Recruiting season is full steam ahead and the Miami Hurricanes are in the thick several high stakes recruiting battles for some of the nation’s best. This past weekend Mario and Company hosted the biggest recruiting weekend in Canes history which included four 5-star recruits (according to 247Sports) and it got me thinking – who are the five recruits I would most like to see signed in this 2024 class? I kept the list to kids that are going to be hard to lock up but are legitimate options, no “pie in the sky” type selections. Check out my most wanted below then hit the comments and let me know who’s in your Top 5.
#1 – David Stone (5-star Defensive Linemen)
I’m a firm believer that football games are often won and lost in the trenches. Disagree? Look no further than the two-time reigning championship Georgia Bulldogs; yeah Stetson Bennet was fun to watch but those titles would not have been won if not for the elite play of their defensive lines which included five 1st round draft picks in the last two NFL drafts. Back to David – this would be a phenomenal get for the Canes for several key reasons: (1) there is a need on the roster for dominant defensive tackles, (2) he plays for national powerhouse IMG Academy whom Miami would love to have as a feeder school, and (3) he has a gravity that would draw other elite recruits. This recruitment will be one that could go all the way to Early National Signing Day with multiple twists and turns so if you're following, I suggest you buckle up and keep hands and feet inside the ride at all times.
As a player he's not the highest ranked DL in the country but I could make a convincing argument that he might be the most talented based on his size, strength and skillset. Put on the film and peep the hand fighting then show me another kid of his caliber doing it at a higher level. I’ll wait. The juice is worth the squeeze on this one.
#2 – Jeremiah Smith (5-star Wide Receiver)
“Didn’t you say legitimate options?” I did and I’m standing on this one being possible, though a long shot. According to 247Sports data, Miami has not signed a 5-star receiver out of high school since Lance Leggett in 2004. That’s egregious considering how many 5-star receivers have come out of South Florida. Jeremiah will be as hard as any to obtain as he's verbally committed to Ohio State, but he's spent a lot of time around the Hurricane program whether it be attending games last season or unofficial visits and he’s got an official visit scheduled this month.
This kid is a local SUPERSTAR (he attends Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fl) and flipping him from Ohio State would put the country on notice that UM is putting a halt on other schools coming down to the bottom of the map and taking the best players Florida has to offer. He’s, deservedly, the #2 player in the country and a “must get” if there ever was one.
#3 – Ellis Robinson IV (5-star Cornerback)
Speaking of talent in Florida…and positions of need…and IMG, enter Mr. Robinson, the #1 ranked cornerback in all the land. He’s committed to the Georgia Bulldogs but even at the time of his announcement Miami felt like they were a close second and have continued to recruit him like the high priority he is. Last year defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, and then assistant Demarcus Van Dyke, had the top ranked corner committed for a time so this staff knows what it’s like to be in a battle for such a kid and also learned that the deal isn’t done until pen hits paper.
Ellis has been a household name for recruiting fans for a couple of years and stealing him away from Kirby Smart would be a massive coup further entrenching Miami’s connections to IMG Academy. 247Sports Director of Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, has gone on the record saying if anyone is a threat The Dawgs for Ellis it's the Canes so I'm not making things up here. Ultimately, the legitimacy of this flip becoming a reality will come down to Mario and staff chopping wood and showing stark progression on the field this Fall.
#4 – Joshisa “Jojo” Trader (5-star Wide Receiver)
I could honestly copy-paste most of what I said about Jeremiah Smith (including where he attends high school) and plop it here for Jojo. Two premier wide receivers are in Miami’s backyard, attending the same high school, the alma mater of several Hurricane players past and present – Mario has to get at least one of them. He absolutely must! Jeremiah is hands down the best past catcher in the country, but Trader is a dog in his own right.
A composite Top 20 player in the country with WR1 ability, Jojo has found himself on the Canes campus several times (some reported and others rumored) and he is a prime target for new Wide Receiver coach Kevin Beard. Striking out on a player like Jojo will have many a Cane faithful grumbling and no one would be able to blame them. Don’t care how, just get it done.
#5 – Zaquan Patterson (4-star Safety)
This selection was the hardest. It would’ve been very easy to plug in guys like Colin Simmons, Dylan Stewart, Jerrick Gibson or any other 5* recruit that has or will visit Miami this summer, but I went with another local kid who is at a position of need. With the return of All-American Kamren Kinchens and former 5-star James Williams at safety it may be confusing why I’d say “Zay” could fill a position of need. Well the truth of it is, both Kam and James will be draft eligible after the upcoming season. If both were to turn pro, the untested depth behind them could become a glaring hole in the roster for 2024.
Zaquan is the top ranked Safety in the state of Florida. Oh! He also goes to Chaminade-Madonna Prep alongside Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader. As I’ve been alluding to, top local talent have to be prioritized and Mr. Patterson certainly fits the bill. A trifecta at Chaminade would send shockwaves through the tri-county!
This is my Top 5 Most wanted. Hit the comments below and let me know what y’all think!
Go Canes!
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