All Hurricanes

2024 Hurricanes Recruiting Tracker

Updating information about top 2024 Miami Hurricanes recruiting targets.

All Hurricanes Staff

2024 Hurricanes Recruiting Tracker
2024 Hurricanes Recruiting Tracker /
In this story:

The Miami Hurricanes are actively pursuing numerous class of 2024 prospects within the great state of Florida, as well as across the nation.

The goal is to back up the tremendous 2023 recruiting haul with another impressive list of players that provides The U with the resources to once again compete for national championships.

To make that happen, part of the continued efforts will be towards landing more and more of the top South Florida recruits. The prior recruiting class is an example of how things can change quickly. Miami's ability to bring in top local talent is a prime reason why the last class is so well respected.

Check back often as this 2024 recruiting tracker will include breaking news, highlight commitments, scholarship offers, March unofficial and official visits. Additionally, here's the 2024 Miami commitment list and recruiting profiles.

June 10

After a very long recruitment, Duncanville (Texas) High School defensive end Colin Simmons just made his announcement for the Texas Longhorns.

He made his decision over LSU and Miami, two other programs that hosted Simmons for an official visit and unofficial visit. First off, congrats to the Longhorns.

Next, will Simmons decision to play for Texas stick? Expect Simmons to continue to be a recruit that not only LSU and Miami covet, but Alabama, Georgia, and numerous other programs will certainly stay in contact.

If he takes official and/or unofficial visits to other programs this fall, anything is possible.

Simmons is a consensus 5-star recruit from On3, Rivals, 247 and ESPN.

August 9

One of the nation's best offensive line prospects will be announcing his decision this upcoming Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. EST, or, in his case, 5 p.m. PST, because the recruit in quesiton would be Isendre "Papa" Ahfua from Seattle (Wash.) O'Dea.

Despite being from the Pacific Northwest, the 6-foot-4 and 300-pound offensive lineman has been scouted and offered by programs across the country. One of the reasons for this has been how Ahfua is continuing to change his body.

He's actually lighter now than during the early portion of his prep career. He was once 330 pounds. That lost weight combined with improving his conditioning makes him a more mobile and athletic prospect. Already coveted, the schools were lining up to sign him already, and that's intensified with how well he's training now.

Ahfua's offer list includes Oregon, Southern California, Washington, Utah, Miami, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Texas, Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, Michigan and Penn State among others. Here are Ahfua's final three programs that he will select from:

As of Aug. 9, the Aggies sit with three offensive line commitments, Utah with one, and Miami has three. Regardless of where Ahfua decides he will take his talents, that fortunate college football program will be gaining a prospect that's earning his marks from the recruiting services.

Rankings in order of national, position, and state:

Rivals

: 148, 7, and 1

On3

: 235, 13, and 4

247

: 136, 6, and 4

ESPN

: 65, 3, and 1

It's rare that a future interior offensive lineman receives the type of attention that Ahfua continues to receive. He's earning it, however, and this young man has a chance to play early during his college career.

July 9

One of the top prospects at national power Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy has and will continue to be Jayden Jackson. The 6-foot-2 and 300-pound defensive tackle has the attention of college football programs across the country.

He's seen offers from programs such as Miami, Florida, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Southern California and Colorado among others. He’s narrowed down his list of schools to five, and now it’s time to make a college decision.

With his decision coming this upcoming July 13 at 5 p.m., everyone will know where Jackson is finally going to play his college football. To date, the opinions about his college choice have been fairly wide.

Miami has certainly entertained him multiple times for visits and those already in the 305 from IMG like Francis Mauigoa want him to join the crew in Coral Gables.

In four days, everyone will find out.

June 15

The Miami Hurricanes have offered a new quarterback prospect, Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange's Trever Jackson.

He had a tremendous showing at the Orlando Elite 11 regional and has made his way to the Elite 11 finals just outside of Los Angeles.

All Hurricanes will have more on Jackson's talents very soon, as the Canes will likely take two quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class.

June 4

One of Miami's top overall in-state targets just sent out his top schools list. It's also a good time to become reacquainted with this recruit, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis.

Ranked as the No. 21 player in the nation by Rivals, as well as the second best interior offensive lineman, Pierre-Louis has played all across the offensive line for Catholic. Further, he's also a talented interior defensive lineman that Georgia would absolutely take for nose guard. Now, here were his remaining schools:

He was just on campus for UCF's "Bounce House Weekend." Beyond the Knights, his official visit list has been fluid to date, honestly. Pierre-Louis even let it be known during spring practice that he would make a late decision.

That being the case, Miami has always been one of the programs that Pierre-Louis has stayed in consistent communication with. Miami has earned its opportunity to get an official visit and potentially sign Pierre-Louis on Dec. 20, National Signing Day.

May 24

From Upper Marlboro (Md.) Charles Herbert Flowers, Mike Williams was a target of Miami and many programs across the country prior to committing to the South Carolina Gamecocks on April 19, 2023.

He’s had a change of heart. Now, the 6-foot-7 and 315-pound offensive tackle has gone back into the world of open recruitment.

The talented offensive tackle has been recruited and offered by the likes of Miami, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Michigan State, West Virginia and Southern California among others.

With Miami holding one current offensive line commitment from the 2024 class – Juan Minaya from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic – and Alex Mirabal still building talent and depth, do not be surprised if the Canes try to bring this young man down for another visit.

Williams has the natural size and athleticism to be a Power 5 offensive tackle. It’s hard to consistently sign talented offensive tackles, so Williams has probably had his phone ring quite a bit since putting up his decommitment from South Carolina.

The big fella unofficially visited The U earlier this spring, so he could be a target to keep an eye on with Miami.

May 21

The Hurricanes have an incredible official visitor list for the month of June, and it's continuing to improve. How about the #1 prospect in the On3 recruiting rankings for the class of 2024?

Dylan Stewart will trek to Coral Gables on June 9. The 6-foot-5 and 235-pound edge rusher has also set official visits to Ohio State (June 16) and South Carolina (June 23). Among many other programs attempting to get the Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate Academy.

Penn State, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, Michigan, and Florida State would be just some of those programs.

Keep in mind, with the NCAA now allowing unlimited official visits for prospects, a recruit as talented as Stewart could take more than the accustomary five official visits.

Back to the Canes, also note that he unofficially visited the University of Miami campus in May. Having hosted him multiple times will be a benefit to Mario Cristobal and the Miami coaching staff. 

May 15

The Chase continued over the weekend.

5-star cornerback Ellis Robinson was at Miami for an unofficial visit. He has been committed to Georgia since Feb. 1, 2023 but that has not slowed down Mario Cristoal and the Canes from continuing to go after the 6-foot-1 and 185-pound cornerback from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.

Robinson was one of numerous top Miami targets that were a part of "the pool party" down at Cristobal's house, much to the dismay of many disgruntled FSU fans (if you search around social media, it's not hard to find).

While hanging out with many top recruits like David Stone, Ricky Knight II and Caleb Odom among others, the unofficial visit was yet another opportunity to stay in the game with Robinson before he takes his official visit to Coral Gables on June 9.

Do not allow the so-called commitment fool you. Robinson has been and continues to be in play for Cristobal and the Canes; actions speak louder than words.

May 13

Per multiple reports, a sneaky good recruiting weekend at Miami has turned into arguably the best in the country. 

