Recruiting Update - Miami Continues Building a Top 10 Class

With summer winding down, and the Canes coming off off a big bbq event last weekend loaded with top prospects and commits, here’s a quick update of some recruiting news as the Miami head into fall camp.

Miami Picks Up Two Positions of Need Plus the Top 2024 Kicker

Malik Bryant, OLB

The biggest win on the recruiting trail from the past two weeks was Malik Bryant an elite linebacker out of Orlando, FL. Bryant’s strongest ranking is by Rivals, which tabs him as the No. 26 prospect in the nation and the No. 1 outside linebacker. 247 Sports puts Bryant at No. 61 nationally and No. 4 at linebacker. ESPN has Bryant as the No. 66 overall prospect, and No. 6 at his position. Miami beat out Florida, Maryland, and Alabama for Bryant’s commitment. Bryant joins four star prospect Raul Aguirre and three star prospect Bobby Washington in the linebacker room, one of the most depth-starved positions for the Hurricanes. This was a huge pickup.

Tommy Kinsler, OL

Another big win was Miami flipping Kinsler away from Florida. The recruiting services have Kinsler as a three star prospect, and his addition adds depth to Miami’s shallow offensive line, which is expected to lose both its starting tackles after next season. Offensive line has been a huge priority of Coach Cristobal, and Kinsler is the fourth lineman to commit for next year’s class. Expect the Canes to keep pushing for at least one or two more offensive line commits this class.

Abram Murray, K (Class of 2024)

Miami also picked up a pledge from the No. 1 kicker in the class of 2024. Murray is only Miami’s second commit for the 2024 class joining four star defensive back Antione Jackson. Murray’s commitment should solidify the position once current All-ACC kicker, and mustache celebrity, Andres Borregales is kicking on Sundays.

Welcome to the U Malik, Tommy, and Abram!

Miami Missed on a Few Prospects

Although there weren’t any major surprises, a few prospects that listed Miami as a finalist announced their decisions to take their talents elsewhere.

• Joenel Aguero, S - Miami had the four star safety down for multiple visits, but on July 23rd Aguero committed to the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Although this was a miss, Miami is still in the running to land an elite safety prospect in Jaden Bonsu who’s announcing his decision in a couple of weeks.
• Payton Kirkland, OL - The Canes were hopeful they’d pickup a commitment from this four star lineman, but Kirkland instead gave his pledge to Texas to protect Archie Manning’s blindside. The sting of missing on Kirkland was eased when Kinsler committed a few days later.
• John Walker, DL - Walker, a four star defensive lineman who plays in Osceola, became Big XII bound UCF’s highest rated recruit in its history when he elected to play for his hometown Knights. At least Florida, Walker’s other finalist, didn’t nab him.
• Andy Jean, WR - The Miami Northwestern prospect decommitted from the Canes earlier this year and ultimately committed to the Gators. Jean is a high three star, low four star prospect depending on the recruiting service. Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M were also finalists.
• Olaus Alinen, OL - This four star Finland native picked Alabama over Miami, Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. Alabama was the only school to receive a second visit from Alinen, so it seemed likely he was heading there. Like Kirkland, this miss is softened by Kinsler’s commitment. Plus there’s several big name OL prospects still out there.

None of these were considered shocking to the recruiting community. Aguero was probably the most disappointing miss as the Canes felt they had a great shot at him. But there’s still plenty of talent left to nab on the recruiting trail.

Upcoming Commitment Dates

William Fowles, WR - August 3rd

Fowles hales from Dade Christian School in Hialeah and, like Jean, is a local four star WR prospect. Fowles is thought to be deciding between Miami and Florida State. Should Fowles join UM, he’d be taller and bigger than Miami’s other four star WR commits - Robert Stafford and Nathanial Joseph - so it’d be great to add his big frame to next year’s class.

Connor Lew, IOL - August 5th

Miami gets another crack at beefing up its offensive line class with Lew, a three star center prospect who’s deciding between Miami, Georgia, Auburn, and Clemson. Auburn is thought to be the favorite, but Miami has come on strong and has a shot at snagging one of the best center prospects in this class.

Cedric Baxter Jr., RB - August 10th

Miami is competing with Florida, Texas A&M, and Texas for this Orlando, FL native. He’s an elite, high four star prospect. 247 Sports ranks him the No. 2 RB, ESPN has him as the No. 4 RB, and Rivals ranks him as the No. 6 RB. He’s seen as a long shot for the Canes. His latest recruiting trips have been to Texas and Texas A&M, and the Longhorns are thought to be the favorites.

Jaden Bonsu, S - August 14th

The four star safety pushed his decision back from late July. Miami is believed to be the favorite, though the sudden pushback - coupled with missing out on Aguero - has some Canes fans jittery. Michigan State and Ohio State are also considered strong contenders. Those three join Alabama and Penn State as Bonsu’s finalists. Missing on Bonsu wouldn’t be a disaster as Miami’s top safeties are relatively young, but losing out on both Bonsu and Aguero would put some real pressure on next year’s recruiting class; and potentially the transfer portal.

Recruiting Rank Updates

With Miami picking up two more commits, and still in pursuit of many elite prospects, the Canes are now firmly ranked in the Top 10. Both Rivals and 247 Sports give the Canes the No. 9 recruiting class with 16 commits. Francis Mauigoa (OT) and Jayden Wayne (Edge) are the five star headliners, along with highly rated Jaden Rashada (QB) and the aforementioned Malik Bryant joining a slew of three and four star prospects, many of whom could immediately compete for playing time at positions of need. It would actually be surprising if Miami didn’t add a few more Top 100 prospects before all is said and done. Coach Cristobal has done a great job of fighting for numerous elite prospects, and coming away with many of their commitments. Of these next few announcements, Miami is probably the favorite for Bonsu and Fowles. Keep an eye out for some more good recruiting news before the season kickoff.