2022 Canes Recruiting Spotlight: Dante Anderson

South Florida has been, and will always be home to some of the best high school football talent in the country. For the 2022 class, this is once again the case, though it’s on the defensive line where you’ll find a plethora of elite players.

One of those names, and someone who has emerged as a big-time target for the Canes, is 4-star defensive end Dante Anderson out of Homestead.

247 Sports has Anderson ranked as the #6 wide defensive end in 2022, #8 player in Florida, and #48 player nationally. This past weekend, Gaby Urrutia of 247 Sports had Anderson going to UM in his early crystal ball predictions for several 2022 players.

Anderson received an offer from Miami in June of 2019, and he took two unofficial visits to UM during the 2019 season.

Last year as a sophomore, Anderson jumped out onto the scene with 10 sacks, over 20 TFLs and 4 pass-breakups. Following the 2019 season, Anderson transferred from Southridge to Homestead. In just six games this year, Anderson still was everywhere, ending the shortened fall with 10 sacks again.

After watching film and studying up on Anderson, he’s definitely moving up on my list of favorite 2022 prospects. When you look at his tape, he’s simply unblockable off the line of scrimmage. Coming off the ball, Anderson has the quickness of a linebacker, with an exceptional inside move that’ll leave offensive tackles in the dust.

He’s agile and quick enough that you can line him up as a stand-up defensive end, though he’s also strong enough that he can be in a four-point stance and in the interior, and he’ll still be able to get through the line and to the ball carrier.

When you look at this size on 247 Sports, 6-4 and weighing 205 pounds, he has still has room to grow and yet he’s still performing at an incredibly high level. Anderson has 4.8 speed with nearly an 80-inch wingspan, his natural ability is something to be excited about, and to build on as well. These type of prospects are very exciting, because they’re already playing elite football, and they haven’t scratched the surface in terms of developing his body.

Miami is no stranger to these kind of defensive ends. Gregory Rousseau was 6-6 205 coming out of high school, and UM got him working with David Feeley, and they turned him into a potential first round pick.

Jabari Ishmael is similar, though he’s coming to Miami already weighing around 230 pounds, but is another lengthy pass rusher that Manny Diaz and his staff look to develop in the coming years.

Anderson fits into the trend that Miami is following when it comes to defensive ends, a lengthy and versatile pass rusher, with tons of room to grow. As he continues to put on size during his senior season next fall, and then get into a college strength and weight program, we’re talking about a starting defensive end at the next level, and a very good one at that.

Manny Diaz is very much involved with Anderson’s recruiting, and is trying to sell him on the idea of staying home in South Florida and playing for the Hurricanes. Anderson has received many other offers, from schools like Florida, FSU, LSU, UNC and others, and more are bound to come.

In a recruiting class with so many talented players on the defensive line, Anderson is right at the top for me, next to a guy like Shemar Stewart or Kenyatta Jackson. At this point, I think Anderson may be the most realistic option for Miami at defensive end out of these three.

Interesting note about Anderson, is that he’s teammates with another top 2022 target for the Canes, interior defensive lineman Daniel Lyons. At Homestead, the two have formed one of the best DL duos in the state of Florida, and Miami is trying to target both players to come to Coral Gables. So while it’s early to tell, this could be a package deal if the Canes could pull it off.

Anderson is one of the best edge rushers in the 2022 class, and the Canes need to make him a top priority.