Canes snag a stud DB

BY David Villavicencio

Tracy Howard is staying home.

The top-rated cornerback in the country announced he would play for the hometown Hurricanes and join a group of freshman defensive backs that could see a ton of playing time next season.

Howard will be a candidate to play early and potentially start as a freshman. Miami does not have any standouts returning at corner and Howard is expected to be the type of player that can make an impact from the minute he steps on a college campus.

While Howard is the highest rated corner Miami has signed, there are several other outstanding talents that will be joining him as freshmen next season.

Deon Bush from Columbus High School in Miami is a big, physical corner that could pair with Howard to form one of the best cornerback tandems in the country by the time their college careers are done.

Vernon Davis and Larry Hope, two more local cornerbacks, will have a chance to earn some playing time early as well. Davis was a shutdown corner for Miami Coral Reef and Hope is a talented corner from Miami American.

Tracy Howard shows the world what it's all about

The Canes also picked up three more corners from outside their backyard.

Antonio Crawford is one of the newest additions to Miami's class. The corner from Plant HS is Tampa, Fla. committed to Miami following a visit this past weekend. Previously committed to Georgia Tech, Crawford has looked impressive on his highlight film and stood out when he covered future teammate Malcolm Lewis in this year's state title game.

Ladarius Gunter is a Junior College transfer that is expected to play early. At 6-foot-2, Gunter can match up with an opponent's biggest receiver and he can use his 4.4 speed to run with their fastest one too.

Nate Dortch is another bigger cornerback at 6-foot-1. Dortch hails from South Fort Myers HS and he is expected to add depth and develop into a contributor in the defensive backfield over his career.

Coach Al Golden addressed a huge need at defensive back in this class. With Howard, Bush, Davis and the rest of those talented corners coming in, Miami's secondary could become a strength very soon.