After many years of building up under Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL) football is finally back where it belongs: at the top of college football. Despite missing out on the ACC Championship in 2025, the Hurricanes snuck into the College Football Playoff and made a run all the way to the national title game before losing to Indiana.
Miami has been recruiting at the top of the sport for a number of years now, and in 2025 that talent started producing the requisite results on the field. Winning is only helping with the recruiting process, and another example of that was proven on Sunday.
Miami has landed a commitment from 2027 5-star cornerback Donte Wright, according to Rivals. Wright was originally committed to Georgia, but will now be headed out to the Sunshine State to play for Mario Cristobal.
This is a massive win for the Hurricanes, as Wright is not only one of the best defensive backs but one of the best overall players in the class of 2027. Rivals ranks him as the No. 8 overall player and No. 2 cornerback in the 2027 class. He is also the top-ranked player in the state of California. Wright will play out his senior season at Long Beach Poly this fall before making the cross-country trek to begin his college career.
Cristobal and company have a strong history of developing NFL-caliber defensive backs, and that was no different this year when Miami had multiple players drafted at that position. Safety Jakobe Thomas was taken in the third round by the Minnesota Vikings and cornerback Keionte Scott was taken in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Miami has a lot of experience coming back into the cornerback room in 2026, which should make it very difficult to move the ball on the Canes this fall. OJ Frederique Jr. and Ethan O’Connor are the projected starters on the outside, while nickel/safety Bryce Fitzgerald was one of the best true freshmen in the nation last season. Soon enough, Wright will be adding his name to that room and looking to make an impact.
After many years of building up under Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL) football is finally back where it belongs: at the top of college football. Despite missing out on the ACC Championship in 2025, the Hurricanes snuck into the College Football Playoff and made a run all the way to the national title game before losing to Indiana.
