Hurricanes Head Coach Al Golden Lands Miami Central Cornerback Thomas Finnie

By Francisco Alvarado Fri., Jan. 7 2011 at 12:11 PM

Despite supplanting Miami Northwestern High as the dominant football power in Miami-Dade County the past two years, 2010's 6A state champ Miami Central was getting no love from the University of Miami football program. Last year, the Hurricanes passed on Jeffrey Godfrey, the former Rockets QB who beat every record set by Jacory Harris. As the freshman quarterback for the University of Central Florida, Godfrey guided the Knights to a Conference USA championship and a Liberty Bowl win over Georgia.

This year, the Canes let Jimbo Fisher and Florida State snatch up Central's beast running back Devonta Freeman. But Miami's new head coach Al Golden deserves props for swooping up a Rocket player from the clutches of Steve Spurrier.

Miami Herald Canes beat writer Manny Navarro reports that Central cornerback Thomas Finnie backed out of his commitment to attend the University of South Carolina so he can represent the U. According to Navarro, Finnie was set to drive up to South Kakalaki this weekend until he met with Golden, who closed the deal. "Everybody likes to dream about UM and everything," Finnie told the Herald. "Now, it's real."

Landing Finnie gives the Canes depth at defensive back, which will help the team offset the loss of junior CB Brandon Harris, who is going pro. But more importantly, Golden is showing he can and will recruit kids from Miami's inner city schools with success.

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Tags:

Al Golden, Devonta Freeman, Jeffrey Godfrey, Miami Central, Miami Hurricanes, Thomas Finnie

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Papa Bill

I suppose that trash talking is part of college football but you SEC people are a little out of line. I like to see the SEC do well but why not the ACC also? The Canes have a fine football program, a nice campus in an upscale city, and an ever growing academic rating. It is a program that caught the interest of college football fans in the '80's and still has that interest (lov'em or hate'em) in spite of several years of so-so results on the field. I hope that the U makes it all the way back to the top echelon of NCAA football powers.

SECMAN

Have fun playing for the 3rd best team in Florida. Big mistake.

Hurri_canes2000

hmmm 3rd best, hope your not putting the gators ahead of us, we own the gators!

Tom

Wow....major RED FLAG for Al Golden. NCAA won't be far behind, but that's how they operate. Best of luck at UM playing at half filled stadiums.

Patrick Burke

f u dude-how many UM players are in the NFL compared to SC-come on dumb ass do your homework

Storm of the Century

Fuck the SEC. It didn't do that great in the bowls this year. UFgaytors lost almost as many games as the canes. Stick the hype. We're not about hype. We're about championships won by a team not a flashy coach and qb that gets butt love from Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist and the SEC nut huggers.

McCane

Great move kid and coach! UM will get back on top soon and we'll always have huge national exposure because people love to hate us. GO CANES!

canes22

SEC def has the better conference and that will probably stand true for years to come. Miami has lost that swagger but you have to hand it to the AD finally making some freaking moves within that orginization. I think the better teams get the better exposure. Hopefully, next year miami can start living up to the hype that was. From that point we can start getting more TV time. They were actually on quite a bit this year. This kid was needed at Miami due to the loss of the overrated Harris so I say thumbs up to Al and the kid. Screw the stadium being filled. It shouldn't be a factor to winning games. Yes it's nice but play football, dont worry about the crowd. You need to block it out for away games, why wouldn't you do the same at home...

SEC Guy

Bad Idea to back out of South Carolina, Thomas. SC puts DBs into the leauge every year. Miami can barely fill that stadium when they are winning, and even then it has no where the atmosphere or loyal fan base of South Carolina. Every single game of SC's is televised except those games against FCS schools (exposure). ACC doesnt have nearly the TV contracts the SEC does. Bad move dude.

facebook-1429062693

SEC guy. Do u really want to count Miami vs. S.Carolina Alumn that are in the NFL? Even at the DB position? really?

Joe M

I'm a CANES fan who has lived just south of Columbia, SC for 8 years. I don't know about their fans being more loyal than Canes fans. I do know that most (not all) only wear their gears when the Gamecocks are winning. You have 1/2 the people living within 30 miles of SC campus cheering for Clemson. I'm not here to bash SC or the SEC (which is a great conference). All I'm saying is that I'm glad to get new talents to the U. It doesn't matter if you played in front of 10,000 or 100,000 people if you have heart, you'll succeed. Go CANES

SCCane

The only accuracy to your post is referencing Miami's inability to fill Land Shark. I am a Canes fan living in South Carolina and Miami, by far, receives more television coverage than the beloved Gamecocks. Regardless of your theory on ACC tv coverage, Miami has always produced larger television ratings because people either love to root for them or against them! There are very few fans out there who are indifferent to the U! Miami has more active players in the NFL than any other school and also boasts more pro bowlers than any other school this year with 8!

Kevin7169

LOL! THE COCKS are not even in the same ball park as Miami when it comes to Legacy, players in the NFL now, and NFL players for the past 3 decades! Since 1980, Miami holds a comfortable winning margin against SEC teams! Most Impotantly, MIAMI HAS 5,ERR 6....NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS...HOW MANY DO THE COCKS HAVE? I've seen more Miami games on TV this year than SOUTH CAROLINA! It sounds like a GREAT MOVE for Finnie...He wants to be part of the new regime that will bring the CANES back to playing for Championships...all the while being SMALL PRIVATE SCHOOL OF 10,000 STUDENTS! NEXT...!