The Rundown Take
Staying Home: U Talk Breaks Down Miami's Hottest New Recruiting Trend
Friday night, two fresh commitments in hand, and Devin opened U Talk LIVE-40 with a question the whole chat wanted answered: is Miami finally keeping its own talent home again? Safety Cameron Kitchens locked in over Clemson, Alabama and Auburn earlier in the week, and defensive end Jabari Ishmael committed less than two hours before the show went live, choosing the Canes over Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss. With former Hurricanes Levar Julius Scott and Marquez Williams tuning in from Facebook to weigh in live, the panel spent the night chasing one question: who gets the credit?
Key Takeaways
- Safety Cameron Kitchens (Northwestern High, 6'1", 201 lbs) and DE Jabari Ishmael (Columbus High, 6'5", 210 lbs) both committed to Miami within days of each other, pushing the 2021 class to 18 commits.
- Several Hurricanes reportedly tested positive for COVID-19; Devin wished the team a speedy recovery without releasing names.
- New staff addition: former Florida State standout Telly Lockett joining as a recruiter with deep South Florida ties, praised by both former players on the call.
- Caller consensus on the magic number for a successful Manny Diaz year two: Tim Adams called it at 10-2 and an ACC title-game berth; Levar Scott argued for judging by winning percentage (.800 or better) given the shortened, all-ACC schedule.
- Devin's all-time NFL offensive line: Bruce Matthews, Art Shell and Larry Allen — with a grudging admission that he "hates the Cowboys" but respects Allen's game.
Who Gets the Credit?
Devin put it to the panel and the phone lines: after years of local prospects leaving South Florida, why are Kitchens, Ishmael and a loaded 2020 class suddenly staying put? Caller Benny Bear and former Hurricane Levar Scott both pointed to the coaching staff collectively, but Marquez Williams made the case that the primary recruiter — in this case DeMarcus Van Dyke, who built a real relationship with the Kitchens family — deserves the lion's share. Devin floated incoming offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, defensive backs coach Ed Reed and Manny Diaz himself as other candidates, with the room ultimately landing on a collective effort anchored by Van Dyke and Mike Rumph.
New Staff, New Swagger
The Telly Lockett hire got real energy from the former players — Williams called his South Florida reach "big," and Levar Scott admitted he didn't realize how far Lockett's influence ran until hearing it from someone who lived it. On the coaching-impact debate, the room split between Lashlee turning around an offense that "looked terrible" a year ago and Ed Reed's ability to coach up a defensive backfield that needs discipline and fundamentals. Both former players agreed: last year's issues were more about missed tackles, bad footwork and guys quitting when down double digits than raw talent.
What It Takes to Get Manny Off the Hot Seat
The night's second debate: what record clears Manny Diaz's bar in year two? Tim Adams called in with 10-2 and an ACC Championship appearance; Levar Scott pushed back that with a shortened, all-conference-only schedule, judging by winning percentage — .800 or better — made more sense than a raw win total. Devin agreed the Virginia Tech and Michigan State games from the original schedule were the two he'd flagged as danger spots months ago, and floated Notre Dame joining the ACC slate as a wildcard. Everyone circled back to the same theme all night: the talent and depth are finally there — no more excuses.