Grading out each position group from Miami's 2024 recruiting class.
David Lake
The first day of the Early Signing Period has wrapped up and the Miami Hurricanes closed with the No. 3 overall class in the country.
Miami signed 27 players in total, featuring two five-star prospects and 11 four-star recruits.
For the second straight season, the Hurricanes signed the top class in the ACC and the top class amongst the programs from the state of Florida.
UM signed the No. 7 class in the 2023 cycle and with another top ten class in 2024, Miami has signed consecutive top ten classes for the first time during the 247Sports era.
This 2024 class will be the best Miami has signed during the 247Sports era, which dates back to the 2011 cycle.
LINK: Check out the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings.
All of this is to say the trajectory of the program is on the right track.
Consistently stacking top ten classes at the high school level is the best predictor of future on-field success at the major college football level. Cristobal has significantly upgraded the talent on the roster during his two full cycles of working at Miami.
LINK: Mario Cristobal's remarks on every player in the 2024 class.
How does Miami’s 2024 recruiting class look when grading it on a position-by-position basis?
Read on for our grades for each position group.
QUARTERBACK
Signee: 3-star Judd Anderson
Grade: B-
Overview: At nearly 6-feet-7 and 215 pounds, Anderson represents a developmental quarterback with plenty of intriguing traits to fine tune at the college level. Anderson finished his senior season at Warner Robins throwing for 2,917 yards with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 73.6 percent of his passes while rushing for 135 yards and three touchdowns. Anderson is the type of player a program stashes away for a couple years and the results after that process could be big time.
RUNNING BACK
Signees: 4-star Jordan Lyle and 3-star Chris Wheatley-Humphrey.
Grade: B
Overview: The Hurricanes flipped Lyle, a St. Thomas Aquinas product, from Ohio State leading up to the early signing day. Lyle, who ranks as a Top 150 recruit, was the best running back from South Florida in this 2024 recruiting class. Lyle is a smooth running back with a frame to be over 200 pounds at the college level. Wheatley-Humphrey is another South Florida product and he brings some speed to the backfield. As a senior, Wheatley-Humphrey ran for 2,076 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 13.1 yards per carry. Miami always wants to keep the best local running backs home and that effort was a mission accomplished for the 2024 cycle.
WIDE RECEIVER
Signees: 4-star Ny Carr, 4-star JoJo Trader, and 4-star Chance Robinson.
Grade: A
Overview: On paper, this wide receiver class is the best Miami has signed during the 247Sports era, which dates back to the 2011 cycle. Carr hails from Colquitt County in southern Georgia and the Hurricanes landed his commitment after he decommitted from Georgia. Carr ranks as a Top 50 player in the country and he can play in the slot or the outside. Trader committed to the Hurricanes in the summer and the Top 100 prospect represents an explosive, playmaking receiver to develop on the outside. Robinson is a St. Thomas Aquinas product that represents a big-bodied, contested catch winner. This is a special group.
TIGHT END
Signees: 4-star Elija Lofton.
Grade: B+
Overview: At 6-feet-2 and 220 pounds, Lofton is a unique prospect that can stress a defense with his ability to make plays in red-zone while exploiting the flats and short areas. Lofton is one of the most impressive prospects in the weight room in the country and his explosiveness makes him an important piece to Miami’s 2024 class. Texas was making a strong push into the 11th hour.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Signees: 4-star JUCO Markel Bell, 3-star Deryc Plazz, 3-star OL Juan Minaya, and 3-star OL Nino Francavilla.
Grade: B
Overview: Miami continues to stack talent on the offensive line. Bell is going to be one of the biggest human beings playing college football at the FBS level at 6-feet-9 and 340 pounds. Bell is the top offensive tackle prospect coming out of JUCO and projects as a player that could push for an immediate role. Plazz is a versatile offensive lineman that can play guard or tackle. Minaya is a massive offensive line prospect in his own right at 6-feet-3 and 335 pounds. Francavilla is an interesting evaluation by the UM coaching staff because he was flipped from Harvard to be Miami’s center of the future.
DEFENSIVE END
Signees: 4-star Marquise Lightfoot, 4-star Elias Rudolph, 4-star Booker Pickett, and 3-star DE Cole McConathy.
