Miami 2023 Recruiting Tracker: RB Cedric Baxter Picks Texas
Ahead of the 2022 college football season, recruiting is taking center stage from coast to coast. For Mario Cristobal and his new staff at Miami, things are expected to be quite busy in Coral Gables relative to the top talent expected to travel to campus.
In the class of 2023 and beyond, UM’s recruiting momentum is hitting full force, and as a result, the Hurricanes are in the mix for some of the top names around the country. As the talent descends upon south Florida, drops top schools, commitment dates and more, this recruiting tracker will serve as a one-stop-shop for Canes fans looking for the very latest.
Stick with All Hurricanes for all of the latest updates in recruiting below:
AUGUST 10, 7:30 PM UPDATE
Hurricanes class of 2023 target and Sports Illustrated‘s No. 1 running back Cedric Baxter Jr. has committed to Texas over Miami and other programs.
Baxter, hailing from Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater, is widely regarded as one of the top backs in the class and clinched SI’s No. 1 spot at his position on Tuesday. His power-speed combo led to big numbers during his junior season, posting over 1,700 yards and 26 touchdowns.
The senior ball carrier had narrowed down his college choices to four, but ultimately chose the Longhorns over Florida, Miami, and Texas A&M, although he interestingly had a UCF hat at his commitment table. He’ll join an already star-studded Texas class alongside elite quarterback prospect Arch Manning.
Baxter was a major target for Miami, but they’ll now likely shift their full focus to Christopher Johnson, another highly ranked ball carrier in the cycle. Johnson may not be quite as sought after according to recruiting rankings, but the local Dillard High back could be an ideal fit and another solid get for the Hurricanes.
AUGUST 8, 9:30 PM UPDATE
We had a timeframe and likely finalists, now we have confirmation.
Hykeem Williams will come off the board on September 23, he announced via social media on Monday evening. The south Florida wide receiver standout from Stranahan High School will pick between Miami, Florida State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Pitt.
“[The Hurricanes] just do everything differently. The school is so different now,” Williams told All Hurricanes last week. “The whole new staff is damn near Hall of Famers. From Miami, they all did something to impact another school or another team, and they probably got more staff than players.
“They got a lot of people over there that’ll help you out and get you to where you need to be. I think they’re going in the right direction.”
Williams took official visits to Georgia and Pitt in June.
AUGUST 6, 1:30 PM UPDATE
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan 2023 wide receiver Hykeem Williams will make his college decision, choosing between Miami, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh and Florida State, in September, he told Manny Navarro of The Athletic on Saturday.
Williams informed All Hurricanes on Tuesday that his decision would likely come in September or October, and he has now confirmed that he’ll announce his commitment sooner rather than later.
“[The Hurricanes] just do everything differently. The school is so different now,” Williams told All Hurricanes earlier this week. “The whole new staff is damn near Hall of Famers. From Miami, they all did something to impact another school or another team, and they probably got more staff than players.
“They got a lot of people over there that’ll help you out and get you to where you need to be. I think they’re going in the right direction.”
AUGUST 5, 9:00 AM UPDATE
It’s decision day for Connor Lew.
The Kennesaw (Ga.) Mountain offensive line recruit is set to come off the board Friday night, to be streamed on Instagram as well by a local Fox television affiliate, the rising-senior recruit announced Friday morning.
On August 1, Lew announced a final four of Miami, Auburn, Georgia and Clemson ahead of his expected verbal commitment. The 6’3″, 280-pound interior offensive lineman, who projects as a center at the next level, took official visits to each finalist in what was a busy month of June.
“I like Miami because of what Coach (Mario) Cristobal and (Alex) Mirabal are building there,” Lew told 247Sports in June. “The opportunity to be a part of ‘OL Paradise’ is something that is intriguing to me. Miami has a top OL coach in Coach Mirabal and is one of the only schools in the nation with an offensive-minded head coach.
