Considering the NCAA investigation surrounding the program, the Miami Hurricanes managed to reel in a respectable 2013 recruiting class, scoring a few prospects on signing day to take this year's crop up a notch.
Miami football recruiting 2013, National Signing Day recap: Weathering the storm
The Hurricanes added another balanced draft class despite the negative attention surrounding the program. See below for full class and more. Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting
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Among the biggest signings for the Hurricanes was wide receiver Stacy Coley, widely considered the best wide receiver recruit in the state of Florida, made evident by the offers he received from Florida and Florida State. Coley was a consensus four-star prospect. He stands at 6’1, 175 pounds. The folks over at State of the U, SB Nation’s Miami blog, were excited about the prospect of adding Coley to the offense, despite wide receiver not being a huge need for the team.
Miami also added a quarterback, hoping to find a long-term answer at the position. Four-star recruit Kevin Olsen will fill that void. The 6’3’ New Jersey native also had offers from Auburn, Florida and Florida State as well as East Carolina. Adding Olsen and Coley to an offensive class that already included four-star tight end Beau Sandland is a solid haul for the Hurricanes, according to State of the U.
Defensively, the Hurricanes added an impressive group of prospects for the second straight year. Miami managed to land four-star defensive end Aquadin Muhammad, who seemed to be favoring Notre Dame. Muhammad had over 20 scholarship offers in hands. They also reeled in four-star defensive back Artie Burns, who State of the U believes is the top talent the Hurricanes landed this year.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Ray Lewis’ son, Ray Lewis III, will be a Hurricane next season as well. The 3-star recruit can play running back and defensive back, but will probably stick to the defensive side of the ball in college.
Bud Elliott’s grade
Miami B. The Hurricanes signed eight players rated four- or five-stars, and added some players who should make an instant impact. Stacy Coley immediately becomes the most talented receiver on Miami’s roster. Beau Sandland should be an instant factor for the offense from Day 1. Alquadin Muhammad should provide a boost to the pass rush. What holds the class back is the lack of players from South Florida (Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties), of which there are only four, and the lack of a defensive tackle.
Top three players: Beau Sandland (TE), Stacy Coley (WR), Artie Banks (DB).
Top three rival classes: Clemson, Florida State, Virginia Tech.
Biggest National Signing Day drama: The Hurricanes battled with Florida State for Stacy Coley, Keith Bryant and Matthew Thomas, all of whom are in-state products. Miami also swooped in and grabbed Aquadid Muhammad, a player Notre Dame was closing in on. But the biggest drama of all remains Alex Collins.
Notes from SB Nation blogs
State of the U gives the class a B overall, all things considered:
Outside of the glaring miss at DT, Miami generally did a good job of filling their needs with some of the better talents that were there for them. Some of the bigger NSD guys like Thomas, Robinson, and Collins would’ve put this class over the top but still, Miami did a solid job of address key areas of the roster and putting a solid overall class together. It’s not the star packed class that 2012 was or that 2014 hopes to be, but it’s a solid step in the right direction.
The official class release
2013 MIAMI FOOTBALL NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNEES NAME POS HT WT HOMETOWN
(PREVIOUS SCHOOL)TIME SIGNED Devante Bond LB 6-3 230 Antelope, Calif.
(Sierra College)Signed View Artie Burns DB 6-0 183 Miami, Fla.
(Miami Northwestern)Signed (7:01 a.m.) View Jamal Carter S 6-1 190 Homestead, Fla.
(Miami Southridge)Signed (7:01 a.m.) View Stacy Coley WR 6-1 173 Pompano Beach, Fla.
(Northeast)Signed View Standish Dobard TE 6-4 255 Belle Chasse, La.
(Edna Karr)Enrolled View Augustus Edwards RB 6-2 230 Staten Island, N.Y.
(Tottenville)Signed (7 a.m.) View Alex Figueroa LB 6-3 225 Stafford, Va.
(Brooke Point)
Enrolled View Alex Gall OL 6-5 290 Mason, Ohio
(Archbishop Moeller)Signed (7:05 a.m.) View Jermaine Grace LB 6-1 210 Miami Gardens, Fla.
(Mirarmar)Signed View Ufomba Kamalu DL 6-6 280 Fayetteville, Ga.
(Butler CC)Signed (8:40 a.m.) View Hunter Knighton OL 6-5 265 Pottstown, Pa.
(The Hun School)Enrolled View Ray Lewis III ATH 5-9 190 Longwood, Fla.
(Lake Mary Prep)Signed (7:08 a.m.) View Al-Quadin Muhammad DE 6-3 230 Irvington, N.J.
(Don Bosco)Signed (7 a.m.) View Sunny Odogwu OL 6-8 311 Baltimore, Md.
