Miami Recruiting Intel

There are several Miami prospects visiting Coral Gables this weekend and more soon to visit.

There are several high-profile prospects among Miami’s wish list. That also means prospects that will likely change their minds several times, i.e. the team that leads, holds a commitment, etc. will change quite often.

During the past two cycles, Mario Cristobal and his staff have flipped multiple big-time prospects. Canes fans should not be discouraged if a prospect does not originally select the Hurricanes because National Signing Day does not arrive until December.

Here’s the latest intel, as well as gut feel, for where UM stands with several top prospects.

DJ Pickett Cornerback Zephyrhills (Fla.) High School

Miami will receive an unofficial visit from Pickett, according to 247’s Gaby Urrutia. He’s recently been to Oregon once and LSU two times. It’s important for Miami to have him back on campus. Still, information is not easy to come by.

Pickett is a prospect who’s been recruited since the eighth grade. Therefore, he is more or less “over” the whole concept of being interviewed and asked the same questions over and over. From this point forward, information is likely going to be hard to gain. With that said, LSU is probably the team to watch right now.

LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond would be a major reason why. That is a coach Pickett has a long-standing relationship with. With Pickett heading to Coral Gables, it’s important that Chevis Jackson, UM’s new cornerback’s coach, continues to build a strong relationship with Pickett.

Tarvos Alford Linebacker Vero Beach (Fla.) High School

If one goes by the crystal ball predictions, Alford is going to pick Ohio State. He is no stranger to visiting Miami. So, even if Alford goes with the Buckeyes on Saturday as expected, do not be surprised if he treks to Coral Gables for another visit.

Miami is not going to give up on top targets. As noted above, it’s a long way until National Signing Day.

Alvin Henderson Running Back Elba (Ala.) High School

Henderson plans to make a decision soon, albeit still take his UM official visit in June regardless of the school he selects. While that may seem backward it’s also par for the course in modern recruiting. Auburn is the strong favorite for Henderson’s pledge.

In fact, look for Henderson to pick Auburn sooner than later. It will be interesting if Henderson does indeed end up visit Miami and/or other schools if he does pick Auburn. He’s definitely a big-time running back.

Byron Louis Running Back Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage

Louis let it be known that he’s going to visit Miami again this weekend. He’s a frequent visitor to The U and it would not be surprising if he eventually made the choice to pick UM. The competition is familiar foe.

Florida State would love to add Louis to its recruiting class as well. Louis made the trip to Tallahassee recently and the Noles are a threat to the Canes. Many other schools continue to try and recruit Louis, but this is likely a UM-FSU battle.

There are several other players to keep in mind as official visits continue to be set and the big recruiting push truly begins to take shape. Look for the Canes to be in the national recruiting news quite often between now and the end of June.