Miami‘s appearance in the College Football Playoff national championship in January has generated a massive amount of momentum on the recruiting trail for the Hurricanes.
They finished last cycle with the No. 8 class in the country, their third in four years under Mario Cristobal. That kind of talent acquisition — including finding under-the-radar gems — has paid huge dividends in recent years. Miami’s talent now stacks up with some of college football’s premier programs, particularly when you factor in what they’ve done in the transfer portal.
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On top of their elite recruiting class, the ‘Canes transfer haul included five four-star additions. None were bigger than Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and former Missouri EDGE Damon Wilson II, both ranked among the top 10 players available in the portal. They’re expected to lead another deep roster next year, but Cristobal and Co. have pivoted from relying quite as heavily on the portal to now prioritizing quality high school classes.
Their start to 2027 is no different.
Miami’s class ranks No. 7 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings despite having only five commits. And based on average star rating per pledge, they bump up to No. 5.
Four of the five commitments are ranked as blue-chip prospects, and the fifth — offensive tackle Zaquan Linton — very much fits the bill of a developmental tackle that Cristobal has had success with in the past. Their latest addition, elite wideout Nick Lennear, pushed them into the top 10 ahead of Nebraska, Texas, Alabama, Oregon and more.
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And they may be trending for a few more commitments coming soon, according to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.
Hurricanes recruiting class breakdown by position
Wide receiverFour-star Nick Lennear, No. 26 NATL. (No. 6 WR) Four-star Ah’Mari Stevens, No. 229 NATL. (No. 30 WR)
Tight endFour-star Demarcus Deroche, No. 243 NATL. (No. 15 TE)
Offensive tackleThree-star Zaquan Linton, No. 895 NATL. (No. 65 OT)
SafetyFour-star Jaylyn Jones, No. 232 NATL. (No. 23 SAF)
