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‘Everything just makes it look like the right answer’: 3-star IOL JJ Sparks signs with Miami Hurricanes

by: Luke Chaney20 hours agoLChaney_

The Hurricanes’ coaching staff is hoping it’s found the program’s center of the future, as The Bolles School (Fla.) interior offensive lineman JJ Sparks signed with Miami on Wednesday. He’s ranked by Rivals as the 62nd-best player at his position in the 2026 cycle.

Following his commitment to UM this past April, Sparks’ recruitment has been drama-free. He took an official visit to only one school – Miami – in the summer, and he traveled back to South Florida three more times during the fall to watch the Hurricanes play at Hard Rock Stadium.

While the 6-foot-4, 294-pound lineman played mostly guard at the high school level, he’s expected to play center in college. He worked on his snapping ability during the offseason before his senior year in preparation for this positional transition.

“I’ve been working on my snaps, just getting ready for center at the next level, or if I have to bump in this year, and then kind of just playing low,” Sparks told CaneSport in August.

This season at Bolles, Sparks has spearheaded one of the nation’s best rushing attacks. Behind an offensive line led by Sparks, 2028 running back Xander Edwards has rushed for a video-game like 2220 yards and 36 touchdowns on 213 carries. This included a 522-yard, eight-touchdown performance against Baldwin (Fla.).

Sparks’ film shows why he’s such a good run blocker. He has a massive frame and a strong, sturdy lower body that overpowers defenders. He plays with a violent streak that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal likely admires. Sparks also gets to the second level well at his size.

Cristobal and Mirabal, the driving forces of Miami’s pursuit of Sparks, are a primary reason why the 2026 prospect is choosing to attend UM. Sparks told CaneSport in November that the Hurricanes’ coaching staff “really stuck and built the foundation for our relationship.”

“I think it was just the relationships from the get-go,” he said. “They were always super involved, always staying in contact with me and my family and I think that really stuck and built the foundation for our relationship. And then just to see how good they’re doing just as a program, but also then when you watch the O-line and you see how good they’re playing, everything just makes it look like the right answer.”

CaneSport’s Take

We expect Sparks to contend for playing time down the road at center because of how good of a run blocker he is. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson values the inside run as a core principle of its offensive system, and this is an area where Sparks really excels.

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