NEW - We talked to future college football stars at UA All-America Game’s media day and granted them anonymity to gather insights on NIL, the coaches they liked (and didn’t like) and what rules they would like to see changed.
Story w/
@gmraynor
Embiid on his mask: "As far as the mask, Justise stepped on it and tried to break with his hands. But little did he know we have about 50 of them. It's going to take much more than that to get me out of these series. I'm going to be a nightmare for them too."
“We wasn’t even calling them the University of Miami during the week,” FIU linebacker Sage Lewis said. “We were calling them the University of Coral Gables. We’re the true Miami school. We have more students internationally. We did it for the university and really for the world.”
FIU LB Sage Lewis with the dagger... says Panthers weren’t even calling the Hurricanes of the University of Miami this week at practice. “We were calling them the University of Coral Gables. We’re the real Miami university.”
Mario Cristobal said “someone asked” to wear Sean Taylor’s No. 26. He said request was declined. Asked if 26 should be retired, Cristobal said “those numbers need to be honored.”
NEW: Manny Diaz’s grandmother, Elisa, came from Cuba with 10 cents in her pocket, her husband in jail and raised a son who became Miami mayor and a grandson who became the Hurricanes’ 25th football coach. My story from today’s press conference.
Jeremiah Smith said he had two hats in his bag: Miami and Ohio State. He ultimately decided in the final two minutes. He wanted to go to a place with a strong track record of first round picks. That was the difference.
McKenzie Milton: “God is real. Nobody has ever come back from an injury like this. It’s the answer of prayer. Thousands of people praying for me. Coaches believing in me. I’m not here with out all the prayers and people believing in me.”
Mario Cristobal on Kam Kinchens: “So far reports that we have on Kam, everything seems to be relatively normal. We’re going to head over there right after I get done with a press conference and see how he's doing. But it seems like we're gonna be fine.”
The deal Mario Cristobal signed with Miami this morning is 10 years, $8 million per season with significant investments for support staff, assistant coaches, recruiting. Miami will have the highest assistant coaching pool in the ACC, a source said.
@TheAthleticCFB
UPDATE: Our friend
@larryblustein
is out of the hospital and in a rehab facility according to Harold Cole. He has a private room. No phone calls. He is very weak but started physical therapy this morning. Baby steps but definitely headed in the right direction.
Mario Cristobal is still in his suit from earlier today and at Miami Central watching 2022 4-star LB
#Canes
commit Wesley Bissainthe practice with 6 Miami assistants
@DBWilson2
says.
I'm told Cristobal is on his way for an in-home visit w/ 4-star DB Earl Little next.
Have to give
@Coach_MannyDiaz
credit for bouncing back over the past month. New OC with a system everyone wants them to be in. New offensive line coach, who is very highly regarded. New kicker to solve the kicking woes and a new QB in
@DeriqKing_
who will instantly help. Bravo!
Mario Cristobal had already begun reaching out to Miami recruits and current players earlier today -- after speaking to his former players at Oregon and telling them he was leaving
UPDATE on
@larryblustein
: He is making slow but good progress. Up and walking with a walker. His oxygen level was up to 96 and he is off the oxygen for now.
Mario Cristobal will be arriving sometime in Miami later this evening. Press conference introducing him as
#Canes
next coach scheduled for sometime tomorrow.
Never imagined this happening when they played at the Miami Arena, but we live in a world where Miami beats Duke, North Carolina and Indiana in hoops in the same season and makes it to the Sweet 16 consistently 🤯
How do you put a 7-6 season behind you and bring life back into the program? New coach Manny Diaz starts first team meeting Sunday night with WWE style mat drills inside the indoor practice facility. One tackling dummy has 7-6 on it.
As soon as Bissainthe was down with his announcement, he was on Instagram with 4-star ATH Chris Graves celebrating. Nice to see Miami commits sticking together.