“On my official visit, you could tell that everyone looks out for each other and genuinely wants the best for you. Miami is an exciting place to be for an offensive lineman and the recent hype surrounding the program is for good reason.”
AUGUST 2, 5:05PM UPDATE
After initially teasing an August 3 commitment date, 2023 WR and Miami target William Fowles has announced that he will be making a decision on August 5. An exact time has yet to be released.
The Miami (Fla.) Avant Garde School product will be choosing among his top six schools: Miami, Maryland, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida State and Texas A&M.
Fowles most recently made an unofficial visit to Florida State on June 20. He also made an unofficial visit to Miami on June 3.
JULY 31, 12:15 PM UPDATE
One of Miami’s top secondary targets has confirmed a verbal commitment date.
After pushing back on a July announcement, Jayden Bonsu announced he will come off the board on August 14, via social media over the weekend.
Bonsu, who officially visited Miami in June, will pick from The U, Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State and Michigan State.
Before pushing back the July pledge, there was considerable momentum for the Hurricanes to land Bonsu as the first safety commitment of Mario Cristobal’s class of 2023.
May it still be the case?
All Hurricanes’ Alex Donno broke it down Sunday on Locked on Canes:
JULY 30, 4:05 PM UPDATE
Local Northwestern (Fla.) High School 2023 wide receiver Andy Jean announced his pledge to Florida on Saturday, opting for the Gators over Miami, Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M.
Jean’s commitment came as somewhat of a surprise, as the talented rising senior announced his intentions to make a decision a little over two hours before doing so.
The Hurricanes have two wide receivers committed to their 2023 recruiting class in Robby Washington and Nathaniel Joseph.
The next UM target at wideout that is set to pledge to a school is Miami native William Fowles, who is expected to declare on August 3.
JULY 26, 9:00 PM UPDATE
Three days after postponing his announcement, Orlando (Fla.) Jones linebacker Malik Bryant has rescheduled his commitment for Saturday, July 27 at noon ET.
Originally set to make his decision on July 23, Bryant chose to push things back on Saturday. At the time, AllHurricanes reported that Bryant was seemingly down to two schools — Miami and Florida — and that he was expected to quickly reschedule his commitment.
That he did, and we’ll find out in 15 hours where Bryant intends to play his college ball.
JULY 25, 1:30 PM UPDATE
Hialeah (Fla.) Dade Christian School wide receiver and Miami Hurricanes target William Fowles put it bluntly in a tweet on Sunday evening: He’s committing soon.
Fowles most recently dropped his top six schools in June, which included The U, Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida State, Maryland and Ole Miss. He just so happened to be in Coral Gables that same day, having made the 30-minute drive south of Hialeah for an unofficial visit with the Canes.
His decision will be one to keep an eye on as Miami continues to fight for explosive receiver talent to pair with elite 2023 quarterback commit Jaden Rashada.
JULY 24, 11:00 AM UPDATE
Acworth (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain 2023 interior offensive lineman Connor Lew has locked in his commitment date, set to choose between Miami, Georgia, Auburn and Clemson on Friday, August 5, he announced on Saturday.
Lew, projected to play center at the next level as he has in high school, has officially visited each of his final four schools including a trip to Coral Gables from June 10-12.
The Canes have done a solid job recruiting interior linemen in this class with commitments from versatile lineman Francis Mauigoa and guard prospect Antonio Tripp, but have yet to acquire a lineman to snap the ball to quarterback Jaden Rashada in Miami’s future offense. Could Lew be the one?
JULY 23, 12:00 PM UPDATE
Linebacker Malik Bryant has pushed back his commitment announcement, which was originally scheduled for today at 5:25 PM ET, according to Zach Goodall of AllHurricanes.
The Jones (Fla.) High School product was set to pick between his top four schools: Miami, Florida, Alabama and Maryland.
