Intensity of Miami-Florida recruiting war unlike anything ever seen
Miami landed the first blow when it earned an early commitment from Jaden Rashada over Florida last June. Back then, Gator NIL efforts were under assault from multiple fronts, including Rashada’s agent/attorney.
Florida landed the next shot a month later when it stole receiver Andy Jean from Miami’s commit list.
The Hurricanes landed the third blow October 27 when they pulled 5-star cornerback Cormani McClain out from under Florida’s grasp. Sources told CaneSport that Florida had been convinced as early as a couple hours before the announcement in Lakeland that McClain was going to be a Gator. When McClain announced for Miami, there was an angry shock in Gainesville. The Gators have made it clear they won’t stop recruiting McClain.
Florida then won Round 4 last Friday, stealing Rashada back away from Miami in a midnight move.
And this heavyweight battle is far from over as Florida is engaging in a full frontal assault on Miami’s recruiting class, continuing to battle for McClain and Miami linebacker commit Malik Bryant and trying to entice Miami offensive line commit Tommy Kinsler back into their fold.
Those recent efforts were all quickly rebuffed by Miami like a pesky mosquito and the players sent out Tweets reaffirming their commitments to the Hurricanes.
Bryant, whose camp had begun engaging in active talks with Florida in recent days, tweeted out Tuesday that “Come January I’ll be a freshman at THE University Of Miami and practicing on GreenTree in no time. Oh and by the way MY RECRUITMENT IS 1000% CLOSED. When I’m playing on Sundays it’ll say I graduated from The U !”
Kinsler was reportedly making plans to visit Gainesville last weekend for the South Carolina game until being talked out of it by Miami staffers. He tweeted “Even though I didn’t tell these reporters I was attending Florida game this weekend I GOT LOVE 4 COACH @coach_cristobal and my future CANES I’M a CANE! I will not be attending FLORIDA this weekend because I’m ALL IN on the CANES.”
There was one catch. He HAD told a reporter who covers Florida that he was going to visit Gainesville.
“Florida is still recruiting him – they don’t go away,” Kinsler’s dad, Tommy III told CaneSport. ”They’ve been sending people that we know to contact us to do this and that, and I know for this past week they’ve been catching her (Tommy’s mom). But his mind is I have this solid relationship and I don’t think anything can change it.”
An ongoing attempt to flip OT Francis Mauigoa also appears to have been warded off by Miami. Mauigoa is believed to be solid with the Hurricanes.
But Tuesday came the biggest salvo of all by Florida, getting 5 star uncommitted offensive tackle Samson Okunlola, believed to be leaning toward Miami, to take a 2-day unofficial visit to Gainesville. The trip is Okunlola’s first to Florida. This one could now come down to a Miami-Florida battle.
Miami is not sitting by passively. In addition to doing everything it can to hold on to its commits and win with Okunlola. the Hurricanes are actively recruiting a couple of 4-star Florida defensive back commits Ja’Keem Jackson and Sharif Denson.
Florida has risen to No. 8 in the On3 Team Recruiting Rankings. Miami is sitting at No. 9 with four less commitments.
All of this began in June with the battle for Rashada, whose agent Michael Caspino ripped into the Gators collective at the time.
“Florida is the most dysfunctional collective in all of college football,” Caspino said. “I plan on steering my clients away from them. From my standpoint, I never ever want to deal with them again. If it weren’t for the collective that’s completely dysfunctional at Florida, he probably would have been there.”
The Florida Collective clearly has gotten its act together since Caspino’s damaging comments and Caspino did end up steering Rashada to Florida after he already had a high school NIL deal with John Ruiz’ LifeWallet. Rashada did not show up for a commercial and photo shoot under that agreement and decommitted from Miami a week later. Rashada had been due at Miami in January and would have had to either extend or enter into a new NIL arrangement. LifeWallet, which had intended to have a long-term relationship with Rashada, got the short end of the stick.
The Gator Collective is receiving a lot of support from the Gator fanbase, helping Florida also poach commitments from other schools.
Top-100 offensive lineman Roderick Kearney recently flipped from Florida State to Florida. The Gators also turned Isaiah Nixon from UCF, Jaden Robinson from South Carolina and Marcus Stokes from Penn State. Dijon Johnson, who was also being recruited by Miami, committed to Florida last month, and he was a longtime Ohio State commit. Andy Jean was at one time committed to Miami. Treyaun Webb was committed to Georgia and Oklahoma before committing to Florida.
Miami and Florida won’t play on the field this season, but this recruiting turf war is certainly exceeding anything that could have transpired on the field.
Miami remains well-positioned in terms of NIL. LifeWallet CEO John Ruiz, behind the bulk of Miami’s NIL offerings, has made it clear he is raising his budget in 2023 from $10 million to $15 million.
And if this all seems crazy, just wait until the three-week run-up to signing day in December that will take place when coaches are allowed to go visit recruits.
“It’s great for college football. College football needs Florida and Miami,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said. “For both schools to be at the level they want to be at, they need elite recruits.
“There are some intense battles going on the cycle that both schools are going hard for. Florida has won some. Miami has won some. As we know in recruiting, nothing is ever final until the recruits sign their letters or intent, so these battles will only heat up in the coming weeks.”
