Longtime Miami Commit Flips to Tennessee as Early Signing Period Opens

3-Star cornerback Timothy Merritt had been committed to the Canes since June of this year.

Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The early signing period for football opened up this week, and while the Hurricanes put together a strong showing on day one, locking in 20 prospects, Mario Cristobal and his staff did miss out on 3-Star cornerback Timothy Merritt.

Merritt committed to the Hurricanes in June of this year, but announced his flip to Tennessee on the first day of the early signing period.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 180 lbs., Merritt is a lengthy corner that uses his long arms to his advantage, taking away opportunities from wide receivers. He also lined up on the offensive side of the ball in his time at Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama, finishing his career with 21 receptions for just over 300 yards and two touchdowns.

The talented defender joins a Volunteers class that is currently ranked by 247Sports as the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation. Merritt himself, as a prospect, is ranked as the No. 55 corner in the nation and the No. 30 overall player in the state of Alabama.

While losing any player to another school is less than ideal, the Hurricanes locked in several elite defensive back talents on Wednesday and look to have built a lot of depth at the position.

As of now the Hurricanes hold the No. 13 ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to247Sports' composite ranking, but could still be in play to add more talented prospects.

Stay locked in to Miami on SI for all things Hurricanes, and check out the Miami Footballrecruiting tracker to keep up with the 2025 class and more.