Okay. The “Dead Period” (no face to face contact, but telecommunication contact allowed) is over, and now Recruiting is fully back open for business. Programs around the country are gearing up for the sprint to National Signing Day on February 7th, and that means coaches will be visiting prospects, and prospects will be visiting schools for Official (school-funded) and Unofficial (player-funded) visits.

There’s a bit to know, so let’s get to knowing:

Miami Hurricanes Official Visits

4-star DT Dennis Briggs. This is a name that has been up and down on the recruiting board throughout this cycle. Early on, it seemed Miami was the favorite for Briggs’ commitment, then things cooled off, then Briggs said he was about to commit to FSU....and then Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M, and now we’re back where we started, with Miami trending up for this talented player.

At 6’4” 252lbs, Briggs is a bit undersized currently, but has the frame to be 280+ and maintain his athleticism. Several people I’ve spoken to about Briggs told me he was flat out dominant in the HSFB games they saw him play this year, and would unquestionably be a good addition to the Miami Hurricanes’ roster.

Miami is putting a full court press on Briggs: several coaches are meeting with him this morning at his school before he arrives in Coral Gables this evening for his official visit. The goal here is clear: get Briggs to commit and, in a perfect world, cancel his other official visits (to FSU and South Carolina), too.

SURPRISE!!! A late report on Friday indicates there will be another player taking an Official Visit this weekend.

4-star DE Andrew Chatfield. This is the late add to this week’s OVs, as per Peter Ariz of CanesInSight and Andrew Ivins of 247sports

Chatfield is a player Miami is pushing hard for after finally giving him his long-desired scholarship offer. His teammate DT Nesta Silvera is committed to Miami and 2 of his other teammates, CBs Tyson Campbell and Patrick Surtain Jr, are among the top targets for Miami still on the board.

Chatfield had been rumored to be heading to Gainesville for and official visit to the Gators this weekend, but that was refuted by a report he’d be staying home this weekend, and the above-embedded reports that he is visiting Miami also dispelled that previous notion.

For Miami, it makes sense to push for a commitment from Chatfield. He wanted a Miami offer for the longest time, has 1 teammate committed, and 2 others the Canes are chasing. Miami would likely use Chatfield and Silvera to be peer recruiters for Campbell and Surtain Jr., and regardless of that, getting a talented and productive DE committed in this class such as Chatfield would be a win for Miami.

Getting a visit from Chatfield now means Miami won’t bring in all 4 American Heritage players in the same weekend as had been previously rumored and reported. But, if getting Chatfield on campus this weekend locks him down, then I’m with it. This is recruiting and things change. Roll with the punches and let’s go.

Targets taking Official Visits Elsewhere

5-star CB Tyson Cambell - Georgia. Miami’s top target at CB, Campbell has been viewed as a Miami lean for a while. Things may be changing, as several recruiting analysts have flipped their predictions for Campbell’s commitment from Miami to Georgia.

This week’s visit should go a long way to providing clarity on the topic. Miami has been targeting the January 26th weekend to host Campbell and his teammates from American Heritage. Even with a good visit to Georgia, arguably the hottest team in America in terms of recruiting, Miami will work to get Campbell on campus in 2 weeks, and make their case for the talented DB.

5-star CB Patrick Surtain Jr. - LSU. Miami is trying to get involved in some measure with Surtain Jr’s recruitment, but LSU has been the favorite for more than a year, and maybe longer due to family connections to the school. While Surtain Jr. may not announce a commitment until National Signing Day, it’s going to take a lot for Miami to make a move here.

3-star DT Daniel Carson - Nebraska. A talented DL in the RJ McIntosh mold, Carson has already visited Miami, but is now going to visit Scott Frost’s Nebraska. Many predictions for Carson’s commitment have been made in favor of the Huskers. The 6’5” 260lb Carson would be a nice addition for Miami, but since he hails from St. Louis, the proximity to Nebraska may work in their favor.

Carson previously visited Miami back in December and reportedly had an outstanding visit. It will be interesting to see if that visit still has the impact now that it did then, or if Carson will instead look to make moves towards Nebraska instead.

3-star OT Jalen Goss - Mississippi State. Big and tall with prototypical length for OT, Goss is a player Miami has been recruiting for a while. He’s a bit undersized at only 265lbs right now, but standing 6’7” he has the frame to add weight in the future.

Goss is scheduled to visit MSU this week and FSU next week ahead of a January 26th official to Coral Gables. Goss previously visited Auburn, and the Tigers are viewed as the favorites currently. But, with his recruiting profile rising throughout his senior year, and 3 visits still to come, Goss could decide to go a number of ways with his commitment.

So, Miami is hosting 1 Official Visit, and several targets are visiting elsewhere this weekend. There are 4 visit weekends (including this one) before National Signing Day on February 7th, so teams all over the country are working to close out their 2018 recruiting classes strong.

Welcome back to Recruiting SZN, y’all!

Go Canes