The Miami Hurricanes are already looking beyond a 2027 class that has them positioned among the nation’s best, and the early signs for 2028 point toward another major swing.
Miami’s 2027 group is nearly wrapped up and sits among the top classes in the country, even with just 20 commits. That total trails Florida and Oklahoma, yet the Hurricanes continue to stay ahead of them in the rankings. With that class close to finished, Mario Cristobal, Football Executive Dennis Smith and the rest of the staff are shifting their attention to the next wave.
At the moment, Miami holds a slight edge with two 2028 prospects already in the mix: four-star offensive tackle Kweli Fielder and three-star quarterback Knox Annis. But the bigger buzz surrounds a pair of elite teammates from Jacksonville’s The Bolles School.
According to 247Sports’ Zach Blostein, Miami is crystal balled to land five-star edge rusher Asher Ghioto and four-star running back Xander Edwards. Blostein primarily covers the Gators, but the two high-school teammates could be headed to South Florida together.
Edwards checks in at 6-1, 210 pounds and is ranked 117th nationally, seventh among running backs and 17th among Florida prospects in the 247Sports Composite. As a sophomore, he carried the ball 265 times for 2,629 yards and 44 touchdowns in 15 games.
Miami has long leaned toward big, physical backs, with Mark Fletcher Jr. serving as the clearest example. Edwards fits that mold, but Ghioto would be the headline addition. The Hurricanes have made a habit of producing edge talent, including All-American Rueben Bain Jr., and Ghioto would add another huge name to that pipeline.
As a sophomore, Ghioto posted 84 total tackles, 65 solos and 19 assists, along with 35 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and an interception in two passes defended over 15 games. He is ranked third nationally, the top edge rusher and the third-best player in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite.
The competition is fierce. Ghioto already has offers from Florida, Clemson, Alabama, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Oregon, among others. Edwards and Ghioto are expected to weigh several options, including schools outside Florida.
Still, Miami appears to be in a strong spot early. The staff has an appealing pitch and will keep working both prospects as the process unfolds. It’s early, but the Hurricanes are clearly in the hunt.
In Other News...
Former Miami Target Jalen Brown Is Back In The Spotlight
Jalen Brown is back in the transfer portal after a winding college path that has already taken him from LSU to Florida State and then to Arkansas. For Miami fans, his name still carries some familiarity, since he was once a Hurricanes recruiting target before ultimately landing elsewhere, and his latest move puts him back on the market at a time when receivers with proven Power Four experience tend to draw attention quickly.
Browns Arkansas stint never really got the chance to settle in. He started five games last season before a leg injury ended his year, leaving the Razorbacks with only a brief look at what he could bring on the field. Now, with his next stop to be determined, the intrigue is less about where he has been and more about which program is willing to bet on a fresh start. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Is Locked In A High-Stakes Battle For A Blue-Chip EDGE
Oregons push for Elijah Tillman has quietly become one of the more interesting recruiting subplots in the 2027 edge-rusher market, and Miami is right in the middle of it. The Georgia prospect has made it clear he wants to see both schools, giving the Ducks and Hurricanes a shared target who fits the kind of long, disruptive defender that can change a front seven for years.
For Miami, the race carries a little extra edge because of the familiar recruiting overlap with Oregon, and Tillmans profile makes the competition worth watching. The Ducks are trying to strengthen their future pass rush, while Miami has been in on him longer, and the next step in his process could say plenty about which staff makes the stronger impression when the visits start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Has Miami Owning ACC Recruiting In A Big Way
Miamis 2027 recruiting momentum has turned into something more than a hot stretch. Rivals latest ACC rankings put the Hurricanes in a commanding spot, with seven of the conferences top 10 commits and the top five players all headed to Coral Gables. It is the kind of early-cycle dominance that reinforces why Mario Cristobals staff has been able to keep landing elite talent while building a class that already sits No. 4 nationally with 20 commitments.
The broader picture is just as striking because Miami is not only stacking blue-chip talent, it is also winning key battles against other power programs. The class includes multiple five-star and four-star prospects, and several of those additions were the result of flips that changed the shape of the recruiting board. For a program trying to stay ahead of the curve in the ACC, the only real question now is how long Miami can keep this pace before the rest of the league starts pushing back harder. [Read more 🡒]