Miami and Florida are considered the current favorites in Bryant’s recruitment. The linebacker has yet to release an updated commitment date, although it is expected to be rescheduled in the near future as Goodall reported.
JULY 23, 8:30 AM UPDATE
Three key Miami Hurricanes recruiting targets — Orlando (Fla.) Jones linebacker Malik Bryant, Orlando (Fla.) offensive tackle Payton Kirkland and Lynn (Mass.) St John’s Prep safety Joenel Aguero — are scheduled to make their college decisions throughout the day on Saturday.
Aguero, selecting one of Miami, Georgia, Florida and Ohio State, is scheduled to make his announcement at 12:30 PM ET. Truth be told, Aguero informed AllHurricanes at Under Armour’s Future 50 camp that he has already finalized which program he will be pledging to.
Bryant and Kirkland, meanwhile, will host back-to-back commitment ceremonies in Orlando, although the two were originally supposed to reveal their destinations together.
Bryant, believed to be down to Miami and Florida, will choose between the two (as well as Alabama and Maryland) at 5:25 P.M. ET, while Kirkland will pick one of his top five schools (Miami, Florida, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Alabama) at 7:30 P.M. ET Kirkland previewed his decision with AllHurricanes here.
JULY 15, 3:45 PM UPDATE
Cormani McClain doesn’t have an official group of top schools, but Miami is among those in the mix the most, he confirmed Friday at Under Armour Future 50 check-in.
“‘Bama, Florida, Miami…” he said. “Those are really the schools right now.”
Of The U, the Lakeland (Fla.) High School star looked back on his June official visit.
“It was a great visit,” McClain said. “Being around a lot of Florida dudes, it’s home. Miami is a great school, too.
“I’m watching everyone commit and they’re waiting on me. Miami is up there now.”
McClain, who singled out assistant coach Jahmile Addae after his title run with Georgia last year, says he could visit Florida next, though his next trip isn’t quite locked in. Georgia, LSU and other programs are in the mix as well.
Arguably the top uncommitted recruit in America, McClain says he is in no rush to make a decision. The commitment could extend all the way to Early Signing Day on December 14.
JULY 11, 11:30 AM UPDATE
One of Miami’s early verbal commitments in the class of 2023 just came off the board elsewhere in the ACC.
Lamar Seymore, Miami (Fla.) Central wide receiver and younger brother of Hurricane offensive lineman Laurence Seymore, announced a verbal commitment to the Pitt Panthers on Monday.
Seymore was committed to UM from April of 2020 through June of 2022 and he included the program within a top five announced earlier in July. In addition to UM and Pitt, Penn State, Auburn and UCF were also named finalists by the rising-senior recruit.
As a junior, Seymore helped Central make another state championship with 550 yards and seven touchdowns to his name.
JULY 10, 8:00 PM UPDATE
One of the most recent commitments for the Miami Hurricanes would like to see another South Florida prospect join him in Coral Gables.
Many of South Florida’s prospects know one another. It’s obvious that Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph is aware of the talented William Fowles and would like to have him join Miami’s 2023 recruiting class.
Joseph committed to head coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes on June 28. The Miami (Fla.) Edison receiver previously made a pledge to the Clemson Tigers but backed off that decision before soon after announcing he would stay home and be a Cane.
Joseph is a slot receiver with track speed and natural playmaking ability. Pairing him with William Fowles, all 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds of him, would give Miami an excellent combination of speed and size. Fowles plays for Hialeah (Fla.) Dade Christian and is one of the most coveted receivers in the state of Florida.
He took unofficial visits to several schools this spring and summer, and will take his official visits later this year.
Additionally, Miami has already secured the commitment of Robby Washington, another top-notch receiver. He will play for Miami (Fla.) Palmetto this upcoming season.
JULY 9, 5:00 PM UPDATE
A former Miami football commitment still has the Canes in it.
Andy Jean, the electric Miami (Fla.) Northwestern wide receiver recruit, announced a top five on Saturday via social media to commemorate his birthday.
