Updated Miami Quarterback Recruiting Thoughts
With former Miami quarterback offer Marcus Davila off the board with his commitment to Purdue, along with some other developments noted below, an update of what’s going on was needed.
That update begins with what Miami has as an advantage by way of a new coach.
Mario Cristobal hired Shannon Dawson away from the Houston Cougars, a coach that has been attached in some way, shape or form to the air raid offense dating back to 2003 at Southeastern Louisiana when he worked with famed air raid guru Hal Mumme.
With that move, the Canes quarterback recruiting situation has improved tremendously as compared to the former offensive coordinator. Here’s why.
To say that Dawson understands the notion of pushing the football down the field, and the expertise needed to excel in the modern college game, would be an understatement, as an air raid quarterback coach and offensive coordinator.
That’s going to be attractive to quarterback recruits. In fact, possible quarterback prospects like A.J. Hairston (see more about him down below) has made it clear that they have been interested to see what Dawson will do at Miami. He was recently on Miami’s campus as well.
Canes fans how I look?? #gocanes pic.twitter.com/QsiaUX7Vt4
— Aj Hairston (@AjHairston4) March 15, 2023
Quarterback prospects should be excited about Miami’s offensive future. It’s the air raid; that’s music to the ears of a signal caller as that player will have control of the offense by passing the football upwards of 50 times per contest.
That being stated, there’s a lot going on now and into early summer. Consider the following situations/questions that all overlap in one way or another for Dawson, Cristobal and Miami overall.
Will Miami take two quarterbacks in the 2024 class? That was the original plan for 2023 until Jaden Rashada reneged and eventually ended up with Arizona State after his snafu with Florida boosters allegedly failing to pay up on a NIL contract.
Next, it’s spring ball evaluations. Dawson and the entire Canes staff will get a firsthand look at how well Tyler Van Dyke, Jacurri Brown and Emory Williams all handle the present version of the air raid. That means terminology, situations in practice, and in the meeting rooms.
How those situations play out could directly impact if the Canes go with one or two quarterback recruits because of how comfortable, or not, the coaching staff is with the signal callers on the depth chart. There’s one more prime category to consider.
Visits. Which quarterbacks actually come down to Coral Gables to see the Miami campus this spring on their own dime?
It’s one thing for a prospect to tell a recruiting analyst he’s strongly considering the Hurricanes, and quite another to put his money where his mouth is and take the time to come down to see the campus.
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
To that point, here are a few of the quarterbacks that All Hurricanes expect to be in strong contention to end up at Miami depending on which signal callers truly possess the green light to commit (now or when they visit Miami – as that information is probably being ironed out).
Before going further, however, note that this is the beginning of what can happen. The Miami quarterback recruiting situation should be considered fluid.
Prospects listed in alphabetical order, and this list does not include every prospect offered by the Canes.
Judd Anderson, Gray (Ga.) Jones County
Big 6-foot-6 quarterback that’s more of a traditional pocket passer. Has the arm and the size to play in any modern offense. Was offered by Miami on March 3. He’s been a target of several SEC schools like Tennessee, so his recruitment could go in numerous directions.
A.J. Hairston, Coconut Creek (Fla.) Monarch
One could argue that Hairston would be the best bet of any signal caller on this list to sign with the Canes. His one offer is to Miami, he’s local (Broward County), and already visited Miami and met Dawson. Here’s what Hairston told All Hurricanes about his thoughts on Dawson.
“I believe that coach Dawson is trying to do something great at Miami and bring Miami back.”
Jake Merklinger, Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School
One of the first quarterback offers extended by the Canes once Dawson was hired. Big arm and a player that has plenty of upside. If he visits Miami, and he hinted a short while back that he would like to do so, the Hurricanes could be a prime option.
Luke Moga, Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope
A true athlete that often made plays with defenders barreling down on him last fall, Moga has defined the new age air raid quarterback. He’s very high on Miami by all accounts, including his buddy, tight end Dillon Hipp being someone Moga told that Miami was a place he should check out. Which, in fact, Hipp actually just did and was interviewed by All Hurricanes about that visit.
Moga has played in an offense that’s quite similar to what Dawson has taught his prior quarterbacks. He would appear to be a good option for the Canes to sign.
Prentiss “Air” Noland, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes
Perhaps a top of the board prospect for many schools, Noland has seen an increase in his interest with Alabama and Clemson both offering. He’s already familiar with Miami, however.
Miami has been all over Noland, and he took a few minutes to discuss his recruitment after Atlanta Under Armour a couple weeks ago as it relates to Cristobal and Miami.
"We have a great relationship. We text every morning, me and Coach Cristobal love each other. He thinks I'm a great person not only on the field, but off the field and with my family.”
Danny O’Neil, Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral
A player that’s similar to Moga in that he can move and be a playmaker, O’Neil has played for one of the Midwest’s best programs in Cathedral. He’s an accurate passer and one that would fit right in with Miami’s new offensive scheme. O'Neil has a unique list of schools he's considering with the Canes being one of them.
Look for an interview with O’Neil from All Hurricanes very soon.
Overall, Miami's coaching staff should have a much better handle on which quarterback recruits they prefer, as well as which ones should be considered realistic options, towards the latter half of spring ball.
As previously noted, actions speak louder than words.
In short, look for more unofficial visits to help clear the quarterback recruiting situation up at least a little bit.
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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.