Alonzo Highsmith stresses player acquisition component at Miami’s Legends Camp: “We have to bring in better players”

Former Hurricanes RB great Alonzo Highsmith’s official title at Miami is General Manager of Football Operations.

But maybe “ambassador” is also a good a term to describe Highsmith’s impact on the program. He knows the history of the Hurricanes personally, playing running back for Miami from 1983-1986. He also knows what NFL talent looks like with 29 years’ experience and 18 playoff appearances as an NFL player, scout and executive.

There was Highsmith front and center at Legends Camp yesterday, yukking it up with former Hurricane champions and evaluating prospects.

“It’s a great feeling seeing all these guys come back,” Highsmith said, referring to a lengthy list of legends that returned to help work the camp. “Just their presence here is a big part of why this program is what it is. To have them out there with these kids, how many times are you going to see Andre Johnson and Jon Beason and Bryant McKinnie, some of the greatest football players of all time? To mingle with these guys, see them out there watching you – it’s a tremendous thing and part of why Miami is special.

“These guys come back on their own, are willing to give their time for the program. That’s one of the reasons I came back – to help this program get back to where it’s supposed to be. I want to be a part of helping get this program back to where it needs to be.”

Coming off a 5-7 season and with a lot of roster turnover, Highsmith knows a course has to be charted that will land Miami in the playoffs at some point in the not-far-off future.

“It was a tough year last year, but I think we’ll be better for it,” Highsmith said. “We all understand the task at hand and where we need to be as a program.”

Highsmith says keys are identifying the needs at each position and addressing those. He says last year he saw the “weaknesses, strengths of the team.”

Fixes start with evaluation and recruiting. And certainly there were plenty of potential future stars on campus Thursday for Legends Camp in the classes of 2025 and beyond, and notable in 2024 were 4-stars Kamarion Franklin (wrapup of his time at the camp here) and Joshisa Trader (his post-camp thoughts here).

Highsmith says evaluation opportunities like this camp are ultra-important.

“In the NFL we get an opportunity to go to the Combine, to look at players,” he said. “I can’t give a grade on a player unless I’ve seen him live. The more good players you get to come to this camp, you get an opportunity to see them move around, how they catch the football, get off the ball, get an idea who that player is. Watching a player on film is only half the picture.”

Highsmith calls Cristobal a “relentless recruiter,” and pointed to his work ethic and dedication to building programs. Highsmith says that was all a good fit for him.

“The guy is tireless,” Highsmith said. “The guy works his ass off every day to make this program better. All the great programs, (the coaches) are relentless workers.”

As for his own personal dynamic with Cristobal, Highsmith says the most important thing he can do is “give him my honest opinion.”

“My goal isn’t to be right, my goal is to give you what I’ve seen – size, speed, and the characteristics of what great players look like,” Highsmith said. “That’s where I lean on Mario, because he knows college football. I know great athletes.”

Those great athletes?

Highsmith pointed in the most recent Miami class to OL Francis Mauigoa, DL Rueben Bain and WR Ray Ray Joseph.

“First time I ever saw Ray Ray he’s standing out at a camp, makes a crazy catch over the shoulder,” Highsmith said. “I’m like who is this kid? Talent is talent.”

The bottom line message from Highsmith as he looks to help build the program?

“No matter what you may think of all the bells and whistles, the most important part of football is player acquisition,” Highsmith said. “We have to bring in better players. In order for Miami to play for a college national championship we’re going to have to have better players. That’s the goal of our team, every team in the nation, to have better players. My strength is understanding what great players look like. … Having known what it looks like, smells like, what great athletes look like running, I’ve seen it. Coming back to college and watching high school tape, I understand now the college game better than I did year ago.”

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