Canes will have every offensive freshman for spring; feedback on all. And two big UM hires
Though new quarterback Carson Beck is expected to be working his way back from elbow surgery when Miami Hurricanes spring practice begins March 3, most or all of the Hurricanes’ other newcomers should be ready to go.
That includes every member of the Canes’ 2025 recruiting class except safety Bryce Fitzgerald, who will enroll at UM this summer.
South Florida-based recruiting guru Larry Blustein, who offered feedback on UM’s freshmen defenders in this previous post, today sizes up UM’s freshmen newcomers on offense, with each player’s ranking courtesy of 247 Sports:
QUARTERBACK
▪ Georgia-based Luke Nickel (247 Sports’ No. 22 quarterback): “He can be really good. One of the best in the country. He’s progressed every year. Worked with Cam Newton, played for his 7-on-7 team. He’s got a quick release, good size. Alabama and Georgia kept trying to get him.”
How does he compare talent wise to Emory Williams, who’s the front-runner for the No. 2 job? Blustein said they’re comparable. “They’re both Power 4, Power 5 kids. Luke and Emory are two different types. Emory is a bigger kid. Luke is a little more athletic, can run, really good arm strength.”
▪ Our take: The feedback on Nickel has been very positive; former NFL star Cam Newton has raved about him after coaching him. Though Williams has a slight edge for the No. 2 job, Nickel and Judd Anderson will get a fair look.
RUNNING BACK
▪ Tampa Armwood’s Gerard Pringle (247 Sports’ No. 6 running back and No. 138 player overall in the class): “He’s big time. Has quickness, great vision, can get in the open and he’s gone. Can catch the ball. I saw him as an eighth grader as a receiver.
“Pringle is smaller than Mark Fletcher, but more elusive. He reminds me of Clinton Portis coming out of high school in terms of having a good burst; not saying he is Clinton Portis.”
▪ Our take: If Pringle has a strong spring, there’s a good possibility he could get regular — albeit a somewhat limited — number of carries this season behind Fletcher and Jordan Lyle. His spring could help determine how aggressively UM pursues another back in the portal in April and May.
WIDE RECEIVER
▪ Pembroke Pines West Broward’s Joshua Moore (No. 20 receiver, No. 188 overall prospect): “People have undersold him. Big kid, 6-3, 6-4, runs great patterns. Jonathan Vilma once told me the biggest adjustment he had coming out of high school is learning how to tackle because all he had to do is push kids down.
“I mention that because Moore comes out of high school as one of the best route runners. Usually when you’re 6-4, 200 pounds, you don’t have to worry about running crisp patterns because you’re bigger and stronger than the defensive back in high school.
“Character wise, most would have left West Broward — he could have gone to American Heritage or Northwestern — but he stayed and showed his loyalty to the program and that showed something about his character.”
▪ Plantation American Heritage’s Malachi Toney (No. 48 receiver): “He could be one of the premier slot guys in the country because he’s quick. Ever since he stepped in at Heritage as a ninth-grader, he’s been a dude. Fast, can get behind you quick. He’s a difference maker.”
▪ Alabama-based Daylyn Upshaw (No. 59 receiver) : “I’ve watched a lot of his film. He can get into the mix because of athletic ability.”
▪ Our take: Expect Toney to challenge Ray Ray Joseph and perhaps a summer portal addition for the top slot job.
OFFENSIVE LINE
▪ Sanford Seminole guard Max Buchanan (No. 31 interior lineman): “I’ve seen Max quite a few times. He’s a worker, a dude inside, strong, and committed to getting better. I think he ends up at center.”
Blustein mentioned that if the Canes can get elite Pace High prospect Grant Wise in the 2026 class: “that changes things at the position. He has 70 offers but has been to Miami threes times. His dad Ty played at Miami. He’s the No. 1 lineman in the country. He’s a play-on-Sunday kid with a 4.4 GPA.”
(Clemson, Alabama, Oregon and Tennessee are formidable foes for Wise.)
▪ Orlando Christian’s Demetrius Campbell (No. 83 tackle) and Orlando Edgewater’s Jaden Wilkerson (No. 61 tackle): “Both still have a lot to learn. They’re both physical and size wise, they’re going to benefit from having guys like Alex Mirabal continue to teach them. As they have more technique they have a chance to be special. They’re both good. Wilkerson is a massive kid, big hands, upside is good.”
▪ Our take: UM has quality veteran depth across the line, so there’s no need to rush any of them.
TIGHT END
▪ Indiana-based Brock Schott (No. 10 tight end, No. 167 player overall): “He’s somebody you figure would go to Iowa and get drafted in the first round. He’s a monster. Big kid, fast, agile. Not a great blocker. This kid is a great athlete. He can be dominant nationally.”
▪ Ohio-based Luka Gilbert (No. 18 tight end): “He’s a good player. He reminds me a little bit of Riley Williams [the former UM tight end who transferred this offseason]. A gamer. He’s an agile-type of guy, where the other guy, Schott, is more of an athlete.”
▪ Our take: There will be opportunities for either player, particularly Schott, to seize the No. 3 job behind Elija Lofton and Tulane transfer Alex Bauman, who’s a skilled receiver. Working against them is that UM probably needs a great blocker as a No. 3 tight end, and UAB transfer Jack Nickel is an experienced, skilled, physical blocker (though he had just one reception last season).
Schott could have an early role if UM uses Lofton some as a Swiss Army knife, instead of exclusively as a tight end.
Seldom-used Jackson Carver is the only other veteran tight end on the roster besides Lofton and Bauman.
If you missed it, here’s our look at UM’s roster heading into spring practice.
Coaching staff complete
In completing his coaching staff this week, Mario Cristobal plucked a well-regarded defensive backs coach from UF and a former standout Canes defensive lineman from Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff.
Will Harris was hired to coach defensive backs, a job he held last year at UF and at Washington (2018-2021), San Jose State and elsewhere. Harris, considered a strong recruiter, coached a Huskies secondary that helped Washington lead the nation in passing yards against in 2021. He has coached numerous NFL players, including former Chiefs first-round pick Trent McDuffie.
Harris, who was assistant defensive back coach with the Chargers in 2023, will oversee the entire defensive backfield, with an emphasis on safeties. Zac Etheridge will coach the cornerbacks; most recently, he has coached defensive backs at Auburn and Houston.
Meanwhile, Damione Lewis — who was a 2001 St. Louis Rams first-round pick after a standout career at UM — returned to the Hurricanes to coach the defensive tackles, working alongside Jason Taylor, who is the only returning top defensive assistant from last year’s staff. Lewis coached Seattle Seahawks defensive linemen from 2020 to 2023 and held the same position on Sanders’ Colorado staff last season.
New defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman is expected to coach the linebackers.
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 11:20 AM.
