The Miami Hurricanes turned a big rivalry night into a recruiting showcase, and two of the best young prospects in the country came away trending toward Coral Gables.
Miami’s 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium played out in front of several five-star recruits, including Jacksonville natives Brysen Wright and Asher Ghioto. The conditions weren’t perfect - the rain made for a gloomy backdrop - but the game still delivered the kind of stage Mario Cristobal’s program wanted.
Wright, a wide receiver, and Ghioto, an edge rusher, are both in the 2028 high school graduating class. The Hurricanes reportedly made a strong impression during the visit, with both players now projected to land with Miami.
Wright has been especially productive this season at Mandarin High School, where he plays alongside Annis. According to MaxPreps, he has 32 catches for 730 yards and eight touchdowns.
He is ranked as the No. 3 player in the country in his class, and he sits first among both wide receivers and Florida prospects. Zach Blostein of 247 also noted that Wright could be looking to reclassify into the 2027 class, the same path as five-star athlete A’mir Sears.
Miami’s recent work developing edge talent only adds to the appeal. The Hurricanes had Akheem Mesidor and All-American Rueben Bain Jr. leading the way over the past two seasons, and both became first-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft. The current group on the edge includes Marquise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount, Damon Wilson II and Herbert Scroggins III, among others.
In Other News...
Miami Just Introduced A Jersey Change Fans Will Want Explained
The University of Miami added a new wrinkle to its game-day look against Florida State on Oct. 17, debuting a jersey patch with the UHealth logo. The change did not stop with football, either, as the same patch has also shown up on the home jerseys worn by the womens soccer and womens basketball teams, giving the schools athletic wardrobe a noticeable new detail.
What remains unclear is whether the patch is just a temporary fix or the start of something more formal. The womens volleyball team did not have it on recent away jerseys, which only adds to the uncertainty around how widely Miami plans to use the look and what, exactly, the patch is meant to signal going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Heads To No. 1 Miami With One Huge Question Looming
Miami is coming off a double-overtime win over Florida State and now turns its attention to Pittsburgh, which visits Hard Rock Stadium with a front seven that has earned plenty of respect around the ACC. Mario Cristobal has pointed to the Panthers defensive line and overall capability as reasons this matchup deserves full attention, even as the Hurricanes carry the momentum of a hard-fought rivalry victory.
Pittsburghs season has been shaped in part by injuries to its star quarterback, a factor that has affected the Panthers consistency and helped lead to a recent loss at Boston College. For Miami, the challenge is as much about staying sharp as it is about handling a physical opponent, since the Hurricanes have moved into a stretch where every conference game comes with extra scrutiny and the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Exposed A Miami Problem Other Teams Will Notice
Florida State made Miami work for every snap in the Hurricanes double-overtime win, and the clearest concern from that night came right up front. Darian Mensah was under steady duress as Miami allowed 14 quarterback pressures, its highest total since Sept. 27, 2024, with tackles Samson Okunlola and Matt McCoy having a hard time sorting out the Seminoles stunts and movement.
Mario Cristobal pointed to Florida States complex defensive looks as a big reason the protection broke down, but the bigger takeaway is that Miami knows this cannot become a trend. Center Ryan Rodriguez said the answer has to come through better recognition and cleaner technique, because teams will see the same tape and come after the Hurricanes the same way until the line proves it can handle that kind of pressure consistently. [Read more 🡒]