Football Recruiting Released
Hurricane Football Signees Announced
Feb. 2, 2000
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -University of Miami head football coach Butch Davis announced the Hurricanes’ 2000 signees.
Kyle Cobia
ATH, 6-2, 220
Lakeland, FL/Lakeland HS
Versatile athlete who has played wide receiver, tight end, and fullback… one of the state’s top pure fullbacks…excels as a lead blocker for the tailback…played a lot at tight end during his senior season…also the team’s punter…recorded 20 catches for 389 yards and seven touchdowns…listed as the No. 77 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…selected first-team All-County and second-team All-State as a tight end…played for Team Florida in 2000 Florida/Georgia All-Star Game…timed at 4.65 in the 40… gained 408 yards receiving in his final season…assisted team to a 45-12 win over Rutherford for the 1999 Class 5A State Championship…team complied record of 61-2 over his four years…four-sport letterwinner earning letters in football, baseball, soccer and track…chose Miami over Florida, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Michigan.
Derrick Crudup
QB/ATH, 6-0, 185
Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach HS
A SuperPrep All-American…rated the No. 5 Athlete in the Southeast by PrepStar…listed as the No. 31 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…listed as one of the South’s top players by recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel…named the No. 1 athlete in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…named first-team All-South by Border Wars…named to the Sun Sentinel Class 4A-5-6A All-Broward County Second-Team…second-team All-State selection…an All-Broward Third-Team selection as a junior…listed among the top athletic passing quarterbacks nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…a versatile player…can excel at a number of positions on either side of the ball… threw for over 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior…completed 75 percent of his passes a junior and 60 percent as a senior…over two years as starting quarterback was 161-240 for 2,508 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns and eight rushing TDs…accounted for over 4,000 total yards in his final two seasons…team went 17-3 in two seasons as starting QB…timed at 4.65 in the 40… father, Derrick, played for the Los Angeles Raiders (1989-91)…chose Miami over Auburn, Georgia, West Virginia and Louisiana State
Willie Dixon
WR, 5-11, 182
Stockton, CA/Brookside Christian
Regarded as one of the top receivers in the nation…rated the No. 5 wide receiver in the nation by recruiting analyst Bobby Burton…listed as the No. 8 wide receiver on Prep Star’s 1999 Top 100 Dream Team…rated the No. 2 wide receiver and the No. 16 overall prospect in the Western Region by Prep Star…a SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 25 wide receiver nationally…rated the No. 26 overall prospect in the Farwest Region by SuperPrep…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…listed as the top slot receiver nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…timed at 4.3 in the 40 at the NIKE camp during the summer…ran a sub-10.3 in the 100-meters…as a senior, caught 56 passes for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns…as a junior, caught 62 passes for 1,422 yards and 18 touchdowns…chose Miami over Michigan, Southern Cal, Arizona, UCLA and Oregon.
Mark Gent
K, 6-1, 205
Ft. Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas
Regarded as the state’s top kicker…named Class 4A-5A-6A All-Broward County First-Team Offense by Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald as a senior…first-team All-State selection for Class 4A in 1999…member of the Broward County All-Star team…named second-team All-County as a junior…as a senior, connected on 22 of 26 field goals with a long of 49 yards…also converted 53 of 56 PAT kicks…timed at 4.8 in the 40…also recorded touchbacks on 60 percent of his kickoffs…over career was 29-35 on field goals and 96-100 on extra points…had game winning field goals against McArthur (31-28) in the 1999 regular season and state-powerhouse Bradenton Southeast (23-20) in the Class 4A state semifinals…provided the difference in a 38-35 win over Pensacola Escambia in the Class 4A State Championship…assisted team to the Class 4A State Championship as a senior…four-year letterwinner for varsity soccer team that won state and national championships in 1997 and 1998…chose UM over Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Louisville.
