VOTE NOW: Hurricanes Bracket Voting By Fans To Determine All-Time Best Miami Defensive Back

CaneSport is billed as the ultimate fan site, and now we’re seeking to uncover the ultimate Miami Hurricane. Over the next several weeks we will be unveiling our all-time top eight Canes at each position … and then it’s up to you, the fan, to vote in our tournament-style bracket to advance players to the final round. In the end, each position will have a victor. And then we will pit those players against each other to determine the All-Time Miami Hurricanes GOAT.

QB GOAT NOMINEES … RB GOAT NOMINEES … WR GOAT NOMINEES … TE GOAT NOMINEES … OL GOAT NOMINEES … DL GOAT NOMINEES … LB GOAT NOMINEES

Along the way we’ll be figuring out our first- and second-team All-Miami Hurricanes Offense, Defense and Special Teams.

VOTE NOW: Miami Hurricanes GOAT DB

Each of our position breakdowns will include our top group, and those that didn’t make the cut but were highly deserving. We chose these after a CaneSport editorial meeting looking at all the top players over the years.

Now it’s your turn to decide the winner. We will wait 48 hours for everyone to get their votes in each round and then move along. Ties will be broken by an extended runoff.

Today’s voting is for the All-Time Miami Defensive Back GOAT. Below are your eight finalists, and those that came close to making the cut. You can vote for your choice BY CLICKING HERE. Each nominee is listed in alphabetical order, and selections are based on their Miami career only:

NOMINEE: BENNIE BLADES

Making The Case: A stalwart defender on the 1987 championship team, Blades (1984-1987) was the ’87 Thorpe winner and a first-team consensus All-American. He currently ranks second to Ed Reed in interceptions (19) and had 305 interception return yardage (YES, 305!) with two going for TDs. He was inducted in 2006 into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 1986 Blades was first-team AP and UPI All-American, led the nation in interceptions (10, tied with Sean Taylor for most in a season at Miami) and set the UM record for total tackles by a safety (155).

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “A fiery leader, Blades led with his physicality and heart. A dominant, hard-hitting safety he helped lead the way to the 1987 title and made his name as one of the most feared physical defenders in the nation. If there was one Miami player an opponent didn’t want to have hit them, it was Blades.”

NOMINEE: PHILLIP BUCHANON

Making The Case: Buchanon (1999-2001) was a three-year standout for Miami who also excelled as a returner, and he ended his Cane career with 88 tackles and seven interceptions. As a sophomore in 2000 he played in every game at cornerback and started seven, returned a fumble recovery 77 yards for a TD at West Virginia and intercepted two passes against Pittsburgh. He started every game for the 2001 champs and he had five interceptions. One of the fastest Hurricanes ever, Buchanon was also a star on the Miami track and field team, posting a personal best of 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters.  At the NFL combine he ran a 4.31 in the 40-yard dash, tying for the fastest time among NFL prospects.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “Buchanon’s blazing speed made him a dangerous threat on defense and special teams, and if you want a sense of his athleticism, well not only did he also run track but he even joined the baseball team at one point.”

NOMINEE: FRED MARION

Making The Case: Marion (1978-1981) was chosen as a first-team All-American by UPI, Kodak and the Sporting News. He set a school record for assists by a safety (152) and set school records for interceptions (16) and consecutive games with an interception (four) until they were broken by Bennie Blades. He had seven interceptions in 1980, which is still tied for sixth-best all-time in the Miami record books, and had six in 1981. Marion was one of the guys who helped build the program into a national title contender, a legacy-builder.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “Marion helped establish the Hurricanes as a national powerhouse, and a highlight many remember was his interception that helped upset top-ranked Penn State in 1981.”

NOMINEE: RYAN MCNEIL

Making The Case: McNeil (1989-1992) was picked as a first-team All-American by Kodak, Football News and Walter Camp and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe. As a freshman he came off bench and played key roles for the national championship team, especially against Notre Dame and Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. As a sophomore he recovered a fumble and ran 75 yards for a TD against Iowa. As a junior he led another national champion team in pass breakups (18) and had five against FSU’s Casey Weldon. He helped the team lead the nation in pass efficiency defense.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “You look up an old-school, hard hitting DB and you’ll get McNeil. He set the standard on defense for Miami, and he was part of two national title teams.”

