Recruiting Radar: Class Breakdown 1/27

1 week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes.

That's how long it is until National Signing Day. And, for Miami, the chase for recruits is far from finished. Let's get right into the breakdown.

Overall Class Numbers

Gonna keep this short: I'm operating on the basis of a 25 recruit class for this year. It's the same template for needs and commits that I've been using throughout this series of pieces.

However, I've seen some analysts say that a more realistic number for commits in this class is 22. If that is, in fact, the number that Miami is shooting for, that's an easy alteration:

1. Drop the "best available" spots from the list (it's a sidebar further down in this article) and
2. leave the 2nd RB spot open (read the RB section for my rationale on that)

Boom. You've gone from 25 to 22 in an instant.

Told you that was easy.

Onward we go to the positional breakdown.

Quarterback

Need: 1

Committed: 1 (Enrolled)

Running Back

Need: 1+

Committed: 1

4-star RB Travis Homer is the only commit at this position. UM coaches are reportedly coming to a place where they feel comfortable with Homer as the only RB in this class. Obviously, the returning depth on the roster at this position (Gus Edwards, Joseph Yearby, Mark Walton, and Trayone Gray) is cause for  comfort.

While Miami has reached out to several prospects, there doesn't seem to be a target on the board who is seriously considering Miami.

Wide Receiver

Need: 4+

Committed: 3

This is one of the positions where the updates keep coming.

Top rated commit Sam Bruce reaffirmed his commitment to Miami this week, spurning a late charge from Ohio State. Speedster Latrell Williams may or may not have decommitted from Miami. Even he didn't, Miami is in a tight battle with Tennessee for his NLI. Dionte Mullins has been solid since the moment he committed, and that hasn't changed.

The top target on the board at WR is 4-star Ahmmon Richards. The one-time Miami commit recently visited Alabama, and reportedly had a good time. Even with that being the case, several recruiting writers have said as recently as today that they feel like Richards recommitting to Miami is going to happen. We'll see.

JUCO WR Javon Wims, a Georgia commit, has been visited by multiple coaches multiple times. Miami is pushing very hard for Wims to flip to the Canes.

3-star WR Randrecous Davis recently decommitted from Georgia, citing a lack of communication with the new staff. He's reportedly down to Miami and South Carolina. And, for the 3rd week in a row, I'm STILL shocked he hasn't committed to Miami yet. But, now, with Sam Bruce's recommitment, there may not be a spot for Davis, as his skills in the slot are redundant to Bruce's, but not as explosive. We'll see.

Auburn commit Eli Stove is visiting this weekend along with his teammate 4-star DB Romeo Finley. Not saying they're a package deal, BUT, if they are, and they choose to commit to Miami, that would be pretty awesome, in my humble opinion.

Former South Carolina commit Kelvin Harmon visited last week, and was lukewarm on Miami. He's on the board, but I'm not expecting him to pick Miami out of his favorites.

Wisconsin commit ATH Quintez Cephus was visited by 3 Miami coaches last week in an effort to flip him. But, he hasn't scheduled an OV to Miami, and doesn't appear to be planning to do so. So, that's that.

3-star Dredrick Snelson and 4-star Nate Johnson both have Miami in their final list of schools. While neither is likely to be in this class, I would gladly welcome Johnson, a record setting player from Tennessee, with open arms.

Tight End

Need: 1

Committed: 1 2

Offensive Line

Need: 1+

Committed: 0

The search continues for an OL in this class. Miami has offered a couple of players in recent days, but none are college ready.

The top target was Lucas Niang, who visited last week. But, there were reports that Niang's parents weren't sold on him attending college in Miami, and shortly after his OV to Coral Gables, Niang committed to TCU.

Oklahoma commits Johncarlo Valentin and Tramonda Moore will reportedly visit this week. If I had to choose between the two, I'm taking Moore. But, recruiting isn't that simple, and both players should be considered longshots at this point.

Miami just offered Tre Johnson, an Illinois commit from Orlando. He'll visit Coral Gables this weekend. Even if he does flip, Johnson profiles as a project who would need a year or more before being game ready.

Defensive Line

Need: 4+

Committed: 2 (1 enrolled)

4-star End Patrick Bethel has already enrolled at Miami. He's set in stone in this class. Fellow DE commit 4-star Joseph Jackson is, perhaps, the best player in this class that nobody is talking about.

You'll notice from the above list that Miami has 2 DEs committed and 0 DTs. Yes. I know. Miami needs DTs in this class. I know it. CMR and staff know it, and they're working on it. And, I'd like to remind you that, while Miami is looking to bring in DTs in this class, former 5-star DT Gerald Willis is a defacto recruit for this year. He's coming off a redshirt year in which he won scout team defensive player of the year, and should be a force to be reckoned with. So, that's a positive.

