The Rundown Take
Early Signing Day Special: Mario Cristobal's First Class Has the Family Believing Again
Devin kicked off signing-day week practically giddy, admitting he hadn't been this hyped for a Miami class in years. With Larry Frank Jr. and insider George Diaz cycling through and callers flooding the lines, the panel broke down the early haul — headlined by a linebacker Devin had been begging the program to land — and started building the staff Mario Cristobal still needs to finish.
Key Takeaways
- Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe is the signing Devin calls the most important "get" of the class — he compares his instincts to a young Rolando McClain — alongside defensive tackle Nigel Kelly, a Dillard product the panel had assumed was a lost cause.
- George Diaz reports the offensive coordinator job is "locked in" for Joe Brady, architect of LSU's Joe Burrow national-title passing attack, pending contract details during the dead period.
- The DC search centers on two names: Larry Frank pushes Derek Mason (Auburn, ex-Stanford/Vanderbilt) as a proven, current coordinator; multiple callers argue for Will Muschamp, calling his fingerprints still visible on Georgia's defense as an analyst.
- George confirms wide receiver transfer Frank Ladson (Clemson) is coming to Miami, and — bigger news — Tyreek Stevenson is passing on the NFL to return for another season despite playing through a torn ACL late in the year.
- Alabama cornerback transfer Marcus Banks is in the fold, giving Miami SEC-tested corners on both sides once paired with Stevenson.
The Class So Far
Beyond Bissainthe and Kelly, the panel highlighted a loaded quarterback room addition in Markeith Williams and Chris Graves, a USC defensive tackle transfer picking up buzz, and Atlanta defensive back Jaden Harris — with George noting his signing paperwork lists him as a pure DB rather than the safety some fans expected. One caller, a 20-year Atlanta transplant, argued Miami doesn't need five years to turn it around — just money, a real coaching hierarchy, and a commitment to locking down the local recruiting footprint, the way Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson used to.
Building the Staff Around Mario
The DC debate ran hot. Larry Frank wants someone who has coordinated recently, not a name resting on mid-2000s résumé lines — his case for Derek Mason leaned on Auburn's defensive numbers against Alabama this season. Callers pushed back for Muschamp, arguing the game hasn't changed enough at its core for his track record to be stale, and praising the discipline he'd instill. On offense, the room was fine with Joe Brady if George's report holds, with Ken Dorsey and Tom Herman floated as alternatives.
Manny Diaz, One Last Look Back
A caller pressed the panel on why the previous staff couldn't get out of its own way, and Larry Frank didn't hold back: a first-time head coach cutting his teeth at a brand-name job instead of a rebuilding program, an over-involved CEO style that didn't trust his assistants, and a Twitter presence that undercut the message. The panel credited Diaz as a strong recruiter but pointed to a hard-headed unwillingness to adapt as the reason it didn't translate to wins.
"You do not hire a coach that's going to cut his teeth and get his feet wet in the coaching game at a school that has a brand, that has a tradition. If he had gone to a bottom feeder first, you have nothing to lose — but at Miami, that's no excuse."