami,FL

Q: Manny, do you see it as a big possibility we lose Teddy? He said some pretty harsh things. Do we start recruiting another QB or we wait till he decommits. Anyone the U should start looking at for the QB position? How is Morris? Also I am NOT giving up on Jacory yet.

Answered 10/19/10 16:18:00 by Manny Navarro

A: I'd say losing Teddy is probably 50-50 at this point. If UM finishes poorly, Teddy likely bolts to an SEC school like LSU or Florida. As for Morris, he's a kid who ran more of a pro style offense in high school and is probably more adept at running UM's offense.

Submitted by Will from St Pete

Q: Where are the bubble screens and crossing patterns? The tightend seem patterns? you would think with Whipple being a former NFL-er he'd load his offense up with these routes. Those short routes could turn into BIG plays with a guy like TB.

Answered 10/19/10 16:16:48 by Manny Navarro

A: Have to agree with you Will. I remember when Jacory Harris first took over as the starter. All Randy said he wanted from him was to be a facilitator -- get the ball into the hands of the playmakers. Now, it seems to me Whipple is asking him to make a lot of throws downfield that he can't always make. I remember the majority of passes Jacory threw in high school were short and quick. I think Whipple needs to play to his strengths and make things easier for his receivers. Did you know in Jacory's first nine starts he completed at least 60 percent of his passes eight times. In his last 11 starts, he's only done it twice (vs. FAMU, Pitt). That's not good enough.

Submitted by Carlos from North Miami Beach

Q: I couldn't care less about former players coming to practice and "motivating" current players. How about they open their wallets and make some large donations to the school, so that we can get better workout facilities and attract high profile coaches? I'm all for continuing to give Randy Shannon a shot, but if he is fired at some point, what are some names you think the school would go after? Thanks, Manny.

Answered 10/19/10 16:14:31 by Manny Navarro

A: Trouble with Miami isn't just head coaching. You've got to spend money on good assistants. Other than offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, I don't think anybody on their staff is making great money. Aside from that, if Randy is fired, I would expect the school to go after someone with ties to the program. Georgia's Mark Richt is under fire for his team's struggles. But he makes a lot more ($2 mil) than Randy currently does ($900K). You have Greg Schiano at Rutgers and a few former assistants that are in the NFL. I would expect UM to lean that way first -- at least under the current administration.

Submitted by Jorge from Miami, FL

Q: Everyone is so high on Bridgewater but don't you think he is a Harris type of player. Also are we trying to recruit any other Qb's because if we don't get Teddy then what?

Answered 10/19/10 16:10:23 by Manny Navarro

A: Teddy runs the same offense Jacory did at Northwestern, the spread. But he's a different quarterback in the sense he really is a dual-threat. He's also much more athletic than Jacory. If Teddy wasn't a quarterback, he would probably be a 5-star receiver. If Teddy doesn't come in this class, the Hurricanes could be in big trouble. I would think they would put the full court press on West Palm Beach Dwyer's Jacoby Brissett if Bridgewater jumped ship.

Submitted by Canencali from Hollywood, Ca

Q: Being that Miami doesn't have a lot of scholarships to give this year and aren't going after many players. Is there another QB you think they can have a chance with if Bridgewater decides to go elsewhere? Is there someone in the 2012 class then? Also do you think Randy's stoic nature on the sideline is rubbing off to the team as a whole? All the players during the post game interviews seem to say the right thing, but I just don't see the passion/anger to get back to winning. It seems like they are reading from a script. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/qna-bin/submitquestion.cgi#ixzz12ptmmsgU

Answered 10/19/10 15:58:47 by Manny Navarro

A: I know the Canes were interested in other quarterbacks before Bridgewater committed. They offered a few other kids. But as long as he remains committed, he is their top choice. As far as Randy being stoic and it rubbing off on his team -- yes. I think players do feed off the energy of their coach, repeat a lot of what their coach tells them. Is UM playing with enough emotion to win on Saturdays? No. But is that all Randy's fault? No. I think at some point those players have to play with passion and love for the game because they want it bad.

