Hello there, recruiting fans! We’re back in action for another look at the 2019 recruiting class, and the players who could comprise the next group of Canes.

In case you missed our look at the names to know on offense, here’s that piece from last week:

Now, we look at the defensive side of the ball, where plenty of numbers and talent are needed in the 2019 class for Miami.

Last thing, before we get started, a gentle reminder that this list is in no way exhaustive, as new targets pop up on the board all the time. Miami has offered far, FAR fewer players this year than at this same time in previous years, so I fully expect the target lists to grow at pretty much every position.

Defensive Line

After taking 3 DL in 2018, Miami should be looking to take 5+ up front in 2018. As of now, I have that number at 3 DE and 2 DT, and the big numbers are needed due to Miami losing 7 players from this position group last year, but only replacing 3.

Miami already potentially has multiple DTs in the boat, with DT Denzel Daxon committed, and OT/DT Renato Brown having the ability to play on either line. Miami also has DE Cameron Williams committed in this class, so whether it’s 2 or 3 (depending on where Miami puts Brown), the Canes already have some talented players committed along the DL.

Defensive End

4-star Khris Bogle A local standout from Ft. Lauderdale (FL) Cardinal Gibbons, Bogle is Miami’s top target at DE. He’s been to campus a couple of times, and has been visited by Miami coaches repeatedly during contact and evaluation periods. Bogle is the kind of twitchy athlete South Florida is known for. Miami is pushing very hard for him to be in this class. The Canes are battling Clemson and Florida State for Bogle, but most think Miami leads at current.

4-star Lloyd Summerall A tall an lean player at 6’5” 215lbs, the Auburndale (FL) native Summerall has seen his offer list explode recently. Powerhouse teams from around the country — Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and many others — have offered Summerall. He’s currently predicted to go to Florida State, but things can change.

4-star Braylen Ingraham Having just transferred from Ft. Lauderdale (FL) DIllard HS to powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, Ingraham’s recruiting profile is on the rise. But, even before his move, Ingraham was one of the top local players at DE for this class. Miami has had success recruiting from both Dillard (Jon Ford) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Al Blades Jr, Mike Harley, Anthony Moten, Leonard Hankerson, Michael Irvin, and many more) over the years, so there’s plenty of room for optimism regarding the 6’4” 260lb Ingraham. Miami is the overwhelming favorite as of today.

4-star Justin Egboigbe Our first out of state player, Egboigbe hails from Forest Park (GA). The 6’5” 261lb Egboigbe is a top 125 player in this class, so he has size and skill and plenty of teams want him. Georgia is the leader in his recruitment by all accounts, but Egboigbe has been on a whirlwind tour of schools in the Southeast to try to see his many options. With Miami reportedly set to hire legendary Georgia HSFB coach Jess Simpson as the new DL coach, maybe the Canes can build a connection with Egboigbe moving forward.

3-star Rian Davis A talented 6’3” 225lb DE from Apopka (FL) Wekiva, Davis has a Miami offer, and some interest in the Canes. He’s got good film, and will probably get a rankings bump in the coming months. A name to know and follow through this cycle.

Defensive Tackle

4-star Derrick Hunter Formerly committed to the Canes, the 6’4” 281lb Hunter is listed as a strong-side DE, but Miami is after him to play DT. Think of him in the same mold as RJ McIntosh, for a comparison. As far as his recruitment, Hunter has been all over the place. He’s visited a bunch of schools, Florida has pushed into the race, and his social media favors a different school daily. Regardless of any forthcoming commitment — to Miami or elsewhere — Hunter’s recruitment will go down to signing day.

4-star Jaquaze Sorrels A very talented DT, Sorrels is one of the top players at his position nationally. The Largo (FL) player dominated in an underclassmen all-star game, and is a name to know, for sure. There has been talk that the 6’3” 270lb Sorrels and DE Khris Bogle want to play in college together, so watch for that. With offers from Alabama, Florida, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, and others, Miami has plenty of competition for this top-100 player.

4-star Tyler Davis Yet another Floridian, Apopka (FL) Wekiva DT Tyler Davis is a dominant force. He was the DL MVP of the Opening’s Miami regional, and that just continued his strong play from the HSFB season. Davis is stoutly built at 6’1” 293lbs, but he makes up for his lack of height with quickness, technique, and strength. Davis has plenty of offers, but Florida and Ohio State are at the forefront of his recruitment currently.

I fully expect new offers, and plenty of them, to go out along the DL once Miami hires a new DL coach. If that coach is Jess Simpson, as has been reported, then I think the forthcoming offers will be balanced between Florida and Georgia prospects, with maybe a couple national prospects sprinkled in as well.

