Mario Cristobal and Miami may not be finished chasing five-star edge rusher DJ Jacobs.
The Hurricanes have already made noise in the 2027 cycle, and even after last week’s commitment from four-star wide receiver Eli Woodard, there’s still a sense around the program that more movement could be coming. Jacobs, who has been committed to Ohio State since late December, remains one of the biggest names still worth watching.
Recent weeks have made it look like his pledge to the Buckeyes had settled in, but the speculation around Miami hasn’t gone away. Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong said the Hurricanes are still pushing, and doing it in a way that keeps the door open without making the pursuit obvious.
"Under the pretense of, 'Hey, we're recruiting Dawson Jacobs', they're still on the gas for DJ Jacobs, who is committed to Ohio State. And [Miami] led for more time than Ohio State did," Wiltfong said.
That family angle could be the key. Dawson Jacobs has already spent time around Coral Gables, including a spring visit and a workout in front of the staff. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he’s a top-200 prospect in the composite rankings and has offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Oregon, along with Miami.
His recruitment still has a year to play out, and that makes every visit matter. If Dawson keeps showing up in season, the older brother could be right there with him.
That opens the door to plenty of possibilities for Miami, including trips to Ohio State and a potential visit to Coral Gables. There’s also the Notre Dame-Miami matchup on November 7 in South Bend, another date that could bring the Jacobs brothers into the Hurricanes’ orbit.
If Miami can somehow land DJ Jacobs, the impact on the 2027 class would be massive. Another five-star would nearly lock the Hurricanes into the nation’s top-ranked class on quality alone, and a fifth five-star would put this group in rare company for the 21st century. That kind of haul is supposed to be harder to pull off in the NIL era, but Cristobal has shown he’s willing to test that assumption.
For now, the expectation is that this recruitment goes all the way to the finish. And while the staff gets a break before training camp, Cristobal is clearly still working on the next move.
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The bigger question is how quickly either freshman can earn trust in the parts of the job that do not show up in highlight clips. Miami also brought in Mike Viti as the new tight ends coach, a hire that brings a strong reputation from his time at Army and should matter in a room where technique and physicality will decide snaps. Mueller and Briggs can both run routes, but their path to playing time will hinge on how well they handle the blocking side of the position. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis Loaded Backfield Is Forcing A Huge Decision Before Stanford
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Lyle was supposed to be the lead option a year ago, while Fletcher gave Miami the sturdier, more physical presence it needed during the College Football Playoff run. Brown adds another layer to the mix, and Pringle has stayed in the conversation as a player the Canes want involved. The result is a backfield with no shortage of options, but also no clear answer yet on how the workload should be divided. [Read more 🡒]