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RedHawk recruiting report

Tom Downey

Miami University released a list of all 26 recruits it added on National Signing Day, as all football programs do. However, unlike the other schools, head football coach Chuck Martin listed every player at one of two positions: Skill and Power.

Martin said the decision was a reflection of the way Miami recruits and that the position an athlete plays isn't as important as how the athlete plays.

"It just kind of goes with how we recruit, our recruiting philosophy of you have so many players nowadays that play so many positions in high school," Martin said. "We're looking for certain types of athletes that can have success at the next level. We've been doing this a long time. And there are certain skills sets that translate, certain size features, certain hand features, certain flexibility features that translate. I hate the recruiting board ... I wan to take great players that have the skill set."

Martin said he doesn't worry about finding players for positions, instead focusing on players who can help Miami win games.

"I'm looking for power, I'm looking for length, I'm looking for frame, I'm looking for hand size, I'm looking for flexibility, I'm looking for athleticism, I'm looking for ball skills, I'm looking for toughness," Martin said. "I'll take 50 of them if they are out there. If we have 50 guys running out of the tunnel with all those features, we're gonna win a lot of football games. We'll sort [the positions] out. They'll all be on the field for us somewhere and they'll all help us win games."

However, that still leaves the question of where the recruits will play for Miami. With that in mind, what follows below is a list of every recruit, their listed heights and weights, if they were listed as a power or skill player, which city and state they are from, what position they might play at Miami and other relevant information, such as other notable offers, according to scout.com.

Ikeem Allen, Power, 6-foot-2, 300-pounds, Charlotte, N.C. - Allen had offers from Toledo and Ball State. He was a team captain at Mallard Creek High School. Allen should be a defensive lineman for Miami.

Deion Cineus, Power, 6-foot-3, 300-pounds, Miami Beach, Fla. - Cineus was a team captain at Miami Beach High School. He should play on the offensive line for Miami, likely at guard.

Sam Connolly, Power, 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, Chicago, Ill. - Connolly played both tight end and linebacker at Mt. Carmel High School, but is more likely to play linebacker for Miami. He was a team captain and was an academic all-state selection as a senior.

Kelvin Cook, Skill, 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, Colerain, Ohio - Cook was a quarterback in Colerain High School's triple option offense, but will transition to wide receiver at Miami. Cook was a team captain and had offers from Army and New Mexico State.

Alex Demers, 6-foot-1, 236-pounds, Tipp City, Ohio - Demers was a team captain and defensive MVP for Tippecanoe High School. He could play on either side of the line for Miami.

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Mack Duffin, Power, 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, Avon, Ind. - Duffin was a first-team all-state selection and defensive MVP for Avon High School. He projects to be a defensive end for the RedHawks.

Bradley Earnest, Skill, 6-foot-1, 210-pound, Atlanta, Ga. - Earnest was a three-time team captain as a running back and linebacker for Lakeside High School. He could play a number of positions at Miami, including running back, linebacker or safety.

Andrew Hendrix, Skill, 6-foot-2, 226-pound, Cincinnati, Ohio (Notre Dame) - Hendrix transferred to Miami from Notre Dame, where he spent the past four seasons as a backup. He is adual-threat quarterback who attended high school at Moeller. He will compete for the starting quarterback job.

Zach Hovey, Power, 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, Eden Prairie, Minn. - Hovey was a three-star recruit with offers from Florida Atlantic, New Mexico and Wyoming. He also could have walked-on at Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hovey was a team captain and first-team all-state selection at Eden Prairie High School. He will likely be a tight end for Miami.

Chris Hudson, Skill, 6-foot-6, 235-pounds, Hazard, Ky. - Hudson was a first-team all-state selection and team captain at Hazard High School. He caught thirteen touchdown passes during his senior season. He will likely be a receiving threat at the tight end position as a RedHawk.

Trey Knes, Power, 6-foot-5, 225-pounds, Chesterfield, Mo. - Knes had offers from Illinois, Army, Navy and Tulsa. He was a team captain and first-team all-state selection as a linebacker for Parkway Central High School. He should be a linebacker or defensive end for Miami.

