FIU’s win over UM couldn’t have come at a better time for the program — recruiting season

Immediately following FIU’s shocking 30-24 win over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night, Panthers cornerbacks coach Bryn Renner jogged off the Marlins Park field and told someone:

“I can’t wait to go recruiting.”

Saturday’s first win over a Power 5 conference school was sweet for FIU (6-5), which plays its regular-season finale Saturday at Marshall.

There’s no immediate way of telling what the impact of that win will have on attendance — FIU will have to wait about 10 months for its next home game — but the recruiting repercussions could be known sooner.

That’s because the next early signing period is set for Dec. 18 to 20, and most of the local high school coaches polled by the Herald on Monday indicated that the Panthers should see a boost in their recruiting efforts following the victory over Miami.

One notable exception in that regard was Hialeah Champagnat coach Hector Clavijo, who said he believes FIU will have to stack more wins in order to see better results on the recruiting trail.

“If FIU were undefeated or had one loss and then beat Miami, they might be able to steal some big-time guys,” said Clavijo, whose program has sent standouts to colleges, including defensive end Greg Rousseau at Miami. “I think FIU has to win 90 percent of its conference games to get some big-time steals.”

Other coaches, however, see a more immediate impact.

“They slayed a giant,” Plantation American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain said. “This is going to raise awareness about FIU. To beat a school like Miami for the first time will do wonders for recruiting in South Florida, where there’s so much talent.”

To Surtain’s point, FIU has 86 Floridians on its current roster and just 16 players from other states.

The Panthers also have 12 players committed for their 2020 class of recruits, and all of them are from Florida. That includes American Heritage cornerback Andrew Volmar, a 6-2, 170-pound cornerback who is rated a three-star recruit.

“He’s long and can run — a pretty good athlete,” said Surtain, a former NFL cornerback whose son, Patrick Jr., is a starter at his former position at the University of Alabama.

“FIU has been to our school plenty of times. And the more they involve themselves, the more comfortable our kids feel with them.

“I’ve been to FIU’s practices, and they look the part. [Coach] Butch [Davis] has assembled a great staff. I’ve been to a number of Power 5 practices, and FIU fits in with what they do.”

Miami Norland coach Daryle Heidelburg said FIU assistants Aubrey Hill and Tim Harris Jr. have been frequent visitors to his practices.

“I think recruits will take FIU more seriously now,” Heidelburg said. “I also think that FIU’s current players may get more interest from pro scouts. I’m sure beating Miami caught their attention, too.”

Coral Gables coach Roger Pollard had a more measured response when asked about the impact of Saturday’s events on FIU.

“It depends on the kid and how impressionable he is,” Pollard said. “If he were weighing Miami, he might think this loss means there’s playing time available immediately. But if kids were weighing FIU, they have more proof that Butch is doing good things and they can come and be part of something special.

“It was a great win for FIU and a horrible loss for Miami.”

South Dade coach Nate Hudson has trained players who are now competing all over the country, including cornerback DJ Ivey and linebacker Patrick Joyner at Miami and defensive back Jamal Anderson at FIU. For the Class of 2020, South Dade has one player committed to Miami (safety Keshawn Washington) and one to FIU (Jose Mirabal).

“I think this was a historical moment for FIU,” Hudson said. “I grew up a Hurricanes fan, but I always rooted for FIU, too. I’m proud to see how far FIU has come.”

This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 4:13 PM.