WEDNESDAY BUZZ COLUMN

With a week to go before National Signing Day, UM still doesn’t have a single commitment from an offensive linemen or defensive tackle --- two positions in need of improvement, considering Miami ranked 112th in yards per carry on offense last season and finished 10th-worst (118th) in yards per carry allowed on defense.

The offensive line isn't a big priority in this class, because every starter returns and UM added six in last year's class, led by four-star Tyree St. Louis and Bar Milo.

But the defensive line needs an impact tackle or two to augment a group including Kendrick Norton, Courtel Jenkins, Anthony Moten, Gerald Willis, Ryan Fines and R.J. McIntosh.

Mark Richt’s staff has pursued several top defensive tackles in recent weeks, but four-star Glen Logan (an LSU commit) canceled a Miami visit this past weekend; four-star Briston Guidry reiterated his “100 percent” commitment to Arkansas (though he told Caneport that UM coaches are visiting him this week and the Canes are still in contention); and efforts to land four-star New Orleans based D’Andre Christmas have been “to no avail,” according to Caneinsight.com.

Though Oklahoma long has been considered the favorite, UM still has a legitimate chance with three-star Texas-based Marcel Southall (Rivals.com’s 30th-best defensive tackle). He grew up a Canes fan and tweeted “#GoCanes” during his Coral Gables campus visit last weekend. Texas is also in the mix. His coach told Canesport that Miami is high on his list.

UM also is pushing hard for three-star Mississippi-based defensive tackle Kobe Jones, who reportedly visited Monday after previously announcing a final four of Alabama, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Missouri.

The good news: UM has two quality defensive ends committed: Patrick Bethel (already enrolled) and four-star Joseph Jackson. Four-star Houston-based end Isaiah Chambers visited this past weekend, but he’s a TCU commit and many expect him to stick with the Horned Frogs.

On the offensive line, UM wants to add one or two but lost out to TCU for Connecticut-based three-star tackle Lucas Niang.

Four-star Philadelphia-based guard Johncarlo Valentin said he would visit this weekend, but it will be difficult to get to him to flip from Oklahoma to UM. (Update: Rivals.com said he has canceled his visit, but Canesport reports Orlando-based offensive tackle Tre Johnson, an Illinois commit, will visit.)

As most of you know, Jack Allison (already enrolled) was told he will be the only quarterback in the class.

An update on where UM stands at several other positions with Signing Day looming:

### Running back: Three-star Travis Homer is a solid commitment, but UM hasn’t been able to sway four-star Coral Gables back Amir Rasul, who told Rivals that he’s “100 percent” committed to FSU but also considering Alabama.

### Receiver: Two top four-star prospects are solid commits: Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas' Sam Bruce and Gulliver Prep's Dionte Mullins. Latrell Williams, a speedy two-star UM oral commitment from Columbia High in Lake City, told one web site that there’s a “100 percent chance” he will be a Cane but told another that Tennessee very much surpassed his expectations during his visit this past weekend. Now he's declining to say whether he will stick with the Canes.

UM is in the mix for a bunch of other receivers: four-star Hinds (Miss.) CC receiver Javon Wims (a Georgia commit who said he is “really, really considering Miami” and South Carolina); four-star Wellington standout Ahmmon Richards (loved his Alabama visit last weekend, including driving a golf cart around Nick Saban’s home, but he’s also still considering UM, Auburn and Tennessee); four-star Pembroke Pines Flanagan prospect Dredrick Snelson (a soft Minnesota commit who said he’s also considering UM, UCF, Penn State and Maryland); Atlanta-based four-star receiver Randrecous Davis (told Canesport that he is leaning toward UM but will visit his other finalist, South Carolina, this weekend); four-star New Jersey-based Kelvin Harmon (down to UM, N.C. State, Indiana and West Virginia) and three-star Tennessee-based Nate Johnson (a Michigan oral commit who said he’s also considering UM and Notre Dame).

With only six scholarship receivers on the roster (Stacy Coley, Braxton Berrios, Malcolm Lewis, Lawrence Cager, Darrell Langham and D’Mauri Jones), UM would love to land several in this class.

### Tight end: There’s one solid commitment in three-star Michael Irvin Jr., who can also play receiver. Three-star New Jersey-based Jovani Hoskins, who visited last weekend, told Canesport that UM has “a great shot at landing me” and Miami is “up there” with West Virginia, who some previously had considered the favorite. UM has been trying to lure Plantation American Heritage four-star prospect Nick Eubanks, but UF is reportedly the favorite, with Alabama also in the mix.