Carlos Joseph
DL, 6-6, 303
Miami, FL/Edison HS
Regarded as one of the top offensive linemen nationally…a SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 2 offensive lineman nationally…rated the No. 16 overall prospect nationally by SuperPrep, as well as No. 2 prospect in Florida…very strong with a 400-pound bench press…listed as the No. 10 offensive lineman on Prep Star’s 1999 Top 100 Dream Team…also listed as the No. 4 offensive lineman and the No. 16 overall prospect in the Southeast Region by Prep Star…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…a Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade First-Team selection…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…named to the Dallas Morning News National Top 100…named the No. 1 defensive tackle in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…listed as a National Blue Chip All-American offensive tackle by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…timed at 5.0 in the 40…chose the Hurricanes over Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and Kentucky…can also play on the defensive side…compared to current Hurricane and former South Florida top offensive lineman from Northwestern Vernon Carey…had 27 pancake blocks as a senior and graded better than 90 percent for the season
Alfonso Marshall
WR/DB, 6-1, 180
Clewiston, FL/Clewiston HS
One of the state’s most dangerous wide receivers…has game-breaking speed and ability…as a senior, in a run-oriented offense, had 15 receptions for 315 yards and five touchdowns…recorded 234 yards and two touchdowns as a junior…can also play on defense where he registered 71 tackles and two interceptions during his junior season…first-team All-State selection…played in the Florida/Georgia All-Star game…timed at 4.42 in the 40…crowned state champion in the 200 and 400 meters…chose the Hurricanes over Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Michigan State
Darrell McClover
ATH, 6-2, 215
Coconut Creek, FL/Coconut Creek HS
Fast, physical defensive end…turned heads with very fast 40 times…timed at 4.35 in the 40…has the combination of size and speed…recorded 72 tackles as a senior…as a junior, blocked three punts, two resulting in touchdowns, and made 108 tackles in leading his team to the district title…named an All-Broward County Third-Team pick following junior season…rated the No. 73 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…named to Class 4A-5A-6A All-Broward County Second Team and second-team All-State by the Sun Sentinel …chose Miami over Syracuse, Boston College, Florida and Kansas.
Jared McClure
RB/DB, 6-1, 195
Camp Hill, PA/Cedar Cliff HS
Listed as the No. 9 running back in the East Region by Prep Star…selected to All-East Region first-team…first-team selection by Eastern Journal…selected to play in the Big-33 game which pits the top-33 players from Pennsylvania and Ohio…Most Valuable Player of the Mid-Penn All-Star game…first-team All-Conference selection…registered over 1,200 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns…also recorded six interceptions…excellent special teams performer who excelled at returning punts and kickoffs…noted for great vision, speed, athleticism and agility…rushed for over 2,000 career yards and 30 touchdowns…had a vertical leap of 33 inches…chose the Hurricanes over Notre Dame, Virginia, Ohio State and Michigan…listed among the top strong safeties nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger
Willis McGahee
RB, 6-1, 215
Miami, FL/Central HS
Regarded as one of the top running backs in the nation and No. 1 in Florida…listed as the No. 6 running back on Prep Star’s 1999 Top 100 Dream Team and the No. 10 overall prospect in the Southeast Region…a SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 5 running back nationally…rated the No. 11 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…named to the Dallas Morning News National Top 100…listed as one of the South’s top players by recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel…named the No. 1 tailback in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…a Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade selection …listed among the cr?me de la creme I-backs nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…reminds many of current Hurricane and Central graduate Najeh Davenport…played just five games during his senior season due to a knee injury…in those five games, rushed for 677 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 77 carries…averaged more than eight yards per carry as a junior…chose Miami over Florida. Florida State, Ohio State, Alabama and LSU.
Chris Myers
OL, 6-5, 260
Miami, FL/Palmetto HS
Rated the No. 47 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…a tall, rangy prospect who has excellent strength and skills as a pass blocker…timed at 5.0 in the 40… a Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade First-Team selection…All-State selection…listed as one of Florida’s top players by recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel…named the No. 6 offensive lineman in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…listed among the top offensive linemen nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger… chose UM over North Carolina and Florida State.