NOMINEE: ED REED

Making The Case: Reed (1998-2001) famously decided to stay for his senior year and was a massive part of team that won the title that year (2001). His team speeches/motivation are things of legend. Reed earned consensus All-American recognition in both 2000 and 2001 and ranks first all-time in UM interceptions (21), first in interception return yardage (369), and first in interceptions returned for a touchdown (four). He led the 2001 defense that had a record 45 takeaways, including his legendary TD that helped save the game vs. BC – he had 10 passes broken up and nine interceptions that season and in four games had two interceptions each. He was the Football News Defensive Player of Year and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in the nation. Among his other honors: 1998 Freshman All American by the Football News and Sporting News, 1999 All BIG EAST second team (had 74 tackle and 11 TFL that year), and All BIG EAST first team in 2000 (80 tackles, 8 INTs) and 2001.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “You can get pumped up just sitting in a chair listening to Reed’s impassioned Cane speeches. The most famous one? That was at halftime vs. FSU in 2001 when Miami was winning but wasn’t playing to his/Miami’s standard – `I’m hurt, dawg. Don’t ask me if I’m alright. Hell, no. Joaquin (Gonzalez) said dominate, and we’re not doing it. I put my heart into this sh**, dawg. Let’s go, man!’”

NOMINEE: ANTREL ROLLE

Making The Case: Rolle (2001-2004) received consensus All-American recognition and won the Jack Tatum Award as the best DB in the nation in 2004, was a finalist for the Thorpe and ranks first in solo tackles by a cornerback (127). He also was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (best defensive player). For his career he recorded 192 tackles and nine takeaways. Rolle was one of only 4 true freshmen who saw extensive action during the 2001 National Championship season – most was on special teams, but he did get his first collegiate interception against the Washington Huskies. As a sophomore starter in 2002, he earned All-Big East first team honors as selected by the league’s coaches for his 66 total tackles, six for loss, and 2 sacks, and in ’03 he had 51 tackles and two INTs. Also of note: In ’04 he held two ACC All-American receivers in check: Pittsburgh’s Larry Fitzgerald (26 receiving yards) and Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson (10 yards).

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “All you need to do is see what Rolle did to Fitzgerald and Johnson, two of the all-time greats, to get a sense of the kind of shutdown corner he was at Miami.”

NOMINEE: MIKE RUMPH

Making The Case: Rumph (1998-2001) is a 2026 Miami Hall of Fame inductee (virtually all the nominees are, but this is of note because it’s this year). As a senior on the ’01 championship team he had 33 tackles and broke up eight passes, making the Sporting News All-Big East team. As a junior he ranked seventh in tackles (41), broke up 10 passes and returned an interception 45 yards for TD against Rutgers. As a sophomore he started every game and was fourth in tackles (75). As a freshman against West Virginia he had 12 tackles and two interceptions, played in every game and started three and made Sporting News Freshman All-American first team. Rumph’s most memorable play? That probably was Nov. 10, 2001, when Miami nearly lost at unranked Boston College. The Hurricanes clung to a 12-7 lead when the Eagles moved to a first-and-goal at the nine in the final 30 seconds. A pass by Boston College quarterback Brian St. Pierre bounced off Rumph’s knee and into the hands of tackle Matt Walters, with Ed Reed taking the ball from him and running in a TD to save the game.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “Rumph was a great Hurricane player and he’s since helped the program as a coach. I still remember watching that play vs. BC that saved the national title run. Crazy.”

NOMINEE: SEAN TAYLOR

Making The Case: Sean Taylor (2001-2003) was one of the Hurricanes’ greatest players ever regardless of position. A consensus All-American in ‘03, he ranks fifth all-time at Miami in interceptions (14), second in interception return yardage (306), and second in interceptions returned for a touchdown (three). He was a finalist for the Thorpe Award and was the 2003 Big East Defensive Player of the Year. That year he had 77 tackles and tied Bennie Blades’ single-season interception record (10) and returned those picks for 184 yards. In ’01 he had 26 tackles as a backup on the title team, then in ’02 he had 85 tackles with four INTs and 15 pass breakups. That led to his massive 2003 performance.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “A true legend, Taylor was taken from us too soon. For those that watched him play, you can close your eyes and still picture him flying around the field making play after play.”

JUST MISSED THE CUT: Tolbert Bain, Tom Beier, Artie Burns, Deon Bush, Brandon Harris, Rayshawn Jenkins, Kelly Jennings, Jaquan Johnson, Kam Kinchens, Ronnie Lippett, Fred Marion, Brandon Meriweather, Burgess Owens, Kenny Phillips, CJ Richardson, Duane Starks, Tyrique Stevenson, Reggie Sutton, Darryl Williams