Day after disappointing UM signing day, Richt still hasn’t denied QB transfer report
Last February after National Signing Day for the Miami Hurricanes, that highly touted #Storm18 class was rated as high as No. 5 in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 8 by ESPN and 247Sports.
By sunset Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for the 2019 UM recruiting class known as #Surge19, the newest class was ranked no higher than 37 by 247 and ESPN, and as low as 45 by Rivals — not to mention the day-marring report by 247Sports that Canes freshman quarterback Jarren Williams, a former national prep star, is transferring.
“I’m not ready to make a comment on that right now,’’ UM coach Mark Richt said about the report at his news conference Wednesday evening.
On Thursday morning, Richt was on WQAM radio and asked again, this time by host Joe Rose, if the coach could “give us any update’’ on the Williams situation.
“I’m not going to comment on that one right now,’’ Richt replied. “We’re aware of what’s up but we’re not going to make any comments on that.”
Rose then asked Richt if there was any chance that Williams will stay at Miami and if the report is wrong.
“We’ll see what happens,’’ Richt said.
Then, at the end of the Thursday interview, Rose tried one more time by asking Richt if he expected to know something this week regarding Williams.
“He is a great kid and we love him,’’ Richt said.
UM is trying to convince Williams to stay, but the Canes are leaving Saturday for New York in advance of the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl and likely need to know by Friday if Williams is traveling with them.
Approached by the Herald after practice Wednesday, Williams, escorted by quarterbacks coach Jon Richt, did not answer when told, “There’s a report you’re transferring. Is that true?’’
Before that, Jon Richt stayed on the field chatting with Williams for at least 20 minutes.
The Canes do not have a quarterback committed in the current signing class for 2019, but Richt said he’d be open to sign any type of transfer or a current high school player.
“There is a premium on [signing] a quarterback,’’ UM offensive coordinator Thomas Brown added after Richt spoke.
If the Canes can’t add a quarterback to this class and Williams, who has only played in one game this season and would still have four years of eligibility remaining, transfers, UM would be left with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster: current starter N’Kosi Perry and redshirt freshman reserve Cade Weldon.
Richt, who said Wednesday that he was excited about the 14 players who UM reported had signed, on Thursday morning said UM would announce a 15th player who signed Wednesday but wanted to keep it quiet until a future bowl game — likely a prep All-Star game.
“One of the young men that signed yesterday was going to hold his announcement until a bowl game or something but decided to go ahead and let us bring it out,’’ Richt said of the player who silently signed Wednesday.
A few hours later, Miami announced the signing of Adam ElGammal, a three-star tackle from Christ The King in Middle Village, New York, although it’s not clear whether this is the player Richt was referring to.
Richt also was asked on the radio Thursday how many scholarships UM had left to give. The coach explained that the process is always somewhat “fluid,’’ but that “we’ll get into the 20s [total] before it’s all over.’’
Schools are allowed to sign 25 incoming players for each class, but use different legal ways of making that number work to their advantage, such as counting some players toward last year’s class. Also, various players eventually leave the program, making vacancies for others.
Nonetheless, on Wednesday Richt acknowledged the class has holes to fill.
“We understand there’s more work to do,’’ he said. “The class is not final. We know there’s a lot of great players out there still. We’re pursuing them very, very diligently and we’re looking forward to finishing off the class in style.”
This early signing period runs through Friday, with National Signing Day on Feb. 6. If Miami maintains its current No. 45 ranking by Rivals, it would be its lowest ranking since the recruiting site began rating classes in 2002.
The Hurricanes signed six four-star players Wednesday, including five on defense. The only four-star signed on offense was receiver Jeremiah Payton of Neptune Beach Fletcher High School. Payton is No. 69 overall, regardless of position, in the 247Sports composite ranking.
In all, there were eight on defense and six on offense. They include graduate transfer offensive lineman Tommy Kennedy of Butler University and Asa Martin, a current freshman who is transferring from Auburn after being rated the third best tailback in the nation coming out of high school last year.
Their top defensive players include four-star safety Keontra Smith and four-star cornerback Te’Cory Couch of Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna. Another local talent the Canes landed is four-star outside linebacker Avery Huff of St. Thomas Aquinas.
What they didn’t do Wednesday was sign any of the eight recruits who said they considered UM among their finalists and had visited the Coral Gables campus in recent weeks. The most notable: five-star offensive tackle Evan Neal, who chose Alabama; four-star wide receiver John Dunmore, who signed with Penn State; four-star tight end Keon Zipperer, who picked Florida; four-star guard Dontae Lucas, who went with Florida State.
All things considered, the Canes added another strong defensive class to its already elite defense.
“You look at the eight [defensive signees] across the board, they’re all really talented players,’’ safeties coach and new co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda said Wednesday. “We knew that it was going to be a big defensive class and we know that we’re going to be fighting in the second session for the other half.
“...We have a couple kids that wanted to get it done today,’’ Banda added, noting that UM feels confident it will sign some of them in February. “We got some kids that said they’re coming for sure and we feel good about them. Obviously we can’t name those names, so we’re in good shape with where we are.’’
Banda and co-coordinator Jonathan Patke said the defense is still seeking eight more signees in this cycle, including two defensive ends, a defensive tackle, three defensive backs and up to two linebackers. Cameron Williams, the three-star defensive end from Chaminade-Madonna, is still verbally committed, but chose not to sign Wednesday.
Brown stressed that besides the great need for a quarterback, UM also wants another offensive lineman — preferably a tackle — and another wide receiver or tight end. He said another running back is also an option.
The Canes signed three offensive linemen Wednesday: 6-3, 305-pound three-star center Jakai Clark, 6-5, 240-pound three-star Zion Nelson and the grad transfer Kennedy. With senior starting left tackle Tyree St. Louis about to play in his final game next week against Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl, Kennedy is a candidate to replace him.
▪ Patke, the current outside linebackers coach, said for now he will take over outgoing defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s position as linebackers coach, and that the new defensive assistant will likely coach the striker position. If that happens, Patke said he’ll focus on inside linebackers.
▪ Banda said the turnover chain will remain a part of UM’s game-day culture going forward, though he doesn’t know what form it will take.
UM SIGNEES: Asa Martin, RB, 5-11, 209, Auburn/Austin (Decatur, Ala.); Jeremiah Payton, WR, 6-1, 186, Neptune Beach Fletcher; Larry Hodges, TE, 6-2, 234, Tampa Jesuit; Jakai Clark, OL, 6-3, 3-5, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.); Zion Nelson, OL, 6-5, 240, Sumter (S.C.); Tommy Kennedy, 6-4, 285, FCS Butler/Lake Forest (Ill.); Jahfari Harvey, DL, 6-4, 225, Vero Beach; Jason Blissett, DL, 6-4, 271, Poly Prep Country Day (Brooklyn); Jason Munoz, DL, 6-4, 276, St. Thomas Aquinas; Jalar Holley, DL, 6-2, 280, Buford (Ga.); Avery Huff, 6-3, 200, St. Thomas Aquinas; Sam Brooks, LB, 6-2, 195, Northwestern; Keontra Smith, DB, 5-11, 195, Chaminade-Madonna; Te’Cory Couch, DB, 5-10, 148, Chaminade-Madonna.
This story was originally published December 19, 2018 at 8:54 PM.