T.J. Prunty
QB, 6-3, 205
St. Paul, MN/St. Paul Academy
A SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 18 quarterback nationally…listed as the No. 27 overall prospect in the Midwest Region by SuperPrep…rated among the top defensive backs in the Midwest Region by Prep Star…listed among the top athletic passing quarterbacks nationally by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…timed at 4.5 in the 40…highly recruited as a baseball player as well…a three-year starter at quarterback who passed for more than 5,000 career yards…as a senior passed for 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions…rushed for 58 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior…also served as team’s punter averaging 41 yards per punt…chose Miami over Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State.
Willie Roberts
TE, 6-7, 235
Miami, FL/Southridge HS
Regarded as one of the top tight ends nationally…a SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 10 tight end nationally…an All-Southeast selection by Prep Star, listed as the No. 1 tight end and No. 30 overall prospect in the region…rated the No. 16 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…a Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade First-Team selection…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…named the No. 1 tight end in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…listed as a National Blue Chip Top 100 tight end by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…made 33 catches as a senior and 25 as a junior, for 10 touchdowns in each season…assisted team to the state championship game against Tallahassee Lincoln …timed at 4.65 in the 40…chose Miami over Ohio State, Florida State, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama.
Joel Rodriguez
OL, 6-3, 275
Miami, FL/Monsignor Pace
Named No. 1 ranked center and fifth-best offensive lineman by Florida Prep Football…rated the No. 87 overall Offensive Lineman prospect by rivals.com…named the No. 2 center in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…first-team All-Dade County by the Miami Herald…first-team All-State by the Florida Sports Writers Association…first-team All-District…played in Nike Dade vs. Broward All-Star game…played some on the varsity team during his freshman year…was only three-year starter on team…possesses an excellent combination of strength and quickness…carries a tremendous work ethic, and is very intelligent…also spent time playing at defensive tackle…also earned letters in wresting and basketball.
John Square
DE, 6-5, 215
Houston, TX/Yates HS
Noted for his pass rushing skills…named to the 2000 SuperPrep Southwest Team…rated the No. 66 prospect in Texas by SuperPrep…selected to the Houston Chronicle Top 100 and District 17-5A First-Team Defense…named to the Austin American-Statesman’s 2000 Fab 55…an All-Greater Houston second-team selection…timed at 4.50 in the 40…registered 172 tackles, 21 sacks, 54 tackles-for-loss and 12 fumble recoveries over three-year high school career…recorded 67 tackles and eight sacks as a senior…All-District selection in basketball…three-year letterwinner in track and field competing in 4×400-meter relay, 400-meter dash and high jump…member of school’s honor society…ranks in top ten percent of class academically…chose the Hurricanes over Colorado State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Kansas State and Louisiana State.
Jonathan Vilma
LB, 6-2, 215
Coral Gables, FL/Coral Gables HS
Listed as the No. 83 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…timed at 4.5 in the 40…showed good instincts as a pass rusher with 11 sacks and 138 tackles as a senior…set school record with 109 solo tackles as a senior…a Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade First-Team selection …ranked sixth-best overall player in Dade County and 20th-best player in the state of Florida by Miami Herald…named the No. 4 outside linebacker in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…regarded as one of the nation’s top-60 players in the nation by Florida Prep Football…three-year letterwinner and two-year team captain in football…two-year letterwinner in basketball…chose the Hurricanes over Florida State, Florida, Pittsburgh and Iowa.
Carl Walker
DB, 6-3, 190
Jacksonville, FL/Jackson HS
Regarded as one of the top defensive backs nationally…Parade All-American…USA Today Second-Team All-American…listed as the No. 7 defensive back on Prep Star’s 1999 Top 100 Dream Team…also listed as the No. 4 defensive back and the No. 25 overall prospect in the Southeast Region by Prep Star…a SuperPrep All-American…rated the No. 27 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…named the No. 1 strong safety in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…listed as a National Blue Chip Top 100 prospect by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…first-team All-State selection…timed at 4.5 in the 40…recorded 72 tackles, blocked seven punts and caused five fumbles during his senior year… registered 135 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and eight fumble recoveries over career…also caught 10 passes for 211 yards and three TDs in career…exceptional special teams performer who blocked 12 kicks over career…chose the Hurricanes over Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri.
