UM welcoming these key uncommitted football recruits to campus this weekend
This UM staff has been unable to extract more than six wins from an underachieving team, but at least say this for these coaches:
They appear to be keeping together a solid recruiting class, which is quite an achievement after your team loses to FIU and Duke and your fan base is up in arms.
All of the top recruits in this class — quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, running back Don Chaney Jr., offensive tackle Jalen Rivers, defensive end Chantz Williams, receiver Daz Worsham, among others — remain committed to Miami, with most expected to sign on Dec. 18.
The question now is can the Canes snag any undecided players. Among those recruits expected to visit this weekend:
▪ Keyshawn Greene: The four-star Crawfordsville-based standout has been hard to read the past two weeks. He has told some recruiting sites that Miami is the team to beat but told others that he’s sticking with his FSU commitment, at least for now, even after a coaching change.
Greene is rated by Rivals as the 38th-best outside linebacker and 197th-best player overall in 2020. But ESPN rates him 19th and 224th.
Recently named a U.S. Army All-American, Greene has elite speed for his position. Green (6-3, 210 pounds) had 126 tackles this past season while playing weak-side linebacker.
This is UM’s chance to make a big impression on Greene, potentially before an FSU coach gets a chance to woo him.
▪ Kobe Baynes: The three-star guard from Jacksonville is a Louisville commit but is said to be giving strong thought to flipping to UM. Miami has a very good tackle in this class (Rivers) but needs interior line help and can make that case to Baynes this weekend.
▪ Chris Morris: The four-star guard from Memphis, Arkansas, is an Arkansas commit and would be a huge get if Miami can flip him. Rivals rates him the No. 1 guard in 2020 and the 45th-best player overall. He would be a top-three player in this UM class if Miami can snag him.
▪ Davonte Brown: The two-star safety from Plantation American Heritage is considering UM, UCF and Pittsburgh and plans to visit Syracuse in nine days.
UM coach Manny Diaz and cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph visited him this week, and Miami has emerged as a slight favorite.
▪ Doneiko Slaughter: The four-star safety from Roswell, Georgia — rated by Rivals the 27th-best safety in the 2020 class — remains committed to Arizona State, and UM is viewed as a serious underdog here because Slaughter has forged a strong relationship with Sun Devils coach Herman Edwards.
He previously visited Boise State and plans to visit Tennessee. But at least the Canes will get him on campus.
▪ Jesus Machado: The two-star linebacker from Hialeah Champagnat is considered more of a fallback plan. He has no major offers, but a lot of people like him — including recruiting analyst Larry Blustein — because he’s around the ball a lot.
He was originally projected to become a quality prospect at defensive end, but never grew into that size; he’s listed at 6-1 and 215.
▪ Five-star Las Vegas based tight end Darnell Washington. Rated the No. 2 tight end and 17th best 2020 prospect by Rivals, Washington also is considering Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Miami is perceived to be an underdog here, but the Canes at least have a chance.
THIS AND THAT
Per Canesport, Van Dyke said offensive coordinator Dan Enos told him that he will be returning next season. Naturally, Diaz has final say on that.
▪ With Trevon Hill planning to skip the bowl game with an eye toward the NFL Draft, keep in mind that UM could play freshman defensive end Jahfari Harvey (who has three appearances this season) without jeopardizing his redshirt, according to UM.
▪ Players who have played multiple games on offense, but could still redshirt even if they play in the bowl game, include running back Lorenzo Lingard (two games) and tight end/H-back Larry Hodges (three games).
But according to UM, freshman receiver Jeremiah Payton already has played in four games; he’s thus unlikely to play in the bowl game because it would risk his redshirt.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 4:33 PM.