Linebacker

After 2 consecutive classes with 3 LBs each, Miami only took 1 LB — Homestead (FL) South Dade’s Patrick Joyner — in the 2018 recruiting class. That was both because Miami didn’t need big numbers due to the returning players in the LB room, and the fact that the 2019 class has way more talent at the position, especially locally.

Miami is already off to a fast start at LB, with 3-star Jesiah Pierre committed at the position. There’s another player listed at LB who’s committed, but he’s 100% a Safety, so we’ll talk about him in the next group.

4-star Ge’Mon Eaford A tough player from Deerfield Beach (FL), Eaford has good size at 6’1” 220lbs. Eaford has been a known commodity for years, having played with other high-profile recruits, and because of that his offer list is extensive. Miami, Florida, Auburn, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and many others have offered Eaford. Auburn and Ohio State seem to be leading at this time.

4-star Anthony Solomon A Miami legacy, Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas standout Solomon is a premium target for Miami and Michigan. Those are the teams that Solomon has recently stated that the Canes and Wolverines are the 2 teams battling for his commitment. Solomon isn’t the biggest LB at 6’0” 190lbs, but he can get from sideline to sideline, and is a very productive player.

4-star Jahmar Brown Another Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas player, Brown teams with Solomon to form a great LB corps for the Raiders. At 6’0” 190lbs, Brown also has room to develop, but he’s a top prospect for good reason. While he’s not at the point of naming favorites, Miami, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are thought to be in the lead group for Brown.

4-star Avery Huff Yet ANOTHER Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas player — but he recently transferred from Hollywood (FL) McArthur so he wasn’t at STA last season — Huff is shooting up the rankings with the added visibility of being at Aquinas. He’s more of a prototypical LB from a build standpoint at 6’3 200lbs, and has shown great talent in the past. Florida State are the leaders here, in a big way.

3-star Samuel Brooks A very talented LB/rush end from Miami (FL) Northwestern, Brooks is a player Miami would love to get in this class. At 6’1.5” 195lbs, he’s good sized, with room to grow. Brooks is coming off a torn ACL/MCL suffered during his junior season, but he should be back on the field this fall. Brooks is taking an unofficial visit to Coral Gables tomorrow for the Men’s Basketball Senior Day game against Virginia Tech, and he could even be on commit watch. The Canes are battling South Carolina — Brooks’ other named finalist — here, but you have to like Miami’s chances, I‘d think.

Defensive Back

This is another position where Miami should be able to get good numbers and talent by shopping mostly locally. Miami has 1 DB already committed — Miami (FL) Southridge S Diamante Howard. The cousin of the late Sean Taylor, Howard is listed as an LB, but he’s a Safety. At 6’2” 175lbs, that’s where he’s going to play (and in HS he plays as an in-the-box Safety, which I get could be called a LB, but he’s a Safety).

Even after getting 5 DBs in the 2018 class, Miami needs — and should be able to get — another group of 5 DBs in 2019. Of these, Miami needs more Corners than Safeties.

Cornerback

5-star Akeem Dent The nation’s best CB in this class, West Palm Beach (FL) Palm Beach Central star Akeem Dent is a player everybody wants. He was once committed to Miami, but decommitted from the Canes and flipped to Florida State. While he’s still committed to the Noles, Dent recently visited Coral Gables with his mother. There’s talk that Dent is 100% solid in his pledge to FSU, but he’s too good a player for Miami to stop recruiting. Dent has offers from everyone in America worth knowing, too, so you can get a good sense for how good he is.

4-star Chris Steele The nation’s #3 CB, Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco star Chris Steele is one of the most highly recruited players in America. He currently holds 43 scholarship offers, and that number would be higher if more mid-major type teams offered him. Steele has already started taking his official visits, and has said a trip to Miami will likely come in the fall. Steele wants to commit to a school by September, so Miami will have to work to stay connected between the forthcoming contact period and the fall. While Steele could end up anywhere, USC has to be thought as the leaders for every elite SoCal kid until proven otherwise.

4-star Kaiir Elam A star at North Palm Beach (FL) The Benjamin School, Elam is a player with good skills and pedigree. A cousin of former UF DB Matt Elam, Kaiir is a top tier CB prospect in this class. Obviously, the family connection to UF puts the Gators in good position with Elam, but he’s visited Miami multiple times, so there’s a connection to the Canes, too.

4-star Jaden Davis Yet ANOTHER Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas player, the 5’9” 165lb Davis is a CB with great cover skills. Davis was the player who, as a junior, started in front of Al Blades Jr. at CB for the Raiders, Davis is reportedly a UF fan, and the Gators are in good position with him. Like Elam (and others), Davis ha visited Miami multiple times, and the Canes have routinely recruited Aquinas hard for years, so there’s a connection, at the least.

