Miami Hurricanes poised to sign top-10 recruiting class. Where things stand
The Miami Hurricanes are in a holding pattern this week with the rest of their 2025 season as they wait to find out if they will make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
But that doesn’t mean work has stopped for Mario Cristobal and Co.
The three-day early signing period begins Wednesday, and the Hurricanes are closing in on a top-10 recruiting class for the 2026 cycle.
“It’s huge,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said Monday. “I mean, everywhere now in college football, you’re looking at the amount of players you’re bringing in at this time of year. People are eclipsing 35, 40 sometimes 50 players. It’s just the way of the world now. It’s part of it. And they won’t get here ‘til January. You still have a lot of season to play here. We’re really excited. We’re very enthused that that things are going to work our way because we’ve earned it, but at the same time, the machine doesn’t stop. Not if you want to keep getting better every year. That’s the goal, and we’re going to keep doing that.”
Here’s a quick rundown of where things stand for the Hurricanes entering the signing period.
How many commitments do the Hurricanes have?
Miami has 29 oral commitments in the Class of 2026.
The Hurricanes picked up steam on the commitment front during the past five weeks, with UM receiving pledges from seven players since Oct. 28.
The class as it stands includes one quarterback, one running back, four wide receivers, two tight ends, six offensive linemen, eight defensive linemen/edge rushers, one linebacker and six defensive backs.
Overhauling on both lines of scrimmage was a priority this cycle with Miami set to lose a lot of front-end talent at those positions after this season.
Where does the class rank nationally?
Entering Tuesday, Miami’s recruiting class ranked eighth nationally according to on3 and 10th according to 247Sports. It’s the top-rated class in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Who is the headliner of the class?
Five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell out of Nixa, Missouri, leads the Hurricanes’ class. The 247Sports composite ranking has him as the No. 4 overall prospect in the entire Class of 2026.
Cantwell, listed at 6-7.5 and 325 pounds, committed to Miami on May 13 over Oregon, Ohio State and Georgia.
“Relationships won in the end,” Cantwell said at the time of his commitment.
When he signs, Cantwell will be the seventh five-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite ranking that Cristobal has signed during his tenure with the Hurricanes. All seven are either offensive or defensive linemen.
The full group: edge rusher Hayden Lowe in 2025; defensive linemen Justin Scott, Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount in 2024; and offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola in 2023.
Could Miami add to the class?
The main target on Miami’s radar heading into the signing period appears to be Louisville-based linebacker Karsten Busch, a four-star prospect rated as the No. 33 linebacker in the class according to the 247Sports composite.
Busch decommitted from Louisville on Nov. 24 and took an official visit to Miami on Nov. 28. Wisconsin appears to be the other main school Busch is considering.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 1:24 PM.
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