Seven Hurricanes Invited to Pre-Draft All-Star Games

Seven Miami Hurricanes have been invited to play in pre-draft all-star games that can be a good platform for some of the country’s top seniors to improve their draft stock.

The East-West Shrine Game will feature wide receiver LaRon Byrd and tight end Chase Ford. Byrd saw sporadic playing time his senior year, hauling in 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He was a frequent starter in previous seasons, catching over 30 passes for more than 400 yards in each of the last two years. He caught four touchdown passes as a freshman in 2008. Ford played two seasons with the Hurricanes, catching 16 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns over his UM career. The game will be played in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Quarterback Jacory Harris and linebacker Jordan Futch will play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson, California. Harris had arguably his best season as the Hurricanes quarterback in 2011, tossing only five picks through his first 10 games before a four-interception outing in the finale against Boston College (he missed the opener due to suspension for having allegedly received improper benefits from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named). He threw for 2,486 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior with a career-high 65% completion rate and 150.6 quarterback rating. Futch had a career-high 20 tackles his senior year. He also recorded a sack, fumble recovery, and two pass breakups.

Cornerback Lee Chambers, offensive tackle Joel Figueroa, and defensive tackle Micanor Regis will play in the first-ever Battle of Florida All-Star Game in Boca Raton. Chambers recorded 15 tackles on the year with one pass breakup. He made the switch from running back to cornerback his senior year after seeing sporadic time at the former in previous seasons. Figueroa has been a part of the team since coming to Coral Gables in 2006, earning significant playing time as a sophomore in 2008 and continuing to contribute along the line of scrimmage through his senior season. Regis was a steady presence up front for the Hurricanes this year as they struggled through several injuries and suspensions. He saw action in 10 games, starting four, to record 41 tackles, two sacks, and a team-high four pass breakups. He recorded a career-high 42 tackles and three sacks in 2010.  He played in at least 10 games in each of his four years on campus.

All three games are set to be played on January 21.