FOOTBALL: SPRING PRACTICE OPENS, QB POSITION IS SET BUT STAR RECURIT SAGA CONTINUES

Miami Hurricane Football Coach Randy Shannon is focused. He has to be. He’s coming into a season where the expectations for his third year at the helm of one of the nation’s most historic college football teams will be sky high. Fueling those expectations are a combination of factors that many say have hampered his teams on the field performance. However, this season those excuses go away. And the fresh start begins with spring practice beginning today.

 

This off season has been a whirlwind for Miami. The team welcomes in a new offensive coordinator in the name of Mark Whipple, former offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. Whipple takes the place of former coordinator Patrick Nix. Nix was often accused of not letting the leash off of what many thought could be an explosive offense. He also held a close relationship with former Hurricane Robert Marve, whose transfer was announced during the bowl season in 2008.

 

Also this off season the Hurricanes finalized a 2009 schedule that will no doubt be one of the toughest in the nation. It includes an opening game on the road against in-state rival Florida Sate on Labor Day under the lights in Tallahassee. Overall, the Hurricanes will begin the season with three straight Atlantic Coast Conference opponents and not the cupcakes most teams use to tune of for conference play. Their schedule also includes a match up against Bowl Champion Series runner up Oklahoma on October 3^rd.

 

Miami again brought in a stellar recruiting (2009) class ranked in the top ten by several recruiting services. The class is led by standouts Ray Ray Armstrong (safety) Lamar Miller (running back) and Dyron Dye (defensive end). However, the news on Miami’s recruiting is still centered on the recruit they have yet to sign, Bryce Brown. 

 

Brown is thought by many to be the top recruit in the country and number one at the running back position. Additionally, his brother Arthur is a linebacker on the team. However, Brown’s recruiting has become somewhat of a circus. Instead of signing with a school on National Signing Day like most other recruits, Brown instead opted to go on vacation with his family. Brown has until April 1^st to make a decision and questions have been raised as to whether or not the Hurricanes and Coach Shannon still want him as a recruit.

 

Shannon’s star recruiting class from 2008 will be sophomores in 2009; many burned their shirts by playing as true freshman but some spent a year on the scout team developing. High School All-Americans Sean Spence, Brandon Harris, Ray Buchanan and others will be called on to step up and red shirts will need to come in and fill key holes.

 

The offensive line lost two key players; one was Shannon’s son Xaiver who started at center. Underclassmen recruits and back ups who sat out will be called on to step up and fill important roles on the front line.