Miami’s win over Florida State didn’t just land on the scoreboard. It sent a jolt through the recruiting trail, and the ripple effect is already showing up in the form of fresh five-star predictions, a flipped commitment and a few recruitments that look suddenly different.
The biggest buzz is around 2028 wide receiver Brysen Wright of Mandarin in Jacksonville. Rivals national analysts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons have both logged predictions for Miami to land the five-star. Wiltfong had already gone with the Hurricanes before the Florida State game, and the victory only added more weight to that call.
Miami also picked up a prediction for another elite 2028 target in edge rusher Asher Ghioto of The Bolles School in Jacksonville. Wiltfong and Simmons both projected him to the Hurricanes as well.
Miami was already trending well with Ghioto going into the weekend, and the result against Florida State only helped firm up that position. During the visit, Ghioto reportedly watched film with Miami defensive line coach Jason Taylor.
There was an even more direct recruiting win in the 2027 class. Four-star linebacker Aston Whiteside of Burleson Centennial in Texas flipped from Texas A&M to Miami after taking in the Hurricanes’ victory. Whiteside said his relationships with the coaching staff, the program’s culture and his trust in Mario Cristobal were the reasons the move came together.
Miami’s momentum has carried into the 2028 board, too. The Hurricanes have continued to set the pace for five-star offensive tackle Maui Tonata of Orem, Utah, following his weekend visit. Tonata was already a major target before the game, and that trip kept Miami in a strong spot.
Five-star defensive lineman Prince Che of Thomas County Central in Georgia also made his first campus visit to Miami, and the trip appears to have shifted the direction of that recruitment, where the Hurricanes had been working from behind other contenders.
And Miami’s latest run of visits ended with more progress on the defensive side. Five-star safety Casey Barner of Georgia helped strengthen the Hurricanes’ standing with his latest trip, while top-50 defensive back Jalen Flowers of Palos Verdes, California, marked a notable move toward Miami as well.
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Miami Gets A New Injury Concern Before A Tough Pitt Test
Freshman wide receiver Milan Parris has popped up on Miamis injury report for the first time this season, adding another item for Mario Cristobal to monitor as the Hurricanes get ready for a difficult trip to Pitt. Miami has already been managing injury questions on the back end, and Cristobal recently indicated that star corners OJ Frederique and JaBoree Antoine are still expected back later in the season, a reminder that the roster is not yet at full strength.
The timing matters because Pitt brings its own health issues into the matchup, including several players sidelined and quarterback Mason Heintschel among them. Even with that in mind, Miami will still need to sort out its depth at receiver and keep an eye on how the injury list evolves through the week, especially with a conference test looming that could ask more of the Hurricanes than theyd prefer right now. [Read more 🡒]
Belichick's North Carolina Suddenly Has A Massive Chance Against No. 1 Miami
Miamis unbeaten start has put it in the familiar spot every contender wants and every opponent wants a shot at. The Hurricanes are 6-0 after a double-overtime win over Florida State, and they have Pitt coming up next before the calendar flips to Oct. 31, when they meet a North Carolina team that has quietly positioned itself as one of the more interesting challenges left on the schedule.
Bill Belichicks Tar Heels are 5-1 and have historically played Miami well, which gives the matchup a little extra edge beyond the rankings. For the Hurricanes, it is another chance to protect the No. 1 spot and keep momentum rolling, but it also arrives against a program that has already shown it can make this series uncomfortable for Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Won Another Recruiting Battle That Should Excite Cristobal Fans
Miami kept its recruiting momentum rolling with another significant addition, landing four-star linebacker Alston Whiteside after he flipped his commitment from Texas A&M. The Burleson, Texas, prospect had been tied to the Aggies, but Miamis staff stayed after him and eventually won him over with the kind of pitch the Hurricanes have been building around under Mario Cristobal: relationships, culture and a clear path for development.
Whiteside arrives as a notable pickup in the 2027 class, where he is ranked as the No. 27 linebacker and becomes the 20th commitment overall. For Miami, the move is another sign that its recruiting effort is resonating far beyond South Florida, with the Hurricanes continuing to stack talent at a pace that keeps the class among the nations most watched. [Read more 🡒]