I mentioned this as a possibility in the Official Visit preview, but now this is Officially Official: Miami (FL) Southridge 4-star CB Tyrique Stevenson will take an Official Visit to Coral Gables this weekend.

This is big news. Stevenson is one of the best players in America and a top tier local talent, so he is obviously a player that Miami, and many other teams, covet in their 2019 recruiting class.

A few weeks ago, Stevenson said that Miami and Georgia were tied atop his recruitment. The 6’1” 202lb DB took an OV to Athens back in November, and made multiple trips to UGA prior to that. Stevenson has also, however, taken a great number of visits to Miami, and the Canes have been recruiting him hard for more than a year. So, it makes sense that those teams would be at the top of the list right now.

As I detailed in The Recruiting Rules, you have to Follow The Visits (rule 6, btw). Miami getting Stevenson on campus last for an OV is big. Teams usually want the last visit, whether in-home, official, or unofficial. That last bit of face time with a player can be the deciding factor, and has been in many instances (I would list some, but I don’t feel like having a 2,000+ word article for this today). So, the potential exists for Miami to develop some SERIOUS momentum with Stevenson this weekend. And that’s a good thing, in my personal opinion.

The other issue at hand is the decision of Safeties coach Ephraim Banda. Coach Banda is very close with outgoing DC Manny Diaz, who was named the new Temple Owls head coach on Thursday, and could join Diaz’s staff in Philadelphia. According to reports, Banda will have a decision in the next day or so.

Now, why does that matter with Stevenson? Because Banda has been the lead recruiter for the All-American DB, and is viewed by many as the key to Miami getting Stevenson to sign. He has a strong relationship with the player and family, and has done yeoman’s work to get Miami back in prime position after Georgia looked like the runaway favorites to sign Stevenson a couple months ago.

Sure, there are lots of moving parts and interesting factors of note, but the main point is this: Tyrique Stevenson will be on campus this weekend, and Miami is gonna shoot their shot to get one of the best DBs in America to stay home and #MakeTheCribGreat by signing with The U.

Let’s go to work.

Go Canes