BREAKING: Miami Hurricanes Land Commitment From 5-Star QB Prospect, Ranked #1 In The Nation…

BREAKING: Miami Hurricanes Land Commitment From 5-Star QB Prospect, Ranked #1 In The Nation…

Hurricanes add surprise commitment but recruiting class slips out of top 10
Story by Adam Lichtenstein, South Florida Sun-Sentinel..

Last week, Miami coach Mario Cristobal said top-10 — preferably top-five — recruiting classes were the program’s goal.

But after recent flips by touted prospects Hylton Stubbs and Gavin Nix (and the staff “moving on” from three-star Timothy Merritt), the Hurricanes fell short of that goal. As the dust from the first day of the Early Signing Period settled, Miami was ranked 15th in 247Sports’ and ESPN’s rankings and 13th in Rivals’ and On3’s rankings. Miami’s average player grade in 247Sports’ composite rankings (out of 100) is 90.78 is 12th.

This Hurricanes class is the first to rank outside the top 10 since 2022, which was Cristobal’s first class at Miami and he had only a few days between being hired and the Early Signing Period.

Even a Wednesday commitment from four-star linebacker Kellen Wiley Jr. was not enough to lift the Hurricanes’ team rankings.

“We chose not to sign in the 26-27 range, I think that plays a huge role into it because that’s an accumulation of points, as well,” Cristobal said. “It’s the top class in the conference right now, and we filled our needs with the high school ranks at the areas we feel we need high school players. We’re also looking at certain parts of our team that need portal players.”

“(The vibes with the coaches) is no different,” Ewald said. “That’s obviously what they got me for — to help the defense out. So I’m ready to come help.”

Wiley’s commitment was the lone good news Wednesday. He picked Miami over Florida and Texas.

“He just shot to the top of the boards all over the country, and he became a really highly ranked guy,” Cristobal said. “We established a relationship, the beginning of a relationship, there. And certainly having Girard Pringle at the same school helped a bunch. Those guys are really tight.”

The remainder of the Hurricanes’ signees had been committed for at least several weeks. The longest-tenured signee was quarterback Luke Nickel, who committed to Miami in August 2023 and never wavered.

“Complete winner,” Cristobal said. “Great identification by coach (Shannon) Dawson because he didn’t have much attention. We brought him over here to camp — a lot like a guy like OJ Frederique — and he just lit it up. He has that moxie, that personality, that aura about him.”

Nickel will have several players in his class to throw to. The Hurricanes signed one running back, the four-star Pringle, and three wide receivers — four-star West Broward star Josh Moore, four-star American Heritage prospect Malachi Toney and three-star Daylyn Upshaw. They also added two tight ends: four-star prospects Brock Schott and Luka Gilbert.

Miami rounded out its offensive class with four offensive linemen: four-star S.J. Alofaituli, four-star Max Buchanan and t

UM added a trio of South Florida defensive backs: Ewald (Chaminade-Madonna), Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami Columbus) and Amari Wallace (Miami Columbus). Miami also signed three-star Chaminade-Madonna defensive lineman Donta Simpson and three-star Miami Central linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin.

From outside South Florida, Miami added four-star cornerback Jaboree Antoine, four-star edge rusher Herbert Scroggins III and three-star defensive lineman Mykah Newton to round out their class. The non-Floridians also included four-star edge rusher Hayden Lowe, a Californian who hails from the same high school as former Oregon star Kayvon Thibodeaux, who Cristobal recruited.

“All these years later, to go back there and recruit a dynamic, just elite player like Hayden Lowe, who you see him … 6-4-plus, 245, 250 pounds, young, so he’s still growing,” Cristobal said. “Incredible family. Hard-working. And I told him from the beginning, I’m not going to make any comparisons to Kayvon Thibodeaux. You’re being recruited independently of any association with that. But man, you can’t help but look at that film and think of all the great players that have played that position because he is that type of player. He is elite in so many different ways, with speed, power, his ability to bend, come off the edge, go speed to power, turn that into spin moves, counter moves. He’s off the charts.”