Miami’s huge recruiting weekend already has a couple of major ripples, and they point straight toward Brysen Wright and Asher Ghioto.
Before Saturday, those were the two names drawing the most attention. Now the momentum has turned into predictions, with Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons both logging crystal ball picks for Miami. Wright got a 70 percent confidence pick to the Hurricanes, while Ghioto landed at 60 percent.
It fit the feel of the weekend perfectly. Miami packed in more five-stars on campus and at the stadium than it ever has before, and it all came during a double-overtime rivalry game with Hard Rock going crazy. A weekend like that was always likely to leave a mark, and the early reaction is exactly that.
Wright looks like the biggest swing of the two.
Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards has liked Wright for a while, and he was clearly pleased when the news broke. Wright’s path makes the chase even more interesting: his father is a Florida State fan, and he plays at Mandarin in Jacksonville, which is Florida territory. That’s not a simple pull.
There’s also the age factor. Wright was originally supposed to be in the 2029 class, which is why the “seven-on-seven merchant” label feels off to some people. He’s 16 years old and already plays with a grown-man edge.
Wright lines up at safety, takes Wildcat snaps, returns punts and already has his own cleat and trading cards. One comparison thrown around is DeAndre Hopkins because of the way he wins contested catches. Richards pushed back on the idea that Wright lacks speed, saying he’s not slow at all - just controlled.
“It’s almost like it's too easy,” he said. “He's just on cruise control.”
The way Richards sees it, Wright can separate, know he’s about to score, and still have enough left to coast through the final yards because he may be back on defense on the next snap. He believes the speed work at the next level can unlock even more.
Ghioto’s recruitment took a different route, but it ended up in the same place: Miami back in the driver’s seat.
He had picked up steam over the summer, then hit a wobble as Georgia pressed hard. After he experienced the Florida atmosphere at the Ole Miss game, he started leaning toward the Gators. Miami brought him into Hard Rock for this one, and the momentum swung back again.
The fit is easy to see. Ghioto plays with energy, wears his emotions on his sleeve and comes off like the kind of old-school player Miami has always loved. Richards even dismissed the surface-level jokes about his look, pointing back to the championship teams from the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.
Ghioto is viewed as a Miami type who just happens to be from Jacksonville, and that city isn’t usually where the Hurricanes do their biggest damage. Depending on the site, he’s ranked as a five-star or a four-star, but Richards sees a Maxx Crosby vibe in him - physical, tough and not just a pure speed rusher. He wins with power, a bit like Armondo Blount.
That’s where Jason Taylor enters the picture. Miami is selling both its history and what its current edge rushers are becoming.
Marquise Lightfoot was a five-star who is starting to show real junior-year production, while Blount has gotten healthier and more effective, even recording a sack Saturday. Recruits notice that kind of progress.
They want to see current players headed toward the first round and producing on Sundays.
That combination of legacy and recent success is giving Miami real traction. The message is simple: the top in-state talent should not be leaving, and right now the Hurricanes are making a strong case to keep the best of it home.
They’re not going to Florida. They’re not going to Florida State. They’re coming to Miami.
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