Final Class of 2024 rankings are in, and Miami finishes with top-5 recruiting class for first time since 2008; Lightfoot elevated to 5-star status

Miami’s 2024 recruiting class was expected to be historic since the Hurricanes flipped a number of major prospects in the final weeks before signing day, but after On3 released its final On300 rankings Monday, the Canes have now finished with their best recruiting class in a decade and a half.

Miami’s No. 5 ranked recruiting class gives the Hurricanes their best signing class since 2008 — after former head coach Randy Shannon’s first season — with 12 signees in the On300 including two five-star prospects. Five Miami signees climbed more than 30 spots in the final rankings, two jumped into the On300 and 13 of the Hurricanes’ 26 high school signees closed their careers as four or five-star recruits. Miami also finishes with the No. 1 class in the ACC.

Here’s a final look at Miami’s 2024 signing class and its biggest climbers in the last rankings update.

Biggest climbers

5-star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot: 32 spots
+++ Lightfoot is a new five-star prospect and completes his climb from a middle-of-the-pack three-star recruit to one of the nation’s best after showing his skillset against multiple four and five-star offensive tackles at the All-American Bowl. He’ll finish the cycle as the No. 10 prospect after jumping from No. 42.

4-star EDGE Booker Pickett: 212 spots
+++ Pickett jumped from No. 300 in the On300 to No. 88 after a massive performance in the Under Armour All-American game where he was borderline unblockable against top-tier competition, looking much less like a pure speed rusher and instead a far more well-rounded defensive end.

4-star QB Judd Anderson: New On300 addition
+++ Anderson threw for 3,163 yards, 34 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while completing better than 70% of his passes after transferring from Jones County to Warner Robins his senior year. The new four-star prospect was previously unranked but is now the No. 277 prospect jumping from the No. 42 quarterback in the On300 to No. 19.

4-star CB Ryan Mack: New On300 addition
+++ Mack looked remarkably polished at the Under Armour-All American game with On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire calling Mack a “total baller” and jumping to the No. 208 overall prospect in the On300 after being previously unranked. He was recruited to play nickel after starring as a cornerback for most of his high school career.

“Top two defensive back at the event,” Bellaire said of Mack’s performance at Under Armour. “He was arguably the stickiest corner the entire week of practice and it culminated into a dominant game where he had 3 pass breakups. He was so calm and in control the entire week. During 1-on-1’s he wouldn’t panic and he trusted his technique. His feet are very quiet and he consistently met receivers at the catch point. Anytime a defensive back lines up in a 1-on-1 setting and they win the majority of the reps? That’s special.”

4-star WR Joshisa Trader: 56 spots
+++ Trader jumped from the No. 124 overall prospect to the No. 68 recruit after a major performance against elite defensive backs in the Under Armour All-American Game, marking the largest jump Trader has made in the last year. Trader hauled in 47 receptions for 757 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna.

4-star RB Jordan Lyle: 3 spots
+++ On3 has been high on Lyle for some time, and he’ll finish the year as the nation’s No. 1 running back after jumping to No. 37 from No. 40. Miami signs him after signing a pair of four-star running backs last year to add to an already loaded running back room.

Miami signees in On300

5-star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot: No. 10
5-star DL Justin Scott: No. 11
4-star RB Jordan Lyle: No. 37
4-star DL Armondo Blount: No. 45
4-star WR Joshisa Trader: No. 68
4-star EDGE Booker Pickett: No. 88
4-star WR Ny Carr: No. 154
4-star DB Ryan Mack: No. 208
4-star WR Chance Robinson: No. 239
4-star LB Adarius Hayes: No. 244
4-star QB Judd Anderson: No. 277
4-star S Zaquan Patterson: No. 293