The Rundown Take
14th in the Nation in Two Months: U Talk Kicks Off 2022 with Signing Day Receipts and a Reality Check from Coach Hayes
The first show of 2022 opened with Devin's daughters Ashlynn and Destiny thanking the U Talk family for buying Girl Scout cookies, then turned to business: Devin, Larry Frank Jr. and George Diaz broke down a signing class that jumped from 67th to 14th nationally in Cristobal's first two months, before recurring guest Coach Kyle Hayes called in to pump the brakes on expectations until the coaching staff is complete.
Key Takeaways
- Miami's 2022 class climbed from 67th to 14th nationally in roughly two months under Cristobal, with 14 signees and five transfers and more portal additions expected.
- Joe Salavea is confirmed as the new defensive line coach, joining edge signee Cyrus Moss (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas) and Clemson transfer receiver Frankie Ladson.
- Coach Kyle Hayes, calling in, refuses to give a win total for 2022 — pointing out Miami still lacks a named linebackers coach, safety coach, tight ends coach and receivers coach.
- James Freeman calls in with a bold 12-0 prediction if the roster stays healthy, while George Diaz and the panel land closer to 9-3 or 11-1.
- George Diaz shares that his grandfather passed away just before the show, months after losing his father — the panel pauses to send the family love mid-broadcast.
Signing Day Receipts
Larry Frank and George Diaz walked through the class position by position: Cyrus Moss projected as a pure edge rusher, a USC transfer added up front, and Ladson praised as a receiver upgrade even after Miami missed on another target who committed elsewhere. The linebacker room got only one true addition, but both hosts pointed to Kevin Steele's track record developing linebackers as reason for optimism on Chase Smith and Corey Flagg. The headline stat: Cristobal took the class from 67th to 14th nationally in two months — a pace the panel expects to produce a top-five 2023 class if the on-field product follows.
Coach Hayes: Not Yet
Coach Kyle Hayes, a longtime friend who has known Cristobal since their FIU days, explained why he'd been cautious during the coaching search — arguing a first-time head coach has to "strike gold twice," landing both coordinators, to succeed. He praised the Kevin Steele hire but declined a season prediction, noting Miami still lacks named linebackers, safety, TE and WR coaches. Asked about team identity, Hayes was direct about what he expects from Cristobal.
"I love his approach to the game, I love the no-nonsense — we're going to be tougher than you even if we're not more talented than you. We coming to go to work."
The Turnover Chain and the Schedule
Hayes also weighed in on the retirement of the turnover chain, arguing it was bigger than one coaching regime — a piece of program swagger that changed college football culture, not something he thinks needed to go. On the newly released 2022 schedule, the panel debated realistic outcomes: with Texas A&M on September 16 looming as the marquee non-conference test, predictions ranged from a cautious 9-3 to James Freeman's confident 12-0, with most landing on an 11-win season as plausible if the roster stays healthy.
Family First
The lightest and heaviest moments of the night sat side by side — Devin's daughters kicking off the show with their cookie fundraiser, and George Diaz sharing mid-show that his grandfather had just passed away, months after losing his father. The chat and panel paused to send condolences before carrying on — a reminder that under the football talk, U Talk still runs like family.