Back at it again with another Recruiting Radar, this one focused on the current 2018 commits.

In case you missed it yesterday, I broke down the numbers for Miami’s 2018 class in my estimation.

Moving from theory into reality, Miami has a great foundation set already in the 2018 class. 247sports ranks the current 2018 group as 3rd best in America, and both Rivals and Scout have the current group at 7th in America. In either case, that’s a damn good start. Uh, yeah, those rankings are wrong. Why? BECAUSE LORENZO LINGARD COMMITTED TO MIAMI ON THURSDAY!

So, that addition, a top 15 player in this class, will likely bump Miami up into the top 5, likely top 3 of 2018 recruiting classes at current.

Now, who are the players that make up this currently top-5 consensus group? Let’s meet them.

5-star RB Lorenzo Lingard (6’1” 195lbs), University HS, Orange City, FL

One of the top 3 RBs in America this cycle and a top 15 player overall, Lorenzo Lingard is a priority recruit for Miami. OC/RB coach Thomas Brown has been building the relationship with Lingard for quite some time. That paid off with the above-linked commitment and gives Miami their new highest-ranked player in this recruiting class.

Lingard has averaged 11.42 yards per carry over 2 years and nearly 200 carries at the HS level. And, those aren’t stats against poor competition either: Lingard plays in Florida’s largest classification: 8A. So he’s doing huge numbers against top tier competition. Pretty good, if you ask me.

A recruiting analyst I follow on twitter compared Lingard and former Georgia RB Todd Gurley for their tall frame and other traits. I’m in love with that comparison, and if Lingard can be for Mark Richt’s Miami what Todd Gurley was for Mark Richt’s Georgia, then SIGN ME UP!

4-star DB Josh Jobe (6’1”, 180lbs), Christopher Columbus HS, Miami, FL

Josh Jobe is a baller, plain and simple. He starred at Columbus with 2017 signee Trajan Bandy and several other FBS level recruits. Jobe is listed by recruiting sites as a cornerback, but he has the ability and versatility to play there or at safety. He has film at CB, S, RB, and KR from his time at Columbus, so it’s safe to say that Jobe has skills that play well at a good many positions on the field.

Jobe, who turns 19 in April, will be ineligible by FHSAA rule to play his senior season. Jobe will likely transfer to a prep school — Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT has been a name repeatedly mentioned in reports about Jobe’s future — for his senior year. But, regardless of his advanced age for his class (he’s not even near as old as Calvin Ridley or others were as seniors), Jobe is an ELITE player. See the highlights for the visual proof.

4-star DB Gilbert Frierson (6’2”, 185lbs), Coral Gables HS, Coral Gables, FL

Another local player with great talent and strong bloodlines, Gilbert Frierson is one of the longest tenured commits in Miami’s 2018 recruiting class. A cousin of former Coral Gables HS and Canes great RB Frank Gore, Frierson is the next great athlete in his family.

But, Frierson isn’t just a “cousin of a great player”, he’s a great player himself. Frierson was 1st team All-Dade in 2016, one of the highest honors available in prep football. He was credited with 35 tackles and an interception as a junior, but Frierson played both CB and S, and was good on special teams for Gables as well.

Like Jobe, Frierson could play either CB or S at the college level. He’s a great player and has that intangible “dog in him” that so many South Florida players have. Another top tier talent in this group for Miami.

4-star WR Daquris Wiggins (6’2”, 180lbs), Southridge HS, Miami, FL

Miami is looking to add somewhere in the range of 4 WRs in the 2018 class, and are off to a great start with Daquris Wiggins already on board. A tall player with 4.4 speed, Wiggins has all the tools to be a top tier player at the collegiate level.

Wiggins plays at powerhouse Miami (FL) Southridge, Florida’s 2016 8A State champions, and a team with more FBS talent than nearly every team it plays. Wiggins is able to stretch the field for the Spartans, and also make tough catches in traffic.

One of 2 Southridge players in the 2018 class at current, Wiggins figures to be locked in with Miami, and also be recruiting one (or more) of his teammates to join him in Coral Gables.

3-star ATH Jalen Patterson (5’10”, 170lbs), North Marion HS, Citra, FL

Another player who has been locked in with Miami for quite some time, Citra (FL) North Marion ATH Jalen Patterson has the skills to play on either side of the ball. A first team All-State player in Florida’s 5A classification at DB, Patterson figures to stick on that side of the ball moving forward.

Patterson has decent size, good speed, and good ball skills for a CB. He only has 8 offers at current, but that number should grow as the spring evaluation period hits.

3-star OL Delone Scaife (6’3”, 285lbs), Southridge HS, Miami, FL

Another offensive lineman who will help rebuild that position group for Miami, Delone Scaife is a good get for the Hurricanes. He, like the other commits in this group, has been committed for a while, and looks to be locked in.

Scaife recently transferred from Miami (FL) Killian to Miami (FL) Southridge to play with fellow commit WR Daquris Wiggins and a host of top FBS talent for the Spartans. Scaife showed well at the inaugural Paradise Camp and should develop into a nice interior OL option in the years to come.

3-star CB Demetrius “D.J.” Ivey (6’1”, 180lbs), South Dade HS, Homestead, FL

Regardless of ranking — which I believe will rise in the coming weeks and months — Homestead (FL) South Dade CB DJ Ivey is one of the top players at his position in South Florida, if not the country, in the 2018 cycle. Already dubbed “Young Artie” for his physical and performance resemblance to former Canes standout CB Artie Burns, Ivey is a lockdown corner of the highest order.

Ivey missed his entire junior year with a foot injury, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that he’s very, very good. Ivey might not have the national name recognition of other DBs this cycle, but he has the game to match up with any of them. Great early get for Miami here.

3-star CB Thomas Burns (5’9”, 150lbs), Northwestern HS, Miami, FL

A starter for Miami (FL) Northwestern, Thomas Burns is the younger brother of former Canes CB Artie, so he’s a Miami legacy. Like his older brother, Thomas is a standout track athlete, starring on Northwestern’s perennial State Championship contending track team.

On the football field, Thomas Burns is kind of non-descript. He has elite speed, but that’s about it in my eyes. I think Burns’ future is in track, and that Miami will look to upgrade this scholarship slot in this class. I wouldn’t run him off because of respect for Artie, but if there’s a player in this class so far that won’t make it for football reasons, my money would be on Burns.

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With 7 commits (1 5-star, 2 4-stars, and 3 3-stars), Miami is off to a very good start in 2018. There will be plenty of movement throughout this cycle, but Mark Richt and company are potentially building a top 5 class.

There’s work to be done, but this staff is the group to do it. Wouldn’t hurt to have a 10+ win season this year either, guys.

That’s it for this installment of the Recruiting Radar.

Go Canes