Miami Hurricanes Recruiting 2012: National Signing Day Recap

Feb 02 10:19a by Steve Slowinski

Not even six month removed from one of the largest scandals in college sports, the Miami Hurricanes weren't supposed to do well on National Signing Day. They weren't supposed to end up with a top 10 class. They weren't supposed to be able to lure away top recruit Tracy Howard from the Gators. They weren't supposed to end up with Eddie Goldman, one of the top 10 recruits in the entire nation.

And yet, one day after National Signing Day, the Hurricanes are standing tall with what's widely considering one of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation. They ended up with a total of 33 players, ten of whom are ranked as either a four- or five-star recruit according to Rivals.com. Considering the challenges facing the 'Canes this recruiting season, it was an impressive showing for head coach Al Golden.

"This was the most grueling six or seven weeks in my career as a recruiter," Golden, the Hurricanes' second-year coach, said. "I can't remember any time, even in what we were facing at Temple when we took over, that we worked any harder than this." (Sun Sentinel)

During his press conference yesterday, Golden spoke about one the largest obstacles he had to overcome: the negative recruiting tactics employed by other schools against UM.

"We don't have a lot of Achilles heels. They saw a soft spot and they took it and went after it," Golden said of opposing schools.

"Guys took a shot at us," Golden added. "That's OK. Get your licks in now. That's how I look at it." (Sun Sentinel)

Golden went on to state that he does believe Miami will receive some sort of punishment from the NCAA for its past violations, but considering that the events happened under a past regime, he doesn't believe they will be severe. That said, this large recruiting class should help offset any future sanctions placed against the school.

For more on the Hurricanes and their recruiting class, drop by SB Nation's blog on the 'Canes, The Seventh Floor.