Vince Wilfork
DT, 6-2, 310
Lantana, FL/Santaluces HS
Regarded as one of Florida’s top three defensive linemen…USA Today Second-Team All-American…a SuperPrep All-American, rated the No. 10 defensive lineman nationally…rated the No. 10 defensive lineman in the Southeast Region by Prep Star…listed as the No. 7 overall prospect in Florida by SuperPrep…named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…named to the Dallas Morning News National Top 100…listed as one of the South’s top players by recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel…named the No. 2 defensive tackle in Florida on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list…listed as a National Blue Chip All-American nose tackle by recruiting analyst Max Emfinger…timed at 5.2 in the 40…regarded as a strong run-stopper…made 88 tackles as a junior, while being double-teamed…finished his senior season with 72 tackles, with 11 sacks…chose Miami over Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Michigan and Kansas State.
David Williams
TE, 6-3, 230
Miami, FL/Northwestern HS
A Miami Herald Class 6A-5A All-Dade Second-Team selection…chose the Hurricanes over Iowa and Florida State…talented and versatile tight end prospect…big frame with lots of speed…recorded over 20 receptions as a senior and a handful of touchdowns…timed at a 4.63 in the 40…
Alton Wright
DL, 6-5, 235
Houston, TX/Jones HS
Has great size, speed, quickness and athletic ability…registered 95 tackles, 20 sacks, six forced fumbles, and three blocked field goals as a senior…had 130 tackles, 36 sacks as a junior…totaled 285 tackles, 66 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, three blocked field goals over three-year career…named the No. 76 overall prospect in Texas by SuperPrep…USA Today Honorable Mention All-America…named the No. 2 defensive lineman on Texas Football Magazine’s Top 300 list, as well as a Super 24 Team member…selected to the Houston Chronicle Top 100 and District 22-4A First-Team Defense…three-year first-team All-District and two-year first-team All-State selection…two-time District Most Valuable Player…named to the Dallas Morning News State Top 100…timed at 4.5 in the 40…chose Miami over Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas and LSU.
2000 Football Signees
Kyle Cobia ATH 6-2, 220 Lakeland, FL/LakelandDerrick Crudup QB/ATH 6-0, 185 Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield BeachWillie Dixon WR 5-11, 182 Stockton, CA/Brookside ChristianMark Gent K 6-1, 205 Ft. Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas AquinasCarlos Joseph OL 6-6, 303 Miami, FL/EdisonAlfonso Marshal WR/DB 6-1, 180 Clewiston, FL/ClewistonDarrell McClover ATH 6-2, 215 Coconut Creek, FL/Coconut CreekJared McClure RB/DB 6-1, 195 Camp Hill, PA/Cedar CliffWillis McGahee RB 6-1, 215 Miami, FL/CentralChris Myers OL 6-5, 260 Miami, FL/PalmettoT.J. Prunty QB 6-3, 205 St. Paul, MN/St. Paul AcademyWillie Roberts TE 6-7, 235 Miami, FL/SouthridgeJoel Rodriguez OL 6-3, 275 Miami, FL/Monsignor PaceJohn Square DE 6-5, 215 Houston, TX/YatesJonathan Vilma LB 6-2, 215 Coral Gables, FL/Coral GablesCarl Walker DB 6-3, 190 Jacksonville, FL/JacksonVince Wilfork DL 6-2, 310 Lantana, FL/SantalucesDavid Williams TE 6-3, 230 Miami, FL/NorthwesternAlton Wright DL 6-5, 235 Houston, TX/Jones
Geographical BreakdownFlorida – 14, Texas – 2, California – 1,Minnesota – 1, Pennsylvania – 1
