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

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 …

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 LB

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 Linebacker 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: MICHEAL BARROW

Making The Case: Barrow (1989-1992) finished runner-up in the Butkus Award and was seventh in Heisman Trophy voting in 1992, earning first-team Walter Camp and Football News All-American honors. He led the team in tackles (136, including 90 solo) that year and still ranks fourth all-time in total tackles and assists (423). The Hurricanes were national champions twice during Barrow’s college career (1989 and 1991), and played for a third national championship (1992). His final massive season came on the heels of his hometown Homestead being devastated by Hurricane Andrew, and he served as an inspiration for many of those that lost everything.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “You knew he was a coach on the field … and he was a Cane coach after his playing days were done, working with linebackers at UM from 2007-13.”

NOMINEE: JON BEASON

Making The Case: Beason (2003-2006) played all three linebacker spots for Miami. As a redshirt freshman he played in every game and started the last four (had 29 tackles, 4 TFL); he started every game as a redshirt sophomore (had 64 tackles, 6 tackles for loss); and as a redshirt junior in his final year he led the team in tackles (76) and had eight tackles for losses. Also of note: He began his Miami career as a running back and had one carry for three yards as a true freshman in two games prior to a season-ending shoulder injury.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “There’s a reason his nickname was `The Beast,’ and it wasn’t just a word play on his last name. He was a different breed of creature with an insane amount of intensity in his pursuit of football perfection.”

NOMINEE: RAY LEWIS

Making The Case: Lewis (1993-1995) helped ease the loss of one of the greatest linebacking trios in college football history – Michael Barrow, Darrin Smith and Jesse Armstead – when he became the defensive leader in 1994 and was a Butkus Award finalist in 1995 before forgoing his senior year for the NFL. One of the most intimidating Hurricanes ever, Lewis made an immediate impact in his first high-profile game as a true freshman in ’93, recording 17 tackles in his first start as the third-ranked Canes defeated No. 13 Colorado in Boulder 35-29. Lewis led the team in tackles as a sophomore (152) and junior (160). Both those remain the top two all-time single-season records at UM. He was AP first-team All-American and a Butkus finalist and ranks sixth all-time at UM in total tackles with 388. It’s also notable that he was a late addition in 1993, receiving the last available scholarship spot.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “I still remember my first interview with Lewis his freshman season in 1993. He looked and talked like a full-grown adult. No peach fuzz on this 18-year-old, no fear of the limelight or any running back.”

NOMINEE: DAN MORGAN

Making The Case: Morgan (1997-2000) became the first Hurricane to record 100 or more tackles in all four years (his 150 tackles in ’98 ranks behind only Ray Lewis in the single-season record book). Three times he led the team in tackles, and his resiliency showed when he started a school-record 42 consecutive games. He ranks first at UM in career tackles (532). In 2000 he became the first player in the nation to win the Butkus Award, Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award, and he was a consensus first-team All-American and the Football News National Defensive Player of the Year. Interestingly he was a running back in high school and didn’t switch to defense until days before the ’97 opener.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “Morgan invariably was low-key in public, but on the field he was a four-year leader of defensive mayhem in spearheading the Hurricanes back into contention for national championships.”

NOMINEE: DENZEL PERRYMAN

Making The Case: Perryman (2011-14) started 37 games in his illustrious Miami career, ending with 351 tackles, 27 TFL, 4.5 sacks and thanks to his hard hitting ways seven forced fumbles. As a true freshman in ’11 he started five games and had 69 tackles, 6.5 for losses, then in 2012 mainly playing MLB he started six games and earned All-ACC honors with 64 tackles, 6 TFL and an interception return for a touchdown vs. BC. As a junior at OLB he really started to break out with a team-high 108 tackles, 5 TFL, and he was first team All-ACC. His final season at Miami he earned All-America honors and was a Butkus Award finalist after tallying 110 tackles with 9.5 TFL and an interception.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “I remember him just always being around the ball, a premier run-stopper and punishing hitter.”

NOMINEE: DARRIN SMITH

Making The Case: Smith (1989-1992) is the fifth-leading tackler in UM history with 401 and was a key piece of the Bermuda Triangle along with Micheal Barrow and Jesse Armstead. His senior year (71 tackles) he was a first-team UPI All-American and became UM’s first National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete recipient. As a junior he was first-team All-American Football News and in the game against FSU made 18 tackles (10 solo). Smith ended that year with 126 tackles and was a first team All-American. In Miami’s memorable 17-16 win over Florida State in Tallahassee, Smith had 18 tackles (ten solo), helping propel the Canes to the 1991 national title. He was a two-time Butkus Award semifinalist. A fun fact: Smith is believed to be the only football player to hold two College Football National Championship rings (1989 and 1991) and two Super Bowl rings (Super Bowl XXVIII, XXX with the Dallas Cowboys). 

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “He was a key member of the Bermuda Triangle … can we have more nicknames for units like the old-school Canes did?”

NOMINEE: JONATHAN VILMA

Making The Case: Vilma (2000-2003) is seventh all-time at Miami in total tackles (377). He led the team in tackles as a sophomore, junior and senior and was named a 2003 All-American and Butkus Award finalist after leading the Canes with 127 total tackles (81 solo). As a sophomore MLB in 2001 he led the team with 79 tackles during the regular season, and in the Rose Bowl game for the 2001 national title he made three tackles for a loss, had a sack and forced a fumble. The following year he led the team with 133 tackles and two sacks. As a freshman he was a reserve and made first-team freshman All-American after tallying 38 tackles, 5 for losses. Also of note: As a sophomore, he had 9 tackles and returned a fumble 36 yards as the Canes stopped FSU’s 54 game home unbeaten streak, then had his career high of 20 tackles (12 solo) against them in 2002.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “He does great as a color commentator/analyst for FOX, but he was better as a player. Sorry Jon.”

NOMINEE: DJ WILLIAMS

Making The Case: As a freshman reserve Williams (2000-2003) was a fullback and on special teams (caught 12 passes and scored two TDs). As a sophomore he moved to linebacker and earned a starting job and sacked Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch and forced a fumble in the Rose Bowl win for the national title (he had 51 tackles that season). Then as a junior he was a Butkus semifinalist and was second on the team in tackles (108), including a career high of 16 against FSU and nine at Florida. As a senior he returned a fumble 78 yards for a TD against Louisiana Tech and was second on the team in tackles (82) He’s also remembered for his historic play in the Orange Bowl Classic (Wide Right III against FSU): On fourth and one from the UM 31 he took the snap as a blocker and dashed 31 yards to run more time off the clock. Earlier against Temple he ran for 61 yards and a TD on a similar play. Williams was a hard-hitting linebacker with outstanding quickness for his size.

Quote During Our Deliberations About Him: “I remember when Miami landed Williams as the top defensive prospect in the nation thinking it would be tough to live up to that billing. Well, he did.”

JUST MISSED THE CUT: Jesse Armstead, Jay Brophy, Bernard Clark, Maurice Crum, George Mira Jr., Scott Nicolas, Twan Russell, Harold Sears, Nate Webster