As far as the HS recruits at DT, Miami continues to shoot their shot. 4-star Glen Logan was reportedly primed for a flip from LSU, but reaffirmed his commitment and canceled his OV to Miami on the morning he was supposed to fly to South Florida. Ed Orgeron, I see you working.

DT Briston Guidry reaffirmed his commitment to Arkansas, and is off the board as well.

3-star DT Marcel Southall visited Miami last weekend and reportedly had a great visit. He seems to be rising to the top of the target list at this position for this class.

3-star DE/DT Tyreic Martin was committed to Missouri when Craig Kuligowski was their DL coach. Now that Kool is at Miami, Martin will visit Coral Gables this weekend. He could be a good candidate to end up in this class.

4-star DT Kobe Jones took a visit to Miami on Monday, days after his visit to Alabama. Miami remains connected with the uncommitted target, and will do so all the way to National SIgning Day.

TCU commit 4-star DE Isaiah Chambers took a visit to last weekend. While that's a positive, it remains to be seen if Chambers is a realistic option for this class.

Linebacker

Need: 3

Committed: 3 (all enrolled)

All 3 LB recruits, 4-stars Zach McCloud, Michael Pinckney, and Shaq Quarterman, are early enrollees, and have already begun classes at Miami.

With all 3 on campus, and already on the roster, Miami is done recruiting at this spot, unless an uber elite national recruit wants in on this class at the last minute (which is highly unlikely, so don't get your hopes up).

In any event, I believe this is the best trio of LB recruits committed to any school in America for this cycle, so Miami is in a good place either way.

Defensive Back

Need: 4+

Committed: 3

The change from last week was the decommitment of CB James Wiggins. His status with the new staff had been tenuous at best, and after not having heard from them (or, as some reports said, being told he should visit elsewhere last weekend), Wiggins dropped. But, that wasn't really his choice. He wasn't going to have a spot in this class by coach's decision. That's best for all involved parties.

S Cedrick Wright is 100% with Miami. He's shut down his recruitment and canceled his visits to show his commitment to the Hurricanes' program. Similarly, recent commit Malek Young is 100% locked in and done with his recruitment.

The best commit of this group, CB Tyler Byrd, is nowhere near as settled on Miami. Byrd is scheduled to visit Tennessee this weekend, where his close friend and teammate RB Carlin Fils-Aime is committed. Byrd and Fils-Aime have lived together since 8th grade, so their bond is definitely one to watch. Leading Byrd's recruitment to Tennessee (other than Fils-Aime) is former UM TE coach and Interim HC Larry Scott. Recent predictions on 247Sports' Crystal Ball have Byrd flipping to the Vols. Byrd is a player that will play at Miami from day 1, and has the level of talent that the Canes are trying to add to this roster. Keeping him is of the utmost importance. But, Miami will be in a fight to do that. Stay tuned.

Miami continues to pursue players at the DB positions. Florida commit CB Christopher "CJ" McWilliams visited last weekend. Miami is trying to get him to flip from the Gators.

The staff is putting the full-court press on CB Shyheim Carter. This All-American talent visited Miami a few weeks ago, and seems to be an Alabama lean. Carter visited LSU last weekend, somewhat of a shocker since they had not been previously connected with his recruitment. Regardless of any of that, Miami has zeroed in on Carter as a top priority target, and are treating him as such. Mark Richt, Mike Rumph, and Ephraim Banda all visited Carter on Wednesday, a move that shows just how highly they deem his talents.

4-star S Romeo Finley, a HS teammate of 4-star WR Eli Stove, will visit this weekend. He's received multiple visits from Banda and Rumph, and is the top target at Safety right now. Miami will work to get the uncommitted Finley to give his pledge to the Canes this weekend. Georgia Tech is thought to bet Finley's leader at the moment.

3-star JJ Givens visited a few weeks ago, and called it "one of the best experiences" of his life. He is very high on Miami. Givens doesn't yet have an offer, however, and appears to be a plan b type prospect.

UPDATE: Givens committed to NC State while I was writing this piece

PACKSZN pic.twitter.com/QOTzPB3W2v

— JJ Givens☘ (@RegimeJay) January 27, 2016

Pittsburgh commit Henry Miller visited last weekend, and enjoyed his time. To my eyes, he's another plan b type prospect.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that, my friends, is this week's Class Breakdown.

Hop in the comments section and keep the conversation going.

Go Canes!