In addition to in-state elites like IMG Academy's David Stone and Ellis Robinson IV, but also Chaminade Madonna's Zaquan Patterson and five-star Ohio State wide receiver commitment Mylan Graham are on campus. Droves of underclassmen are also in Coral Gables at this time. 

Miami has seven verbal commitments in the 2024 class but has been heating up with many rising-seniors close to home and beyond. 

May 12

A prime target of the Hurricanes has trimmed his list of schools to six. Caleb Odom, a talented big wide receiver/flex tight end, recently placed his list of schools on Twitter:

In addition to Odom dropping his top schools, he's also slated to visit the University of Miami this weekend. It will be Odom's second trip to Coral Gables this year, a good sign for the Hurricanes.

During an interview with All Hurricanes last month, Odom had the following to say about Miami tight ends coach Cody Woodiel:

“He’s been telling me that I just have to come in and work,” Odom began. “I have a great chance of playing. They want guys that want to play as a freshman."

You can read the full article here: Caleb Odom Visiting Miami

The 6-foot-5 and 215-pound talent plays for Carrollton (Ga.) High School, and goes against some of the best talent in America on Friday nights.

According to Max Preps, Odom caught 67 passes for 1,177 yards, a 17.6 average, and 14 touchdowns, during the 2022 football season.

May 7

One of the elements of Miami’s rich tradition of winning has stemmed from elite speed at wide receiver.

The list has been incredible, with some of Miami’s speedsters being Randal “Thrill” Hill, Jammi German, Santana Moss, and Travis Benjamin. With those talented outside threats, Miami has often ran past teams to get victories.

That’s the hope with the prospect that’s been on campus this weekend for an unofficial visit, too.

The Canes have been hosting elite St. Louis (Mo.) University wide receiver Ryan Wingo, one of the fastest wide receiver recruits in the country. He’s also 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, also making him an even more intriguing downfield threat.

Wingo has been courted by schools from across the nation. Which team or teams have led for him has been highly debated, with the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State and others all having made a run at him. 

Well, the Miami Hurricanes have reportedly done a good job this weekend and he would fill a huge need in the 2024 recruiting class if Wingo eventually signs with the Canes. Maybe Miami will fit what Wingo desires? As for why he's important for UM, think about the following.

For offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson's offense to maximize its abilities, more size and speed will be needed moving forward. Miami did not sign a traditional big-bodied wide receiver in the 2023 class, let alone one with Wingo’s talent and speed.

The Canes have talented slot players but deep threats with size have been harder to come by. That's where Wingo would come into play.

Wingo has been ranked a 5-star and No. 22 player in the nation by the 247 Sports composite. Adding him to current Miami wide receiver commitment Chance Robinson, another prospect with top speed, would also be a great 1-2 punch for fellow commitment and quarterback Judd Anderson to one day throw the football to.

May 3

IMG Academy defensive tackle Jayden Jackson down to five tradition-rich college football programs

Miami’s biggest need in the class of 2024 continues to be defensive tackle. That’s why seeing elite recruit Jayden Jackson drop his top five via social media, and list the Canes, was a really good thing.

That's an impressive list with Miami, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio State. Talking specifically about the Canes, they've earned their way into Jackson's top five.

Jackson has seen Miami come after him hard and he’s reciprocated the interest by visiting Coral Gables. He should be figuring out his official visits from this point forward. Not long ago, that looked like it could drag out.

When seeing him on April 22 during the Polynesian Bowl combine, held at IMG, Jackson commented that he needed to narrow down his list more. He was at 12 schools during that time.

Moving forward, Miami has an edge with being closer to IMG than most of the competition. That means the Canes could possibly get an unofficial visit to go along with an official visit, from Jackson.

May 2

One of Miami's top offensive line targets is coming back to Coral Gables for an official visit. 

Per Brandon Huffman, Isendre Ahfua has locked in a Miami Hurricane official visit for the weekend of June 16. He was last on campus for an unofficial visit in April and Mario Cristobal's program obviously impressed. 

"Man the staff was amazing," Ahfua told Huffman. "Seeing coach Cristobal, coach Mirabal, coach (Joe) Salave'a, and more that came from Oregon to coach with coach Cristobal was great."

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound rising-senior lineman out of Seattle (Wash.) O'Dea has more than 20 scholarship offers to his name, but The U is in position for his first official visit.

Miami is battling Georgia, Alabama, USC, Oregon and others for Ahfua's services at the collegiate level. He is ranked as high as the No. 3 interior offensive line recruit in America (ESPN).

May 1

The Miami Hurricanes continue to seek out top tight end talent. This time, it's from Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School tight end Davon Mitchell. That's also the same high school that T.A. Cunningham played at last season prior to transferring to Miami (Fla.) Central. He's also been coveted by the Canes.

As for Mitchell specifically, he's now down to five schools with Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes being in the race.

The 6-foot-4 and 250-pound prospect can play as a traditional inline tight end or play out wide. He has the obvious offers from the schools above -- Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Miami -- plus overtures from LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida State and many others.

He has been ranked by 247 Sports composite as a 5-star and No. 14 player in the country. 

April 25

For the class of 2023, Chris Johnson and Mark Fletcher signed with the Hurricanes from Broward County.

For 2024, Miami already secured the commitment of Chris Wheatley-Humphrey from South Dade High School as well. The Canes could double up in Broward County with another talented runner. It's an incredible display of just how much talent Broward truly has year after year.

From the 2024 class, one of the best running backs continues to be uncommitted, and that would be Saint Thomas Aquinas product Jordan Lyle.

From his running back position, he was often the catalyst that helped the Raiders get past opponents on their way to a fourth consecutive state title. This past season saw STA win the 2022 3M championship.

He had 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall, including a 91-yard run. Being the primary running back for STA brought college coaches from across the country in to see him play and eventually offer.

Miami, Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Oregon were some of the tradition-rich college football programs that want Lyle on their respective rosters. He’s now narrowed down his list of schools to only five, the Canes included.

With a top-notch list of Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama, it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. There will be one bonus for the Hurricanes with Lyle, however.

With Miami already holding a commitment from Lyle's teammate, wide receiver Chance Robinson, that certainly does not hurt the chances for Miami running back coach Tim Harris, Jr. and the Hurricanes.

April 23

One of the top safety recruits in the country has placed Miami in his Top Five schools.

South Florida local Zaquan Patterson puts Miami in his final five, along with the likes of Auburn, Ohio State, Michigan and Florida State.

Patterson is a four-star recruit, and a composite top five safety in the nation.

Coming in a 6 feet 185 pounds, Patterson is viewed as a hard-hitting defensive back with ability to play in the box.

Given the success of the defensive back room for Miami with Kamren Kinchens being named an All-American and Tyrique Stevenson being a projected Top 50 selection in this week's NFL Draft, Miami hopes to add more talent to a room that will likely see departures following this coming season.

April 19

One of the nation’s top 100 recruits has continued to keep the Miami Hurricanes in contention for his services.

Linebacker Brayden Platt has been listed by 247 Sports as the No. 97 player in the country and a 4-star prospect. Watching the Yelm (Wash.) High School prospect on film, that made it easy to see why he’s listed among the nation’s top recruits.

Despite being 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he nimbly bypassed offensive linemen on the way to the ball carrier, and Platt’s hitting power was showcased during several of his highlights when he connected with a running back. 

