/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58380141/6_8018907.0.jpg)
Welcome back, recruiting fans. It’s time for another Official Visit weekend across the CFB world! Here’s what to watch for Miami, both in the Gables and elsewhere.
Miami Hurricanes Official Visits
4-star DT Keondre Coburn. Miami was involved with recruiting Coburn early on in this cycle. The 6’1” 329lb Houston (TX) Westfield standout has since committed to Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns, but Miami has re-emerged to an extent. After a strong showing in the Under Armour All-America game, and with Miami’s desperate need for DTs after losing both Kendrick Norton and RJ McIntosh to the NFL Draft, Coburn will take an Official Visit to Coral Gables this weekend.
As with all DT prospects this cycle, the pitch is clear: come to Miami and you’ll play A LOT. An added bonus here is that Coburn plays nose tackle, and he’s the only player of his size and skillset Miami is recruiting. He would be a direct replacement for Norton, who also played nose, and immediately be the biggest player on the interior of Miami’s DL. Obviously he’s committed elsewhere, so that’s a hurdle, but a visit is a good thing, so we’ll see if Miami can make moves with a strong weekend.
Targets taking Official Visits Elsewhere
5-star CB Tyson Cambell - Alabama. Fresh off a visit to Georgia, the team most viewed as the leaders in Campbell’s recruitment, the 6’2” CB will be in Tuscaloosa to visit the Crimson Tide.
Campbell, who is now unanimously viewed as a 5-star on every major outlet’s rankings, is a prototypical height/speed player at that position. Everybody in America wants him, so Miami is in a fight. Campbell’s father told CaneSport.com that he will visit Coral Gables on February 2nd, but Alabama has been notorious for getting players to commit and then cancel any upcoming visits. I don’t think that’s going to happen with Campbell, but it’s happened before, so be on the lookout.
5-star CB Patrick Surtain Jr. - Alabama. Fresh off a visit to LSU, long thought to be the overwhelming leaders in Surtain Jr’s recruitment, the 6’3” CB will be in Tuscaloosa to visit the Crimson Tide, along with teammate Campbell.
Surtain Jr APPEARS to have interest in Miami after taking an unofficial visit to Coral Gables on Monday for the basketball game against Duke, and other visits throughout the year. But, the Canes are clearly running behind LSU, and probably Alabama as well. So, there’s hope Surtain Jr. could visit Coral Gables officially in the coming weeks — maybe February 2nd with Campbell and fellow teammate Nesta Silvera — but that’s yet to be confirmed.
4-star WR Marquez Ezzard - Ole Miss. Miami’s #1 target for the WR4 spot in this class, Ezzard is down to Ole Miss and Miami for his last 2 visits.
Ole Miss & Miami
— Marquez Ezzard (@Solid_Quez) January 17, 2018
A former FSU commit, Ezzard will first travel to Oxford, MS this weekend, before coming down to Coral Gables next weekend. As I wrote in the recruiting board reset yesterday, it’s Ezzard or nothing for Miami to close out the WR group in this cycle.
4-star DT Dennis Briggs - South Carolina. A top target at DT, Briggs will continue his OV tour by visiting South Carolina this week after having been to Coral Gables last week.
Miami is trending up as the favorites for Briggs, and that would be a big get for the Canes. Briggs could be a big DE and athletic DT in the future. And, uh, MIAMI NEEDS DT’S IN THIS CLASS, so let’s hope last week’s OV, a recent in-home visit with multiple coaches, and a future in-home visit with Mark Richt will be enough to seal the deal.
4-star DE Andrew Chatfield - Florida State. A teammate of DT commit Nesta Silvera and 5-star CBs Campbell and Surtain Jr, Chatfield’s recruitment continues with a visit to FSU this week. Maybe.
Chatfield was initially scheduled to visit Florida last weekend, then canceled that visit, then showed up in Coral Gables for an official visit, then showed up AGAIN on Monday for an unofficial visit to the basketball game with Silvera and Surtain Jr. So, maybe he goes to UF this weekend. Maybe he sticks with his scheduled visit to FSU. In either case, Miami is still pushing hard for Chatfield to be in this class.
3-star DT Jamarcus Chatman - Virginia Tech. A former LSU commit, Chatman has been all over the place in his recruitment recently. After saying Miami was the “clear leader” a week ago, Chatman visited UNC and now says both teams are even.
This week, Chatman will visit VT and FSU before his scheduled OV to Miami. Chatman has been all over the place in his recruitment, but Miami is still tied at the top according to his own words, so that’s good. Still, keep an eye on this visit, because things can change in recruiting, and for Chatman specifically, at a moment’s notice.
There you have it. This week’s visits to Miami and elsewhere. What will you be watching? Let me know. Oh yeah, and vote in the poll. You know the deal.
Go Canes
Poll
Jan 19th OV O/U: 0.5 - how many commits do the Canes get this weekend
This poll is closed
-
20%
Way Over (2+)
-
35%
Over (1)
-
43%
Under (0)