Miami 'setting the pace' for 4-star EDGE Zion Grady
It’s approaching three months since Troy (Ala.) Enterprise four-star EDGE Zion Grady decommitted from Alabama.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was one of the many 2025 prospects that backed off a pledge to the Crimson Tide following the shocking retirement of head coach Nick Saban. Since coming back on the board, Grady’s recruitment really hasn’t skipped a beat.
He got right back on the road in 2024 and has continued to take visits throughout the spring. That recently included another visit to Miami over the weekend. Mario Cristobal’s program has continued to make impressions on the coveted defender — and that led to a big prediction from On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong on Monday.
Wiltfong logged a pick in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine in favor of the Canes landing Grady, the No. 63 overall prospect and No. 8 EDGE in the 2025 cycle — per the On3 Industry Ranking. He broke down his prediction on the latest edition of the Wiltfong Whiparound.
“This most recent visit to Miami was another reminder why (Grady) is so high on the Hurricanes,” Wiltfong said. “The connection with Jason Taylor, Taylor’s track record as a player. The excitement around the Miami program, the trajectory under Mario Cristobal and the staff, they make him feel at home. Miami, in my opinion, is the one to watch for Zion Grady in his recruitment heading into the official visits.”
Miami battling top SEC schools, FSU for Grady’s pledge
Grady has now taken a pair of trips to Coral Gables in 2024 — and an official visit is also on the way. He’ll return for his OV on the weekend of May 31, kicking off what’s set to be a busy month.
Officials to Florida State (June 7), Auburn (June 10), Tennessee (June 14) and Georgia (June 21) are also on the docket. The Bulldogs are a program that picked up some momentum with Grady earlier this year and look to be another top contender. Grady is set to make his way to Tallahassee this weekend as the Seminoles look to keep itself in the mix.
The race for Grady’s pledge is not approaching the finish line, but Wiltfong sees Miami at the front of the pack amidst another important stretch of his recruitment.
“Georgia is the other school that’s near the top of his list, and then he’s also high on Auburn, Tennessee, Florida State — he’s at Florida State this weekend. But Miami is setting the pace right now for Zion Grady,” Wiltfong said.