A Cane Life Without Marve

By Todd Brown
Canes Rising Staff

He was Mr. Football in the state of Florida. He was the most hyped QB in the state not named Tebow in the last several years. He was to be our savior.

When Robert Marve was at Plant High School in Tampa he showed the same exceptional athleticism and arm strength that he's shown at the "U. " But at the very same time he showed the same sort of reckless play and poor decision making that has plagued his time at UM. I watched him at Plant and must say I was never as impressed with him as the recruiting experts were. To me he was a totally unfinished article, and given our recent history with QBs that had four or five stars assigned to them by the recruiting services, I was unimpressed.

Originally committed to Alabama, Marve changed his commitment to Miami following Mike Shula's firing. Now two years into Robert Marve's Miami tenure their is at least a very good chance he will not play again for the Canes.

My theory is that new Offensive Coordinator Pat Nix and Head Coach Randy Shannon panicked seeing only two scholarship QBs for 2007, the pathetic Kirby Freeman and the absolutely useless Kyle Wright. Freeman was coming off a good bowl game against Nevada but he could not be counted on to lead the Canes and Wright seemingly was going to fade into oblivion. My theory is that Marve was recruited without weighing his downside because of Miami's desperation.

But Robert Marve got into a car accident and never saw the field in 2007. His window of opportunity was gone. Once Jacory Harris saw the field this season, a year after leading his High School team to a #1 national ranking he was always going to be the man at the "U." Marve's window came and went. Complicating matters is Marve's lack of maturity which has led to him being the only Miami player in Shannon's tenure to be arrested and also the only one to be suspended from a bowl game for Academic issues.

This is now Jacory Harris' team. Robert Marve was never supposed to be the Canes QB long term. The second Harris resisted the opportunity to play in Mike Beloiti's offense at Oregon which would fit him like a glove, this was always going to be his job. Harris has the maturity Marve lacks, as well as the polish as a passer that Marve may never develop. Besides, he's alot smarter and playing QB for Miami requires brains more than athletic ability as history has taught us.

Robert Marve's time at the "U" is over. I wish the kid the best of luck and thank him for his effort these past two years but he just wasn't the right fit for this program. Even Shannon and Nix I am sure will admit that after he is gone.