With a solidly built frame and a penchant for contact, Platt's future should continue to be at inside linebacker.

That's good the Canes, as Miami will need linebacker help from the 2024 class. Look for Mario Cristobal and the Canes to try and get this young man to Coral Gables for an official visit.

April 16

After seeing Kylan Fox three years ago during seven-on-seven action, and he was already a player that looked like a senior in high school, it was only a matter of time before the class of 2024 prospect he broke onto the national recruiting scene.

With offers from Miami, Florida State, UCF, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford and many others, Fox’s recruitment has certainly become elite.

Fast forward to this weekend’s OT7 tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Fox was a touring flex tight end playing for California Power. His ability to stop and start, despite being 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, was yet another indicator of why he’s earned those offers.

During a corner route, Fox beat a much smaller defensive back with quickness more than size, and hauled in a touchdown. Seeing a young man with his physical gifts make that play was impressive.

After one of the games, Fox admitted that he’s set with three visits and there could be more as well.

“I have UCF on June 2, Miami on June 9, and Florida State on June 16,” Fox said of his future official visit plans.

Coming from powerful Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, Fox will certainly see many more college coaches stroll through his high school hallways in hopes of lining up one of the remaining official visits that he takes.

April 13

One of the biggest needs for the Miami 2024 recruiting class would be cornerback. The good news, it just so happens that one of the top cornerback prospects for the Canes will be visiting for the spring game.

Ricky Knight III was also a UM visitor back in March, so it's good for the Hurricanes to see him on campus yet again. Landing Knight will not be easy though. Playing for Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School, Knight has certainly be a prime target for Miami coaches.

The Canes will certainly be competing with other top programs to land Knight. Other schools like Florida State and Penn State should definitely be mentioned among others. Interestingly, FSU has made a concerted effort to do better with South Florida recruiting, so it's possible that this could end up being a FSU-UM battle.

Do not discount PSU from landing Knight either. The Nittany Lions have done a tremendous job of recruiting all over the state of Florida for at least the past five years. 

Once high school spring ball kicks off in May, Knight's recruitment will also likely kick into another gear. After seeing him at Under Armour Orlando, there was no question he's a national-level prospect.

April 11

Miami continues to pursue top offensive line recruits in the class of 2024 and one of the best available confirmed official visit plans to The U for this summer. 

Mike Williams, the 6-foot-5, 310 Baltimore (Md.) Flowers offensive lineman who visited Miami back in early March, has locked in a return trip on an official basis the weekend of June 23.

Content is unavailable

Williams, who also has a Michigan State official visit set in June, has both programs in his top eight. The rest of the group, released in March, includes USC, Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and in-state Maryland.

Three of the four major recruiting outlets consider Williams to be a three-star recruit, ranked as high as the No. 84 offensive tackle via 247Sports.

April 10

Defensive tackle recruiting will be vital to the Miami Hurricanes 2024 recruiting success.

The Canes have signed talent from the prep ranks and added more skilled athletes via the Transfer Portal, but the majority of those players will leave after the 2023 or 2024 seasons, or already transferred out. Plus, the prior recruiting class only signed one defensive tackle prospect.

That prospect was Joshua Horton from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes. He has a bright future in Coral Gables, but Miami would have liked to have signed two interior defensive lineman.

That point has placed an extra emphasis on the 2024 defensive tackle recruiting targets for Mario Cristobal and the assistant coaching staff. One of those players that the Canes have been chasing would be Jayden Jackson from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. He recently visited Miami and now has the Canes in his top group.

After seeing Jackson perform at the IMG camp that showcases their skills just like a NFL pro day would, there’s no question that he possessed the physical tools to play at the Power 5 level and thrive.

Speed, agility, an excellent first step, and even open-field speed were all showcased by Jackson.

As for Miami’s chances, keep in mind that the Canes signed four players from IMG Academy within the last recruiting class. Jackson was friends with the likes of Jayden Wayne, Riley Williams, Antonio Tripp and Francis Mauigoa, and they would be happy to have him join them in Coral Gables.

APRIL 6

And then there were six.

Loganville (Ga.) Grayson High School tight end recruit Kylan Fox has trimmed his list of options from near 60 scholarship offers down to a half-dozen, with Miami still in the hunt. 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound standout also has Ole Miss, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia Tech and UCF still under consideration, with official visits to the trio of Sunshine State programs penciled in for the month of June. 

Fox, who caught 25 passes for 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2022 while also playing defensive end on defense, was recently at The U for the first time.

“Miami is off the charts," he told On3. "The campus is beautiful, the town is nice and then with coach (Mario) Cristobal, it’s his second year. He signed a great recruiting class is 2023 and it’s only gonna get bigger.”

Fox is rated four stars across the industry, tabbed as highly as the No. 7 athlete on Rivals. 

APRIL 5

An electric wide receiver recruit is in Coral Gables for the first time as a prospect Wednesday. 

I'Marion Stewart, the Chicago (Ill.) Kenwood Academy wide receiver standout listed at 6-foot-1, around 180 pounds, announced his arrival in Coral Gables Wednesday morning.

The rising-senior prospect, who  has been busy on the visit trail of late, taking in Michigan in late March with other plans later this spring, including to Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Notre Dame this month.

Stewart is ranked as high as the nation's No. 20 wide receiver recruit (Rivals), with more than 20 scholarship offers to his name. Miami offered back in January.

MARCH 30

Kylan Fox took his first visit to Miami just last weekend, and he saw enough to have set an official visit and quick return to get an even closer look at Mario Cristobal's program. 

The top 10 tight end recruit has set a trio of official visits in the state of Florida, per Rivals, with Miami set to host him the weekend of June 9 for the allotted 48 hours on the program's dime. 

Fox, The 6-foot-5, 217-pound prospect and consensus four-star recruit out of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson High School, is ranked as high as the No. 7 tight end recruit in the class of 2024 (Rivals).

Miami took multiple tight end recruits in the class of 2023 and it looks as if the position will again be a priority in 2024. 

MARCH 22

Despite being committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 43 prospect in the On3 2024 recruiting rankings will be trekking to Miami on Thursday.

Jaylen Heyward, a hybrid safety-linebacker from Rockledge (Fla.) High School, has decided to visit Coral Gables, Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes.

The 5-11 and 185-pound athlete has a striking physique and the speed and power to go along with it. He’s a unique defender because of his coverage skills, yet despite his size, can hit like an inside linebacker.

Having Heyward’s versatility in the game can help a defense to match the personnel of a multi-talented unit that has a flex tight end and/or running back that has lined up in the slot.

Some of the offers for Heyward outside of Miami and Georgia include Florida, Florida State, UCF, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Colorado, North Carolina, Penn State, Southern California and Oklahoma among others.

MARCH 21

There have always been a few positions that going out and getting the talent has been paramount, regardless of where those prospects have called home.

Defensive tackle would certainly be one of those positions, along with defensive end, cornerback and quarterback.

For Miami, the 2024 class has seen them make offers to several top defensive tackle prospects across the country. One of them would be Justin Scott from Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius. He was on Miami's campus last fall, with Mario Cristobal and his staff continuing to recruit him. There's good reason why.

