Canes finish with top 15 class; Cristobal assesses newcomers. And Ward ACC Player of Year
A day after learning that they would not be receiving an invitation to the College Football Playoffs, the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday had good-but-not-extraordinary results on the first day of the Early Signing Period, adding a four-star linebacker and securing a top-15 2025 class but also losing out on a few targets and watching three longtime commitments sign elsewhere.
The 21 players who signed with UM on Wednesday included 20 who already committed, plus Tampa Armwood linebacker Kellen Wiley, who picked UM over Florida, Texas and Maryland. Wiley had 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season.
Wiley’s addition compensates for the loss of four-star linebacker Gavin Nix, who flipped this week to Oregon.
Besides Nix, UM lost two other commitments this week: four-star safety Hylton Stubbs (who flipped to UF) and safety Timothy Merritt, who was reportedly on the verge of flipping to Tennessee before the Canes dropped him after he attempted to leverage both schools against each other, according to Canesport. Merritt cursed UM during his news conference on Wednesday.
Also, UM failed to snag three players it hoped to lure: four-star linebacker TJ Alford (who stuck with Ohio State), five-star defensive back DJ Pickett (LSU) and four-star Booker T. Washington cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. (UF).
There was a bit of drama Wednesday when Plantation American Heritage receiver Malachi Toney delayed his signing until mid-afternoon. Toney told Canesport.com that he couldn’t say for sure if he would sign with Miami but ultimately did.
Unlike Mario Cristobal’s past two classes, this UM class is rated outside the top 10 by all the major recruiting services.
Miami’s class is rated 14th by 247 Sports, 13th by On3.com, 13th by Rivals and 15th by ESPN.
“We have an opportunity for the third year in a row to sign the top class in the conference,” Cristobal said, adding that nearly all of the signings will be early enrollees.
A breakdown of UM’s class, by position, with their 247 rankings comments from Cristobal:
QUARTERBACK
Georgia-based Luke Nickel (247 Sports’ No. 22 QB): “Compete winner. He has that moxie, that personality, that aura about him. He just lit it up.”
RUNNING BACK
Tampa Armwood’s Girard Pringle (247 Sports’ No. 6 running back and No. 139 overall Class of 2025 player): “Pringle is an absolute monster; we were looking for a Jahmyr Gibbs-type guy,” Cristobal said of the speedy Detroit Lions running back. “He might be the top rated guy in Florida. His vertical is insane.”
WIDE RECEIVER
Pembroke Pines West Broward’s Joshua Moore (No. 20 receiver, No. 188 overall prospect), Plantation American Heritage’s Toney (No. 52 receiver) and Alabama-based Daylyn Upshaw (No. 59 receiver): Cristobal said Upshaw “popped,” and Moore reminded people of former Detroit Lions All-Pro Calvin Johnson.
Cristobal said of Toney: “He has reclassified to join the class. I don’t think people have appreciated his ability. Wiggle, speed, power, explosiveness, all the qualities you look for in a wide receiver.”
TIGHT END
Indiana-based Brock Schott (No. 10 tight end, No. 167 player overall) and Ohio-based Luka Gilbert (No. 18 tight end): Cristobal cited Schott’s “ability to separate, escape, be powerful at the line of scrimmage.” Cristobal said he can “make the contested catch [and] become a nightmare match-up for opponents.”
Of Gilbert, Cristobal said: “People didn’t realize what a great athlete Luka has been his entire career. 6-7, athletic, versatile, fast and explosive. He can go up and get it.”
OFFENSIVE LINE
Two interior linemen: Las Vegas-based center “SJ” Alofaituli (247’s No. 5 interior lineman and No. 90 player overall) and Sanford Seminole guard Max Buchanan (No. 31 interior lineman):
Cristobal said Alofaituli is “one of the best players I’ve seen in high school. Explosive, powerful, nasty. On the field a horror, tries to rip you to shreds.” He called Buchanan “an absolute stud” who “can play outside, inside.”
▪ Two tackles: Orlando Christian’s Demetrius Campbell (No. 83 tackle) and Orlando Edgewater’s Jaden Wilkerson (No. 61 tackle): Cristobal said UM’s four new linemen have “size, athleticism, explosiveness.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna’s 6-3, 281-pound Donta Simpson (247 Sports’ No. 59 defensive lineman). He’s the one natural defensive tackle in the class.
EDGE PLAYERS
Los Angeles-based Hayden Lowe (247 Sports’ No. 3 edge player and No. 44 player overall); Georgia-based Herbert Scroggins (No. 20 edge player, No. 190 overall) and Newberry-based Mykah Newton (247 Sports’ No. 78 edge player): Cristobal called Lowe an “elite” player.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Tampa Armwood’s Kellen Wiley (No.44 linebacker) and Miami Central’s Ezekiel Marcelin (No. 39 linebacker): Wiley “shot to the top of boards all over the country,” Cristobal said.
SAFETY
Miami Columbus High’s Bryce Fitzgerald (No. 20 safety, No. 223 overall) and Miami Central’s Amari Wallace (No. 23 safety): “Amari Wallace, shame his season got cut short by injury, one of the best safeties in the country,” Cristobal said. “Bryce Fitzgerald has been a do-everything kind of guy for them, offense, defense, special teams. Man to man coverage, plays safety, at camp did some corner work as well.”
CORNERBACK
Chaminade’s Chris Ewald (No. 31 cornerback) and Louisiana-based Jaboree Antoine (No. 29 corner): “Jaboree Antoine was the one everyone was fearful of; everyone tried to get him to flip,” Cristobal said.
NEWS NOTES
NFL-bound quarterback Cam Ward was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
He won both in a landslide. He received 59 of 71 votes for Player of the Year; SMU’s Kevin Jennings was second with four votes. He won 59 of 72 votes for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
Ward, the first UM player to win either award, ranked first nationally with 36 touchdown passes and was second in passing yards with 4,123 in his one season playing for the Hurricanes. The Washington State transfer set UM single-season records in both TD passes and yards passing.
He also tied Case Keenum for the most career passing touchdowns (155) in Division 1 (now FBS).
▪ Cornerback OJ Frederique finished fifth in ACC freshman of the year voting.
▪ Reese Poffenbarger will enter the transfer portal, a move that leaves UM with three quarterbacks on its 2025 roster: Emory Williams, Judd Anderson (a freshman this season) and incoming freshman Nickel. UM is expected to explore adding a quarterback in the portal. That player possibly could compete with Williams for the starting job.
Poffenbarger — who joined UM last winter before Ward committed to the Hurricanes — threw for 6,613 yards and 60 touchdowns and ran for eight touchdowns in two seasons with FCS team Albany. He appeared in four games in his one year at Miami, completing six of seven pass attempts for 20 yards and rushing for 12 yards on five carries.
UM SIGNINGS
QB Luke Nickel
RB Girard Pringle Jr.
WR Joshua Moore
WR Daylyn Upshaw
WR Malachi Toney
TE Brock Schott
TE Luka Gilbert
OL SJ Alofaituli
OL Max Buchanan
DB Jaboree Antoine
DB Chris Ewald Jr.
DB Bryce Fitzgerald
DB Amari Wallace
DE Hayden Lowe
DE Herbert Scroggins III
LB Ezekiel Marcelin
LB Kellen Wiley Jr.
DT Donta Simpson
OL Jaden Wilkerson
DL Mykah Newton
OL Demetrius Campbell
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 4:34 PM.
