The Rundown Take
James Williams Stays Home: U Talk on Whether Miami Can Finally Coach Up the Talent
Friday night hit different for the family after the biggest recruiting news of the summer: five-star athlete James Williams, the number-nine player in the nation and the top-ranked player in Florida, committed to stay home and play for the U. Devin welcomed Miami Hurricanes alum D King Trip into the show, and the panel spent the night chasing one question — with the throwback talent finally choosing Miami again, can this coaching staff actually put it together on the field?
Key Takeaways
- Five-star James Williams commits to Miami, pushing the 2021 class to 11th nationally — the highest-rated player in the class so far.
- James Williams, quoted from his commitment: "I will always and forever rip my city to the day I die."
- The panel credits DBs coach Ephraim Bender and the Miami-tied support network — Ed Reed, Demarcus Van Dyke — for pulling elite talent back home.
- Devin flags the 2008 cautionary tale: a number-one recruiting class under Randy Shannon that never translated to wins, featuring names like Jacory Harris and Ramon Buchanan.
- Miami Hurricanes alum D King Trip joins the show and backs the "guys are ready to compete" read on the new wave of commits.
Staying Home, With Receipts
Devin ran down the 2020 class talent that's already on campus — five-star safety Al Blades, four-star running back Jaylan Knighton, four-star Don Chaney, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and more — before turning to what James Williams staying home means for a program that keeps signing blue-chippers without banking wins. The panel also floated hope that fellow five-star Leonard Taylor could follow, which would push the class inside the top ten.
No More Excuses
The line came up again and again: talent alone didn't work in 2008, and it can't be the excuse again in 2020. With a grad transfer defensive end joining the room and Rhett Lashlee installing a new offense, Devin put it on the coaches — Manny Diaz gets credit for the offseason culture reset, but the results have to show up on the field this fall.
"I don't think this guy's gonna be a bust. This dude right here is the real deal."
Old-School Debate: Greatest NFL Defensive End Ever
The night closed on Devin's recurring NFL question, this time defensive ends. Larry Frank Jr, callers Scoop Austin and Jeffrey O'Neal, and the rest of the chat threw out Reggie White, Deacon Jones, Bruce Smith, Howie Long, Khalil Mack and Julius Peppers before the room landed on a near-unanimous verdict: nobody separated from the pack like Reggie White.