The 6-foot-4 and 310-pound defensive lineman has shown the athleticism to play DE in a 3-man line and 2-gap, as well as be a penetrating defensive tackle in a 1-gap up-the-field 4-3 defense.

In short, he’s proven to be a prospect that can pretty much do it all from a physical standpoint. Miami will be hosting him soon, and Scott also announced his intentions to play in the Polynesian Bowl, too.

Talking specifics, Scott intends to make the trek to Miami in April, while hitting Notre Dame next month as well.

Down the line, Scott has official visits lined up with Georgia (June 2) and Ohio State (June 23). If the Miami unofficial visit goes well, perhaps the Hurricanes will be a third college football program to gain an official visit from Scott in June.

MARCH 20

The more visits the better. That's the way Miami has been treating the recruitment of top-notch defensive lineman David Stone, who plays for Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. 

Stone has spoken highly of Miami before. During the IMG Pro Day in early March, Stone mentioned Miami as a school thats recruiting him the hardest along with Florida. 

With the two upcoming unofficial visits, Mario Cristobal and the Canes will be provided a chance to make a lasting impression. That's important because Stone's list of suitors has been and will continue to be a who's who of top college football programs like Oklahoma, his home-state school, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Florida, LSU, and Texas A&M among others.

Additionally, the 6-foot-4 and 283-pound defender will have a hard time narrowing his list, let alone making a final decision. That's another reason why the upcoming visits to Miami will be vital to the Hurricanes chances of signing him.

MARCH 14, 5:00 PM

If there’s probably one thing that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal will continue to do well, it’s draw top-notch offensive lineman to Coral Gables.

Afterall, Cristobal was a UM offensive lineman himself. There’s pride involved. To that point, one of the nation’s most sought after offensive lineman from Washington (D.C.) St. John's will come to Coral Gables in just over a week.

Miami offered Jordan Seaton back on Jan. 22, 2022, just over a month after Cristobal was hired by the University of Miami.

Making his trip through the state of Florida, it will be interesting to see which school or schools stand out for Seaton between the Canes, Noles and Gators. He certainly has options across the nation.

The 6-foot-5 and 290-pound Seaton has been considered one of the nation’s top interior offenisve linemen for quite some time. His offer list backed up his reputation.

Miami, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Colorado, Michigan, Southern California, Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State and Maryland offered among others.

Seeing him on film, Seaton provided tremendous first-step power to drive block. He’s also proven to be a capable blocker in space for screen plays, and reach blocks well, too.

MARCH 14

During the 2023 recruiting cycle, Miami was able to land three prep recruits from the Peach State.

That trend appears to be headed in a similar direction this year, and one of the best linebackers from Georgia has been placed high on Miami’s board with an offer Monday night, plus he’s coming to check out The U.

Watching Qua Birdsong play brings back memories of when the Hurricanes routinely signed linebackers in the 200-pound range, bulked them up, and then turned them loose to chase down running backs and quarterbacks with their sheer speed and athleticism.

On film, Birdsong’s closing speed was tremendous. The 6-foot-2 and 200-pound defender moved around quite often before the snap, and he did a fantastic job of shooting gaps and cutting off ball carriers before they made it past the line of scrimmage.

Playing for LaGrange (Ga.) Troup County, located near the Alabama/Georgia line, Birdsong has also played against quality competition.

His overall talents have seen him be offered by a host of programs including Miami, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Southern California, Pittsburgh, Missouri, North Carolina State and Maryland among others.

MARCH 13, 8:30 PM

The Miami Hurricanes have become the latest program to offer Dinellson Exume.

The class of 2024 defensive end from Miami (Fla.) Edison has been ranked by On3 industry composite as the No. 543 prospect and #37 defensive end.

Content is unavailable

The 6-foot-3 and 245-pound edge defender added the Canes to an offer list that included Georgia Tech, USF, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia, South Carolina, Liberty, Syracuse, Marshall and Jackson State.

Exume’s junior film showcased his ability to be an edge rusher that utilized power and speed to get to the ball carrier. Depending on how much weight he plans to gain, Exume could be a strong side end or weak side end.

He’s quite familiar with Miami and much of the current coaching as he took an unofficial visit to see the Canes all the way back to April of last year. 

MARCH 13

Miami landed four different prospects from IMG Academy from the 2023 recruiting cycle. The Canes are attempting to get back into the Bradenton, Fla. boarding school and land more top talent.

Lewis admitted to All Hurricanes on March 2 that he was definitely interested in Miami. His top 10 list above confirmed those sentiments. Lewis likes the Miami coaching staff, including offensive line coach Alex Mirabal and head coach Mario Cristobal.

The Mississippi-raised prospect has been open to attending school in many different areas of the United States. It will be interesting to see which programs end up gaining each of his five allotted official visits.

MARCH 11

For special prospects, Miami's recruiting search for top talent has been national for decades. Safety Ed Reed was from just on the outer edge of New Orleans at Destrehan (La.) High School, and defensive end Calais Campbell came from Denver (Col.) South, just as two examples.

2024 safety prospect Kennedy Urlacher fits that profile of a prospect that Miami will leave the talent-rich state of Florida to recruit.

Yes, he's the son of Brian Urlacher, in case one was wondering. The former 9th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2000 NFL Draft, and now NFL Hall of Famer after being a Pro-Bowl selection eight times and also being a member of the NFL 2000's All-Decade team.

When seeing Kennedy's film, however, he's carved out his own niche and that has nothing to do with his father. It's why teams from across the country have been offering the 6-foot-1 and 180-pound safety, Miami included. To that point, the Canes will see the younger Urlacher up close and personal later this month.

Coming from Chandler (Ariz.) High School, Urlacher has shown a penchant for playing a downhill and physical style of football. His frame will likely keep him at safety unlike his dad, who ended up being over 250 pounds in the NFL.

Urlacher's football IQ will also allow him to be a versatile player. He's a dominant special teams player that's blocked kicks and been a good tackler on kickoffs against shifty return men. When he's lined up at safety, his skill set has been widespread.

He can be a single-high safety or come down and cover in the slot or be an extra defender in the box that takes on the assignment of mirroring a talented tight end. All of his attritubes have made it an easy choice for Miami to recruit him, as well as many others.

The Canes offered back on Oct. 25, 2022. Since 2021, he's also seen offers from many other programs, starting with his first Power 5 offer from Arizona on March 29, 2021. 

Iowa was the next Power 5 offer on May 22, 2022, and the offers have been coming ever since: Northern Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado State, Nebraska, Kansas State, California, Kansas, Penn State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Washington, UNLV, Stanford, Pennsylvania, and TCU.

The Canes need at least two safeties in this recruiting class. Further, with Kamren Kinchens and/or James Williams heading to the NFL after the 2023 season, Miami needs at least one safety recruit that can play in 2024. Urlacher could be that recruit.

Look for the defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae and the Hurricanes staff to recruit this young man hard.

MARCH 9

Miami has been one of the top tight end programs in college football for a long time. With the class of 2024, the Canes have a chance to sign a local product that could one day add to that legacy.

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons tight end Colton Heinrich has an all-around game. He’s proven to be an in-line blocker that knocks defenders off the football, as well as splitting out wide to play a flex tight end role.

This past season, Heinrich’s soft hands made him a favorite target of UCF quarterback recruit Dylan Rizk. Heinrich caught 36 passes for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 and 230-pound tight end has been adding offers, and the Hurricanes are in the mix for his signature.