### Linebacker: Three good ones enrolled early: Shaquille Quarterman, Mike Pinckney and Zach McCloud.

### Defensive back: Cornerback Tyler Byrd, UM’s top oral commitment, plans to visit Tennessee this weekend and told Canesport that “it will be really hard for Tennessee to catch up. I’d still say I’m solid [to Miami]. I just have no idea how good that visit is going to be.”

UM has three other defensive back oral commitments (Deion Jackson, Cedrick Wright, Malek Young), but is pursuing several others, including three-star Kissimmee-based Henry Miller, a Pittsburgh oral commitment. Miller told Canesport that his UM visit made it “close” with Pitt. He “didn’t really like any” of the former UM coaches but indicated he is impressed by this new staff.

UM also is pursuing three-star Miami Southwest safety Christopher McWilliams (a UF commit who said he’s going back and forth between the Canes and Gators; Florida appears the favorite); Virginia-based safety J.J. Givens (said UM visit “was awesome” and Miami has a legitimate shot against Maryland, N.C. State, Arizona State, South Carolina, Michigan State and Clemson); four-star cornerback Shyheim Carter (USA Today’s Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year has UM in his final four with Mississippi, Alabama and LSU, but Miami is considered an underdog); Niceville four-star safety Romeo Finley (visiting this week; was very impressed by visits to Georgia Tech and Clemson) and three-star Deerfield Beach safety James Pierre (a former UM commitment now committed to North Carolina).

CHATTER

### Dwyane Wade said his shoulders are feeling a lot better, and it's no coincidence he was very good again tonight, with 27 points (11 for 22 shooting), 8 assists, 3 steals, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 102-98 win at Brooklyn.

Chris Bosh (27 points, 12 for 18) also was excellent, and Justise Winslow's recent play has been very encouraging. Winslow had 13 points, 7 boards, 2 steals and shot 6 for 7. "Swiss army knife," Erik Spoelstra calls him.... Miami shot 54 percent tonight.

### Wade said coaches are doing a good job putting himself and Bosh in good position offensively. "It's our job to lead this team," he said.... Another key is getting into offense more quickly, an emphasis the past few days.

### Even without Hassan Whiteside the past two nights, Miami held its own on the boards. The Heat was outrebounded by three against Chicago (which is eighth in the league in rebounding differential) and outrebounded the Nets by five. (The Nets are 16th in differential.)

### Udonis Haslem tells us Spoelstra is giving players more autonomy to make in-game changes than ever before.

“If something goes wrong in the game, he tells us all the time: Fix it,” Haslem said. “He gives us the freedom to make adjustments that can help us win. It's new for everybody. Defensive schemes, different things like that, if we see it, he gives us the opportunity to change it [during the game]. He preaches leadership at all levels. He’s put a lot of onus on us, make sure we police each other.”

### Heat minority owner Ranaan Katz did an interview with an Israeli radio station today and Bleacher Report, in a translation of the interview from Hebrew to English, asserted that Katz claimed LeBron James tried to get Spoelstra fired when James played for the Heat, and that James told the Heat to draft Shabazz Napier two weeks before he signed with Cleveland.

Katz, by phone, denied making any of those comments and said Bleacher Report incorrectly translated his quotes from Hebrew to English.

"Nothing was correct [in the Bleacher Report story]," Katz said, adding that he conveyed that to Heat general manager Andy Elisburg.

Meanwhile, a Heat spokesman said this evening that James never attempted to have Spoelstra fired.

### Al Golden, who was passed over for the Rutgers head job, is in line to land a defensive assistant coaching job with the Dallas Cowboys, according to Fox and NFL Network. Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Star Telegram said he will interview with the Cowboys on Wednesday.

Golden has a very good relationship with Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and visited the Cowboys last offseason to learn new ideas.

### Not only have the Panthers won 15 in a row when elite second-year defenseman Aaron Ekblad plays, but they have outscored teams by 19 goals (fifth-best in the league entering tonight) when he’s on the ice, compared with plus-seven when he’s off. Ekblad is plus 31 in 1 ½ seasons --- one of the best plus/minuses in Panthers history.

The Panthers, who beat Toronto tonight, go to the All-Star break first in the Atlantic with 63 points and a 29-15-5 record.

### GM Dale Tallon said the six-year, $35.4 million deal for center Aleksander Barkov, announced today, was an easy decision because "he's one of the best players in the league in all three zones of the ice. Not only a great player, but a better person, and that's what we're all about is about character and developing an unbelievable culture here."... Barkov scored his 13th goal tonight, while summer trade pickup Reilly Smith took the team lead in goals with his 16th.



Please see the last post for local sports radio news from this afternoon.

Twitter: @flasportsbuzz