The Rundown Take
New Blood in the Building: U Talk Breaks Down Travis Williams, T-Rob and the Ed Reed Question
On a cold Friday night with Larry Frank Jr. calling in fresh off a training trip to Dallas, Devin and co-host E dug into the freshly finalized coaching staff — new linebackers coach Travis Williams, new DBs coach Trevarius "T-Rob" Robinson, and defensive analyst Bob Shoop all official — before wading into the family's favorite mystery: what does Ed Reed's chief of staff title actually mean?
Key Takeaways
- Travis Williams is officially the linebackers coach and T-Rob the DBs coach — Larry Frank called Williams' hire over 48 hours before it happened and says his prediction streak is still perfect.
- Bob Shoop joins as a defensive analyst; he succeeded Manny Diaz at Mississippi State, runs the same 4-2-5 scheme, and was a 2018 Broyles Award finalist for best assistant in the country.
- Manny Diaz self-proclaimed himself defensive coordinator — no separate DC hire, he's calling the defense himself while Rhett Lashlee runs the offense.
- Larry Frank's prediction for the season: 10-2, a Coastal Division title, and a New Year's Six bowl, with the only losses coming to Alabama and one ACC game.
- Early way-too-soon rankings already have Miami around number eight or nine nationally — the panel isn't putting much stock in it until the games are played.
The Ed Reed Debate
Caller Benny Barrett kicked off a theory that stuck with the whole room: Ed Reed's chief of staff title, handed out after the 2019 Independence Bowl collapse, was never meant to hand him real football decision-making power — it was a culture and accountability hire to get the coaching staff on the same page. Larry Frank ran with it, noting Alonzo Highsmith was the original name floated for that kind of role before taking an NFL job. Devin admitted he's genuinely unsure how much say Reed has on game-day decisions and wants the family to help dig up the answer. Either way, everyone agrees Reed's presence alone is a five-star recruiting weapon.
"You come play in Miami, let Ed Reed tell you what was waiting for you — I mean, who's gonna say no to Ed Reed?"
The Manny-Lashlee Split and the Perfect Storm
Larry Frank laid out his read on the year: Manny reclaiming full control of the defense — the same defense that carried Miami with a turnover chain in 2017 — while Rhett Lashlee's offense, now with a full spring and returning experience, finally complements it instead of needing bailing out. He pointed to Miami being cited as the third-most experienced returning team in the country and to Shoop's shared scheme language with Diaz as reasons to actually believe the hype this year, not just hope for it.
Recruiting Buzz and the Untouchables
Both new position coaches got praised as SEC-caliber recruiters who can mine talent-rich Florida and beyond, with T-Rob's physical, bump-and-run coaching style singled out as a selling point for defensive backs. On offense, Devin and E once again refused to say two returning receivers' names out loud — still just "eight and six" — a running bit over dropped passes. The show closed on lighter recruiting buzz: Jason Taylor's son, a sophomore, drawing early Miami interest, with Adrian James joking he'd take any role just to follow his kid to Coral Gables.