The CaneSport Miami Hurricanes Recruiting Minute

A 1-MINUTE SNAPSHOT OF MIAMI RECRUITING

THE PULSE

Last week brought a few tough recruiting losses for Miami. Five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews chose Texas A&M. DT David Folorunsho ended up at Notre Dame. DL Xavier Muhammad picked Michigan.

But inside the building, there never was any panic, just hard work.

Miami struck back Sunday by flipping CB Ai’King Hall from Oregon. He’s a lock down cover corner with size and length, verified speed and elite skills. He has a 78-inch wingspan and a 10.8 100M time and adds value as kick returner. Hall had two kickoff returns for touchdowns and also took back one interception.

Then Miami landed EDGE Jayvon Dawson from West Palm Beach Santaluces, a 16-year-old who impressed Miami coaches enough to take a shot on him despite his youth.

Now the Hurricanes could be on the verge of a little run the next seven days as they get ready for their massive May 29 visit weekend.

Notre Dame may have won with both Folorunsho and OL Oluwasemilore Olubobola — but buried in the emotions of last week is also one of the biggest wins of the cycle: Donte Wright, the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 2 CB in the country, flipped from Georgia to Miami, pushing the class to No. 5 then and now No. 6 nationally.

The focus now shifts from disappointment to response. If anything, the staff has become even more aggressive heading into summer visits.

In addition to reeling in Hall and Dawson, Miami spent the weekend continuing to push aggressively for priority targets like Jatori Williams, AJ Randle, Jarrell Chandler and Tre Moore while also continuing to expand and adjust the defensive line board.

The class now has three five-star commits: Israel Abrams (QB), Nick Lennear (WR), and Wright (CB). That’s the story heading into the most important month of the cycle.

INSIDE THE RECRUITMENTS

Miami’s staff continues to believe the overall offensive line class can still be elite despite missing on Matthews. The Hurricanes remain extremely confident in Alex Mirabal’s ability to close on multiple remaining trench targets.

Defensively, Miami is continuing to prioritize length, versatility and developmental upside as the board evolves following the misses on Folorunsho and Muhammad.

TRENDING

Jatori Williams — Miami remains in very strong position despite Alabama’s late push and the decision timeline extending into July. The Hurricanes built strong momentum with Williams throughout the spring evaluation period, particularly after multiple in-person stops from Alex Mirabal. Miami’s staff still feels very good about where things stand with Williams despite the extended timeline and continues prioritizing him as one of the top offensive line targets on the board. But Alabama’s re-entry into the race does add another layer of complexity.

AJ Randle — The Hurricanes continue trending upward with one of the nation’s top linebackers heading toward decision time. This one is looking real good.

Jarrell Chandler — Miami has made this a very real battle with Tennessee for the versatile defender. The Vols have controlled the race but the Hurricanes have surged late along with Clemson with a decision expected today. Hurricanes Defensive Coordinator Corey Heatherman has played a major role in Miami’s surge. He was in on Thursday to meet with Chandler and his plan in the defense has Chandler’s attention. The Hurricanes view Chandler, who measures around 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, as a linebacker at the next level. Clemson likes him as a safety, the position he plays in high school.

BATTLES

Tre Moore — Washington currently carries momentum, but Miami’s May 29 official visit will be critical.

Marquis Evans — Miami continues battling Auburn and Florida for one of the top remaining interior defensive linemen on the board.

Jordan Karhoff — Miami remains firmly in the mix with the talented Ohio tight end heading into official visits.

WATCH LIST

S Andre Hyppolite, 4★ · COMMIT EXPECTED SOON, On3 RPM 96.8% · Staff closing hard

LB Kaden Henderson, 4★, A&M PERCEIVED LEAD for No. 1 LB nationally · OV season decides this

DT Jamar Thompson, 4★, MIAMI LEADING, Rivals RPM 50.8% · Final 4: UM, Auburn, Mich, OSU

EDGE Jaiden Bryant, 5★, OV MAY 29 for LSU commit · Jason Taylor involved

OT Joshua Sam-Epelle, 4★, HEAVY CANE ATTENTION, Mirabal working hard post-Olubobola

CB Gabriel Osborne Jr., 4★, MIAMI IN TOP 4

EDGE DJ Jacobs, 5, FLIP ATTEMPT, Ohio State commit but Miami continuously investing

LB Ba’Roc Willis, 4★, Internal confidence high

LB Noah Glover, 4★, MIAMI AT THE TOP, Multiple Hetherman contacts

RB Brayden Tyson, 4★, OV JUNE 5, Complement to Ty Keys

NEXT TO POP

Watch AJ Randle.

BOTTOM LINE

Last week tested Miami’s momentum. The next few weeks will show how real it actually is.