Hurricane Football Signees Announced

Feb. 2, 2000

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head football coach Butch Davis announced the Hurricanes’ 2000 signees.

Geographical Breakdown

Florida – 14
Texas – 2
California – 1
Minnesota – 1
Pennsylvania – 1

2000 Football 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.