How the COVID-19 pandemic helped Hurricanes land Columbus four-star DE Jabari Ishmael
Jabari Ishmael can admit now.
He has been orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes since July, but there was once a time — before the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the recruiting landscape — when he thought he would leave home for college.
“I’m not going to lie,” Ishmael said. “If I could’ve taken a visit to Oregon, I probably would’ve picked Oregon. Both of them were recruiting me super hard, but I ended up going to Miami because that was the only place I took a visit and I grew up here all my life.”
The Hurricanes are happy to have him and he is happy to be staying home. He said he hasn’t heard from Oregon Ducks coach Mario Cristobal in about a month.
Victor Ishmael, the four-star defensive end’s father, is an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Hurricanes, and has worked at the university for more than 15 years.
Ishmael, of course, grew up rooting for the Hurricanes and has even been one of the few recruits to watch them in person this year. He played alongside defensive lineman Elijah Roberts last year at Miami Columbus, and he’ll get to join Roberts and an excellent defensive line next year once he gets to Coral Gables.
“Our defensive line,” he said, “is raw.”
He has now seen it for years. Seemingly whatever combination the Hurricanes run out — different coaches, different defensive ends and different defensive tackles — they’re able to put together a good line.
This year, defensive line coach Todd Stroud has star edge rusher Quincy Roche leading a deep, versatile group. Before Stroud was there, former defensive line coach Jess Simpson positioned the Hurricanes among the nation’s best in tackles for loss and former defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski did the same before him.
Ishmael always hears about one name, though: star defensive end Gregory Rousseau.
When Rousseau was a senior at Hialeah Champagnat Catholic, he was a 6-foot-6, 222-pound project. Ishmael is about 6-5 and 210 pounds.
While the coaches don’t explicitly make the comparison, Ishmael hears from everywhere else.
“Everybody says that,” Ishmael said, “but I’m just trying to be the next me.”
Columbus is setting him up to be the latest in the Hurricanes’ line of NFL defensive ends.
Ishmael is a top-250 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, and he logged three sacks, matched the team lead with eight tackles for loss and finished tied for fourth on the team with 46 total tackles in 2019.
This season, he’ll mostly play defensive end, but the Explorers also plan to use him as a stand-up outside linebacker, using his length and athleticism to cover space — just as Rousseau did when he played safety at Champagnat Catholic.
He also gets to go up against four-star tackle Julian Armella every day in practice as Columbus’ top defensive lineman with Roberts now playing for the Hurricanes.
This season will be a test for Ishmael to prove how he can acquit himself as the Explorers’ top pass rusher. He wants to develop this season and then continue his growth under Stroud’s tutelage in 2021.
“Coach Stroud a good coach. That’s what I know,” Ishmael said. “He’s been developing all those people and he shows me all that stuff.”