Miami offered Heinrich back on Jan. 22 after Heinrich spoke with head coach Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes will be battling many programs for his services moving forward.

Just in the last couple of months, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Missouri, LSU, Texas, Stanford, North Carolina, Michigan State, Cincinnati, and West Virginia offered among others.

Additionally, Heinrich just finished up an unofficial visit to Ole Miss. Thus, his visit to Coral Gables today will be important to help get the Canes back on his mind, as well as meet new members of the Miami staff like offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and wide receivers coach Kevin Beard.

Heinrich should be considered a top-tier target for the Canes, and one that they cannot let get out of South Florida.

MARCH 6

The highest-ranked prospect at the Under Armour Next camp in Orlando, per On3, was No. 1 offensive tackle recruit Jonathan Daniels. 

The Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest standout drew a crowd before and after his workout, and told reporters Miami is in the mix for his services and may soon get him on campus for the first time. 

"I've just heard from them," Daniels said. "Me and my dad are in the middle of making a move down there for March. I want to get a first glimpse, evaluate everything."

Mario Cristobal's history on the offensive line combined with position coach Alex Mirabal could help keep Miami in the mix as Florida, Florida State, Auburn and LSU contend for the two-way talent.

Miami's next step, beyond the potential March visit, is more communication from the coaching staff.

MARCH 1

Former Miami Hurricane wide receiver and assistant coach Kevin Beard is ready to return to Coral Gables, and at least one priority target is excited about the news. 

Jeremiah Smith, the nation's No. 1 wide receiver and the top prospect in Florida for the 2024 recruiting cycle, took to social media on Tuesday night and again Wednesday morning with the news of the south Florida native coming home making its way through the cycle. 

Content is unavailable

A flip of Smith from OSU, who has as strong a reputation for developing wide receivers as any program in America, surely won't be easy -- but Mario Cristobal's staff won't soon slow down its effort to keep Smith home anyway.

Smith helped CMHS to another state championship in 2022, pairing with another five-star UM target in Joshisa Trader, ahead of dominant offseason football and track efforts early this year. 

FEBRUARY 28

Miami did very well to sign tight ends Jackson Carver and Riley Williams for the class of 2023. It was needed with Will Mallory heading off to the National Football League. Miami needs at least one, if not two, tight ends in the 2024 class as well.

One of the players that Miami has already lined up an unofficial visit with would be Dillon Hipp. He’s 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, and has the ball skills to be a threat as a receiver in addition to being an inline blocker.

Content is unavailable

The March 14 date coincides with Miami's spring break, so Hipp will get a lot of attention with the coaching staff as players will be away from the practice fields and the coaching staff.

Hipp comes from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain, and was offered by the Hurricanes back on Jan. 30.

Among his other offers would be Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Oregon, Houston, Colorado, UNLV, Washington, Washington State, TCU, Texas Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, and Oregon State.

FEBRUARY 26

Miami did not make elite offensive tackle Daniel Calhoun's top 10 when released in mid January. 

But it hasn't stopped Mario Cristobal and company from efforting more from the 6-foot-7, 350-pounder out of Marietta (Ga.) Walton High School. 

"Ever since I dropped my top 10 they've been coming at me hard," Calhoun told All Hurricanes' Brian Smith Sunday at the Under Armour All-America camp outside of Atlanta. "Miami wasn't in the 10."

Calhoun has a busy slate of visits upcoming, but admits he has yet to see Miami in person. He also said he expects The U to continue to court him after coaches went by his high school this spring. 

Miami originally offered Calhoun in the fall of 2021, under Manny Diaz, and re-offered last under Cristobal last summer. 

FEBRUARY 25

Miami’s offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has targeted one of nation’s top signal callers.

Even with Cheshire (Conn.) Cheshire Academy quarterback Dante Reno being committed to South Carolina, that has not stopped other programs from coming after him.

The 6-foot-1 and 195-pound signal caller has been well schooled while coming up the prep ranks, as his father would be Tony Reno, head coach at Yale.

Miami was one of the latest programs to offer Reno per 247 Sports. He has earned offers from programs across the country including Ole Miss, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Arizona, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Houston, Wisconsin, and Syracuse among others.

Reno’s accuracy was uncanny this past season; he did not throw an interception either.

He’s a natural passer and one that would fit into Dawson’s Air Raid Offense quite well, if Reno decided to move away from his South Carolina commitment.

FEBRUARY 24

One of Miami's top overall recruiting targets will be back at The U in March.

Prentiss 'Air' Noland, the Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes state champion quarterback in the class of 2024, has been busy on the visit trail and has more trips in the works moving forward, including to Miami on March 23. The news was first reported by On3. 

"Me and coach Cristobal’s relationship is second to none," Noland said. "He loves me and the person I am. He thinks I can be a program changer.”

The Peach State star, with gaudy production (4,000-plus passing yards, 55 touchdowns) as a junior, was in Coral Gables in the fall at last check. It means he spent time on campus with Josh Gattis and Frank Ponce, each since having left UM's staff. Now, Noland will get facetime with new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shannon Dawson. 

Noland has several additional trips in the month of March, including to Ohio State, Clemson, Texas A&M and Arkansas -- so the race for his services could be winding down thereafter. Miami is in the race for several passers in the rising-senior class at this time. 

FEBRUARY 22

The top prospect in Mississippi may end up a Miami Hurricane in the end. If so, Kamarion Franklin's March visit to Coral Gables could play a big part. 

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound prospect out of Lake Cormorant (Miss.) High School is the program's all-time leader in sacks as a junior and his offer list is reflecting a national recruitment to be had. Fittingly, many programs are expecting Franklin on campus in the coming months, The U included. 

The elite class of 2024 prospect told SBLive's Andrew Nemec he will be back at Miami on March 25, amid spring practices under second-year head coach Mario Cristobal. Franklin has a developing relationship with several coaches on his staff.

“It’s a really good school. I love the atmosphere, the environment when I went there recently. I love the people, like coach (Mario) Cristobal," Franklin said. "I have a good relationship with the whole coaching staff, like Jason Taylor, and the players — just everybody. I’m excited to go back and see more of what they have to offer to me.”

Miami has been in the running in this recruitment for some time, earning the scholarship offer back in November. The Canes made Franklin's top group of schools soon after and hosted him in January on another unofficial visit.

FEBRUARY 21

The Hurricanes now have an Air Raid Offensive coordinator in Shannon Dawson, and now the Miami offense will need a lot more wide receivers on its roster.

One of the prospects the Canes have been chasing would be Demello Jones, a 6-foot-1 and 175-pound talent from Swainsboro (Ga.) High School. Miami offered Jones back on Jan. 30.

Even without an offensive coordinator until just recently, the Canes have stayed in the race for his services. 

In addition to Miami, Jones has been coveted across college football. He earned offers from programs like Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky, South Carolina, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Ohio State, Colorado, and Florida State.

Even with his natural receiving skills -- including the ability to make defenders look bad in space with his shifty moves -- Jones could also play safety in college. He's naturally adept at attacking the football in the air as defender just as well as going after it as an offensive player.

There's a long way to go with the recruitment of Jones, and the Canes now have an offensive philosophy to help show him why he should play his college football in Coral Gables.

