Dback Jon said:
Wallyburger must be cryin right now...
Uh . Nope.
Rest of story.
Posted on Fri, Jan. 14, 2005
Hurricanes lose recruit
Coveted quarterback Derek Shaw 'de-commits' from Canes and opts to play closer to his family in California.
BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
[email protected]
University of Miami recruit Derek Shaw, one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation, changed his mind about becoming a Hurricane and likely will attend Arizona State.
Shaw's mother, Janie, said by phone Thursday that Derek was torn by the distance between his home in Oceanside, Calif., and Miami. She said he didn't realize how much it bothered him until he arrived in Miami nearly two weeks ago to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl.
HOMESICK
'He said after that game, `I'm really ready to come back,' '' Janie Shaw said. ``I don't think he realized the distance until he went to that game.
``I could tell he was second-guessing, and so we just sat down and talked about it. To be honest with you, his grandfather, who has coached pro and has been his mentor and father figure -- I think Derek realized he and my daughter and my mother and I wouldn't be able to come to all of his games. I couldn't afford that.
'I said, `Derek, you can't just jump on a flight and come home for grandma's cookies and drive back.' ''
Shaw, 6-4 and 215 pounds, committed to UM last spring. He was rated by rivals.com as the nation's fourth-best quarterback in a less-than-stellar year for the position. He led Oceanside to a 13-0 record and Section II Division Title this past season, completing 139 of 255 passes for 2,796 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in a spread offense.
Shaw had a poor showing in the CaliFlorida Bowl, which features the best prep players from California and Florida. While playing with a strained hamstring and sore arm, he got intercepted twice, fumbled and was sacked.
QB OPTIONS THIN
The Hurricanes are left with two scholarship quarterbacks -- projected starter Kyle Wright, who will be a sophomore, and redshirt freshman Kirby Freeman. UM still will get visits from Monticello, Fla., Jefferson County High quarterback Carlton Hill and from Reserve, La., East St. John quarterback Ryan Perrilloux. Perrilloux is rated the nation's top quarterback but has orally committed to Texas.
''It's not a good year for high school quarterbacks,'' rivals.com recruiting analyst Bobby Burton said. ``I don't think it's a big blow for Miami. He's a good quarterback, but not a difference-maker.''
Shaw's grandfather is Dick Enright, the former Oregon head coach and San Francisco 49ers assistant. His mother raised Derek and his 16-year-old sister, Lauren, on her own. She lost a leg to bone cancer when Derek was 8.
Shaw told UM coaches his decision Wednesday and wrote UM coach Larry Coker a follow-up letter, which his mother released to the media.
''I wanted you to know the decision not to play football at the University of Miami has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life,'' Shaw wrote. ``I has cost me many sleepless nights. . . .
``Please understand that my decision to de-commit has no reflection on you, your coaches or your great football tradition. I can only hope that you will understand my reasons for this decision and that you will agree it is much better for both of us that I realized it now rather than farther down the road.''
Got butt whipped in the All Star game and got a chance to watch Freeman and Wright work out first hand. This guy wouldn't see a clipboard for 3 years. He would be behind a Soph and a RS Freshman from the get go. He was scout team fodder. Sensible decision for him.
