Will The Miami Hurricanes Catch Up To Florida And Other Rivals In Recruiting? | Donno Mailbag
It's been too long since I've opened the mailbag. You can submit questions for a future edition by tweeting me @LockedOnCanes.
Q: I'm trying to stay patient here, but all these Gator commits and Gator buzz is insane. I know we're the favorite to land some of these 5 star DL targets but is there a reason why we haven't had the big time targets commit yet? Are the hurricanes trying to line up another run of commits like last year? - Frank
A: The Miami Hurricanes have been forced to play the long game with most of their blue chip targets. It can be frustrating for fans, but it's just the reality of the situation, and the staff is continuing to chop wood. I definitely give credit to Florida, who currently have the 4th ranked Class of 2024, per 247 Sports. Miami, currently 29th, also sits behind Florida State (24th), Duke (25th), Georgia Tech (20th), Pittsburgh (19th), North Carolina (15th), and Clemson (10th.)
Sitting behind so many of your rivals is never a good feeling, but I guarantee you Miami's stock will improve drastically in the upcoming weeks.
You mentioned that the Hurricanes have several 5-Star defensive line targets in the Class of 2024. All of them are yet to announce a verbal pledge to Miami or anyplace else. I have no reason to panic unless all or most of them verbally commit elsewhere.
As things stand, 5-Star DT Justin Scott, 5-Star DT Kamarion Franklin, 5-Star EDGE Dylan Stewart, 5-Star DT David Stone, 5-Star EDGE Colin Simmons, 4-Star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, 4-Star DT Artavius Jones, 4-Star DL LJ McCray, etc, remain uncommitted. Every prospect makes their decision on their own timeline, and a philosophy of Miami's staff is to avoid pressure tactics, because they don't want a player to rush into a decision only to regret it after the fact.
I certainly don't expect Miami to land every single one of the names I listed above. Stone, for example, feels like an Oklahoma lean, while Simmons was recently "crystal balled" to Texas. However, I expect more than one of those prospects above to verbally commit to Miami. Some of them might wait until closer to national signing day in December, while others may decide in July. Artavius Jones, for one, seems to be trending towards an early July announcement.
The Hurricanes also await a decision from 5-Star wide receiver Joshisa "JoJo" Trader from Chaminade-Madonna. He likely will not commit anywhere. Miami, Florida and Florida State appear to be leading for him, but he likely won't announce until close to signing day.
Miami has also been a trending leader for 5-Star Chaminade-Madonna safety Zaquan Patterson. He's still uncommitted.
Last year, Miami caught fire on the trail at the end of June into early July. History might repeat itself this year.
Q: Do you think Malik Bryant can be an impact player on the defense this year? -Jake
A: Absolutely yes, I do. I've seen Bryant up close a couple times and he is absolutely jacked! Good luck trying to keep this guy off the field next year.
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/CS88jvtmK6
— ᗰᗩᒪIK ᗷᖇYᗩᑎT (@Malik5Bryant) March 3, 2023
The former 4-Star linebacker recruit out of Jones High in Orlando can definitely play a role in the 2023 season. Bryant is a pass rushing specialist who can line up on the edge or in a more traditional outside linebacker role. He apparently dealt with a minor injury during spring football but appears to be recovered from it. When Bryant committed to Miami around 10 months ago, my impression then was that he can contribute early, and that impression has not changed.
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