Miami hopes to ride ‘strong wave of momentum’ of Legends Camp and rack up commitments

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami’s 2023 recruiting class has some fairly good gamers in it — like 6-5, 190-pound three-star quarterback Emory Williams, who may see his No. 919 general rating within the 247Sports Composite leap up if he performs properly on the Elite 11 finals later this month.

The Hurricanes, although, haven’t precisely loaded up on stars but. 4-star receiver Robby Washington is the one four-star dedication among the many seven in a category ranked forty third coming into the weekend. That, although, seems to be on the verge of fixing.

“Recruiting, we really feel like a powerful wave of momentum is coming hopefully right here quickly,” coach Mario Cristobal mentioned earlier than Saturday morning’s Legends Camp.

The primary massive domino to fall for Miami might be Jaden Rashada. The 6-4, 185-pound four-star quarterback from Pittsburgh, Calif., is about to make his televised faculty announcement at 4 p.m. EST Sunday at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, and indications are he’s going to select the Hurricanes over Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.

Rashada, ranked forty fifth no matter place within the 2023 cycle, postpone making a scheduled dedication on June 18 so he may go to Miami once more together with his father earlier this week. If he picks the Canes and indicators with them in December, he’ll be the highest-ranked quarterback recruit within the 247Sports Composite to play for the Hurricanes since Kyle Wright.

Different dedication watches for Miami coming off June visits to campus:

• 4-star receiver Nathaniel “Ray-Ray” Joseph, the No. 105 general recruit within the 247Sports Composite out of Miami Edison Excessive College. The ex-Clemson dedication visited Louisville final week however was in Coral Gables this weekend to go to the hometown Hurricanes. Joseph (5-8, 170) was seen spending time on the camp talking with Alonzo Highsmith, basic supervisor of soccer operation, and the excitement was {that a} dedication from Joseph may come quickly.

• 5-star offensive sort out Samson Okunlola, the twentieth general recruit within the nation out of Thayer Academy in Brockton, Mass. He has taken official visits to Michigan State and Alabama the previous two weeks, however the 6-5, 305-pound lineman actually loved his time in south Florida and the Hurricanes might be the workforce to beat.

• 4-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne, ranked forty first out of Tacoma (Wash.) Lincoln, visited Miami final week and spent this weekend at Oregon. Wayne, although, obtained his first scholarship supply from Cristobal when he was coach at Oregon and has a longstanding relationship with him. Georgia, LSU and Oregon are the 6-5, 245-pounder’s different finalists.

• 4-star athlete Jaxon Howard, ranked 96th general within the 247Sports Composite out of Minneapolis, Minn., took his final official go to to Coral Gables this weekend and is about to announce July 1. Howard (6-4, 245) advised The Athletic on Saturday he has no downside taking part in as an edge rusher as an alternative of tight finish, the place the Hurricanes look like on the verge of taking three recruits. Howard will decide between Miami, Michigan, Minnesota and LSU.

• 4-star tight finish Riley Williams, ranked 77th general out of Portland, Ore., visited Miami on July 17 after making stops at Alabama and Ohio State earlier this month. He has since transferred to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and is about to announce his faculty alternative on July 1.

If Miami provides all six of these gamers to their 2023 recruiting class, the Hurricanes would rating 232.23 factors within the 247Sports Composite rankings, good for No. 3 nationally behind Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Legends Camp

Cristobal famous Miami had 12 official guests this weekend, and one other 18 to 24 unofficial guests on campus. That didn’t embrace the 250 to 300 camp members — made up largely of high-end 2024 and 2025 recruits.

Among the many notable members: 2023 three-star working again Christopher Johnson and 2024 cornerback and Georgia dedication Antione Jackson of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard; 2023 three-star security Kenton Kirkland of Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines; 2025 receiver and Texas A&M dedication Winston Watkins of Fort Myers, Fla.; 2024 five-star receiver Joshisa Dealer of Miami (Fla.) Central; 2024 four-star quarterback Adrian Posse of Miami Columbus; 2024 four-star ATH Jarvis Boatwright of Clearwater, Fla.; and 2025 quarterback Colin Hurley of Jacksonville Trinity Christian.

Former LSU coach (and ex-Miami assistant) Ed Orgeron and defensive finish Greg Mark have been amongst these in attendance at Saturday’s Legends Camp. (Manny Navarro / The Athletic)

Among the many massive group of former Hurricanes to teach and communicate to gamers on the camp, in accordance to a faculty spokesman: NFL Corridor of Famer Michael Irvin, 2021 first-round picks Jaelan Phillips and Gregory Rousseau, Reggie Wayne, Antrel Rolle, Brett Romberg, Jon Beason, Rohan Marley, Bennie Blades, Greg Mark, Allen Hurns, Duke Johnson, Bryant McKinnie, Travis Benjamin, Jeremy Shockey, Kenny Phillips, Randal Hill, Jonathan Feliciano, Deon Bush, Lamar Thomas, Hurlie Brown, Martin Bibla, Brandon Merriweather, Sean Spence, Michael Jackson, Tolbert Bain, Duane Starks and Roscoe Parrish.

Former LSU nationwide championship-winning coach Ed Orgeron, whose son is on Miami’s employees, additionally participated, together with former longtime Miami assistant Don Soldinger.

Cristobal needs to make former gamers really feel extra welcome than up to now. McKinnie mentioned Saturday he felt like coaches have been afraid he was making an attempt to take their job at any time when he requested for participant entry. That’s not the case anymore, McKinnie mentioned.

“Look again on the days when Miami was doing what Miami does. Take a look at the sideline, you had an additional 40 assistant coaches within the type of Professional Bowlers and Corridor of Famers,” Cristobal mentioned. “These are among the issues that we’re encouraging and dealing on to make it possible for alumni bond, that brotherhood, is there for the world to see and that it’s actual. It’s no BS.”

Throughout his pre-camp speech, Irvin drove residence the purpose gamers wouldn’t be posing for images with Ferraris and Lamborghinis. It was an oblique jab at different applications Miami is competing towards for recruits — together with Florida and Louisville — who’ve been utilizing costly automobiles as props for participant picture shoots throughout official visits. Cristobal took Irvin’s cue and ran with it.

“After we went to dinner final night time with our recruits, there have been 14 Ferraris parked within the parking zone,” Cristobal mentioned. “I don’t suppose we have to take images beside these to emphasise what we’re making an attempt to do on the College of Miami.”

“Our pool of vitality is the eagerness for the College of Miami. That’s not a shallow pool, that’s a deep, sturdy and actual pool. To see them right here, it simply additional reaffirms and confirms that the College of Miami is heading in the right direction. As a result of we’re working. Our method is a really blue-collar mentality. To verify each day we’re simply making progress and getting higher. However the momentum is powerful.”

(High picture of former Hurricanes gamers at Saturday’s Legends Camp: Courtesy of Alonzo Highsmith)