National Signing Day is probably going to be quiet for Miami Hurricanes, but that’s OK
National Signing Day isn’t what it used to be. The first Wednesday of February used to drip with intrigue as the Miami Hurricanes and schools across the country tried to put the finishing touches on their recruiting classes, and hope they could get everyone orally committed to actually sign their national letters of intent.
The early signing period changed everything in 2017, though, and every year Signing Day has become less and less an event. Throw in the proliferation of transfers the last two offseasons and National Signing Day is smaller than ever.
This year will be the quietest yet for Miami. The Hurricanes signed 18 members of their Class of 2020 in the early signing period, then landed three transfers in January — plus an unusual high school addition to its batch of early enrollments —leaving only three spots left open in the class. At most, Miami will make only one new addition to its 2020 class. At worst, only one not-yet-enrolled player will sign with the Hurricanes. The biggest questions heading into National Signing Day aren’t about who will sign, but what will happen once the traditional big day of the recruiting calendar is over.
Can Dunson, Smith be steals?
Miami has made two high school additions since the early signing period. One is already on campus after enrolling at the last possible moment last month. The other is a lock to sign Wednesday. Both are regarded as four-star prospects by at least one of the major recruiting services.
Keyshawn Smith, a wide receiver from San Diego, is already on campus. He’s a three-star prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, but 247Sports bumped him up to four-star status in its rankings in January after he had 46 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at Lincoln. Isaiah Dunson, who was once orally committed to the Florida State Seminoles and decommitted after they fired former coach Willie Taggart last year, was one of the top remaining available cornerbacks going into the new year, and Miami quickly managed to lure the four-star prospect from Georgia to campus for an official visit. He committed before he left Coral Gables.
Dunson turning into a star — or at least a high-end starter — wouldn’t be a major surprise. The Tucker senior possesses an ideal 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame and clocked in at 4.22 seconds in the short shuttle at The Opening Atlanta regional last year. He has all the physical tools he needs to contribute early and often for the Hurricanes, which is about as much as Miami could ask for considering how few blue-chip defensive backs were still available following the early signing period.
The Smith find might be even more important, though. David Dunn, Smith’s high school coach, said he expected interest to pick up for Smith in January, but no other schools got to make their move because Smith locked in with Miami so quickly. The Hurricanes have to replace their top two wide receivers from last season and the 6-foot, 170-pound receiver is already on campus, so he should have a chance to push for early playing time with his blend of athleticism and an impressive knack for winning jump balls.
Will Moise sign?
Strangely, a player who has been committed to Miami for nearly two years and hasn’t taken an official visit — at least publicly — anywhere else serves as the Hurricanes’ biggest question mark going into Wednesday. Willie Moise orally committed in 2018 and never wavered from his pledge. He also didn’t sign with the Hurricanes in the early signing period, though, and hasn’t taken an official visit to Miami.
Moise’s academic situation is uncertain, which makes his signing Wednesday uncertain, too. He recently left Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna for a school in Orlando to try to get his transcript in order and join the Hurricanes. It might just not happen Wednesday. He could try to wait and sign later this year as Miami keeps the spot open in case he can’t qualify.
The three-star defensive tackle is the sort of prospect the Hurricanes might be willing to wait on, though. The 6-3, 291-pound defensive lineman is a four-time state champion, and he excels on both sides of the line. Although shoulder surgery cut short his senior season in Hollywood, Moise would be a valuable addition at Miami because of his two-way potential — and because the Hurricanes so badly need help at offensive line and defensive tackle.
Any chance to land Williams?
Pretty much since the moment Avantae Williams decommitted from the Oregon Ducks, the 247Sports Crystal Ball has overwhelmingly predicted the four-star safety will sign with the Florida Gators. On the eve of National Signing Day, nothing had changed. Williams took his final official visit to Florida last month, then scrapped a previously planned official visit with the Georgia Bulldogs. Running back Lorenzo Lingard, Williams’ cousin, transferred from the Hurricanes to the Gators last month. He lives just about two hours from Gainesville. All the signs point to Williams staying upstate for college.
Williams was, once upon a time, committed to Miami, though, and all throughout the recruiting process he has mentioned safeties coach Ephraim Banda and the rest of the Hurricanes’ defensive staff, most of which was in place when he committed in 2017, as the group of coaches he has the best relationship with. Miami also brought Ed Reed in as its chief of staff Thursday, which should only help the Hurricanes with recruiting safeties moving forward.
In all likelihood, Williams isn’t coming to Miami, but stranger things have happened on signing day.
What’s left after Wednesday?
There’s a chance the Hurricanes will be totally done with their 2020 class Wednesday. If Dunson, Moise and Williams all sign, Miami’s class will be at 25 players, including three transfers. The Hurricanes will be capped out for the current recruiting cycle.
More likely, Miami will have two spots left if only Dunson signs or one if Dunson and Moise both sign. The Hurricanes can wait on Moise to get his academic situation sorted out, and he’s good enough to wait fir. The last spot still seems likely to be allocated to offensive line help. On the first day of the early signing period, coach Manny Diaz said adding one more offensive lineman to the class would be a priority moving forward. The high school market has dried up, which means Miami can hold the spot for either a junior college prospect — such as offensive lineman Ousman Traore in the Class of 2019 — or a late addition to the transfer portal, potentially after spring practices start and depth charts across the country start to clarify.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 2:07 PM.