(Hargrave Military)Enrolled View Kevin Olsen QB 6-3 200 Wayne, N.J.
(Wayne Hills)Signed (7:01 a.m.) View Beau Sandland TE 6-6 255 Woodland Hills, Calif.
(Pierce College)Enrolled View Linebacker played last two seasons at Sierra College ... Rated as nation's 12th-best junior college LB and No. 163 overall junior college recruit by 247Sports.com ... Listed as 3-star recruit by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com andScout.com ... Tallied 77 tackles in 2012, third-most on Sierra ... Finished second in Northern California Football Association with 17 sacks for 108 yards lost ... Added 27 tackles-for-loss - third-most in NCFA ... Forced three fumbles and had four pass break-ups ... Named first-team All-Valley Conference and was also named Valley Conference Defensive MVP ... Clocked at 4.65 in 40-yard dash.
Devante Bond (LB | 6-3 | 230 | Antelope, Calif. | Sierra College)
Athletic cornerback from Miami ... 4-star recruit by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and MaxPreps.com ... Rated No. 10-best CB by ESPNU and No. 12 by both 247Sports.com and MaxPreps.com ... Also rated No. 15-best CB byRivals.com and No. 17 by Scout.com ... 2013 Under Armour All-American ... Tallied 72 tackles, 4 sacks, 6 PBU, two interceptions and had two kick returns for touchdowns ... Had 19 tackles in 10-7 win over Christopher Columbus HS in 2012 ... Coached by Stephen Field at Miami Northwestern HS ... Nation's top hurdler and will be dual-sport athlete at 'The U'.
Artie Burns (DB | 6-0 | 183 | Miami, Fla. | Miami Northwestern HS)
Talented and athletic safety hails from nearby Homestead, Fla. ... Rated as 4-star prospect by ESPNU, 247Sports.com,Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Rated No. 17-best safety by Scout.com, No. 21 by Rivals.com and No. 22 by 247Sports.com... Listed as 40th-best athlete by ESPNU ... Recorded 73 tackles and one interception as senior in 2012 ... Coached by Lamont Green at Miami Southridge Senior HS.
Jamal Carter (S | 6-1 | 190 | Homestead, Fla. | Miami Southridge Senior HS)
Speedy receiver from Pompano Beach, Fla. ... 4-star recruit by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Rated No. 4-best WR by ESPNU, No. 7 by 247Sports.com, No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 13 by Rivals.com ... 2013 Under Armour All-American ... Coley led Northeast HS to first round of Class 7A playoffs in 2012, while catching 29 passes for 513 yards and 10 touchdowns ... Coached by former NFL running back Donnell Bennett at Northeast HS.
Stacy Coley (WR | 6-1 | 173 | Pompano Beach, Fla. | Northeast HS)
Attended 2012 Al Golden Football Camp ... Enrolled at Miami in January 2013 ... Rated 4-star recruit by ESPNU,247Sports.com and Scout.com ... Nation's No.4 -best TE by ESPNU and No. 7-best TE according to 247Sports.com andScout.com ... Led Edna Karr to 15-0 record and Louisiana Class 4A state title in 2012 ... Recorded 53 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns as a senior ... Notched six catches for 61 yards in 29-22 state title win over Neville HS ... Coached by Jabbar Juluke at Edna Karr HS.
Standish Dobard (TE | 6-4 | 255 | Belle Chasse, La. | Edna Karr HS)
Running back hails from Staten Island, N.Y. ... Listed as 3-star recruit by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com andScout.com ... Rated as nation's No. 1 fullback by Rivals.com ... Rated No. 40 nationally among running backs by247Sports.com and No. 46 by Scout.com ... Led team to playoffs with 868 yards and 11 touchdowns on 104 attempts ... Coached by Jim Munson at Tottenville HS.
Augustus Edwards (RB | 6-2 | 230 | Staten Island, N.Y. | Tottenville HS)
Enrolled at Miami in January 2013 ... First-team All-Metro selection in 2012 by The Washington Post ... As senior, recorded 107 tackles - 74 solo - with 11 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks ... Also caught 54 passes for 612 yards and six touchdowns ... Prepped at Brooke Point HS in Stafford, Va.
Alex Figueroa (LB | 6-3 | 225 | Stafford, Va. | Brooke Point HS)
Rated 3-star lineman by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Ranked No. 17 OT nationally byScout.com ... Gall's team won state title ... Earned first-team All-Greater Cincinnati League honors and was named conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year for second straight season ... Coached by John Rodenberg at Archbishop Moeller HS in Cincinnati.
