Being under the bright lights on a perennial National Championship contender with constant exposure to NFL scouts and millions of college football fans is not all it's cracked up to be. At least, that is how Miami football sees it.
Many football fans are currently making a mockery of the Hurricanes following the release of a video that shows Miami's Assistant Director of Recruiting Mike Rumph pitching recruits on why The U should be the preferred choice over the more hyped Alabama.
“This is a lifetime,” Rumph says courtesy of Unnecessary Roughness. “Who doesn't want to be in Miami? This ain't Tuscaloosa where Sundays and Saturdays might be great, but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday you're still in Tuscaloosa.”
The pitch itself shows Miami football may not know how to best appeal to the modern recruit's interests. The most damaging part, though, is the reaction of five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, who burst into laughter when Rumph touted the Miami lifestyle over Alabama's prestige.
Sayin's bias cannot not be denied as he is already committed to the Crimson Tide and has even tried to recruit others to join him. However, the reaction adds to the growing perception that The U is just not the nucleus of college football anymore, nor are they really that close to it. Miami swagger is not enough to close a recruitment. This is not 1987, or 2001 when Rumph was part of Miami football's last National Championship team.
The Canes seemed potentially close to ascending back into the stratosphere when they made an appearance in the Orange Bowl in 2017, but just limped to a 5-7 record in Mario Cristobal's first season as head coach last year. There is still plenty of appeal to playing for a program rich in history and culture, but Miami has to understand it will not re-establish itself as a powerhouse by solely clinging to the past.
Awareness and adjustment will be key to prevent stars like Sayin from snickering at the Hurricanes again. That type of dismissive reaction would have been considered blasphemous decades ago. Miami football is not going to be worshiped like it once was, but the program must ensure that it is at least respected.
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