FEBRUARY 20

New York's best continues ton consider Miami.

Josiah Brown, the Hicksville (N.Y.) Holy Trinity athlete, announced his top schools on Monday and The U remains in the thick of the race. 

Brown, a 6-foot, 170-pound athlete who can play either side of the ball and runs sprints in the track and field circuit, was offered by Miami back in December.  

Per 247Sports, the defensive back or wide receiver projection caught 21 passes for 425 yards on offense while adding 19 tackles and a pair of interceptions on defense in 2022 despite missing a bulk of the season with an injury.

FEBRUARY 17

One of the most important areas to recruit each year would be defensive end. The edge rushers often dictate which college football team wins a game, and that's why Miami head coach Mario Cristobal went after and signed top-notch prospects like 2023 recruits Rueben Bain and Jayden Wayne.

The class of 2024 could help finalize Miami to possess the type of raw talent, and depth, needed to compete with college football's elite once more. One of the prospects The U has gone after comes from Tampa (Fla.) Wharton.

Booker Pickett, Jr. bursted onto the scene as a sophomore with 22 sacks, and followed up that great performance with 30 more, per Max Preps.

Pickett's penchant for knocking down the opposing quarterback has made him a hot commodity. Prior to announcing his eight schools above, he had also received offers from the likes of Deion Sanders and Colorado, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh among others. 

FEBRUARY 16

One of the top wide receiver prospects in America would be Chance Robinson from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Saint Thomas Aquinas and South Florida Express 7v7. He was at the SUP7R 7v7 event in Naples this past weekend and gave the latest on his recruitment.

The 6-foot-1 and 190-pound receiver has been bombarded by college coaches from across the United States. Robinson couldn’t even name all of the schools that he’s hearing from right now.

That stated, the Miami Hurricanes have been recruiting Robinson hard as a staff despite just hiring an offensive coordinator. Here’s what Robinson stated about the Canes:

“(Coach David) Cooney, coach Cooney has been talking to me a lot. He’s like the (wide) receivers coach right now because coach (Josh) Gattis is gone. Coach Cooney texted me this morning, actually.

“(Head) coach (Mario) Cristobal, he texts me and my dad all the time. He’s talking to us right now until they figure out who they’ve got (as the wide receivers coach).”

“Florida, Florida State, Miami…Penn State. All the schools stand out to me right now. I couldn’t really narrow it down.

“Soon enough I’ll have to make a decision, so as of right now I’m just taking it slow and keeping my options open.”

FEBRUARY 15

One of the nation’s best flex-tight ends has placed the Miami Hurricanes in his top eight schools.

Max LeBlanc plays for Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School, and he’s been a priority recruit for numerous programs. Miami, Tennessee, Kentucky, Stanford, Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State made his most recent list of schools.

There's a good reason why LeBlanc has earned the recruiting attention he has. Seeing his junior film, he’s more like a big wide receiver as opposed to a tight end. Quick feet for a player that’s 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds make him difficult to handle in tight spaces, and once in the open-field his long strides allow him to get over the top of the defense as well.

Most importantly, LeBlanc showed outstanding hands and a big catch radius. He was a threat to make a play anytime he ran a route.

Miami would love to add a player like LeBlanc to the roster and continue its tremendous tight end tradition. The Canes recently offered LeBlanc on Jan. 27, so there's obvious traction to the point that LeBlanc's interested by way of already having placed Miami in the top eight schools.

Miami's tight end depth chart will definitely need at least one, if not two, tight ends from the class of 2024. Keep an eye on this young man from Tennessee.

FEBRUARY 13

Miami is looking for plenty in the class of 2024, and it got good news on that front Sunday when Kylan Fox announced his top schools. 

The blue-chip tight end and defensive end prospect from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson High School, announced his top programs via Instagram. Miami made the cut along with several regional programs like Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Alabama and others.

Fox, who is down to a top 15 despite nearly 60 scholarship offers, is ranked as an athlete and top 100 overall recruit in the class of 2024 by 247Sports.

The four-star was offered by Mario Cristobal's staff in mid January, so among the programs after him the Miami option is among the newest on Fox's long list.

FEBRUARY 8

The greater Dallas area has long since been a hotbed of football talent, and the area’s growing population has only extended that talent-base as suburbs add more high schools.

One of the growing cities and football programs would be Melissa (Texas) High School, located on the north-northeast side of Dallas. It’s home to one of the top 2024 recruits in the country, Nigel Smith.

The 6-foot-5 and 260-pound edge defender has been ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 36 player in their composite rankings, and the On3 consensus has him ranked at No. 50 overall.

One of the reasons he’s been ranked so highly stemmed from Smith’s versatility. He played nose guard in a three-man defensive front, as well as defensive end, for Melissa.

With his natural athleticism – including making spin moves to separate from blockers – Smith has been coveted by college programs across the country. He’s now down to 16 of those programs, the Miami Hurricanes included.

Smith has taken some unofficial visits in the past, including 2021 treks to Ohio State and Notre Dame, plus 2022 seeing him head to College Station to visit Texas A&M. For Miami, a goal this spring will be to get him to make the trip to South Florida for an unofficial visit.

It’s long since been proven that out-of-state prospects that take an unofficial visit and eventually also take an official visit will be far more likely to sign on the dotted line.

With Smith’s overall skill set and long-term potential (he’s still filling out his frame), this young man’s recruitment will likely continue to be competitive until he signs his national letter of intent this next December. Miami has kept itself in the hunt.

JANUARY 29

After being at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High School, Romanas OJ Frederique, Jr. moved his talents to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Saint Thomas Aquinas. He's also moved up within the recruiting world.

The 6-foot-1 and 175-pound all-around talent also received an offer from Florida State earlier today. Quite a fast start for a player that's suddenly bursted onto the recruiting scene.

Then again, Broward County, and South Florida overall, has been famous for prospects seemingly coming out of the blue and becoming big-time recruits. Perhaps Frederique should have been considered a Power 5 prospect before now?

Regardless, congratulations to him and he has earned a chance to go play big-time college football and get a degree. Here are the highlights for Frederique.

JANUARY 28

One of the state of Florida's hottest junior recruits now has the Miami Hurricanes on his growing offer list. 

Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, the 6-foot, 180-pound Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin star, announced his newest scholarship offer via social media on Friday. He says the news came via Mario Cristobal himself. 

"It’s a blessing," he told All Hurricanes. "It's very exciting, he (Cristobal) really likes my film and would love to get me down to the school. I’ve only been in the indoor field and the volleyball court when I went. It was a little visit for 7v7.

"I will be back there soon."

Belgrave-Shorter turned a lot of heads while playing for Burch Sports Performance's 7-on-7 team at the Battle Miami event last weekend. Since the showing, Wisconsin, Iowa State and Pitt have also offered in addition to The U. 

JANUARY 27

One of the best prospects in the country also hails from one of the best high school football programs in the country, Buford (Ga.) High School, a perennial power in the Peach State.

Eddrick Houston is a player that can take on an offensive lineman that is 50-75 pounds bigger than him, shed his block, and then run down a running back that’s also 50-75 pounds lighter than him.

At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Houston’s ability to hold the edge in the run game and still be a twitchy athlete is a rare combination of skills. That’s why programs from across America are offering him, Miami included.