In addition to The U, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M made the cut for Jean, who de-committed from Miami on March 30. Since that point, however, the rising-senior recruit has taken at least three more visits to UM, including one for camp in June.
Florida received the last official visit from the Miami native the weekend of June 24. As a junior in 2021, Jean led the Bulls with more than 700 receiving yards and eight touchdowns to his name. He also excels as a sprinter on the varsity track and field circuit.
JULY 8, 4:40 PM UPDATE
The Miami Hurricanes are building a strong recruiting class and it could take another step forward with the following elite prospect including them in his final seven:
Sam M’Pemba is a naturally gifted edge rusher with the ability to bull over an opponent or go right by him with a speed rush move. Even a tackle like Miami commitment Francis Mauigoa, one of the best players in the country, sometimes loses reps to M’Pemba when he comes after the quarterback during an IMG Academy practice.
The three programs that have been considered the most likely landing spots (no order) have been Georgia, Miami and Notre Dame, but there’s a long way to go with this young pass rusher’s recruitment. He still has official visits to take. In fact, he has only one official visit set for the upcoming season, and that’s to Notre Dame on Nov. 5 when Clemson goes to South Bend, Ind.
Miami needs pass rushers so M’Pemba is going to continue to be a priority for the Miami coaching staff.
JULY 1, 4:15 PM UPDATE
The Canes have found themselves in the top seven for elite Katy (Texas) Paetow 2023 defensive lineman David Hicks Jr., he announced on Friday afternoon.
Hicks, the No. 2 defensive lineman in the country per the On3 Sports consensus, recently took an official visit to Miami in early June and also paid Coral Gables an unofficial visit during spring ball.
UM will be a team to watch down the stretch given Hicks’ recent spike in interest, and it’s worth noting that his ties to head coach Mario Cristobal date back to Hicks’ offer from Oregon in July 2021.
JUNE 26, 8:30 AM UPDATE
The Miami Hurricanes’ hosted top safety Jayden Bonsu for an official visit this past June 3. He’s been a top target for the Hurricanes since being offered by Head Coach Mario Cristobal on Jan. 3, 2022. The Hurricanes are not alone.
The Hillside (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep talent is one of the top players at his position nationally, and his offer list backs it up.
Besides the Miami offer, Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas and Southern Cal are just some of the other programs that want this young man on their respective college football rosters. He’s now narrowing down his list and is close to making a final college decision.
The 6’2”, 205-pound talent has also taken official visits to Michigan State (June 10) and Ohio State (June 17). He has no other official visits set as of today.
Bonsu recorded 62 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions during his junior season.
JUNE 19, 6:20 PM UPDATE:
The Hurricanes remain in the hunt for one of the best prospects from the state of Florida. From the Panhandle of Florida, Daquayvious Sorey announced his final four schools:
Sorey originally made a pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs, but decided to reopen his recruitment on Feb. 10. Since that time, Sorey has been coveted by several programs, Miami included, which offered Sorey on Jan. 25.
Beyond his top four programs listed above, Sorey’s offer list includes programs such as Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kentucky and Colorado among others.
His overall skills make him a potential offensive or defensive college player. While playing for 24K 7v7 earlier this year, he was a standout as a middle linebacker and as a receiver. He has a chiseled frame and still plenty of room to grow at 6’2” and 195 pounds.
JUNE 6, 10:30 am UPDATE:
Miami has to keep local talent home, that much has been made clear by Mario Cristobal since he took over.
One step towards doing so with one of the best in south Florida went public on Sunday as Hykeem Williams announced his top six programs. Along with the Hurricanes, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Pitt and Florida State made the cut.
The Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan star wide receiver has been on campus several times since the staff turnover in Coral Gables.
“They are changing the culture fasho around there and that’s the home team, so you gotta love the home team,” Williams told On3.
Williams has official visits to Georgia and Pitt set for the month of June, thus far.
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