Miami recruits cool about Goldens hot seat

MIAMI - Waynmon Steed doesn't seem to be a believer in the whole win-is-a-win mantra. The University of Miami commit, like a lot of others in the city he calls home, watched the Hurricanes' 44-20 victory over FAU on Friday night.

The look on the junior linebacker's face a day later conveys an unsteady take.

"We're gonna get it straightened out," said the Miami Central High School linebacker, wearing a headband emblazed with his future college's iconic green-and-orange "U" logo.

"You've seen the talent going in there and some of the young guys they have now with Joseph Yearby. All the things my class can do and the 2016 guys going in can do, it's going to be good."

Steed has a metric ton of confidence in the Miami machine. Whether that faith is in the current head coach Al Golden and his staff, or in what may come after its possible dismissal is a different question. Even that, however, isn't the most pressing query.

A 22-member recruiting class with a shiny No. 7 ranking listed next to it is not the work of a coaching staff in jeopardy of being terminated. Except for the fact that it is in this case. That's not even to mention the 14 prospects already committed to sign in the classes of 2017 and 2018 -- prospects such as Steed.

It's those facts that push the more obvious questions to the forefront - questions like:

How is Miami doing it?

Shawn Rose, one of the coaches of the influential and hyper-successful South Florida Express 7-on-7 team that boasts dozens of major college prospects every year, says there are two theories on that front. The first one, it turns out, is fairly straightforward.

"The coaches -- and not even really just at Miami -- are making these scholarship spots more exclusive," Rose said. "They're letting kids know that they are not willing to wait. These guys that want to wait until February are being told that the spots are exclusive and if they want a spot, they better get a spot now. That's working."

Theory No. 2 is more nuanced. It's more hypothetical. It's also more interesting.

"If Golden isn't there, I think the names that are out there on that short list -- whether it's true or not -- are intriguing to these younger guys," Rose said. "I think these guys do pay more attention to college football than kids did three or five years ago."

Steed admits that he's been told by people outside of the Miami program to stick with his commitment in the event of a coaching change because of the intrigue of what could be on deck. The rumors are out there and, true or not, they're not exactly quiet whispers.

"I've heard some stuff -- some names, " Steed said. "There's no way to tell what's gonna happen. That's why I need to concentrate on what we do when we get there, not what's happening now."

One of the names Steed and others have heard will be involved should a coaching change take place is that of Alabama assistant head coach Mario Cristobal. Those rumors are, of course, totally unsubstantiated. Nobody is going to comment on a job occupied by a colleague.

Still, people talk. The South Florida football community is a relatively small one. And Rose, who is as plugged in as anyone, has heard the same buzz.

"I'm just going to go down the list of guys I think could be a coach at Miami," Rose said. "Cristobal would be one. Lane Kiffin would be too because I think this is his last year at Alabama. Even Ed Orgeron would be on the list because I think he's ready to be a head coach again. I think these names excite some kids because they do pay attention now."

And that might be why Steed is adamant that he will sign with the Hurricanes in February of 2017 regardless of the coaching situation.

"Yeah, I'm going no matter what," he said on Saturday.

Of course all of this talk could be moot. Golden could lead Miami to a successful season and remain the program's head coach for years to come. In that case, he'll likely retain the bulk of his touted recruiting class led by four-star wide receiver Sam Bruce, who is expected to sign with the Hurricanes should the current staff remain in place.

And so a city that's said to be unlike any other city on Earth is fittingly home to a football program that seems to be accomplishing what few other schools can. Sure Miami's recent recruiting success gives the Hurricanes plenty to lose. But, more and more, it's starting to seem as though those losses may never occur in full.

It's why ignoring all the hot seat talk and all the replacement buzz is the chosen course of action. There's no need to put recruits at ease if they aren't worried in the first place.

"They never talk to me about their future or any of that," said defensive end Joshua Uche, a Miami commit in the class of 2016. "They pretty much ignore that stuff."

Uche takes what is now becoming a familiar approach. He seems to be of the opinion that the situation will simply work itself out. Worried? Not in the slightest. Asked if he would prefer the Hurricanes' coaches address the possibility of a coaching change head-on in an effort to put concerns to rest, he delivers a verbal shrug of sorts.

"It doesn't really matter to me," he said. "I really don't care."