Content is unavailable

Houston’s recruitment is truly becoming a who’s who of college football heavyweights. Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, LSU, Southern California, Notre Dame, and Oregon among others.

Now that Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes extended an offer, it will be interesting to see if they can get Houston down for an unofficial visit this spring, and then later an official visit.

According to the On3 recruiting consensus, Houston is the No. 13 player in the country and the No. 2 edge defender overall.

Jan. 24 - Morning Update

On Monday night, one of the top defensive recruits in the class of 2024 announced future visit plans on social media and Miami is involved.

David Stone, who visited for a game last season after earning his UM offer, will be back in Coral Gables in the month of March. 

The IMG Academy defensive lineman, who of course played with Miami signee Jayden Wayne up front and worked against two more class of 2023 signees in Francis Mauigoa and Antonio Tripp in practice, will see some of them work during spring practice. 

Oklahoma and Michigan State, among others, are also in line for return trips from the five-star recruit. Stone picked up his UM extension back in August and he previously admitted Miami was hard to ignore at IMG with all of the moves the Canes have made with prospects at the school of late.

"I feel like they're gonna be great," Stone told All Hurricanes at IMG Academy's 2022 media day. "That '23 class they're building right now is special."

Jan. 23 - Noon Update

The Miami Hurricanes want to add another top group of cornerback recruits to the roster after a great 2023 recruiting haul.

It will not be long before head coach Mario Cristobal and the Canes find out where one of their top targets, Ellis Robinson IV, has decided to take his talents.

Robinson released a top five school list on Dec. 31, with the finalists being Miami, Alabama, Colorado, LSU, and Georgia.

He lives in New Haven, Conn., but has been a part of the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy football program. That’s where Robinson has honed his skills around top-notch coaching.

With one of the most fluid backpedals at the college level, Robinson has shown to consistently be able to explode forward and attack the football before it reaches its intended wide receiver target.

Also patient, Robinson does not panic like many other cornerbacks during fade balls and deep shots. He has trusted his instincts and cornerback skills to do the job to break up a pass.

Indeed, there have been many reasons that elite college football programs went after Robinson to date. The Canes would do very well to land his services. He’s ranked the No. 7 overall player from the On3 recruiting consensus, as well as the No. 1 overall cornerback for the class of 2024.

AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.

JANUARY 23

The Miami Hurricanes have a long history of top tight ends like Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen, Bubba Franks, and David Njoku. They just offered a local prospect that has tremendous upside as well and Miami would like to add him it 2024 recruiting class.

Colton Heinrich has been a prospect the good people around the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons program have been very high on for a good while. After seeing him play live last season, they had reason to be. 

He created separation against smaller defenders, was a threat to make a play any place on the gridiron, and played physical in the run game. Speaking of physical, how about courageous?

The all-around skills for Heinrich also helped him to start gaining offers. Beyond Miami, he's earned full rides to Alabama, UCF, Illinois, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, USF, Pittsburgh and even Ivy League institution Brown.

With his natural talents and mentality, plus laying at a great program like Cardinal Gibbons, Heinrich will undoubtedly receive quite a few more offers moving forward. He's one to watch.

JANUARY 20, 2:15 PM

One of the nation's top overall defensive lineman, and recruits overall, will be at The U this weekend. Considering he's not a local prospect, this should be considered big news.

At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Kamarion Franklin has been a prime recruit for the Hurricanes and many other programs quite some time. He was one of the most impressive performers at the Dallas Under Armour event in March of 2022, and he's been racking up offers.

Besides an offer from Miami, he's been extended an opportunity to play at Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, Michigan, and Florida State among others.

At the college level, Franklin could end up at strong side defensive end or defensive tackle. Most importantly, he's one of the rare big-bodied defensive lineman that can defeat blocks with athleticism, as well as natural strength, and get to the quarterback. That type of unusual combination will be a priority just about any college football program.

It's a great sign that the Hurricanes will be getting him on campus for an unofficial visit. That should help head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff gain a better shot at landing an official visit from Franklin at a later date.

JANUARY 20

Amid the slew of top prospects expected to visit The U this weekend, in what the program is calling 'Elite Prospect Day' Saturday, will be a local state champion quarterback. 

Alberto Mendoza, who led Miami Columbus to a state championship in 2022 and caught the game-winning trick play in the process, will be making a quick recruiting trip to Coral Gables. 

The class of 2024 standout, whose school hosted fellow Columbus products Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal this week while the coaches hit the road, does not yet boast a Miami offer to his name though he has worked out for the staff as recently as the summer of 2022. 

FIU, among others, has offered while in addition to Miami, Duke has shown early interest in the 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect. As a junior in 2022, Mendoza scored 39 total touchdowns while completing 73 percent of his pass attempts in leading the Explorers to their historical 14-1 season. 

JANUARY 17

The Hurricanes were the latest to offer Oralndo (Fla.) Edgewater wide receiver/defensive back Cai Bates. He's the proverbial long and lean athlete that programs from across the country come to Florida to recruit.

The question becomes, what position does this young man play at the college level?

Bates has seen action in the secondary, and if he does not out grow the position, cornerback could be ideal. He's fluid enough to do it right now, but he may not be done growing. He's already 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds.

The class of 2024 prospect can bend well at the knees, pivots from a backpedal well, and he's capable of running by offensive and defensive players alike.

Some of the offers Bates already earned beyond Miami include Rutgers, Louisville, Liberty, South Carolina, Iowa State, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Based on how well Bates progressed thus far during his career, it's a good bet that he's going to see quite a few more offers, and probably several by the end of Florida's high school football spring practices.

As an added bonus for programs recruiting in Florida, Bates lists his GPA at 3.8 on his Twitter profile page.

JANUARY 16

One of the most versatile 2024 defensive lineman in the country would be Champ Thompson from just outside of Atlanta.

He has played for Norcross (Ga.) Meadowcreek. This past season, Thompson made noise at multiple spots along the defensive front, as well as making plays at fullback and tight end on offense.

There were several plays where Thompson played defensive end and came off the edge and created plays in the backfield, and he also worked off of blocks as a nose guard and did the same thing.

That’s led to a plethora of offers for the 6-foot-2-and-a-half 275-pound prospect, Miami included.

Beyond the Canes, Thompson earned offers from the likes of Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, LSU, Florida State, Notre Dame and Oregon. That stated, he’s named his top seven schools:

Thompson would be a welcome addition to the 2024 Miami recruiting class. He’s ranked as the No. 180 player in the country by the On3 recruiting rankings.

JANUARY 13

From the class of 2023, the Miami Hurricanes signed Bobby and Robby Washington from Miami (Fla.) Palmetto. Now, the Canes are back at the program looking for more.

Content is unavailable

Jacory Barney, Jr. is a wide receiver that's already earned several Power 5 offers including Miami, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Michigan, Utah, Pittsburgh, and Maryland among others.

The Canes only signed two wide receivers from the prior recruiting class, so signing at least three will likely be a priority for the class of 2024.

Watching Barney's film, the 6-foot and 165-pound athlete showed the ability to go up and grab passes over the top of defenders much like a 6-foot-5 wide receiver would; Barney's excellent leaping ability will be an asset within all areas of the football field. Barney's timing was also superb as it related to when he decided to make his leap.

To help make those tough catches possible, Barney also showed the capability of making fingertip grabs, as well as excellent toughness with the football already within his hands.

