Not trying to be an ass, just playing devil's advocate for people who really may be baffled as to why Byrd would still be considering Miami.
For a guy from South Florida, the pride of playing for The U does carry a lot of weight. Guys that grew up in and want to return to the land south of I-4, if they just hold up the U, it's like being a card-carrying member. "Oh, oh, oh, but uzis and hookers and cocaine and sunglasses and neon lights and other things that people north of I-4 will ever take seriously." Sure, you have some valid points, but the culture in South Florida, in terms of football, is that The U is the place for the truly elite from down there who love their state and want to represent where they come from.
Some of you may find that laughable or unbelievable, but it does hold true.
To counter my own statements, I do think that he has more to gain by coming to play at Tennessee. As much as Miami has a tradition (and Miami does have tradition, whether or not you like to admit it) for playing aggressively on defense and carrying a bravado, I think that he will find more of that aggression and bravado at Tennessee, given our coaching improvements and the talent that Byrd will have around him.
Yes, Miami has talent as well, and will probably always have talent, but Tennessee has amassed quite the defensive unit, and a guy like Byrd can truly shine in a defense where all he has to worry about are his assignments.
I think that overall, Tennessee has more to offer, from a student-athlete perspective, and from a developmental perspective. At least in this recruiting cycle.
However, there's more to recruiting a young man than what makes sense to a fan base. It seems like he has more to consider than just himself. Hopefully Scott can demonstrate and sell him on all of the things that we know and love about Tennessee.
