New Miami commit Jabari Ishmael, son of a UM strength coach, is bulking up during pandemic
For literally as long as Jabari Ishmael can remember, the Miami Hurricanes have been a staple in his life.
Victor Ishmael, the defensive end’s father, has worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Miami for nearly two decades. Ishmael grew up spending his Saturdays at Hard Rock Stadium, watching the Hurricanes. When he was a freshman at Miami Columbus, Ishmael would spend nearly every afternoon in Coral Gables after his father picked him up at school. It was always going to be difficult for him to commit to a team other than the Hurricanes.
“If I could’ve taken a visit, I probably would’ve switched my time, just so I could see other schools,” said Ishmael, a four-star prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2021, “but probably not.”
On Saturday, Ishmael did the seemingly inevitable: He orally committed to Miami. It wasn’t a surprising decision, but it was still an important one for the Hurricanes, who now hold commitments from the top-ranked prospects in Miami-Dade County at six different positions, now including defensive end.
While Miami was always a massive favorite in Ishmael recruitment, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly helped the Hurricanes. Ishmael had hoped to potentially visit the Florida State Seminoles, Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks in the summer before the coronavirus outbreak triggered an unending dead period in March. Ishmael never visited any school other than Miami.
“He probably knows his way around the building better than some of the kids on the team right now,” Columbus coach Dave Dunn said.
The extended lockdowns because of COVID have also been an opportunity for Ishmael to continue his development in a way most prospects simply can’t. At home, Ishmael has a robust weight setup, and his own personal strength and conditioning coach.
Every day throughout the pandemic, Ishmael’s father has written out a daily workout for his son to do on a page of a notebook they use. Since the end of the 2019 season, Ishmael has gained about 15 to 20 pounds.
Dunn has tried to have the Explorers keep up with weight check-ins remotely by having players send in pictures of themselves on a scale. Last Dunn saw, Ishmael checked in at about 230 pounds after he measured in at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds last summer.
It should only be the start of a physical explosion for Ishmael.
“He’s lucky. He’s got a full gym in his house,” Dunn said. “His dad’s a big guy. If you’ve seen his dad, he’s broad-shouldered.”
It was easy for Ishmael to occasionally get lost in the shuffle last season on Columbus. Elijah Roberts, an incoming freshman defensive lineman for the Hurricanes, played opposite him at defensive and led the Class 8A champion in sacks. Ishmael finished the season and three sacks, and matched Roberts with eight tackles for loss to earn second-team all-county honors from the Miami Herald.
As good as Ishmael was, the Explorers know he can be even better as he gets stronger, and Dunn trusts him to continue improving because of the attitude his father has instilled in him.
“His work ethic is great. Obviously, having his dad as a strength coach is probably what solidified that for him,” Dunn said. “He seems mentally to be in a different place right now. I think he’s happy he’s made his decision and obviously — like the rest of us — he’s ready to play football and deadly serious about it. That’s what I always like about him. He attacks things like a pro. He’s got a real serious mentality. When it’s time to work, he works and it’s really impressive to see.”
The obvious recent comparison point for Ishmael will be star defensive end Gregory Rousseau, who had a similar body type when he was playing at Hialeah Champagnat Catholic. Rousseau might be an inch taller and now certainly has quite a few more pounds, but Ishmael said he has heard the comparison throughout the recruiting process, even from Miami’s coaching staff.
Ishmael cited Todd Stroud as a major reason he picked the Hurricanes. He loves the defensive line coach’s laid-back attitude on and off the field, and his track record at developing talent proves the assistant coach’s style works.
After watching what Stroud did with Rousseau last year, Ishmael knows he found the right landing spot after years of hoping the Hurricanes would be the team for him.
“It’s a good comparison said,” Ishmael said. “He’s projected to go first round.”
