The University of Miami caught some big fish Wednesday. But it’s the ones who got away that Hurricanes fans may remember.
Atlantic defensive tackle Keith Bryant, Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick, and Miami-Booker T. Washington linebacker Matthew Thomas and offensive lineman Denver Kirkland, all nationally ranked prospects, had the Hurricanes on their list of finalists, but each decided to go elsewhere.
UM did manage to play catch-up later in the day, receiving national letters of intent from Oakland Park-Northeast receiver Stacy Coley and Miramar linebacker Jermaine Grace. Coley (No. 47) and Grace (No. 138) are ranked among ESPN’s top 150 players. Augustus Edwards, the nation’s top fullback according to Rivals.com, also signed with Miami.
“You want to stay in there with the best kids in the country, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” UM coach Al Golden said. “Getting Edwards, Coley and Grace today, those are three big-time football players we got down the stretch.”
With 16 players, the Hurricanes signed one of their smallest classes in recent memory. Of the 16 players, only five are from Florida. UM did not sign a player from Palm Beach County.
“I’d have liked to hit on a couple of more today,” Golden said of Florida-bred players. “It’s just the way it worked out.”
Golden said the ongoing NCAA investigation, entering its 23rd month, continues to be a drag on the Hurricanes’ recruiting. UM has been waiting on its notice of allegations for weeks, and sanctions are not expected until the summer at the earliest.
“The unknown is what’s killing us right now,” Golden said. “It’s what’s allowing us to be exposed to attack.”
Despite the Hurricanes’ small signing class, it produced plenty of drama.
Much of that centered on the recruiting of Kirkland, who was strongly considering Miami along with Arkansas and Florida State until his UM scholarship offer was revoked late last week after he rejected an ultimatum to commit to the Hurricanes.
UM’s decision drew a public rebuke from Booker T. Washington coaches and forced the Hurricanes’ coaching staff to renew their offer to Kirkland. But the 6-foot-4, 333-pound four-star prospect announced Wednesday that he would attend Arkansas, tearfully saying that UM’s coaches had gone back on their world.
“It’s real disappointing,” Kirkland said. “I feel like I’ve been crossed. I was really considering them a second time. But once that person crosses you that one time, they will cross you again. So I had to follow my heart and go to Arkansas.”
Golden said that self-imposed scholarship limitations kept Miami from further pursuing Kirkland.
“There’s a difference between pulling a scholarship and having none left,” Golden said. “We had a hard ceiling because of self-imposed penalties.”
Golden declined to say how many scholarships were sacrificed.
The Hurricanes may still sign another player, Golden said, presumably five-star running back Alex Collins.
After orally committing to Arkansas on Monday night, Collins did not show up to his signing ceremony at South Plantation High School on Wednesday morning. According to an ESPN report, Collins’ mother “confiscated” her son’s national letter of intent and left the school with it because she wants him to attend UM.
“There’s a lot, a lot going on (with him),” South Plantation athletic director Michael Collins told Canesport.com. “Mom and the family want him to go to Miami. Him doing the Arkansas thing was all Alex. It’s volatile.”
Collins, ranked as the nation’s 57th-best prospect by ESPN, committed to Miami last year but backed off his pledge in November.
Aside from Coley and Grace, UM signed four other players ranked in ESPN’s top 150 — defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (No. 58); Miami-Northwestern defensive back Artie Burns (No. 70); Wayne, N.J., quarterback Kevin Olsen (N0. 87) and New Orleans tight end Standish Dobard (No. 136).
NCAA says review complete: The NCAA says it expects to receive the results of an independent review of inappropriate actions by members of its enforcement staff who have been investigating the Miami football program by the end of next week.
The NCAA announced in a news release Wednesday that the review has been completed and a final report is being put together.
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