Recruiting Talk: Miami’s Top Remaining 2021 Targets

With the recent success in recruiting for Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes, UM only has a limited number of spots left for their 2021 class, so let’s check out who some of those targets are.

Jake Garcia: Quarterback (Valdosta, Georgia)

Quarterback is the most important position, so I'm leading off this list by mentioning 4-star QB Jake Garcia. The Southern California native announced that he’d be playing his final year of high school football in Valdosta, Georgia.

Garcia is currently committed to USC, but that hasn't stopped Miami coaches, fans and 2021 commits from trying to recruit the talented quarterback. There is rarely a day that goes by where you don't see at least one Miami fan mentioning Garcia on social media.

Although he plans on enrolling early at USC, reports have still surfaced that name Garcia as a potential flip candidate. Now that he’s in Georgia, Miami will hope to get Garcia in Coral Gables for a visit sometime this fall. Garcia has been on Miami’s campus several times in the past.

As a junior, Garcia threw for 2,301 yards and 25 touchdowns, completing 70% of his passes.

Chase Smith: ATH (Bayside, Florida)

Next on the list for Miami targets is 4-star ATH Chase Smith out of Bayside High School in Florida. Smith is a Miami legacy, as his father Willie Smith, was one of the first great tight ends for the Hurricanes back in the 1980’s.

On offense, Smith plays wide receiver, and the combination of size (6-3 190) and speed make him a nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs. At WR in 2019, Smith had 716 yards and 7 touchdowns.

On defense, Smith excels at linebacker, with that same speed making him dangerous when rushing the passer, and also the great instincts that helps in coverage. Last year, Smith finished with 72 tackles, 18 TFLs, 4 sacks and 4 interceptions.

I recently started doing more research on Smith, and think he’s one of the more talented all-around players in the country. In college, I think Smith would be terrific at the striker position for Miami, as he is the kind of athlete that you want on a modern day defense in football.

Running Back: Amari Daniels (Miami Central, Florida)

One of my favorite players in the 2021 cycle is 3-star running back Amari Daniels out of Miami Central High School, and is also one of the more underrated talents in the country. Last season, Daniels led his team to a state championship, rushing for over 1,000 in the postseason alone. In the title game, Daniels ran for 188 yards and 4 touchdowns.

At 5-8 and 194 pounds, Daniels may not have elite size, but makes up for it with his incredible vision and open-field speed. A fan of new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, Daniels has talked with Miami coaches frequently over the past several months.

The Hurricanes already have one running back committed in the 2021 class, 4-star Thad Franklin, and there are some who believe Miami could bring Daniels along as well. Texas A&M is considered to be the favorites to land Daniels, and he’s also talking with Penn State and Georgia.

Cornerback: Markevious Brown (IMG Academy, Florida)

Since Miami lost out on 5-star CB Jason Marshall to the Gators, the next highest target at the position is 4-star Markevious Brown out of IMG Academy. I wrote about Brown just a few days ago.

Though he doesn't have much film to go off, Brown is a very exciting prospect with a high ceiling, and will make an even bigger name for himself during his senior season. Brown is great when it comes to man coverage, with tremendous physicality as well. As of right now, I'd say Miami and Virginia Tech are the top two contenders for Brown.

Linebacker: Jaydon Hood (St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida)

Although he’s currently committed to Michigan, I wouldn’t completely rule out the Hurricanes for 4-star linebacker Jaydon Hood. Hood has told reporters that Miami coaches remain in contact with him, saying he has a good relationship with defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Hood also said that he’s been in contact with Minnesota coaches.

Hood transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas in January, after playing 2019 at Cardinal Newman in West Palm Beach. As a junior last year, Hood had 115 tackles, 25 TFLs, 7 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. I’ve been a big fan of Hood for a while now, and still feel that the Hurricanes have a shot at flipping the South Florida defender.

As an inside linebacker, Hood possesses everything that a coach asks for. With the ability to shed blocks, Hood is one of the premiere run-stopping LB’s in the country.

Defensive End: Tyreak Sapp (St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida)

Another player from St. Thomas Aquinas, 4-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp is committed to the Gators at the moment, though it didn’t stop him from releasing a top five in early July, which included the Canes.

However, even though Sapp may be interested in Miami, it’s been said that he’s starting to warm up to Alabama. Sapp announced his verbal commitment to the Gators in December of 2018. Last year, Sapp totaled 29 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

Offensive Lineman: Marcus Tate (University School, Florida)

With the Hurricanes looking to possibly add one more OL to its 2021 class, sitting at the top of the list is 4-star Marcus Tate, who’s currently committed to Clemson. Now while I think the chances of Miami flipping Tate are low, with the way the Hurricanes are recruiting lately, it’s hard to rule out anything.

Though Tate has played guard in high school, he has the tools to play tackle in college if he wants to. A former basketball player, Tate brings athleticism to the offensive line, to go along with his size and superb strength.

Linebacker: Terrence Lewis (Miami Northwestern, Florida)

The last player I'm going to talk about in this article, is 5-star linebacker Terrence Lewis. In April, Lewis announced his verbal commitment to Tennessee, but his name is frequently linked to the Hurricanes.

Lewis played for Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna last year, and I can’t talk enough about his talent, as 247 Sports has him listed as the #1 outside linebacker in the 2021 cycle. In 2019, Lewis finished his junior season with 105 tackles, 15 TFLs, 9 sacks and 3 interceptions.

If you want a modern-day linebacker that can defend against any type of offense, Lewis checks every box there is. Rarely do you see a high school linebacker with the type of speed that Lewis has, just watching his highlights is a treat for any football fan.

Proximity to home is the biggest factor in Miami flipping Lewis from Tennessee, and if the Hurricanes somehow pull it off, Lewis could walk into Coral Gables as a true freshman and automatically contend for a starting job. He’s that good.

Now obviously, these aren’t all of the remaining targets for the Hurricanes, however, these are several guys who I think Miami has the best chance of adding to their 2021 class.