Miami Recruiting Buzz Just Hit A Different Level Under Cristobal

Despite not topping the rankings, Miami Hurricanes' recruiting class is being hailed as the nation's finest due to its exceptional quality over sheer numbers.

Mario Cristobal’s latest Miami class may not sit at No. 1 in the rankings, but the talent level tells a louder story.

The Hurricanes are third in both the Rivals/On3 and 247Sports team rankings, yet their average rating per commit leads the nation on Rivals/On3 at 91.58. Ohio State is next at 91.47, while Texas A&M holds the top spot in the overall team rankings with a 91.38 average and Texas Tech sits fourth at 91.36.

On the 247Sports side, Miami’s 91.45 average per commit ranks second nationally, trailing only USC’s 91.57. The Trojans are 14th overall because they have only 14 commits and likely won’t push much beyond 17 or 18.

That’s why Rivals national recruiting voices Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons are treating Miami’s haul like the best class in the country, even if the raw rankings don’t say so. During Rivals’ summer signing special, Wiltfong called it, “Pound for pound, the best recruiting class in the country.

When you look at the Rivals industry ratings for average ranking per commit, this Miami class is No. 1.

Miami maybe has the most talented recruiting class in the country,”

The Hurricanes’ class is built around high-end additions and flips, and Simmons laid out just how aggressive Cristobal has been. “Flip city 305.

Jaiden Bryant, an elite rush edge from Irmo High School in South Carolina, flips from LSU to Miami. Donte Wright, we knew he was flipping, thinking he was flipping from Georgia to Oregon, and instead, he goes from Georgia to Miami,” Simmons said.

“And they want more. They’re still involved with a guy like DJ Jacobs, an Ohio State commit, another five-star edge.

Miami’s going to compete with the best players in the country whether they are committed or uncommitted. They have four flips right now, and I think they want to add one more.”

By the numbers, Miami has 15 blue-chip players on both sites, which works out to a 75 percent blue-chip rate. That kind of concentration of top-tier talent is what makes this class stand out, regardless of where it lands in the standard rankings.

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The good news for the Hurricanes is that the roster picture should look different next fall, with transfers and returning pieces expected to help spread the workload. Still, the value of those stars comes with a physical cost, and Miami has to balance what they already gave the team against what it will ask of them next, especially with so much of the lineup coming off extended use and deep-season experience. [Read more 🡒]

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The bigger appeal for Miami is that the conversation does not stop with the starter. The room also includes Luke Nickel, Dereon Coleman, Judd Anderson, Joe Borchers and Vinny Gonzalez, giving the Hurricanes a deeper collection of scholarship options than many teams can claim. That is part of why Miami can make a case for more than a middle-top-10 designation, especially in a year when quarterback depth matters as much as the name at the top of the chart. [Read more 🡒]

Bucs Coaches Already See Something Special In Former Cane Rueben Bain

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