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'Canes ready to reap their rewards

CORAL GABLES -- To the victors go the spoils.

Miami football coach Larry Coker is finding out how true the adage is. It's been four weeks since the Hurricanes beat Nebraska in the Rose Bowl for the program's fifth national championship and first since 1991. The remnants of ticker tape and confetti from last week's parade still are blowing around.

That win is paying dividends in recruiting, as the 'Canes appear set to rake in a bounty of young talent on Feb. 6, national signing day. "I think this program, the direction that we are going, it has commanded a lot of respect," Coker said. "I think it might have helped seal the deal. Sometimes it's hard to say what really does it. But there may be one or two, maybe three players that we weren't going to get that maybe we will go ahead and get (because of the title)."

That extra edge could be more crucial this year with Miami graduating 13 seniors and losing cornerback Phillip Buchanon, tailback Clinton Portis and tight end Jeremy Shockeyto the NFL draft. Recruiting experts say the 'Canes are faring well in their search for future stars. Max Emfinger, of maxemfingerrecruiting.com, has Miami's class of prospects rated third nationally behind Texas and Oklahoma, and that's not including a few players who might yet make Coral Gables their future home.

"It's an excellent class," said Larry Blustein, publisher of FloridaKids.net. "They've pretty much got everybody they wanted ... every defensive back they wanted, they got, and (Devin) Hester, who's probably the best player in the nation out of Riviera Beach Suncoast."

If anything, losing the juniors might have aided Miami.

"Believe it or not, it plays into their hands," Blustein said. "It's tough to lose a guy like Phillip Buchanon, who's been the best player on that team the last two years, and Clinton Portis early, but it opens doors for other guys."

Miami's biggest need is the secondary, which loses Buchanon, Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, James Lewis and Markese Fitzgerald. It appears Miami has reacted strongly by getting some of the top-rated DBs in the country.

Hester, who was named MVP of Miami's camp in the summer and at the CaliFlorida Bowl played Jan. 2 in Torrance, Calif., picked UM ahead of Florida State and Georgia partly because he will have the chance to play immediately, possibly in the secondary. He also excelled at receiver, running back and kick-returner.

"I've always felt I was going to commit there," said Hester, who reportedly has been clocked at 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Defensive backs Brandon Meriweather (Apopka), Glenn Sharpe (Miami Carol City), Greg Threat (Tallahassee Lincoln) and Terrell Walden (Miami Edison) are highly regarded as well.

Miami has received oral commitments from linebackers Nate Harris (Miami Edison) and Antonio Reynolds (Akron, Ohio Buchtel) and defensive linemen Baraka Atkins of Sarasota Booker and Alton Wright, a junior college standout from Houston.

Running backs Willis McGahee and Frank Gore, who will be sophomores in the fall, will get the first chance to replace Portis, but J.R. Mounts also will get a shot. Mounts graduated from Key West High in 1997 but opted for pro baseball in the Angels organization.

Miami may revive its old moniker "Quarterback U" with Marc Guillon of Orinda (Calif.) Miramonte, Ken Dorsey's high school , and ex-Florida Gator Brock Berlin, a transfer who will have to sit out this season because of NCAA rules.

UM's offensive line loses tackles in Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez, guard Martin Bibla and backup Scott Puckett. Coker has had mixed results, getting oral commitments from Anthony Wollschlager (Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas) and Emmit Tatum (Jupiter). Wollschlager isn't considered a top recruit and Tatum said he likely will switch to Florida A&M since he doesn't meet UM's academic requirements.

But Miami is awaiting decisions by tackles Alex Pou of Coral Gables High, who also is considering Ohio State, and Max Jean-Gilles of North Miami Beach, who is looking at Georgia. If UM gets one or both to sign, the 'Canes will have filled every need.

"They can't get everybody," Blustein said. "But they've stockpiled so many guys."

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