Tag: Miami recruiting

Miami just hosted several 5-star recruits in one weekend

Miami had a massive recruiting weekend with visits from elite players like Ellis Robinson, Colin Simmons, David Stone and Dylan Stewart.

Miami just had what will almost certainly go down as its biggest football recruiting weekend of the 2024 cycle — the Hurricanes hosted at least 10 recruits, including four five-star prospects, as it tried to wow potential members of its program.

Elite high school football prospects from across the country, including five-star edge Colin Simmons, five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, five-star edge Dylan Stewart, five-star defensive lineman David Stone, four-star defensive lineman Aydin Breland and four-star running back Jerrick Gibson, ventured to Miami to get an in-person look the program head coach Mario Cristobal has put together over his first year-plus with the team.

Here’s a look at which players were on campus and what they said. All rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite.

A Miami commit tried to recruit 4-star EDGE Damon Wilson mid-play

Miami commit Francis Mauigoa took recruiting to the lines of the gridiron, pitching the U to Damon Wilson mid-play.

Recruiting truly never really stops, and five-star Francis Mauigoa is finding new ways to get out the word about the U.

Francis Mauigoa took his efforts to the trenches, apparently pitching the University of Miami to four-star EDGE rusher Damon Wilson in the middle of a play in IMG Academy’s (Bradenton, Fla.) preseason game against Venice (Fla.).

It was a matchup between a pair of the top players on both sides of the line, but that competition didn’t stretch beyond the lines of the gridiron.

“He definitely recruited me mid-play and I have to admit that has never happened to me before,” Wilson said to 247Sports (Subscribers).

Mauigoa is ranked the No. 11 player and No. 2 offensive tackle on the 247Sports Composite — No. 1 OT on 247Sports’ ratings — and his innovation is shown on the recruiting front as well. While he is shoring up the offensive line of the U, he’s trying to get Wilson, No. 39 on the composite and a five-star on the 247Sports rankings, to join him on the other side of the ball.

Damon has 29 offers from schools around the country. In July, he announced his top five schools are Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami and Texas, per UGAWire.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge will mull his decisions as his senior season ramps up, and Mauigoa will continue trying to pitch his school to opponents who are actively attempting to defeat him on the line.

SCORES: Live in-game results around the nation as they happen

Trick plays were on full display this week: Westerville Central (Ohio) and Loganville (Ga.)

Live-Stream your team’s games in 2022 on the NFHS Network

Report: A Miami commit may have accepted $9.5M NIL deal – and left more on the table

Jaden Rashada committed to Miami and may have not only accepted a massive NIL offer, but left more on the table. But the prominent Miami donor is rejecting the report.

Four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada committed to Miami on Sunday, but as the U does as well as anywhere else, there’s controversy and potential misinformation surrounding the reported NIL signing.

The  Pittsburg (Calif.) High School quarterback is a very nice get for the Hurricanes, who pick up the services of a four-star QB who is ranked No. 45 on the 247Sports Composite and No. 22 on 247Sports’ ranking.

But that’s only a small piece of the news. There are reports that Rashada inked an NIL deal of $9.5 million — and that it wasn’t even his highest offer. On3 reported that multiple sources told the outlet Rashada accepted the massive NIL deal from Miami booster John Ruiz, founder and CEO of medicaid and medicare recovery specialist MSP Recovery.

One source to On3, NIL lawyer Michael Caspino of Forward Counsel, said that Rashada declined an offer worth millions more in his commitment to Miami. The other offer, according to On3, was an $11 million deal that Rashada would have received if he had chosen Florida.

Those are both enormous sums of money — if the report is true. Ruiz took to Twitter to say that the report was “inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashada” and that Ruiz has never spoken to Caspino about Rashada. The tweet reads:

“The report by on3.com is inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashada. I have never spoken to Mr. Caspino about Jaden Rashada. Mr. Caspino and I spoke about an unrelated player months ago and had a very professional and pleasant conversation. I respect him.”

– @JohnHRuiz

The largest NIL deal is believed to be the $8 million deal to quarterback commitment Nico Iamaleava, which was brokered by Caspino, according to On3.

If the report is accurate, it would easily break that mark.

However, Ruiz’s rejection of the report brings questions about its accuracy.

When there are conflicting reports, it can be a good litmus test to wonder which side has reason to spread or withhold information, what the motives of the sources may be to pass it along, and why Ruiz is rejecting it. Is the report simply untrue altogether? Is one side telling the truth? Or are both sides giving pieces of the equation but not the whole thing?

It’s another interesting case of media literacy, and with two public, prominent sources, it’s something to keep an eye on.

Another Rashada NIL deal

In December, Rashada signed an endorsement deal with the Athletes in Recruitment app, according to ESPN. It was believed to be the first high school football player endorsement deal since the NIL rule change.

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Former Florida Gators 4-star signee makes transfer decision

Florida Gators offensive lineman Issiah Walker has made his transfer decision.

Offensive tackle Issiah Walker signed with Florida as a 4-star recruit in the most recent (2020) recruiting cycle, however, announced last week that he would be transferring before ever playing a game for the Gators.

On Saturday, Walker announced he will be transferring to Miami, staying in-state.

Walker played high school football at Norland in Miami, Florida. His transfer continues Florida’s trend of struggling to lock down top talent in the Sunshine State.

Whether or not Walker will be forced to sit-out the 2020 season is unknown. NCAA transfer rules state he will, but we’ve seen crazier things happen.

Florida fans may try to brush off another transfer, but the Gators losing another offensive lineman isn’t going to help them rush for more than 21 yards next time they face Georgia.

 

 

Over weekend, Miami lost commitments of 3 players but got one from 4-star WR Dazalin Worsham

It was not a good weekend for Miami, who had three players decommit — though the Hurricanes did secure the commitment of four-star wide receiver Dazalin Worsham.

Miami football did not have a good week. In losing two commits on Nov. 17 and 18 and then three recruits decommitting from the program after the loss to Florida International University, it was relatively disastrous.

There was one bright spot, though: the commitment of four-star wide receiver Dazalin Worsham.

The weekend actually started bright for the Hurricanes. On Friday, Worsham posted a video to Twitter announcing his commitment to Miami.

The Hewitt-Trussvile (Alabama) High School athlete broke out as a sophomore, catching 70 receptions for 856 yards and nine touchdowns. He improved on those numbers as a junior, getting 87 receptions, 1,022 yards and 13 touchdowns. Through 10 games this year, he has 427 yards and six touchdowns, according to Maxpreps.

But after losing to FIU on Saturday, a defensive lineman and pair of four-star wide receivers decommitted.

Tre’von Riggins, listed on 247Sports as a three-star defensive end and the No. 90 player in Florida, decommitted.

The next day, Jacolby George and Romello Brinson announced they would not be attending Miami either.

Brinson tweeted:

From George:

This ended a disappointing eight-day stretch in which three-star defensive back Daran Branch flipped to Ole Miss on Sunday and four-star wide receiver Marcus Fleming decommitted Monday before the FIU game and subsequent decommitments.

Miami’s 2020 class is now No. 17 in the country. The 2021 class is still No. 2, as the Hurricanes have 10 recruits committed to the program in that year.