Miami football recruiting primer: Canes in position to crash the top 5 with a few flips

Miami’s late surge in the 2024 recruiting rankings is likely to continue with the potential of a handful of flips when the early signing period begins Wednesday.

The big one expected to go Miami’s way: five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount, who committed to the Hurricanes in September, flipped to Florida State a month later and is expected to switch back when pen is put to paper.

If Blount signs with Miami, he’ll fortify one of the best defensive line hauls in the country.

“Miami’s class is kind of the same recipe as last year,” Andrew Ivins, the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, said. “They invested in the guys up front at the point of attack.”

Miami entered the weekend with 26 commitments (six in the top 100 nationally) in a class that ranks No. 7 in the 247Sports Composite.

The Hurricanes hosted 14 high school prospects over the weekend, including four players committed to other programs — Blount, four-star linebacker Adarius Hayes (Florida, No. 69 overall), four-star running back Jordan Lyle (Ohio State, No. 152) and three-star cornerback Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin, No. 629).

The staff reportedly parted ways with three-star offensive tackle Kavion Broussard (No. 650) from Zachary, La., and three-star linebacker Vincent Shavers (No. 550) of Miami Central last week. Broussard is likely to sign with Ole Miss, and Shavers took his last official visit to Nebraska.

Come Wednesday, most eyes nationally will be glued to see what happens at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade with five-star receiver Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 player in the class. Miami has two commitments from the small private school and is pushing for Smith as well as three-star quarterback Cedrick Bailey Jr., an NC State commitment.

Smith, an Ohio State commitment, took official visits to Miami, Florida and Florida State and hosted coaches from all three schools down the stretch. He’s remained steadfast that he’s committed to the Buckeyes.

“He’s probably the top player I’ve coached just because of his talent and work ethic,” Chaminade coach Damian Jones said. “He’s a different kid. As good as he is now, he wants to be better.”

Miami has three four-star receiver commitments in the class — Ny Carr (No. 48), Josiah Trader (No. 50) and Chance Robinson (No. 157). Trader said he’s been working hard to get Smith and Bailey — teammates he’s grown up playing with since youth football — to flip to the Hurricanes.

“We’ll have to wait until signing day,” said Trader, who starred at Chaminade alongside Smith. “When you go to college, you need that brotherhood. That’s what I’m trying to sell them on.”

Regardless of what happens at Chaminade, the strength of Miami’s class is the defensive line haul.

The group is headlined by 6-foot-4, 310-pound five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott (No. 13) from Chicago St. Ignatius School and also features two other four-star defensive tackles in Artavius Jones (No. 189) and Kendall Jackson (No. 409) plus three four-star edge rushers in Marquise Lightfoot (No. 60), Booker Pickett Jr. (No. 220) and Elias Rudolph (No. 334).

“Scott is just a monumental flip (from Ohio State),” Ivins said. “Not a lot of individuals in this class are as big as him and move the way he does. Lightfoot, he’s got a ton of developmental upside. Some people will say he’s tailor-made to play on Day 1. I’d push back on that and say he needs time to get his body right. Maybe a situational rusher Year 1. But Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, I think the way he moves is similar to (former Hurricanes first-round pick) Jaelan Phillips. Those are the two headliners for me.”

The staff will continue to work on a few more flips over the next several days.

Hayes, an Under Armour All-American with a basketball background, recorded 108 tackles, one sack and one interception in 11 games as a senior at Largo (Fla.) High School. He’s been committed to Florida since June. The Hurricanes have only one linebacker commitment in the class — three-star Cameron Pruitt (No. 473) from Alabama.

Lyle, a hometown star at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, rushed for 1,376 yards (on a 10.6-yard average) and 21 touchdowns and added 13 catches for 177 yards as a senior.

Lyle will likely take the spot expected to be vacated by Kevin Riley (No. 76), a Tuscaloosa, Ala., native who visited the Crimson Tide this past weekend. Riley has been committed to Miami since June but is a high-priority target for Nick Saban.

Lyle would join local three-star Chris Wheatley-Humphrey (No. 748) as one of two running backs the Hurricanes take in the class.

Miami’s defensive backfield, meanwhile, has five commitments heading into Wednesday, but that could change.

Lucas, from nearby Plantation (Fla.) American High School, is among the elite defensive backs Miami has recruited right up until the end. That includes Georgia five-star cornerback commitment Ellis Robinson IV (No. 3) and uncommitted four-star safety Zavier Mincey (No. 57).

“I’m signing Wednesday but announcing at the All-American game on Jan. 6,” Mincey said after wearing Miami gloves and cleats as his Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland team won a state championship in Tallahassee two weekends ago.

“The key to my decision is just praying to God and following what my heart says. Alabama is a winner. Florida is not too far from home. Florida State produces great DBs. Miami, I’m a Florida boy. Everyone loves to go there to compete.”

The recruit most likely to help Miami right away is four-star safety commit Zaquan Patterson (No. 72). With starting safeties Kam Kinchens and James Williams headed to the NFL, Patterson is in line to play often and early.

“If I don’t start next year, believe me, it’s my fault,” Patterson told The Athletic after he won a state championship with Chaminade.

Mario Cristobal signed the No. 7 class in the 2023 cycle. That group was headlined by four top-100 prospects, three of whom became starters — right tackle Francis Mauigoa, edge rusher Rueben Bain and running back Mark Fletcher.

The 2024 class features four offensive linemen, including 6-8, 340-pound tackle Markel Bell from the junior college ranks and 6-5, 290-pound Deryc Plazz, a three-star prospect from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin.

“(Alex) Mirabal is the best offensive line coach in the country,” Plazz said. “I’ll be enrolling at Miami on Jan. 14. I made it pretty clear to some schools who tried late — Florida State and NC State — I was done. Mirabal and Cristobal have dozens of offensive linemen they coached in the NFL. I can’t miss out on that. I want to be a part of building something. I know Miami will be winning a national championship soon. It’s something I want to be a part of.”

Barring some major surprises on signing day, the Hurricanes should finish with a top-10 class for the second year in a row. Cracking the top five will likely require landing Blount, Hayes and Lyle, and then holding onto the majority of the rest of the class.

(Photo of Jeremiah Smith: Manny Navarro / The Athletic)