Alex Gall (OL | 6-5 | 290 | Mason, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller HS)
4-star LB attended Miramar HS in nearby Miami Gardens, Fla. ... Played at same high school as current Miami Hurricane standouts Tracy Howard, Malcolm Lewis and Ryan Williams ... Rated 4-stars by ESPNU, 247Sports.com and Rivals.com... Ranked No. 11-best LB nationally by ESPNU and No. 17 by Rivals.com ... 2013 Semper Fidelis All-American ... Grace had more than 140 tackles, two interceptions, nine sacks and 20 tackles for losses this past season ... Clocked at 4.50 in 40-yard dash ... Coached by Damon Cogdell at Miramar HS.
Jermaine Grace (LB | 6-1 | 210 | Miami Gardens, Fla. | Mirarmar HS)
Listed as 3-star defensive tackle by ESPNU and 247Sports.com ... Rated as No. 9-best JUCO DT and No. 87 overall JUCO prospect by 247Sports.com ... Recorded 54 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss as sophomore in 2012 at Butler CC ... Added three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries ... Played for head coach Troy Morrell at Butler CC in El Dorado, Kan.
Ufomba Kamalu (DL | 6-6 | 280 | Fayetteville, Ga. | Butler CC)
Attended 2012 Al Golden Football Camp ... Enrolled at Miami in January 2013 ... Rated as 3-star OT by ESPNU,247Sports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Ranked No. 53 at his postion by Scout.com and No. 57 by 247Sports.com ... Outstanding two-way lineman at The Hun School of Princeton ... Was being recruited as offensive lineman ... Coached by Dave Dudeck at The Hun School of Princeton.
Hunter Knighton (OL | 6-5 | 265 | Pottstown, Pa. | The Hun School of Princeton)
Rated as 3-star running back by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com ... No. 87-best RB nationally by247Sports.com and No. 99 by Scout.com ... 2013 Semper Fidelis All-American ... Holds Seminole County record for touchdowns ... Rushed for 1,898 yards and 20 touchdowns as senior ... Added 676 yards and four touchdowns on 31 catches and 78 tackles and four interceptions on defense ... Son of former Miami Hurricanes and Baltimore Ravens great and two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis ... Coached by Buck Gurley at Lake Mary Prep.
Ray Lewis III (ATH | 5-9 | 190 | Longwood, Fla. | Lake Mary Prep)
Impressive DE rated 4-stars by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and MaxPreps.com ... Rated as No. 3-best DE nationally by Rivals.com, No. 5 by 247Sports.com, No. 7 by ESPNU, No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 12 byMaxPreps.com ... Ranked Top 50 overall by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com ... 2013 U.S. Army All-American ... Finished Army All-American game with 1.5 sacks, forced fumble and fumble recovery ... Defensive anchor of Don Bosco team that won six consecutive state titles ... Had over 10 sacks while leading team to state semifinals ... Coached by Greg Toal at national football powerhouse Don Bosco HS.
Al-Quadin Muhammad (DE | 6-3 | 230 | Irvington, N.J. | Don Bosco HS)
Odogwu enrolled at Miami in January 2013 ... Listed as 3-star OT by ESPNU, 247Sports.com and Scout.com ... Participated in 2011 Maryland Crab Bowl, a senior all-star game matching top players from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area ... Massive 6-foot-8 tackle came to United States at age 16 and played basketball at Huntington Prep in Huntington, W.Va. ... Transferred to Baltimore St. Frances and played football for first time there as senior ... Spent 2012 season at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. ... Coached by Benjamin Paris at Hargrave ... Native of Nigeria.
Sunny Odogwu (OL | 6-8 | 311 | Baltimore, Md. | Hargrave Military Academy)
Attended 2012 Al Golden Football Camp ... Considered one of nation's top pro-style QB prospects ... 4-star QB by ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and MaxPreps.com ... Ranked No. 4 QB nationally by Scout.com, No. 5 by both ESPNU and 247Sports.com and No. 6 by MaxPreps.com ... Rated No. 54 overall by Scout.com, No. 64 byMaxPreps.com and No. 87 on ESPNU Top 150 ... 2013 Under Armour All-American ... 2013 Elite 11 QB ... Brother of former Miami Hurricane and current Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen ...Olsen missed most of senior season due to broken bone in foot, returning his team's second-round playoff loss ... Completed 39 of 77 passes for 448 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions Also rushed for 90 yards and another score ... Coached by Wayne Demikoff at Wayne Hills HS.
Kevin Olsen (QB | 6-3 | 200 | Wayne, N.J. | Wayne Hills HS)
Enrolled at Miami in January 2013 ... Nation's No. 1 junior college tight end in 2012 ... 4-star JUCO TE according to ESPNU, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com ... In eight games as sophomore in 2012, caught 24 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns en route to first-team All-Pacific Conference honors ... Played high school football at Simi Valley.
Beau Sandland (TE | 6-6 | 255 | Woodland Hills, Calif. | Pierce College)
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