Cardinal Gibbons DE Khris Bogle gets one last look at Miami before National Signing Day

The three schools weighing on Khris Bogle’s mind with less than a week to go until National Signing Day have all changed plenty since the four-star defensive end’s recruitment began. In 2017, the Florida Gators brought in Dan Mullen to replace Jim McElwain as coach. Last year, the Miami Hurricanes hired Manny Diaz as Mark Richt’s replacement as coach.

For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the changes haven’t been quite as stark, but many of them happened in the month since Bogle orally committed to the Southeastern Conference program. Former defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi left to become the Cleveland Browns’ defensive line coach last month, then Alabama set the stage for defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski’s departure by reportedly hiring former Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive line coach Brian Baker on Sunday.

Bogle, who had a strong relationship with Kuligowski from the assistant coach’s time as Miami’s defensive line coach in 2016 and 2017, has been shaken by the departures, said Matt DuBuc, Bogle’s coach at Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons.

“I’d say so. Like we said, It’s about relationships,” DuBuc said Thursday. “That opens things up.”

Additional visits following his commitment at the All-American Bowl last month were always a possibility, but now Bogle’s last two official visits before National Signing Day on Wednesday are even more important. The defensive lineman spent last weekend in Gainesville for an official visit with Florida. On Friday, the senior begins his final official visit — his sixth total and second with the Hurricanes, thanks to new NCAA rules — in Coral Gables. No school has been a factor in Bogle’s recruitment longer than Miami and, for the second time, the Hurricanes will get to make the final pitch to the elite prospect before he makes a decision.

The Hurricanes were the first school to offer Bogle in 2017 and the South Florida recruit frequently hinted at a potential commitment to Miami, although he always said he’d wait until Signing Day to make a final decision. Last year, Bogle took official visits with the Hurricanes, Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers and Texas A&M Aggies before ultimately picking Alabama in San Antonio.

Miami hosted Bogle for his final visit in December before his January decision, but Richt was coach at the time. Later in the month, the coach shockingly announced his retirement and the Hurricanes quickly brought in Diaz, formerly the defensive coordinator, as his replacement. The NCAA now allows prospects to take a second official visit to a school if the program makes a coaching change, so Miami can bring him back down to campus this weekend to see how Diaz has changed the program.

“I think Manny Diaz would probably be the sticking point there,” DuBuc said. “Obviously, him getting the job helped, but I think Manny Diaz is really the bell cow there.”

The Hurricanes have a few ways to differentiate themselves. The most obvious is Miami is the hometown team for the South Florida prospect. Bogle is the No. 71 overall prospect in the 247Sports.com composite ranking and the No. 2 player from Broward County. He would be the second-highest ranked player in the Hurricanes’ class and the top-ranked prospect from the Miami metropolitan area.

The Hurricanes also present Bogle an opportunity to continue playing on the defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound end racked up 54 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended in nine games playing on the line for the Chiefs, who won the Class 5A championship. Although he would probably need to add weight to reach his potential as a defensive end, Bogle is a proven star at the position.

“It all depends on the coordinator and the staff. He’s probably a little undersized as a D-end at that level, but he’s big for an outside linebacker and it depends how you develop,” DuBuc said. “What he looks like in two years from now, he may be a defensive end and outgrow outside linebacker.

“These guys all do a good job selling their plan to get to the NFL. I think that’s the selling point for all these Power 5 guys, so the whole theory of redshirting is old, and coming in and playing now that the NCAA gives you four games.”

It’s clear Miami is once again trending in the right direction after Bogle pledged to Alabama. The problem for the Hurricanes? The Gators are, too.

“I think Miami still has a good reputation and relationships that you build. I’m sure the mad exodus at Alabama didn’t help,” DuBuc said. “He’s got a good relationship with the coaches at Florida, too.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 11:18 AM.