Miami signs the top class in the ACC for the first time of the 247Sports era (and what that means)

The path to national relevance in college football starts with handling business within conference play.

For the Miami Hurricanes, that means getting to the point to where the program is consistently competing at the top of the ACC.

Which hasn’t happened since joining the conference in 2004.

Miami has earned a berth into the ACC Championship game just once, in 2017. The ACC will do away with divisions in 2023 and it will be even more important to feature a roster that is consistently near the top of the conference.

That process starts with stacking talent on the recruiting trail.

UM’s 2023 recruiting class is a good starting point toward building a roster that has enough talent to stack the necessary wins on the field.

As things stand on Friday morning, Miami’s 2023 recruiting class features 25 signees and one commit that is still unsigned in five-star cornerback Cormani McClain. UM ranks No. 4 nationally, according to 247Sports and they own the top class in the ACC.

Clemson’s class currently ranks second amongst ACC teams at No. 10 nationally and Florida State ranks third in the conference, ranking No. 19 in the country.

Miami has never signed the top class in the ACC during the 247Sports era, which dates back to the 2011 cycle.

How does this Miami class compare to the top ACC classes of the 247Sports era? Here is a look at the top class of each cycle and the corresponding team recruiting score, according to 247Sports.

• 2011: FSU – 297.03 score (No. 2 nationally)

• 2012: FSU – 290.11 score (No. 4 nationally)

• 2013: FSU – 262.69 score (No. 11 nationally)

• 2014: FSU – 286.79 score (No. 4 nationally)

• 2015: FSU – 287.06 score (No. 3 nationally)

• 2016: FSU – 294.83 score (No. 3 nationally)

• 2017: FSU – 292.88 score (No. 6 nationally)

• 2018: Clemson – 283.67 score (No. 7 nationally)

• 2019: Clemson – 275.55 score (No. 10 nationally)

• 2020: Clemson – 309.57 score (No. 3 nationally)

• 2021: Clemson – 291.17 score (No. 5 nationally)

• 2022: Clemson – 260.87 score (No. 10 nationally)

Think recruiting rankings matter much? Early in the 2010 decade, FSU was stacking talent that led to a 2013 National Championship level team and and 2014 team that competed in the first College Football Playoff.

The tide in the ACC started to shift during the 2015 season (which is the 2016 recruiting class) with Clemson starting to earn the results on the field over the Seminoles and then turning that success into recruiting success as the Tigers emerged as the top team in the conference.

Clemson has owned the ACC recruiting landscape ever since Jimbo Fisher left FSU for Texas A&M and the Tigers have clearly featured the most talented roster year after year since then.

How does this 2023 Miami class compare? The class score for this UM class currently stands at a 294.85 grade. This class would rank third in ACC history during the 247Sports era, trailing the 2020 Clemson class and the 2011 FSU class.

That 2011 Seminoles class featured future star players like DT Timmy Jernigan, TE Nick O’Leary, ATH Karlos Williams, RB James Wilder, OL Bobby Hart, RB Devonta Freeman, WR Rashad Greene, and WR Kelvin Benjamin. It was the foundation of a championship team.

The 2020 Clemson class featured future NFL players on defense like DT Bryan Bresee, DL Myles Murphy, LB Trenton Simpson, and DB RJ Mickens.

What if McClain decides to sign somewhere other than Miami? UM would still own the top class in the ACC, but the class score would drop to 286.88 overall, which would rank eighth amongst the 13 top ACC classes dating back to the 2011 cycle.

Miami’s 2022 season was a disappointing 5-7, but the Hurricanes have been a disruptor on the recruiting trail for this 2023 cycle. Competing for championships starts with stacking talent.

Mario Cristobal and this UM staff checked that box for the 2023 cycle, but the job isn’t done. This is a good starting point and a strong indicator of what could come on the field, but Miami must do it again in 2024 and again in 2025 (and again, and again, and again).