The Rundown Take
Star Ratings Lie? U Talk Breaks Down Why Mario Cristobal's 2023 Class Is the Realest Miami Has Fielded in Years
Friday night, Devin dialed in remote with spotty reception while Larry Frank Jr. held the fort, and the two dove straight into a 2023 recruiting class that jumped from the mid-40s to the seventh-ranked composite class in three weeks. With Raul Aguirre freshly committed and Maui Goa flipping from an Alabama lean, the panel's question was simple: is this staff finally building the deep, physical roster Miami hasn't had in nearly two decades?
Key Takeaways
- Maui Goa, the number-one-ranked tackle in America who was leaning Alabama, is the panel's pick for biggest recruiting surprise of the cycle.
- Guest James "Italian Stallion" Freeman broke down July 23rd as a marquee date: safety Jaden Bonzo, five-star safety Jonah Aguero and five-star tackle Samson Okunlola ("Pancake Honcho") could all land.
- The panel torched recruiting-service star drops, pointing to Ed Reed — a two/three-star out of high school who became a Hall of Famer — as proof the ratings miss real evaluation.
- Roster attrition reality check: only eight of the 23 signees from the heavily-hyped 2018 class (ranked sixth nationally) are still on the team; the 2019 class, signed under Manny Diaz after a "parking-lot" coaching hire drama, has ten of 18 left.
- Caller debate erupted over Manny Diaz's tenure — dubbed "Mistake Diaz" by one caller — over his refusal to play younger, more talented players.
The Star Rating Conspiracy
Larry Frank and James Freeman went deep on a running theory: five-star recruits mysteriously lose a star the moment they commit to Miami, while the same players would stay five-star committing to Alabama, Clemson or Ohio State. They pointed to Jaden Wayne's star drop, reportedly justified by a lack of defensive film because he played receiver in high school, calling the explanation "garbage." The panel's larger point: recruiting services still haven't adjusted to Miami actually competing again after years of irrelevance.
Chasing the SEC — and the img Pipeline
Larry Frank credited Mario Cristobal's full coaching staff — not just Cristobal himself — for landing commitments Miami used to lose to Alabama, LSU and Georgia, crediting the staff's relationships up and down the IMG Academy pipeline that historically fed talent to everyone but Miami. Both hosts floated conference realignment scenarios where Miami, Florida State and Clemson could eventually join the SEC, arguing it would keep South Florida talent home instead of scattering to SEC programs.
Learning From the Diaz Years
The night's sharpest debate came from a caller defending Manny Diaz's on-field talent evaluation while blasting his roster management — specifically not playing younger, more athletic classes soon enough, which the caller says cost Diaz his job after losses to Georgia Tech, FIU and Louisiana Tech. Larry Frank agreed the previous staff at least got the roster foundation right, even if the results didn't show it.