Finally, like fellow wide receiver Washington, he’s proven to be elusive after the catch, which allowed him to take short passes and turn them into big gains. Barney would be a quality addition to the Miami football roster.

JANUARY 12

Head coach Mario Cristobal has recruited at Alabama and Oregon, two programs known for a national recruiting base. While Miami has certainly improved local recruiting tremendously, that has not slowed down the offers to elite players outside the Sunshine State.

Miami offered raw, yet talented, defensive lineman Benedict Umeh from Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms. Interestingly enough, Umeh actually hailed from Toronto before recently moving to the United States.

The 6-foot-5 and 260-pound defensive lineman has also picked up offers from Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Stanford, Southern California, North Carolina and Florida.

A player with a tremendous amount of upside much like Collins Acheampong from Miami’s 2023 haul, Umeh would be a tremendous addition to this next Hurricanes recruiting class.

Another talented player far away from Coral Gables that received a Canes offer would be cornerback Zabien Brown from famed Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. He’s one of few prep cornerbacks that already possessed the prerequisite height and length that’s preferred for today’s college football playing style at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds.

Brown has been offered by the likes of Georgia, UCLA, Southern California, Alabama, Utah, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State in addition to The U.

Recently, Miami has made offers to several players outside the state of Florida, even a player from Iowa with Grant Brix now having the chance to play for The U.

He’s a 6-foot-6 and 270-pound offensive tackle from Logan (Iowa) Logan-Magnolia that’s also seen offers come in from Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Penn State, Auburn, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas State among others.

While the Canes have placed their eyes on local talent across Florida, finding some out of state help can also bolster the overall roster and depth chart.

JANUARY 10

After the Hurricanes brought in one of the nation's best 2023 offensive line classes, Mario Cristobal and his coaching staff are not wasting any time attempting to sign more elite players in the trenches.

The Canes have been going after Josiah Thompson from Dillon (S.C.) High School for quite some time. Miami offered him in January of 2022. Now, he’s dropped his top schools with the Canes in Thompson's top six.

Besides Cristobal and the Hurricanes, Thompson has earned offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Georgia, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma among others. Thompson also visited the Hurricanes this past spring.

Thompson, who’s 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds and projects at offensive tackle, has been ranked the No. 58 overall player in the nation by the 247 Sports Composite recruiting rankings. 

JANUARY 9

One of the very best defensive tackle recruits in the nation, Justin Scott from Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius, has already begun to narrow his list of college choices. Considering his incredible list of offers as a class of 2024 prospect, Scott has moved quickly in the recruiting process.

From coast to coast, here are some of Scott’s offers to date that are not already on the above list and inside the graphic: Penn State, Texas A&M, Texas, Washington, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Missouri.

This is a space-eating interior defensive lineman. He’s also a player that can be a one-gap defensive lineman that gets up the field to make big plays in the backfield.

The next step for the Hurricanes, like with any top prospect, is to get him on campus as many times as possible via unofficial visits, as well as an official visit. Due to Scott being from Chicago, this will be a challenge for Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff. Then again, Scott already visited this past October, so he's already familiar with The U.

AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.

JANUARY 7

Miami Columbus (Fla.) EDGE TJ Capers has announced his commitment to the Louisville Cardinals. Capers committed to "The 'Ville" over USC, Miami, Georgia and Colorado. 

The commitment to Louisville likely stings many on the staff as he's one of the top targets for Miami in the 2024 class.

However, his commitment is one that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal will be constantly working to flip, especially considering Capers attends Cristobal's alma mater. Capers had 70 tackles and seven sacks in his junior year. 

Cristobal won't concede to losing a top prospect from his alma mater. Capers' recruitment is far from over.

JANUARY 5

One of Miami's top 2024 targets is set to come off the board. 

A source confirms to All Hurricanes that TJ Capers will announce his verbal commitment on Saturday. He will decide between Miami, Georgia, USC, Colorado and Louisville, the five finalists he announced before the New Year.

The Miami (Fla.) Columbus star pass-rusher has frequented Coral Gables as a prospect and of course the ties between the school and Miami are plentiful with it being the program that produced Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal. 

The Hurricanes have one sole commitment in the class of 2024, from kicker Abram Murray, as Cristobal's staff looks to follow up a top haul in 2023. 

The decision is to be televised by NBC during the All-American Bowl. 

DEC 31

With the University of Miami now beginning to push for top 2024 recruits, there will be few that hold as much punch as the following prep standout, assuming he ends up in Coral Gables, Fla.

Content is unavailable

Ellis Robinson has the quickness needed, the 6-foot and 180-pound frame to go with it, to be a top-notch college cornerback. He's listing Miami, LSU, Georgia, Colorado and Alabama among his top schools, but those certainly have not been the only programs to have extended an offer to him.

From New Haven, Conn., the Florida transplant has seen offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Kentucky, Oklahoma Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State among others.

DEC 28

One of the top edge defenders in the entire class of 2024 happens to play for the same high school program that head coach Mario Cristobal once also played for. This young man could end up playing for a second team that Cristobal played for and now coaches.

That player is TJ Capers from Miami (Fla.) Columbus. He's already 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, and looks like a grown man from head to toe. He helped the the Crusaders to a 14-1 record, as they won the 4M state championship. 

College teams have taken notice and his offer list is extensive. Miami, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, Southern California and Ole Miss have offered among many others.

Capers is one of the primary prospects for Miami from the 305. There's good reason.

Long term, Capers has the ability in college to come off the edge and be impactful in the passing game. He's also athletic enough to chase down plays from behind with his natural athleticism. 

This young man is a national recruit and definitely one that Cristobal and his staff would love to keep at home.

DEC 26

Miami is still after top offensive lineman. Even after the tremendous 2023 offensive line haul, Mario Cristobal wants to make sure he brings in another select group of players in the trenches to help get the Hurricanes depth chart back to where it needs to be.

The Canes signed five players from the 2023 class. At least three more will be needed for the 2024 class. The latest offer, one of the best from the Lone Star State.

Prior to his Miami offer, Max Anderson has received scholarships from the likes of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan, LSU, Penn State, and Tennessee among others.

He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, and could project at either offensive tackle position. Playing for Frisco (Texas) Reedy, he's just north of Dallas an used to playing against quality opponents week in and week out.

DEC 23

The Hurricanes were able to sign one high-upside defensive tackle with Joshua Horton from the class of 2023. For the next class, the Canes need at least two, if not three, defensive tackles.

One of the best in the country is David Stone, Jr., a 6-foot-4 and 270-pound interior defensive lineman with the quickness to play strong side end as well. He’s been offered by a plethora of programs, including Miami, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Colorado, Notre Dame, and Oregon among others. Here's Stone's release of top schools:

Stone is from Oklahoma City, Okla., but he also plays for Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. That’s the same boarding school that Miami is awaiting on four players from the 2023 class to enroll: Antonio Tripp (interior offensive line), Francis Mauigoa (offensive tackle), Jayden Wayne (defensive end), and Riley Williams (tight end).

With Miami’s connection to IMG Academy, one can be assured that Mario Cristobal and his staff will be looking to get Stone down to Coral Gables for an unofficial visit sooner than later.

AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis. 

Published
All Hurricanes Staff
ALL HURRICANES STAFF

Home/Recruiting