Miami football should recruit better in spread and up tempo per Rhett Lashlee

The advancement of the offense for the Miami football program into an uptempo spread should help their recruiting according to new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

The offense for the Miami football program has been stagnant for most of the last three seasons under former head coach Mark Richt in 2017 and ’18 and former offensive coordinator Dan Enos in 2019. New offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said earlier this week his system will help the Hurricanes in recruiting.

The comments from Lashlee came during an appearance on Hurricane Hotline this week with the announcing team for the Miami football program of play-by-play announcer Joe Zagacki and analyst Don Bailey Jr. The recruiting for the Hurricanes has been relatively highly ranked over the past few years.

A bigger problem than recruiting might be player development. The Miami football program has had only two offensive skill position players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft over the last 12 years. Tight end David Nkoju was selected in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in 2017. Philip Dorsett by Indianapolis Colts in 2015.

The 2020 class for the Miami football program that signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period in December has several highly ranked offensive skill position players. They committed to Miami while Enos was still employed as the Hurricanes offensive coordinator. Lashlee has not been regarded as a great recruiter.

"“Kids would rather play in this offense than a lot of others ones out there. Clemson runs the same offense we run; Chad Morris installed it, and he learned it from Gus Malzahn [for whom Lashlee played in high school and coached alongside at several stops].Receivers, quarterbacks, tight ends, running backs want to play and they want the ball. We averaged 81 plays a game [last season at SMU] and ran over 100 plays twice in a game. The more plays you run, the more touches for your playmakers. Guys see opportunities.You can have running back with 25 or 30 carries and still throw it 35 times. That’s pretty do-able when you’re running with some tempo because you’re going to run enough plays. It’s fast, explosive, exciting. It makes it a lot easier to recruit.”"

Several freshmen that signed with the Miami football program could come in and make an impact. We have heard that for several years though. The last freshman to sign with Miami and be an elite player at a skill position on offense in his first year with the Hurricanes was wide receiver Ahmmon Richards in 2016.

Tight end Brevin Jordan was one of the best receivers for the Hurricanes in 2018, but not the elite player Richards was as a freshman. Richards broke Michael Irvin‘s 31-year old receiving yardage record for freshmen. After a neck injury during the Hurricanes ACC Coastal Title winning season in 2017, Richards had to retire.

If all or any combination of four-star quarterback Tyler VanDyke, running backs Don Chaney Jr and Jaylen Knighton and wide receivers Michael Redding III and Dazalin Worsham have outstanding freshmen seasons that will greatly help Lashlee and his offensive coaching staff recruiting.

Lashlee spoke about recruiting South Florida during an appearance on the Joe Rose Show on WQAM last week. Hurricane Hotline is on WQAM which is the flagship station for Miami football and basketball.

"“There’s no doubt and I think that’s one of the things that makes this opportunity exciting is there is a lot of young men down here that have a lot of ability and I think if they just see an offense where they know they can come in and thrive in and use their abilities, it will excite them to want to stay home and go to the ‘U.Everybody comes down here to recruit because there’s players everywhere, but it’s a lot different when you’re coming down to get a player versus being able to say, ‘this is home’ and try to get players to stay home and put on that ‘U.It really is exciting knowing that you can just drive up the road and find guys who can help you win a championship.”"

Everyone has heard the hyperbole before about X player or coach is going to bring a positive answer to the perpetual question is the U back. As with every coaching staff and new hire patience is expected. Lashlee cannot be expected to arrive in Miami and sign every elite recruit or turn the Hurricanes into an offensive powerhouse.

The boo birds will be out against Temple in September if the Miami football team cannot move the ball on offense in the season opener against the Owls at Hard Rock Stadium. At the very least the Hurricanes will have a more modern offense and if Lashlee’s promise proves fruitful one that is more appealing to recruits.