'09 FL DE Olivier Vernon (Miami Soft Verbal)

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'09 FL DE Olivier Vernon



Weakside defensive end
Miami (FL) American

Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 225 lbs
Forty: 4.8 secs
Vertical: 30 inches
Shuttle: 4.59 secs
Class: 2009 (High School)

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2/29

By M. Bakas. Vernon visited Miami this week and came away impressed. He says he loves Miami, and that he grew up a huge Canes fans. He will also look at Auburn, South Carolina, and Illinois.

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American High DE Vernon commits to UM - 03/02/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

The University of Miami put together one of the nation's top football recruiting classes last month by building a virtual protective wall around the high school stars it coveted most in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

After inking 18 local front-line players last month, UM officially started collecting its next group of local stars Sunday when it received an oral commitment from Hialeah American 6-3, 230-pound defensive end Olivier Vernon.

A second-team All-Dade selection last season as a junior, Vernon said he made an unofficial visit to UM last Thursday with his parents and high school coaches and decided this weekend to call new receivers coach Aubrey Hill and give him the good news.

''I had a great visit and I just decided why not go with what my heart is telling me -- that I'm going to end up at UM anyway,'' said Vernon, who debuted as the No. 3 overall recruit in Dade or Broward in The Miami Herald's Pre-Spring 2009 Top 20 list.

``I really like the campus, the small classes. I got a chance to speak with the school president [Donna Shalala] and she told me how important education and winning was to her. Coach Shannon is a great guy too. I feel like it would be an honor to play for him.''

Vernon, who said he grew up a Canes fan, becomes the fourth player to announce his intentions to sign with UM next February. On Tuesday, Canesport.com reported Miami received an oral commitment from 6-4, 235-pound tight Billy Sanders of Arizona. He joined Rivals.com five-star running back Bryce Brown, the younger brother of UM freshman linebacker Arthur Brown, and quarterback A.J. Highsmith, son of former Canes fullback Alonzo Highsmith. Oral commitments are nonbinding.

Last season, Vernon recorded 12 1/2 sacks and 52 tackles, including 18 for loss, as junior. American coach Ben Aaerstad said Vernon picked up his first offer from Louisville coaches during last season's spring game and now has more than 20 offers after his junior season -- including ones from Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina and Florida State. Vernon said Miami began recruiting him in January.

Aaerstad compares Vernon to a smaller version of Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor. Olivier, a star soccer player growing up, said didn't play organized football until he came to high school because his mother wouldn't let him. He has started every game since his sophomore season on the varsity and has played defensive end, outside linebacker and middle linebacker.

Vernon, who has a 3.0 GPA, said he told UM coaches when he committed he would still like to take official visits to other schools. Right now, that only includes Alabama.

''He's definitely a great athlete,'' said national recruiting analyst Larry Blustein of MSLCombines.net. ``But the thing I like most about Olivier is he is very smart. He's like a sponge. He's going to be very coachable at the next level.''

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4/7

Is now a soft verbal. Still favors Miami over Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and Rutgers.

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5/11

From the FSU site. Vernon says that he committed really early, and still would like to look at other schools. FSU will be one of his visits, and staying close to home is not a factor.

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UM recruit still listening to offers - 05/30/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Louisville, which on that same afternoon became the first school to offer Vernon a scholarship, according to the 6-3, 235-pound defensive end, is now one of 15 schools that have sent him a written offer.

Vernon committed to the University of Miami in February, shortly after an unofficial visit to the campus. But the suspense of his recruitment will likely continue all the way up to national signing day 2009.

Vernon said Alabama, Florida State and South Florida are still recruiting him ''very hard.'' And he said Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has been giving him something to think about: the possibility of playing a flex defensive end/linebacker role like that of the Dolphins' Jason Taylor, a player Vernon admires.

''I'm still committed to UM,'' Vernon said Wednesday. ``But I still got a lot of schools talking to me and I want to take my official visits. I want to enjoy the process.''

A LATE START

Vernon has a good reason. He hasn't been able to enjoy playing football very long.

''I always told my parents I wanted to play football, but they wouldn't sign me up,'' Vernon said. ``So I played soccer for like eight years. I played forward, midfielder, striker. Then I got here in the ninth grade and I stopped all that.''

Now his parents -- mother Bernadette and father Olivier Sr. -- are his two biggest football supporters. Bernadette volunteers 60 hours per week at American and is the head of the PTA and president of the team's booster club. Olivier Sr., a Miami Beach police officer, helps serve team meals in the fall.

Vernon, who has a 2.6 GPA, has convinced his parents that football is the right sport for him. After playing on the JV team as a freshman, Vernon started 10 games on varsity as a sophomore. He followed up his sensational spring with a junior year in which he recorded 42 tackles (18 for loss) and 12 1/2 sacks.

His coach believes Vernon, who was selected to the All-Dade Second Team, likely would have earned first-team honors if not for one of the most highly touted senior classes in Miami-Dade history in 2008.

''As a sophomore you could see Olivier had it,'' Aarestad said. ``Some of the things he did naturally were amazing. Then, this past fall, he basically did whatever he wanted.''

Vernon's size, strength and speed have a lot to do with it. After competing in track this spring, Vernon was timed running an improved 40-yard dash time of 4.7 seconds. His strength numbers -- 320-pound bench press and 455-pound squat -- also went up.

STILL IMPROVING

National recruiting analysts have Vernon as one of the top 10 pass-rushing defensive ends in the country in the class of 2009 and the second best in Florida behind Seffner Armwood's Ryne Giddins (6-4, 235).

What separates Vernon from the rest of the pack, according to his coach, is his versatility. This season, Aarestad said he will play Vernon a little at outside linebacker to give him the opportunity to thrive in a Taylor-type role.

Vernon, though, said he still feels much more comfortable at end. He played linebacker for only three snaps in American's 14-0 loss to Killian in a spring jamboree.

''I just want to learn the position more and keep getting better,'' Vernon said. ``I've got nothing to do but keep getting better at football and school.''

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7/1

By M Seitz. Olivier says that the fact he grew up a Canes fan and lives only 30 mins from campus will not effect his final decision. He will check out Pitt, West Virginia and Florida State this summer to make sure Miami is where he wants to go.

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7/22

From the FSU site. Vernon gives his visit to Florida State a 10 and says he really felt the love while he was there. He has official visits to Miami, Alabama, FSU and USF set up, and calls those schools his favorites. He is still committed to Miami but says that could easily change.