How did Miami land Jacolby George? UM finally put together an exciting offensive staff.
Steve Davis never heard from Jacolby George before the wide receiver made his first oral commitment to the Miami Hurricanes last year. It was a day after Paradise Camp and George, not even a junior at the time, was wrapped up in all the fanfare.
Michael Irvin was there at the camp and George spent some time talking to the Pro Football Hall of Famer. The scholarship offer from Miami was fresh — not even a month old — and George had started to make a habit of spending every weekend in Coral Gables for camps and 7-on-7 tournaments or even just sometimes to hang out. He could still count his list of suitors on one hand, so he told the Hurricanes he wanted to commit.
“I told him, ‘What did you just do? You haven’t been anywhere,’” said Davis, who coaches George at Plantation. “He didn’t talk to me. His parents didn’t know.”
Commitments like those hardly last and George backed off his pledge about five months later as Miami struggled and offers started to pile up. He blossomed from an under-the-radar wideout into one of the best in South Florida and even landed an invitation to the 2021 Under Armour All-America Game. This time, George was going to take his time with a commitment, which is why Davis said George’s decision to commit back to the Hurricanes last Wednesday is different.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from taking visits this spring, George did his research this time. He considered offers from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Penn State Nittany Lions before he finally settled back on Miami — and this time it was about more than just the name.
The spread offense, brought by new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, excited him. New wide receivers coach Rob Likens’ track record for developing NFL receivers intrigued him. The Hurricanes’ lack of depth at the position made George think opportunities will be abound once he joins Miami.
“He kind of realized that maybe he did a little too early and this time he took his time, did more research,” Davis said, “and then in the interim Coach Lashlee came in. They’re running a more dynamic offense now, so that had something to do with it and also Miami needs some wide receivers, too. So him being able to play early was also a draw.”
The No. 178 overall prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2021, George is the second highest ranked player in the Hurricanes’ 2021 recruiting class, and he fits the mold both Lashlee and Likens are looking for. The 5-11, 161-pound senior piled up 1,030 yards and 12 touchdowns playing in the Colonels’ pass-happy offense in 2019, and his body type and quickness make him the style of athlete Likens most likes to work with.
After spending one year as the quarterback for Plantation’s junior varsity team, George came up to varsity for the end of his freshman year in 2017. He followed it up with a productive sophomore season 2018 before he broke out in 2019, helping the Colonels reach the second round of the Class 7A playoffs.
“I’m not saying he’s Larry Fitzgerald, but put you in the mind of a guy like that,” Davis said. “If the ball hits his hands, it’s caught and he has the ability to just get his body and contort his body to make freaky catches.”
George is the latest in a long line of players to commit to Miami since an extended dead period began abruptly in March because of the coronavirus and the vast majority have been prospects from South Florida, familiar with the campus and program.
Later this week, two more local prospects are slated to announce commitments with the Hurricanes as finalists. Miami Northwestern safety Kamren Kinchens will commit Thursday and Northwestern wide receiver Romello Brinson, a former Hurricanes commit like George, is slated to commit Saturday.
“The pandemic might have helped them out a little bit because nobody can go anywhere, everything was all virtual-type stuff and he’d been there,” Davis said. “I’m pretty sure all around the country local teams are probably getting kids. It’s probably an advantage.”