Submitted by OMoney from Bagdad

Q: Bro what is the real reason that Streeter and Thompkins can't get in the game? I mean seriously, what is the worst thing that can happen... they drop a pass? Also, I feel that Whipple has ZERO use for a speedy, shifty, undersized slot receiver. No wonder Eli decommitted. What do you think?

Answered 10/19/10 15:41:46 by Manny Navarro

A: Hard to say OMoney. Tommy Streeter is an enigma. Thompkins I watched closely before the Pitt game. During warmups, he dropped three of the five passes thrown his way. Then, he fumbled on a reverse. That might explain it. As far as the offense, I agree. I don't think this offense is using the slot receiver at all.

Submitted by OMoney from Bangkok

Q: What are the chances of starting Cain at MLB, and Spence and Colin on the outside against UNC? I think that might be our best set at LB. Honestly, I can't even tell you who was playing on the outside opposite of Spence against Duke. I don't think Duke knew who was playing there either.

Answered 10/19/10 15:29:41 by Manny Navarro

A: Shannon said today Colin was back with the first team at MLB. There's a chance Cain could push Colin back to the outside. But it's probably a few more games down the road.

Submitted by PH from Madrid

Q: i can easily see miami not winning the acc, not getting bridgewater, and not getting a good recruiting class (and there´s a lot of talent in south fl this year...), so what else would need to happen to see the AD finally firing shannon?

Answered 10/19/10 15:28:38 by Manny Navarro

A: I'm guessing the only way Shannon goes at this point is if we start seeing some arrests or if he totally blows his cool and something bad happens. At this point, if UM struggles down the stretch and finishes say 8-4, 7-5, all you will see are assistant coaches being fired -- kind of like the year before Coker was fired.

Submitted by OMoney from Bagdad

Q: What is Randy's policy on the old school 'Canes showing up at practice and game day to give these guys a verbal lashing? By verbal lashing, I mean pep talk.

Answered 10/19/10 15:25:03 by Manny Navarro

A: According to UM, Shannon has an open door policy. If former players want to come back and talk, they can. But according to some former players, that's a bunch of bull. According to some, the school wants to distance itself from the past (the ugly side of The U movie). Hard to tell who is right and wrong. But I asked Vaughn Telemaque today if any former players had been by recently to talk to him. His answer: not since Ed Reed during the summer.

Submitted by eddie from pittsburgh

Q: Hey manny big fan... do you have any updates on why Miller wasnt at practice this morning? I know we are deep at running back, but he has game changing ability that will be missed if he is hurt.

Answered 10/05/10 16:06:36 by Manny Navarro

A: Anytime a guy has the non-contact jersey on its a sign he's injured or being checked by a doctor for a possible injury. Miller wasn't at the start of practice. But we saw him afterward in the green jersey. I know for sure I saw him after the game with ice on his right shoulder -- not the same shoulder, though, he injured in high school.

Submitted by BoriCane from San Juan, PR

Q: Hey Manny! Congrat on your Cane work!! Q1, Where's Latwan? Q2, What's the story with Jake Rudock? How come he is going to Iowa? Was he considered by the Canes? Q3, With all the national tv time we have been getting, how come UM still airing that awful, Shalala, TV spot? Who should I talk to for them to change that TV spot? Its been running now for some years! keep up the good work!!

Answered 10/05/10 16:05:20 by Manny Navarro

A: 1. Latwan is red shirting 2. Rudock was recruited hard by Iowa. I think he's always wanted to go away to school. 3. Don't know. What's so bad about Shalala commercial? How could they make it better. Send in an idea.

Submitted by tran from winter park

Q: Everyone was worried about the O-Line coming into the season but other then Fig I would say they have been doing good. You agree? What group are you most down on? My would be the receivers/te; drop passes, wrong routes (not all tb3 fault either, you cant throw into double and triple coverage and expect him to knock it down).

Answered 10/05/10 15:59:24 by Manny Navarro

A: I think offensively or defensively the most disappointing unit has been the receivers/passing game simply because you thought it was the strength of the team and they haven't lived up to the billing. The offensive line has had its woes at right tackle. But other than Fig, you're right -- not too many sacks by this unit.