"The Best Decision I've Ever Made"
By Camron Ghorbi
HurricaneSports.com
First there were two.
Long before Manny Diaz went viral for the umpteenth time with yet another transfer portal-related GIF, and in a foreshadowing of things to come, the Hurricanes received two key signatures in December’s early signing period.
Watching great playoff football while having even better conversations in the portal 🎆😎🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/LQMgmYQ7z0
— Manny Diaz (@Coach_MannyDiaz) January 21, 2019
Neither Tommy Kennedy nor Asa Martin could have anticipated such seismic changes in Coral Gables after inking with The U on December 19 – Kennedy as a grad transfer from Butler, Martin with three years of eligibility remaining from Auburn.
But the new roommates clearly started a trend; joining them in short order for the spring would be K.J. Osborn (Buffalo) and Tate Martell (Ohio State), with Trevon Hill (Virginia Tech) and Bubba Bolden (USC) similarly hopping on board in time for the 2019 season.
If Diaz & Co., are the rulers of the portal, as social media users have anointed them, Kenned yand Martin were the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the precursors to a recruiting blitz that began when Diaz was named the program’s 25th head coach on Dec. 30.
The excitement still hasn’t ended, increasing with every meme and GIF posted by Hurricanes coaches, often including the signature ‘#TNM’ hashtag – ‘The New Miami,’ a phrase coined by Diaz.
— Canes Football (@CanesFootball) February 1, 2019
“When it first started, it was me and Asa,” Kennedy said. “I know everyone jokes about ‘Portal U,’ which has been fun. Me and Asa were the first two guys to commit. Stuff kept rolling and rolling and rolling. It’s insane. There’s so much energy around the program right now.”
Two months after the duo made its initial splash, the Hurricanes could enter 2019 with a roster that includes six of the top-25 transfers, including three in the top 10, from the 247Sports’ transfer rankings released on Jan. 30.
Portal kings, indeed.
“I’m not sure how it was before, but it’s a great, positive vibe here,” Martin said. “That’s what I’m liking about ‘The New Miami.’ It’s all positive energy, everyone wants to get better, wants to work and wants to be the best version of ourselves.”
— 20 (@TheAsaMartin_) January 31, 2019
Martin may have been rethinking his decision when Mark Richt announced his retirement as Miami head coach on Dec. 28, but he quickly reaffirmed his commitment after speaking with Diaz for the first time.
“When the coaching change happened, I was kind of concerned at first,” Martin said. “Once I talked to Coach Diaz, I really believed in him and bought into what he was doing. It has been great ever since.”From Day 1, Kennedy said, the energy around the football offices has been palpable.
“The first day with Coach Diaz was insane,” Kennedy said. “Everyone saw the video of us in the indoor facility, with the tackling dummies. I love playing for a guy I would want to go to war with. He cares. He wants the best for everyone.”
For both Kennedy and Martin, the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of childhood legends was too good to pass up.
“It’s a privilege to come to the University of Miami,” said Kennedy, who started the final 22 games of his Butler career at left tackle. “Growing up, you knew the household names – Ray Lewis, Bryant McKinnie, Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen…so many. I feel so lucky every day to come here and put the ‘U’ on my chest.”
Joining a loaded running back room, Martin – who was a consensus four-star prospect and a top-10 rated running back out of high school – said he has heard all about the legacy of a school dubbed ‘Running Back U.’
“It really humbles me just to be here, following in those guys’ footsteps,” he said. “They laid the path. So many great running backs have played here. I just want to try to live up to what they did and be the next great running back at The U.”
It’s humbling to play for such a prestigious university and football program 🙌🏻 https://t.co/uGCQpSCorg
— Tommy Kennedy (@TommyKennedy74) February 1, 2019
Kennedy said that while several other programs attempted to get him to switch allegiances amidst Miami’s staff changes, there was never a doubt where he wanted to spend his final year of college football.
“It’s so great to be a part of a program that has so much excitement. Everyone is jacked to see the 2019 Miami Hurricanes, and I’m fired up too.
“It was the best decision I ever made.”
