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The sprint to National Signing Day is almost over. The visits have finished. The calls have been made. And now, we wait and see how the Miami Hurricanes will close Mark Richt's first full-cycle recruiting class.
That's right guys, it's prediction time. Let's get into it.
NSD Predictions
Here they are:
4-star WR Jeff Thomas, East St. Louis, IL. A dynamic playmaker who can score the ball from anywhere on the field at any given moment, Thomas is a top 50 player in this class and the kind of elite talent Miami needs on the roster. The Under Armour All-American game MVP took only 1 Official Visit: to Miami. That kind of says it all.
Prediction: Miami
Verdict: Correct. Thomas picked Miami on NSD.
4-star WR Mike Harley, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Another speedy player, Harley was once committed to West Virginia. But, he decommitted after visiting WVU, and has been all Canes since then. Matter of time until he commits.
Prediction: Miami
Verdict: Correct. Harley picked Miami on NSD.
5-star WR Devonta Smith, Amite, LA. Was once committed to Mark Richt at Georgia, and that connection kept Miami in the conversation until the end. But, Alabama was thought to be his leader for more than a year, and Nick Saban was able to block Smith from taking his OV to Coral Gables. No visit = no chance. Sorry guys.
Prediction: Alabama
Verdict: Correct. Smith picked Alabama on NSD.
3-star WR Jordan Pouncey, Winter Park, FL. Formerly a Notre Dame commit, Pouncey is a very speedy player who has good size as well at 6’2”. After initially seeming as though Miami would be a lock to sign Pouncey in the wake of his decommitment, things have been trending elsewhere.
Prediction: Texas
Verdict: Correct. Pouncey picked Texas on NSD.
4-star JUCO CB Jhavonte Dean, Blinn CC, Brenham, TX. This Homestead, FL native wasn’t a premium recruit out of HS. But, he’s used his time at JUCO to build himself into a top prospect, and he plays a position of need. Dean recently decommitted/was dropped from Alabama, which has things looking rosy for Miami.
Prediction: Miami
Verdict: Correct. Dean picked Miami on NSD.
4-star ATH/CB Christopher Henderson, Miami, FL. A one-time Miami commit, Henderson seemed destined to sign with Florida. However, things have taken a positive run for Miami in recent days, and that’s a good thing, in my opinion.
Prediction: Miami
Verdict: Wrong. Henderson picked Florida on NSD.
3-star CB Brian Edwards, Miramar, FL. A tall corner with great length at 6’3”, Edwards has great movement skills for his size. He, like Henderson and Dean, plays a position of dire need for Miami. While Louisville is in the picture, and a visit to Florida happened last weekend, Edwards has long wanted to be a Hurricane, and I think that love of home wins out over 2 other very viable options.
Prediction: Miami
Verdict: Wrong. Edwards picked Florida on NSD.
Those are my NSD predictions. With 21 players already in the class, there’s only a few of these left for me to choose this year.
5/7 on predictions, with Edwards and Henderson being the 2 I got wrong. I mean, I could say that I was right when I made the picks (I feel VERY confident saying that I was), but things change and.....yeah. It is what it is.
Agree or disagree? Hop in the comments and let me know.