And the impact of that fleeting footprint is felt even in Miami-Dade and Broward counties: Many of the most coveted recruits in Miami’s own backyard have begun to treat coach Al Golden’s version of The U like an afterthought. Of the 140 Florida prospects awarded a four- or five-star grade from 247Sports’ composite ratings in the last three (2013-15) recruiting classes, only 15 signed on to play for the Hurricanes. Of the top 25 Florida prospects in the most recent class, 16 played for high schools in or south of Orlando; of those 16, all but one3 opted to take his talents northward, most of them to ACC rivals Florida State4 and Clemson.5 After letting local headliners Joey Bosa (Ohio State), Alex Collins (Arkansas), Matthew Thomas (FSU), Dalvin Cook (FSU), Sony Michel (Georgia), Ermon Lane (FSU), Travis Rudolph (FSU), and Travonte Valentine (LSU) leave the Miami-Dade/Broward area in 2013 and 2014, the Canes missed out on a pair of 2015 five-stars (McFadden and Alabama-bound Calvin Ridley, the top-rated wide receiver in the nation) who grew up within an hour’s drive of the UM campus. In the 2016 class — still a work in progress — Miami has yet to pick up a commitment from a prospect ranked in the state’s top 10.
