One of the top defenders in the 2027 class is moving up to the 2026 class. Elite South Florida defensive back <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/kenton-dopson-238598/">Kenton Dopson III </a>has officially reclassified to the 2026 class, boosting Miami’s already strong defensive back class. 



“Being able to achieve my goal of playing college football a year earlier, that’s too good to pass up,” Dopson said. 



The four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/miami-hurricanes/">Miami </a>commit from Miami <a href="https://www.on3.com/high-school/norland-miami-fl-12408/">Norland</a> High School has worked hard to get to Coral Gables as a student, a year earlier, taking online classes in addition to his in-person classes. 



“I’ve been doing some online classes. It wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it’s not hard.”



Dopson currently has a 3.0 GPA, but expects it to increase after completing his online courses.



The Hurricanes currently have the <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/miami-hurricanes/football/2026/commits/">12th-ranked 2026 recruiting class</a> with plenty of top-tier talent at the defensive back position: four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/jaelen-waters-235961/">Jaelen Waters</a>, four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/jontavius-wyman-177745/">Jontavius Wyman</a>, four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/cortez-redding-237556/">Cortez Redding</a>, four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/camdin-portis-176685/">Camdin Portis</a>, and four-star <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/brody-jennings-152539/">Brody Jennings</a>. 



Dopson has already connected with Portis and Jennings.



“It would definitely make me a better player,” Dopson said of the competition that he would be facing. “It would mean a lot to a lot of people if I were a part of bringing ‘The U’ back with one of the best corner classes.”



Dopson remains loyal to the Hurricanes, but schools like <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/arkansas-razorbacks/">Arkansas</a>, <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/florida-state-seminoles/">FSU</a>, <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/notre-dame-fighting-irish/">Notre Dame</a>, <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/tennessee-volunteers/">Tennessee</a>, <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/texas-longhorns/">Texas</a>, and <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/usc-trojans/">USC</a> are remaining in contact with the Longhorns and Trojans, standing out among that group.



“I still talk to the coaches when it comes to recruiting, but that’s not what I’ve been focused on grinding with my teammates and getting ready for the season.” 



The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback is looking to enroll at Miami in the spring to start his college career.

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Elite Miami DB commit Kenton Dopson III reclassifies from 2027 to 2026

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