Grade: A-
Overview: Miami wanted to sign the best defensive line class in the country in this 2024 cycle and the recruiting success at the edge rush spot puts the Hurricanes in a position to make that claim. Lightfoot is a Top 100 prospect out of the Chicago area. At 6-feet-5 and 230 pounds, Lightfoot is a prospect with a strong combination of size, athleticism, and speed. Pickett has been a pass rushing terror at the high school level and is a UM legacy. Rudolph gives Miami a lengthy pass rusher to develop and add weight on his frame. McConathy is a nice evaluation by the UM staff, earning a flip from Louisville. McConathy piled up plenty of tackles for loss and sacks during his career at Alabama.
This group is long, twitchy, and plays with violence.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Signees: 5-star Justin Scott, 5-star Armondo Blount, 4-star Artavius Jones, and 3-star DL Daylen Russell.
Grade: A
Overview: The Hurricanes wanted to land one of the best defensive line classes in the country and this group represents an elite haul. Miami flipped Scott from Ohio State and he gives the Hurricanes a massive frame with athleticism to develop. UM also flipped Blount from Florida State on signing day, with the Hurricanes adding the best defensive tackle prospect in South Florida. Miami went into FSU’s backyard to land big-bodied Jones and Russell is a local defensive tackle prospect.
Quality defensive tackles is the hardest position to land on the defensive side of the ball. Miami landed big time defensive tackles in this class. Mission accomplished.
LINEBACKER
Signees: 4-star Adarius Hayes and 3-star Cameron Pruitt.
Grade: B+
Overview: Miami flipped Hayes from Florida on signing day and he represents a big-bodied middle linebacker to develop at 6-feet-4 and 210 pounds. Hayes ranks as the No. 73 overall player in the country, according to the industry generated 247Sports Composite. Pruitt ranks as a three-star player, according to the 247Sports Composite. Pruitt is an athletic, length WILL linebacker for the UM coaching staff to develop.
CORNERBACK
Signees: 3-star Ryan Mack, 3-star Dylan Day, and 3-star O.J. Frederique.
Target: Zavier Mincey
Grade without Mincey: C+
Grade with Mincey: B+
Overview: UM’s cornerback class currently features developmental corners. Mack and Day project as nickel corners while Frederique is a long outside cornerback with some ball skills to develop.
Miami is in a battle with Alabama for Mincey. The Hurricanes had been considered the leader for the majority of the cycle, but the talented cornerback now has the Crimson Tide and the Hurricanes on edge. Mincey will make his decision public at the All-American game in early January. Landing Mincey would significantly boost the talent of this bunch.
SAFETY
Signees: 4-starZaquan Patterson and 3-star Isaiah Thomas.
Grade: A
Overview: Patterson is one of the best safety prospects in the country and with his presence in the 2024 class, the Hurricanes get an ‘A’ grade at this position. Patterson checks all the boxes you want at safety; speed, physicality, awareness, and football intelligence. Patterson will push for a starting job as a true freshman in 2024. Thomas sustained multiple knee injuries at the high school level, but when fully healthy, he is a big-bodied, physical safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Signee: 3-star K Abram Murray.
Grade: A
Overview: Miami got the kicker they wanted to replace Andy Borregales and for that they receive a strong grade.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Miami signed a very good 2024 recruiting class.
The Hurricanes accomplished two important objectives when judging a class: 1). Landing elite talent and 2). Signing a balanced class that spreads the talent across all positions.
At the start of the cycle, UM called their shot with attempting to sign the top defensive coach in the country and it was mission accomplished with their haul. The Hurricanes also signed one of the best receiver classes of the 247Sports era.
This 2024 Miami Hurricanes class features plenty of big frames to develop in the program.
Mario Cristobal’s vision for UM under his leadership is for the Hurricanes to be a big, physical, explosive team on both sides of the ball. This team is a reflection of that vision and the future is bright as Cristobal continues to stack talented recruiting classes early in his tenure.
The one position group to nitpick in this 2024 class is cornerback. Miami did not land a premier outside cornerback in this class, but UM is still chasing ultra talented Zavier Mincey as they battle Alabama for the talented player out of Daytona Beach Mainland.
If UM can close with Mincey, their class will not have a noticeable hole.
Stacking talent is the starting point for competing at a high level. If Cristobal can stack two more top ten classes in 2025 and 2026, the Hurricanes will be competing at a high level.
Recruiting never stops and nobody embraces that mantra more than Mario Cristobal.
