Miami Hurricanes Recruiting: Get To Know The 'Hidden Gems'
With Miami's 2024 recruiting class being the third-ranked class by 247Sports, it's safe to say the Hurricanes had a great haul. Elite prospects like Zaquan Patterson, Joshisa Trader, and Justin Scott highlight a tremendous upper-echelon group of prospects.
There are also several under-the-radar recruits that Miami fans need to know more about. That's why the following three players will be discussed. With each prospect, 247's recruiting ranking is listed based on their composite rankings.
Dylan Day, Defensive Back, Baton Rouge (La.) Southern - 3-star, #695
Why LSU did not go after this talented young man, despite him being from the same city it resides in, is baffling. Here's the link to the video of Day making a game-winning touchdown:
Dylan Day sends Southern Lab to the Dome!
— Pat Timlin (@pat_timlin) December 2, 2023
Kittens trailed 31-34 with a minute left in the game when the University of Miami commit came up with a pick six against Ouachita Christian. Lab wins 38-34 & will try for a 2nd state title in 3 years! #LHSAA @dylandayy12 @sulsfootball pic.twitter.com/7OwC8GyUEo
The only question with Day is, what position does he play for The U? He's tremendous as a free safety who attacks the football. Mario Cristobal mentioned Day's 10.7 speed during his National Signing Day press conference. That could be utilized at cornerback.
He's a willing tackler who drives through ball carriers and takes on bigger blockers without fear. That sounds like a nickel back that Miami could use. Regardless of where Day ends up playing, he's a gem that Canes fans should know more about.
Get To Know Miami Commitment Dylan Day | Chalupa Batman Video
Daylen Russell, Defensive Line, Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus - 3 Star, #1,226
Admittedly, grading Russell for his likely future Miami position of defensive tackle is not easy. For Columbus, Russell's primary role as an edge defender makes a scout project his performance at the Power 4 level. Okay, but watching a player at over 270 pounds chase down running backs, is impressive no matter what.
Most importantly with Russell, he helped to orchestrate a defense that constantly stifled opponents. Russell sets the edge to make the plays he needs to make. Russell is football-savvy and seemingly always finds the football.
Cole McConathy, Defensive End, Spanish Fort (Ala.) - 3-star, #723
After being a quarterback, McConathy went to a Rivals camp and tried defensive end. His dominant performance showed the path to a position change and the rest is history. Despite only playing defensive end for a few years.
The Alabama state leader in sacks with 24.5, McConathy's explosiveness stands out on film. He's also capable of making big plays in space by taking on blockers and being impactful as a run-stopper. He's right around 230 pounds right now. It will be interesting to see how big he gets in a Miami uniform. He's already explosive, as the following video exemplifies:
McConathy could stay as a weak-side defensive end or grow into a player who is over 250 pounds and plays at least some snaps at the strong-side defensive end position. Either way, Miami is bringing in a fantastic pass rusher that few people truly knew much about.
Recruiting Pages To Bookmark
2023 Miami Commitments and Evaluations
2024 Miami Commitments and Evaluations
2025 Miami Commitments and Evaluations
2026 Miami Commitments and Evaluations
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.