Spo: "I went up to Pat's office right before practice, maybe 45 minutes just for a quick update and he said there's a possibility that something might happen with Luke and something might happen with Dwyane. I was about to walk out the door and stopped and said what? Dwyane who?"
LB Bobby Washington Jr. said after today’s jamboree against Cardinal Gibbons and Chaminade there will be no trip to Louisville for him and his brother Robby — 2023 Hurricanes commitments.
All-American edge rusher Cyrus Moss picks Miami over Oregon, USC, Arizona State and Bama. “Initially I didn’t know much about Miami and I just trusted in Coach Cristobal. Big things are about to be coming to Miami.”
BREAKING: Miami QB coach Frank Ponce is heading back to Appalachian State to be offensive coordinator. Ponce, a South Florida native, did an excellent job calling plays for App State in 2021 (34.5 ppg, 22nd among FBS teams). Hope to see him back home in the near future.
I broke the news to
@Goran_Dragic
the
#Heat
traded for
@DwyaneWade
by showing him the Woj tweet. His reaction? "You're kidding me! He's a
#Heat
lifer. He put his franchise on his back and we need him. It will be awesome to bring our captain back."
FSU great Peter Warrick was out for the commitment announcement of 5-star Hykeem Williams today. Snoop Minnis (FSU) and Dante Culpepper (UCF) we’re also here. Culpepper’s son plays at Stranahan.
Dragic’s response: "I don't care. The first game we were down 30 and they were still running inbounds plays after timeouts with seven seconds left in the game. It's the playoffs. I'm doing everything it takes."
Asked
@DwyaneWade
if he might play in China: “Heat only. If I play the game of basketball this year it will be in a Miami uniform. If I don’t I’ll be living in Miami or somewhere else probably.”
FYI, one current Miami staffer who worked at Oregon with Cristobal is tight ends coach Stephen Field. He was director of recruiting at Oregon, where he helped the Ducks land the top-ranked class in school history.
Told by
#UM
source Alabama QB Jalen Hurts met with coaches today and was having dinner at Prime 112. He visited Maryland (Friday) and Oklahoma (Saturday) over the weekend.
Asked Mario about FSU throwing on 4th down up 35 in the 4th quarter and if they were running it up: “I don’t care about that. It’s their job to score. It’s our job to stop them. One day we’ll switch shoes.”
With Lamar Miller being added to the Pro Bowl roster,
#Canes
streak of having at least one Pro Bowl selection is extended to 34 consecutive seasons. The last time the University of Miami didn't have a player in the Pro Bowl was 1984.
All I can say is I’m hopeful we’ll have an answer on Jeremiah Smith’s future destination tonight. Still not sure if it’s Ohio State or Miami. But it’s a got of lot of people on their toes. Best of luck to all parties involved
Mario Cristobal says his mom’s funeral service is today. Clara passed away Thursday night. Mario paused to gather his thoughts and then said she would’ve wanted him out here today. “The best part about her she’s relentless, tireless. That’s the way we’ve been raised.”
Manny Diaz said Enos turned down jobs in the SEC to come to Miami. He says he was No. 1 choice all along and had to wait for him to finish coaching in the national title game.
#UM
NEW - Miami O-line coach Alex Mirabal: “I will cut off my arms and my legs before anybody considers the offensive line here to be a weakness.”
via
@TheAthleticCFB
Mark Fletcher confirms he will be visiting Miami this weekend. 4-star RB from American Heritage says he’s also already decided where he’s going in his mind.
Looking at final passing numbers for the regular season and noticed Tyler Van Dyke had 80 more passing yards, a better completion percentage, two more TD passes and three fewer picks than ACC Preseason Player of the Year Sam Howell this season in two fewer starts. Not bad TVD.
For the Miami fans worried QB Jake Garcia wasn’t in photos of a position group dinner last night at Frank Ponce’s house… breathe easy. Told by Jake’s father, Randy, he was finishing up a school project and preparing for a test. Summer B session at Miami end today.