After a string of initial set backs, new Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden and his team have turned around recruiting. Now the team has snagged Blake Ayles, who was rated the second-best tight end recruit in the nation in 2008 by Rivals.com, away from the University of Southern California. He made the decision to transfer after former USC tight end coach Brenna Carrol (yes, Pete's son) joined Miami's staff. Ayles has told the media he wants to win a national championship, which raises the question of whether Golden and his staff are seriously selling recruits on the idea so soon.
Ayles has spent three years playing for the Trojans and never quite lived up to his recruiting expectations. He played in ten games last year, but only managed to catch one pass. Because of the NCAA sanction against USC, Ayles was able to transfer to any school outside of the Pac-10 and will be eligible to play beginning next season.
"After [Carrol] got the job I thought about it, looked into it and I asked if there was a spot," Ayles told The LA Times. "He said, 'Come on out.'"
"It's a fresh start ...I'm just trying to get that starting spot and fulfill my dream of winning a national title."
Granted, USC's post-season ban will continue until next season, and the state of the program under Lane Kiffin isn't exactly national championship caliber. So technically Ayles would have a better chance of winning that big BCS game next season with the 'Canes, but we have to wonder if the staff is seriously selling potential players on the idea. Not that we wouldn't want to believe, but we're understandably hesitant. Then again, all great things start with a little belief that it's possible. We think we saw that embroidered on a pillow somewhere.
Ayles is the second player Miami has stolen from USC in as many years. Last year, Seantrel Henderson was let out of his commitment to join the Trojans in order to take his talents to Coral Gables.
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