Dave Hyde: Miami’s shrewd, new way as Rent-A-Quarterback U

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They once won as Quarterback U.

Now they win as Rent-a-Quarterback U.

They once recruited and developed young arms.

Now they poach and pay proven arms.

Here’s the question the Miami Hurricanes have mastered in this new age of college football: Why recruit an 18-year-old possibility at the game’s most important position when you can pay a developed 21-year-old with a tangible portfolio?

That’s what they did by legally stealing Darian Mensah from Duke. It’s not done yet. But there’s no other way to say it if, as expected, he signs with Miami. Contracts, lawyers, courtrooms and eventually a settlement were involved to free Mensah from his $4 million name-image-and-likeness deal with Duke and get what a Miami source said would be a deal, “at the very least in the $6.5 million range.”

Look at Miami to see the arc of college football. Two years ago, it paid Cam Ward $1.5 million to transfer from Washington State. He starred to the point of being the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Last season, Miami paid Carson Beck $4.5 million to transfer from Georgia. Beck helped Miami advance to a national championship game that showcased this new world. Indiana even got a better return-on-investment from Heisman Trophy winner and championship catalyst Fernando Mendoza. He cost a reported $1 million.

Both Miami and Indiana reloaded with proven quarterbacks again as Indiana got former Texas Christian star Josh Hoover and Miami untangled the legal issues to get Mensah. Why not? They just cashed big checks for advancing to the national title game.

Miami made $20 million, minus expenses. There was no sharing with Atlantic Coast Conference teams, either. So, it didn’t just spend on the quarterback again. It’s spent again on every needy position.

Quarterbacks tell the story of this new world, because of their value. Look around at the quarterback merry-go-round. Louisiana State bought Sam Leavitt from Arizona State. Texas Tech bought Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati. You can go down the list of a few-dozen quarterbacks switching schools or just look at Indiana choosing Hoover over Mendoza’s brother, Alberto.

Alberto Mendoza transferred to Georgia Tech, whose previous quarterback, Aaron Philo, transferred to Florida, whose previous quarterback, D.J. Lagway, transferred to Baylor. There’s the modern way in a few, fallen dominos.

You don’t have to like it. You can prefer the days when players were paid under the table. Or you can move with the times.

“That’s called a paradigm shift,’’ Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said after beating Miami. “It’s kind of like people can cling to the old way of thinking, categorizing teams as this or that or conferences as this or that, or they can adjust to the new world, the shift of the power balance in the college football that is today.”

It’s the third straight season the Big Ten won the championship.

“I know we have a huge TV contract and all the institutions make a lot of money and there will be a lot of good teams next year in the league,’’ Cignetti said.

Miami president Joe Echevarria was at the front of understanding how to leverage money in this new world. That money allowed Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal to compete for the top players and build teams behind Ward, Beck and soon Mensah.

The other paradigm shift in college involves Miami’s backup quarterback for three seasons, Emory Williams. As Miami was haggling over Mensah, Williams transferred to East Carolina. If good enough next season, a big school with a big contract awaits.

That smaller-college path is one a lot of good players will take in building their game. There’s always a foundation of recruits as Miami and Indiana showed. Miami had six true freshmen contributing in the playoffs. Maybe someday, like Ohio State starting redshirt freshman Julian Sayin, it’ll find the right young player.

Or not.

Quarterback U developed young pups like Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Craig Erickson, Steve Walsh and Gino Torretta. There’s an easier way to the top now. Miami’s formula isn’t to spend a few years working with a few quarterbacks in the hope one develops into a star.

Now, it shrewdly buys its proven quarterbacks like Ward. Beck. Now Mensah.

Welcome to Rent-A-Quarterback U.

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