By Mike Hogewood for theACC.com

For the Miami Hurricanes, 2007 is a distant memory. The Canes finished the season 5-7 after losing six of their last seven games. The eye is on the future thanks in large part to the number-one ranked recruiting class in the nation. Now in his second season, head coach Randy Shannon knows his program lacked quality numbers last year. "We feel like we've got depth. Last year we had high expectations, but I didn't realize that we didn't have any depth. We had to play 10 true freshmen last season." There will be some newcomers who will play in 2008 as well, but expect the learning curve to be a fast one.

No where will the youth be more evident at Miami than at quarterback. There's no one on the roster who has taken a snap in a game. Three freshmen head into fall camp battling for the job. Robert Marve, who broke all of Tim Tebow's high school records in Florida, is the favorite to win the position but Shannon says more than one signal caller will play. "We will have a starter, but someone else has to get some snaps. We have to establish depth at that position."

Running Back Javarris James

Whoever the quarterback is, he has some strong runners to give the ball to. Javarris James and Graig Cooper have had some great moments running the football for the Canes and both will have a lot of opportunity to make plays. Shannon isn't about to make a freshman quarterback be the centerpiece of the offense. "I think everybody has to have a good running game to win. I don't want the quarterback to think he has to win it by himself."

There is speed and talent at receiver, just not a lot of experience. The offensive line is experienced and should be able to open holes for the run and protect whoever is at quarterback. Left tackle Jason Fox says nobody on the offensive line is worried about production at quarterback. "It doesn't matter. You just gotta know if they guy back there is more of a pocket guy or if he's a scrambler. I'm there to block for them, it doesn't matter who it is."

Defensive Lineman Eric Moncur

The new names on the Miami roster may first make themselves known on defense. Eight players enrolled in January and were able to take part in spring practice. Starting defensive lineman Eric Moncur likes the new players. "I was impressed with all of the guys who came in the spring. Marcus Forston, Sean Spence, and Arthur Brown should really help the defense." Forston is a lineman. Spence and Brown are linebackers who made a big impact in spring practice. All but one player in the secondary return to provide experience and depth. The Miami defense could quickly develop into one of the league's best.

Special teams play could be an issue. Heading into the fall, last year's punter Matt Bosher is slated to handle all the kicking duties. Miami hasn't had a real return threat on special teams since Devin Hester left two years ago.

The Orange Bowl is gone. The Hurricanes new home is Dolphin Stadium and great efforts are being made to make it a home field advantage. Hurricane colors will be everywhere on game day. The Canes have their own permanent locker room. While it is a bit of a drive from Coral Gables, Shannon says the school is doing everything it can to get students to the games. "Every student will be able to take a bus to and from the games. There will also be a student designated parking lot."

Miami's first game in its new home will be against Charleston Southern on August 28th. The first ACC game in Dolphin Stadium is on September 27th against North Carolina.

Moving to a new stadium signals the start of a new era of Miami football. Randy Shannon has taken a huge step forward with a great recruiting class that has brought a lot of excitement to South Florida. Shannon didn't just want great players, he wants winners. "We went to places that have winning programs. We recruited them hard. We sold them on the University of Miami. They saw an opportunity to come in and change what Miami's about."