Miami moves up in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings
Miami landed a commitment Tuesday from Fayetteville (Ga.) Whitewater four-star linebacker Raul Aguirre. His pledge moved the Hurricanes up to No. 6 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. Miami’s class is currently No. 2 in the ACC behind Clemson.
Aguirre chose the Hurricanes over multiple programs including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State. His decision elevated the class two spots from No. 8.
“It’s their coaching staff, that school stood out to me from the jump,” Aguirre told On3’s Jeremy Johnson in June regarding Miami. “They feel like I fit with them. I’m from Miami. They fit all the dots. That was a school that was definitely going to be there and everybody knew that.”
Aguirre is the No. 131 overall prospect and the No. 10 linebacker in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 9 player in Georgia.
How Miami has built one of 2023’s top recruiting classes
Head coach Mario Cristobal‘s arrival at Miami has completely reshaped the Hurricanes’ recruiting efforts. Miami’s 2023 recruiting class currently contains one five-star and eight four-stars, many of whom have committed over the summer.
The Hurricanes’ surge on the recruiting trail began in late June when they received commitments from Pittsburg (Calif.) four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, Miami Edison four-star wide receiver Nathaniel Joseph and Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie four-star cornerback Robert Stafford over a four-day period.
Portland (Ore.) four-star tight end Riley Williams, who attends IMG Academy, then committed to Miami on July 1.
“I believe in (Cristobal) because he has been there and done that,” Williams told On3’s Chad Simmons. “He played there, he won there, and he knows what it takes for Miami to be great. He has competed with greats there, he knows what it takes to put Miami on top, and I know he will get Miami back to the top. He will get his guys and win at Miami.”
Three days later, the Hurricanes notched another massive win when they landed Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. He marked Miami’s sixth in-state commitment of the recruiting cycle.
Miami’s momentum then shifted to the defensive side of the ball as they landed pledges from Aguirre and Tacoma (Wash.) IMG Academy four-star EDGE Jayden Wayne within three days of one another.
“They recruited me hard all the way to the end,” Wayne told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “The relationships with all of the coaches are real. Coach Cristobal talked to me and my family almost everyday. It was the right fit.”
Hurricanes in contention for top-20 offensive tackle
Miami’s class has the chance to climb even higher in the coming weeks. The Hurricanes are favored by the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine to land Brockton (Mass.) Thayer Academy five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola at 69.3%. He took an official visit to Coral Gables on June 24.
“It was great,” Okunlola told CaneSport’s Matt Shodell regarding his official visit. “I really liked the culture they had around there, the people they have there. It felt great. They were telling me that I’m a great offensive lineman, that they’d love to have me, how they’ve had great offensive linemen in the past.”
Okunlola is the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. If he commits to Miami, he and Mauigoa would give the Hurricanes two of the nation’s top three offensive tackle recruits.