4-star Te’Cory Couch A Tennessee commit, Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna CB Couch has good height at 6’0” with great length (long arms). Couch has described his commitment to Tennessee as “soft”, and Miami is one of several teams pushing for his services. Couch is the HS teammate of recent transfer WR John Dunmore, who we profiled in the offensive targets piece. Having Dunmore on the other side of the line during practice will help Couch develop his skills. And, should he flip from Tennessee to Miami, Couch could then recruit Dunmore to the Canes. Win win, IMO.

4-star Jaylin Simpson Another Georgia native from Saint Simons Island (GA) Frederica Academy, Simpson is a talented DB. Teammates with another player we profiled last week — WR Ja’shawn Sheffield — Simpson has plenty of talent, and the offers to match. He’s decent sized at 5’11” 165lbs, and one of the best players at his position. Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State are but a few of the teams joining Miami in recruiting this talented cover corner.

3-star Renardo Green A relatively recent offeree, Apopka (FL) Wekiva DB Green is a player who has seen his profile rise in recent weeks. At 6’0” 170lbs, he’s your typical build for a cornerback, and he has good skills to go with that size. Florida and Kentucky have also offered, and Kentucky was thought to be leading. But with bigger name teams getting involved, that’s a thing of the past, most likely.

Safety

4-star Tyrique Stevenson An ELITE player from Homestead (FL) South Dade HS, Stevenson is a premium target for the Canes, and many other teams a well. His teammate — WR Frank Ladson — is one of the top WRs in America, and Stevenson has the size and skill to match that. Formerly committed to Florida, Stevenson is being recruited by a who’s who of CFB teams. Miami. Florida. Alabama. Clemson. Georgia. And many more are battling to get the 6’0” 190lb DB on their teams. Miami has gotten Stevenson on campus a few times since his decommitment from Florida, but even with things trending up for the Canes, this is a battle that won’t end anytime soon.

4-star Josh Sanguinetti Whether he’s a CB or a S, Ft. Lauderdale (FL) University School DB Sanguinetti is one of the best prospects at his position in the country. He plays both ways in HS, as do many players, but DB is where he’ll land in college. The 2 teams leading for the 6’2” 165lb Sanguinetti at present are Miami and Stanford. University School is one of the best schools in SoFLA, and academics matter greatly to Sanguinetti. He was recently on campus in Coral Gables for an academic presentation, and has already visited Stanford as well. On academics alone, Miami is probably trailing because Stanford is one of the top schools in America. But, proximity and the desire to, as Nesta Silvera said, “make the crib great” will be things Miami pushes hard, in addition to the academics, in their pursuit of Sanguinetti.

4-star Mark-Anthony Richards Already mentioned him in the offensive targets preview, but I just wanted to say that Wellington (FL) ATH Richards — younger brother of Canes star WR Ahmmon Richards — could be a dynamic player in the secondary. The younger Richards said he wants to play offense, but I’ve spoken to many people who think he’s as good as it gets as a DB prospect. So I put him here, just to remind you of that fact. And, Miami is going to recruit him hard regardless of the position he wants to play. Because duh.

4-star Keontra Smith Another local player, Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna S Keontra Smith recently received a Canes scholarship offer. This 5’11” 195lb Kentucky commit has good skills, and has openly said that a Miami scholarship offer is a “game changer” for him. Smith is one of the top DBs in SoFLA this cycle, and he proves it in pads and at camps/combines. Miami is going to push hard for a flip.

4-star Jordan Battle Yet ANOTHER Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas player, Battle also recently received a Miami scholarship offer. He’s well built at 6’1” 187lbs, and routinely makes plays. Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State are some of the other teams recruiting Battle.

3-star Kenny Logan Hailing from St. Augustine (FL) Pedro Melendez HS, Logan is a player who is seeing his stock rise through the spring. Jacksonville-area recruiter Todd Hartley recently offered the 6’1” 180lb athlete, and that has Miami firmly in the picture. Logan isn’t a big name as of now, but he has plenty of game. He figures to be a high 3-star to 4-star rated player by the time this cycle comes to a close (and recruiting rankings at the END of cycles are far more accurate and predictive than at the beginning, FYI).

Special Teams

With Punter Zach Feagles only a sophomore, and having signed Kicker Bubba Baxa (and a talented preferred walk-on, to boot), Miami isn’t after and scholarship specialists in 2019.

---

Okay. That wraps up our early look at the targets for Miami Hurricanes recruiting in the 2019 recruiting class. Yes, additional names will pop up as the cycle progresses, but these names are the baseline that we’re starting with.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Hop in the comments section and let me know.

Go Canes