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Miami was able to beat out Florida State, Oregon, Florida, and other Power 5 schools on the recruiting trail. Diaz and his staff know they need to build depth at the linebacker position — landing Mathis is a prominent step in the process.
1000% Committed #TNM #Ambit1on @PP_BigRed @Coach_MannyDiaz @CoachPatke @CoachPop_Cooney @twin_choco pic.twitter.com/9TpLaL2Va9
— AJ Mathis ¹ (@Amathis_22) May 6, 2019
Miami’s proficient linebacker corps, consisting of Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney, and Zach McCloud, will all be graduating after this season — leaving Miami’s coaches with a lot of work to do.
Diaz and company will have their recruiting skills tested, in addition to their ability to coach raw, young talent — as the ‘Canes will need numbers, and game-ready players heading into 2020. They’ve done a wonderful job thus far, as the recruiting class ranks as the nation’s 4th-best, but the lack of depth at one of the most important position groups is concerning.
Nonetheless, Mathis is a nice addition to the class, and will hopefully be part of a fully-reloaded linebacker group in the coming years.