Sam Martin, Skill, 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Boulder, Colo. - Martin had offers from Rutgers and New Mexico State. He originally committed to Miami, but flipped to Rutgers and then back again to Miami in the week leading up to signing day. Martin runs a 4.4 forty, according to scout.com. He was a team captain and set single season state records in catches and receiving yards for Fairview High School. He will be a wide receiver for Miami.

Matt Merimee, Skill, 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, Cleveland, Ohio - Merimee was a team captain as a defensive back and wide receiver at Benedictine High School. He could be a wide out or defensive back as a RedHawk.

Paul Moses, Skill, 6-foot, 220-pounds, Toledo, Ohio - Moses had offers from Nebraska, Akron and Toledo. He was a two-time team captain for Toledo Central Catholic, who won a state title during Moses' senior year. He was a linebacker and running back in high school, and could play either position at Miami.

Mitch Palmer, Power, 6-foot-4, 274-pounds, St. Louis, Mo. - Palmer was a two-time team captain for De Smet Jesuit High School. He will likely play offensive line for Miami, possibly as a center.

Nate Patterson, Power, 6-foot-4, 230-pounds, Perrysburg, Ohio - Patterson was a team captain for Perrysburg High School. He was a tight end and linebacker in high school and could play either of those positions, as well potentially in the trenches, at Miami.

Gus Ragland, Skill, 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, Cincinnati, Ohio - Ragland was a three-star recruit from Moeller High School. He was a team captain and quarterbacked Moeller to back-to-back state titles. He was named Ohio's Division-I Co-Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press and accounted for a whopping eight touchdowns in the 2013 state title game. He should be a dual-threat quarterback for Miami.

Jordan Rigg, Power, 6-foot-5, 250-pounds, Springboro, Ohio - Rigg had offers from Ball State, Buffalo, Massachusetts and Ohio. He played tight end and defensive end for Springboro High School, but will likely play on either side of the line at Miami.

Richard Schoen, Skill, 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, Riverside, Ill. - Schoen was a wide receiver, defensive back and team captain for Fenwick High School. He was the high school teammate of fellow Miami commit Ryan Smith. Schoen was the defensive player of the year for his conference and projects as a defensive back at Miami.

Alonzo Smith, Skill, 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. - Smith had offers from Florida Atlantic and Florida International. He was team captain and first-team all-state selection as a running back at Dwyer High School. Smith was the MVP of the state championship game and should be a running back for the RedHawks.

Ryan Smith, Power, 6-foot-5, 240-pounds, Oak Park, Ill. - Smith was a team captain alongside fellow Miami commit Richard Schoen at Fenwick High School. Smith was a tight end at Fenwick, and could play that spot at Miami or move to the line.

Zach Swarts, Power, 6-foot-2, 275-pounds, Ft. Wayne, Ind. - Swarts had an offer from Ball State. He was a team captain and two-time first-team all-state selection at Homestead High School. He played on the defensive line in high school and should stay there at Miami.

Daryus Thompson, Skill, 6-foot-2, 192-pounds, Powder Springs, Ga. - Thompson was a team captain for McEachern High School. He could be a defensive back or even a linebacker for the RedHawks.

Alex Welch, Power, 6-foot-4, 251-pounds, Cincinnati, Ohio (Notre Dame) - Welch was a backup tight end at Notre Dame and caught just one pass. However, he was stuck behind current or future NFL players Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert and Troy Niklas on the depth chart. He also missed his entire junior season with a knee injury. He went to Elder High School and should see playing time early and often as a tight end.

Lo Wood, Skill, 5-foot-11, 194-pounds, Apopka, Fla. (Notre Dame) - Wood was a backup corner at Notre Dame who played in 32 games in four years. Like Welch, he missed his junior season with an injury. Wood went to Apopka High School and Martin said he thinks Wood can be a shutdown corner for Miami.

Kenny Young, Skill, 5-foot-10, 182-pounds, Tallahassee, Fla. - Young had offers from Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Massachusetts and Troy. He was a team captain and won a state championship at Godby High School. He should be a running back at Miami.


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