A Miami fan’s guide to the All-American Bowl: Watch for Jaleel Skinner and commitments
The Miami Hurricanes already have a nice bit of representation at the All-American Bowl.
By the end of the game Saturday, their representation may well double.
Two Miami commits are slated to suit up Saturday (noon, NBC) at the Alamodome in San Antonio and two more players are scheduled to make commitments during the game, with the Hurricanes well positioned to perhaps land both.
No matter what, the weekend will all be a display of Mario Cristobal’s recruiting prowess. The Hurricanes were either long shots or not even a realistic contender to land any of these elite recruits — defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly, tight end Jaleel Skinner, wide receiver Kevin Coleman and edge rusher Cyrus Moss — before Cristobal got to Coral Gables last month.
Are two more commitments coming?
Coleman and Moss have a chance to make Cristobal the real winner of the weekend.
Miami was not involved in either recruitment until Cristobal took over. Now the Hurricanes, according to trends in the 247Sports.com Crystal Ball, might be the favorite for both.
The actual commitment schedule isn’t out yet, but Coleman is a good place to start: The four-star receiver from St. Mary’s in St. Louis is the Hurricanes’ best chance to make an addition Saturday.
Coleman originally planned to sign his national letter of intent during the early signing period and keep his decision a secret until the All-American Bowl, but he opted not to sign, instead waiting until close to New Year’s Day to make his final choice. While it means nothing is totally set in stone, Miami holds 6 of 7 predictions in the Crystal Ball, with half of those expressing high confidence in the prediction. The senior took an official visit in South Florida last month, right before the early signing period.
There’s a sense this one is a done deal and Coleman will likely commit to the Hurricanes on Saturday. He would immediately become the highest ranked player in their Class of 2022, too. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound wideout is the No. 41 player in the class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and is on track to early enroll.
The Florida State Seminoles, who were regarded as the frontrunner pre-Cristobal, hold the only other prediction. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, Arizona State Sun Devils and Oregon Ducks are also contenders.
Internally, there’s less certainty about Moss, who’s the No. 63 player in the country — also higher than any player currently committed the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes made a late run at the 6-6, 220-pound senior from Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman last month, getting him on campus for a last minute official visit right before the early signing period. During the final weekend before the dead period, Moss visited both USC and Miami.
There’s no consensus right now on where Moss will land — and he’s not enrolling early, so he could always change his mind before National Signing Day next month — but the trends point in the Hurricanes’ favor: Only one Crystal Ball prediction has been made for Moss this month and it projects him to land at Miami.
This one comes down to Cristobal’s relationships, too. Oregon actually holds the lead in the Crystal Ball and Cristobal had the Ducks as the favorite to land Moss before he left Eugene to return to his alma mater.
Arizona State is also a finalist for Moss.
Players to watch during game
In between the lines, there’s other players for Hurricanes fans to keep an eye on — or maybe not
Skinner and Kelly, both of whom signed with Miami last month after late pushes of Cristobal, are in COVID-19 protocols and may not be able to play Saturday.
Kelly, a four-star defensive lineman from Dillard, is the No. 84 player in the 2022 recruiting class. Skinner, a four-star tight end from Bradenton IMG Academy, is the No. 98 player in the class. They’re the Hurricanes’ two top-ranked recruits and they were a long shot to land either one before Cristobal took over.
Kelly, like Moss, was likely bound for Oregon until Cristobal left, although former coach Manny Diaz and his staff were persistent about trying to keep the 6-4, 240-pound senior home. Skinner, who officially visited Miami before the season and had a strong relationship with tight ends coach Stephen Field, was orally committed to Alabama before Cristobal and Co. got the 6-5, 16-pound senior to flip on the final day of the early signing period.
Recruiting is always a group effort, but the Hurricanes’ showing in Texas this weekend all starts with Cristobal.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 10:11 AM.
