Miami lands commitment from speedy Fort Myers athlete, who could play offense or defense
The Miami Hurricanes have their second addition to the Class of 2021 in less than a week. Malik Curtis, a three-star athlete from Fort Myers Bishop Verot, is heading to Coral Gables.
Curtis, who plays wide receiver at Bishop Verot, announced his oral commitment to Miami on Twitter.
“After a long week of thinking and talking with my family,” he wrote, “I will be committing to The University of Miami.”
Curtis is a relatively under the radar prospect — he’s just the No. 73 athlete in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the 2021 class — and claims just a handful of offers, but the Hurricanes love his speed, and his potential on both defense and special teams. Above all else, Curtis is a dynamic playmaker.
In 2019, Curtis caught 34 passes for 680 yards and eight touchdowns, and added another 55 yards on 11 carries with two fumbles lost. He also chipped in on defense, recording 15 tackles and three passes defended, and special teams. Curtis returned four punts for touchdowns and ran back one kick return for a touchdown. As a sophomore, Curtis scored twice on returns while playing for South Fort Myers.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound wide receiver also competes in track and field, and has been clocked at 11.13 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He picked up a scholarship offer from Miami in January, then added one from the Boston College Eagles in March. Although he never got to visit the Hurricanes before COVID-19 forced an extended dead period for recruiting, Curtis did express interest in getting down to South Florida at some point. Coach Manny Diaz and Co. were able to secure Curtis’ commitment without ever getting him on campus, anyway.
Curtis is the 12th member of Miami’s 2021 class, which now ranks seventh in the country and third in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He’s the second player to commit to the Hurricanes since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, following Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna defensive tackle Allan Haye, who committed to Miami on Wednesday. Assuming he winds up playing corner, Curtis is the second defensive back in the class, along with Miami Northwestern cornerback Tim Burns Jr.
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 6:46 PM.
